The X-Men movies made one actor more well-known, but surprisingly, he had previously declined a role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Over the years, Star Trek has been a launching pad for many successful actors. Before becoming major stars, Tom Hardy, Christian Slater, and Ashley Judd all appeared in Star Trek projects. However, not everyone who was offered a part in the series decided to accept it.
Famke Janssen, later known for playing Jean Grey in the X-Men films, initially declined the role of Dax on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She worried that being a regular on the TV show would hurt her chances of landing movie roles. According to the 2000 book Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, Janssen turned down the part before Terry Farrell was cast. While she considered it “a great opportunity,” Janssen was concerned about balancing the TV series with pursuing other film roles and characters.
Famke Janssen Turned Down Star Trek So She Could Take On Movie Roles
While Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was a successful show, Famke Janssen clearly made a smart choice focusing on films. During the seven seasons Deep Space Nine aired (1993-1999), she appeared in several notable movies, including the James Bond film GoldenEye (1995), the monster movie Deep Rising (1998), the popular film Rounders (1998), and the sci-fi horror hit The Faculty (also 1998).
Famke Janssen began gaining recognition in 1999 with a part in the remake of House on Haunted Hill. The following year, she landed the role of Jean Grey in the X-Men films, which launched her career. Since then, she’s appeared in popular blockbusters like Taken (2008) and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), and revisited her role as Jean Grey in The Wolverine (2013). While she’s set to reprise the role again in the 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday, Janssen also returned to television in recent years with appearances in shows like How to Get Away with Murder.
The X-Men Star’s Decision To Turn Down Star Trek Paid Off
Even though it meant passing up a role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Janssen didn’t regret her choice later on. However, her film career wasn’t always a success. The 1995 Clive Barker film, Lord of Illusions, didn’t do well in theaters, and the 1998 John Grisham adaptation, The Gingerbread Man, was a rare failure for director Robert Altman.
The 1998 film Celebrity wasn’t a success, commercially or critically, and it was directed by Woody Allen, who faced public criticism at the time. However, Janssen wasn’t the only well-known actor to work with Allen. Despite some uneven roles, Janssen had starred in enough popular films to justify turning down a part on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. This happened before she was cast as the important character Jean Grey in the X-Men movies.
We’re curious – if Marvel actors had joined the cast of Star Trek, who would you have liked to see? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-03-25 01:40