Clint Howard’s Cut ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Callback To Original Series Role

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Clint Howard, who appeared on the original Star Trek, shared that a reference to his first role on the show was removed from Star Trek: Discovery. Back in 1966, when he was seven years old, Howard famously played Balok in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “The Corbomite Maneuver.”

Clint Howard is a frequent face in the Star Trek universe, having appeared in five different roles across all eras of the show. He’s been a guest star on series like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the 1990s and played a Ferengi character in a 2002 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, titled “Acquisition.” More recently, he portrayed Commander Buck Martinez in season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Clint Howard recently told hosts of The Transporter Room that he landed a role on the Paramount+ Star Trek series because of Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman previously collaborated with Clint’s brother, director Ron Howard, on the films A Beautiful Mind and Cinderella Man.

Howard appeared briefly in the first season finale of Star Trek: Discovery, “Will You Take My Hand?”, at the request of Alex Kurtzman. However, a planned reference to his earlier role as Balok in Star Trek: The Original Series didn’t make it into the final cut. Here’s what Howard had to say about it:

Akiva reached out and asked me to be on Discovery. He’s the showrunner and had a fantastic concept for my character, but surprisingly, the idea ended up being removed from the final episode.

I originally played a strange character named Orion – he was painted a bluish-green color. The episode was unusual because it was set in a club with dancers, and my character was portrayed as someone who leers at people. Ensign Tilly ends up going there too, and unfortunately gets drugged.

I exposed her to volcanic fumes, which caused her to pass out. I was the one who did it, but it wasn’t meant to harm her – I genuinely believed she’d be interested in trying it.

In the initial scene, I play the unsettling character who offers her a vial – she smells it and faints. When she wakes up, I’m still there, watching her. I then turn, pick up a glass, and ask, ‘Tranya?’

That’s why I was brought to Toronto to film that segment. They likely realized the Tranya storyline was too sensitive and didn’t want to focus the episode on that topic.

Watch Clint Howard on The Transporter Room below:

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery ends with Ensign Sylvia Tilly accompanying Michael Burnham and Emperor Philippa Georgiou to Q’onoS, the Klingon home planet. Before they arrive, they encounter a strange Orion character played by Clint Howard in a rundown nightclub. They soon discover Georgiou’s dangerous plan to use a hydro bomb and obliterate the planet.

Tranya is a popular orange drink within the First Federation, the alien civilization Balok is part of in the original Star Trek series. Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Lieutenant Bailey were the first humans to try it.

In Star Trek: Picard, season 1, episode 5, “Stardust City Rag,” directed by Jonathan Frakes, Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales) was given Tranya that had been altered with drugs. Additionally, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) once ordered very cold Tranya, though not during the episode featuring Clint Howard.

Clint Howard’s famous line, “Tranya?”, would have been a fun nod for fans, particularly during the first season of Star Trek: Discovery. That season received a lot of criticism from longtime Star Trek viewers who felt it strayed too far from the original series. Howard’s belief that the line was cut because it was too obvious or potentially controversial is probably correct.

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2025-12-04 04:29