Star Trek’s Frank Langella has something in common with the late-great Raul Julia

Star Trek's Frank Langella has something in common with the late-great Raul Julia

As a longtime admirer of the arts, I find it truly captivating to delve into the lives and careers of such multifaceted artists as Frank Langella. From his illustrious theater background to his diverse filmography spanning decades, there’s an undeniable allure in the versatility he brings to each role he undertakes. Yet, it is his brief yet impactful stint on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that truly piques my interest.


Occasionally, when you see a name linked to a project, it leaves you wondering “Really?” Such is the case with Frank Langella and Star Trek. This man has an impressive resume, having appeared in various places and undertaken numerous roles. As a highly-skilled stage actor, Langella ventured beyond the theater and landed prominent parts in high-budget productions such as the 1979 remake of Dracula, the 1998 cult favorite Small Soldiers, and more recent films like Frost/Nixon.

1) He’s not just limited to one role; he played Skeletor in movies, and Jaro Essa on television. Remarkably, during the first half of a season in 1993, he appeared as Jaro Essa, a significant character. This was quite an achievement for the show since Langella had already won a Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award. It’s impressive when you consider that this series was only on syndication at the time.

The brief three-episode stint was delightful and showed that Star Trek continues to attract prominent guest stars. However, for Langgeglla, there wasn’t a strong urge to join the series. He wasn’t a diehard fan longing to be part of the universe, nor did he require financial assistance.

He performed the show, just like Raul Julia would do Street Fighter the next year, primarily for the sake of his children.

According to a statement attributed to Series Director Winrich Kolbe in the book “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion” by Paula M Block and Terry J. Erdmann (as reported by Slashfilms), Langella took on the show specifically for his children.

“He wanted to do the show. He did it for his children, because they loved the show. It was not done for money or exposure.”

Despite fighting a severe and ultimately life-threatening illness, Julia found time to enjoy Street Fighter, a video game his children adored. This shows that even iconic figures like him are prepared to take on unconventional projects to create cherished memories for their kids.

And we love to see such things.

As a passionate gamer, I can’t help but share my enthusiasm for the Street Fighter movie – it’s truly outstanding! If you ask me, Julia deserved an Academy Award for her exceptional performance in this film.

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2024-09-15 01:23

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