Marina Sirtis
Encyclopedia
Marina Sirtis is a British-American actress of Greek
descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid
Commander Deanna Troi
, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
parents Despina, a tailor's assistant, and John Sirtis. She was raised in North London and immigrated to the U.S. in 1986, later becoming a naturalized
U.S. citizen. She is married to rock guitarist Michael Lamper (21 June 1992 – present). Her younger brother, Steve, played football in Greece and played for Columbia University
in the early 1980s. She auditioned for drama school against her parents' wishes, ultimately being accepted to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
.
, Worthing
, West Sussex
in 1976. Directed by Nic Young, she appeared in Joe Orton
's What the Butler Saw
and as Ophelia in Hamlet
.
Before her role in Star Trek, Sirtis was featured in supporting roles in several films. In the 1983 Faye Dunaway
film The Wicked Lady
, she engaged in a whip fight with Dunaway. In the Charles Bronson
sequel Death Wish 3
, Sirtis's character is a rape victim. In the film Blind Date
, she appears as a prostitute who is murdered by a madman.
She has an established record of British television work, appearing in Minder
, Raffles
, The Return of Sherlock Holmes
, Casualty
and Holby City
among other things. She played the stewardess in the famous Cinzano Bianco television commercial starring Leonard Rossiter
and Joan Collins
, in which Collins was splattered with drink.
was inspired to ask the exotic-looking Sirtis to audition for a role after seeing the film Aliens
with Bob Justman, which featured the prominent Latina
character Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein
. Sirtis and Denise Crosby
initially tried out for each other's eventual role on The Next Generation. Sirtis's character was going to be named Lt. Macha Hernandez, the Security Chief. Gene Roddenberry decided to switch them, and Macha Hernandez became Natasha Yar
. Sirtis recalls that on the day she received a call offering her the role of Deanna Troi, she was actually packing to return to England, because her six-month visa
had ended.
Deanna Troi was a half-human, half-Betazoid. Her Betazoid abilities allowed her to read the emotions of others. Her position on the Enterprise-D was ship's counsellor, looking after the crew's well-being and a trusted advisor to Captain Picard with a position seated next to him on the Bridge.
Initially, the writers found it difficult to write for Troi and even left her out of four of the first season episodes. Sirtis felt her job was in jeopardy after the first season but was overjoyed when Gene Roddenberry
took her aside at Jonathan Frakes
's wedding and told her that the season two premiere episode, "The Child", would center on Troi.
Sirtis appeared in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation
, and her character was developed from a more passive therapist to tougher Starfleet officer, much to Sirtis's approval.
She has stated her favourite episode is season six's "Face of the Enemy", in which Troi is kidnapped and surgically altered to pose as a Romulan
. Troi's switching to a standard Starfleet
uniform that season in "Chain of Command" elevated the character's dignity in Sirtis' eyes, and her enthusiasm in playing her, with Sirtis commenting, "It covered up my cleavage and, consequently, I got all my brains back, because when you have a cleavage you can't have brains in Hollywood. So I got all my brains back and I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled."
During her time on the show, she became close friends with her co-stars Jonathan Frakes
(who played her on-again/off-again lover Commander Riker
), Michael Dorn
(Lieutenant Worf
, also an on-screen love interest) and Brent Spiner
(who played Lieutenant Commander Data
). Cast members Spiner and Dorn were groomsmen at her wedding.
She usually wore hair-pieces for her role as Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sirtis' real hair was slightly shorter, and although curly, was not as bouffant as her character's. However, Sirtis' real hair was used in the pilot episode, and also in the first six episodes of season six, in which Troi sported a more natural looking pony-tailed style. She was also asked to create an accent (described as a mixture of Eastern European and Hebrew) for her character, although her natural accent is English. Over time, the accent was adjusted and became more Americanized.
Sirtis has also reprised her character of Deanna Troi in the feature films, Star Trek: Generations
(1994), Star Trek: First Contact
(1996), Star Trek: Insurrection
(1999) and Star Trek: Nemesis
(2002). She also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager
for three episodes toward the end of the series (1999 and 2000) and also in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise
(2005).
Sirtis was delighted to get the chance to do some comedy in Star Trek: First Contact
and Star Trek: Insurrection
. Her biggest role was in Star Trek: Nemesis
and she stated "I sort of had an inkling that I was going to have a good part in this movie because John Logan was such a big fan of the character. So I knew that he would do her some justice." Troi and Riker finally get married but Troi has to endure being telepathically violated. She gets her revenge by using her Betazoid senses to target the cloaked enemy ship.
in 1994, Sirtis continued to work regularly. She provided the voice of Demona
in the Disney animated television series Gargoyles
, (1994–1996 and two one off specials). Her Next Generation co-stars, Frakes, Spiner and Dorn, also lent their voices to the acclaimed show. She voiced the character again for an episode of the unmade Animated Series Team Atlantis
.
Sirtis popularly appeared in episodes of other science fiction television series; The Outer Limits
, Stargate SG-1
and Earth: Final Conflict
. Sirtis was interviewed in the October 2000 SFX magazine in the UK, the cover stated "Marina Sirtis is Everywhere" referring to her numerous sci-fi appearances airing close together, Stargate SG-1
, Earth Final Conflict and Star Trek: Voyager
. Her other guest starring roles include Heaven Help Us
, Diagnosis: Murder
, Threat Matrix
(playing a Bio-weapons scientist from Iraq), The Closer
, a three episode recurring role on Girlfriends
and Without a Trace
.
She has also starred in many independent, made-for-television films and theatrical films including Gadgetman, Paradise Lost, Terminal Error
, Net Games, Spectres
, Grendel
, Inalienable
, Oranges
, Fist of the Warrior
, The Grudge 3
and Green Street 2
.
In the United Kingdom, she made a highly publicized guest appearance on the BBC
hospital drama series Casualty
in 2001. In 2008, she made a guest appearance in an episode of Casualty' s sister show, Holby City
.
Sirtis has expanded her career branching out into production, she was associate producer for Spectres
and The Deep Below
.
In 2004, Sirtis had a minor role in the Academy Award
-winning ensemble film Crash as the wife of the Persian shopkeeper.
She also has done voice work for video games, as the character Matriarch Benezia for the critically acclaimed RPG
Mass Effect
, as well as Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity and Star Trek Generations PC games.
Sirtis has read a few audio books including Powers That Be, by Anne McCaffrey
and Elizabeth Anne Scarborough.
In 1999 she co-starred in the Radio Reperatory Company of America radio play "Flight of the Bumble Bee".
2009 saw Sirtis continuing to regularly attend Star Trek conventions as well as a Gargoyles themed one. Sirtis appeared as a guest on the show Family Guy
playing herself along with the rest of the cast of Star Trek: TNG. She has provided her voice for an episode of The Cleveland Show
airing at some point in the 09-10 season. Green Street 2, The Grudge 3
and InAlienable
, all featuring Sirtis were released onto DVD. Independent film 31 North 62 East
was released in limited cinemas in the UK in September in which she had a starring role as the Prime Minister's aide who is kidnapped. Sirtis guest starred in the pilot episode of new medical drama Three Rivers
playing an Iranian, which aired on October 4, 2009. The made-for-TV movie Annihilation Earth (previously known as Doomsday) aired on Syfy in December 2009.
February 2010 saw Sirtis guest star as a Swiss doctor in two episodes of ABC Family's Make It or Break It. Sirtis is scheduled to commence filming for two more productions, Shadows in the Sky and P415 (sequel to 31 North 62 East) with Fact Not Fiction Films, based in West Sussex, UK. A vampire film entitled Immortal Cycle, which Sirtis reported she was filming last June in Louisiana, will be released at some point.
In May 2010, Sirtis announced that she would be providing the voice for comic book villainess Queen Bee
in the upcoming Young Justice
animated series.
In March 2011, Sirtis guest-starred on an episode of Grey's Anatomy
. She played an Iranian mother who was at the hospital to participate in a medical trial for Alzheimer's disease
.
In September 2011, fans started a group to get Marina to appear on Doctor Who. A few weeks later, she acknowledged the group and her desire to be on the show at the Montreal Comiccon.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid
Betazoid
In the fictional Star Trek universe, Betazoids are a sentient humanoid species from the planet Betazed, a member of the United Federation of Planets.-Overview:...
Commander Deanna Troi
Deanna Troi
Commander Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counselor...
, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Life
Sirtis was born in the East End of London, the daughter of working class GreekGreeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
parents Despina, a tailor's assistant, and John Sirtis. She was raised in North London and immigrated to the U.S. in 1986, later becoming a naturalized
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
U.S. citizen. She is married to rock guitarist Michael Lamper (21 June 1992 – present). Her younger brother, Steve, played football in Greece and played for Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in the early 1980s. She auditioned for drama school against her parents' wishes, ultimately being accepted to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
.
Career
Sirtis started her career as a member of the repertory company at the Connaught TheatreConnaught Theatre
The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre . The theatre houses touring West End theatre productions,...
, Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
in 1976. Directed by Nic Young, she appeared in Joe Orton
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
's What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw (play)
What the Butler Saw is a farce written by English playwright Joe Orton. It premièred at the Queen's Theatre in London on 5 March 1969. It was Orton's final play and the second to be performed after his death, following Funeral Games the year before....
and as Ophelia in Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
.
Before her role in Star Trek, Sirtis was featured in supporting roles in several films. In the 1983 Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway
Faye Dunaway is an American actress.Dunaway won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Network after receiving previous nominations for the critically acclaimed films Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown...
film The Wicked Lady
The Wicked Lady (1983 film)
The Wicked Lady is a 1983 British drama film directed by Michael Winner. It was screened out of competition at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. It is a remake of the 1945 film of the same name, which was one of the popular series of Gainsborough melodramas....
, she engaged in a whip fight with Dunaway. In the Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson
Charles Bronson , born Charles Dennis Buchinsky was an American actor, best-known for such films as Once Upon a Time in the West, The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, Rider on the Rain, The Mechanic, and the popular Death Wish series...
sequel Death Wish 3
Death Wish 3
Death Wish 3 is a 1985 action film starring Charles Bronson as vigilante killer Paul Kersey and is the second sequel to the 1974 film Death Wish. It was written by Don Jakoby...
, Sirtis's character is a rape victim. In the film Blind Date
Blind Date (1984 film)
Blind Date, also known as Deadly Seduction, is a 1984 independent thriller by B-film maker Nico Mastorakis. It stars Kirstie Alley and Joseph Bottoms...
, she appears as a prostitute who is murdered by a madman.
She has an established record of British television work, appearing in Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
, Raffles
A. J. Raffles
Arthur J. Raffles is a character created in the 1890s by E. W. Hornung, a brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Raffles is, in many ways, a deliberate inversion of Holmes — he is a "gentleman thief," living in the Albany, a prestigious address in London, playing...
, The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (TV series)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the name given to the TV series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations produced by British television company Granada Television between 1984 and 1994, although only the first two series bore that title on screen. The series was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK,...
, Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
and Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
among other things. She played the stewardess in the famous Cinzano Bianco television commercial starring Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
and Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
, in which Collins was splattered with drink.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Gene RoddenberryGene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
was inspired to ask the exotic-looking Sirtis to audition for a role after seeing the film Aliens
Aliens (film)
Aliens is a 1986 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, William Hope, and Bill Paxton...
with Bob Justman, which featured the prominent Latina
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
character Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein
Jenette Goldstein
Jenette Elise Goldstein is an American actress.- Life and career :Goldstein was born in Los Angeles, California and was raised in Beverly Hills. Her first film role was in James Cameron's Aliens , playing the Hispanic character PFC Jenette Vasquez...
. Sirtis and Denise Crosby
Denise Crosby
Denise Michelle Crosby is an American actress best known for portraying Security Chief Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation...
initially tried out for each other's eventual role on The Next Generation. Sirtis's character was going to be named Lt. Macha Hernandez, the Security Chief. Gene Roddenberry decided to switch them, and Macha Hernandez became Natasha Yar
Tasha Yar
Lieutenant Natasha "Tasha" Yar, played by Denise Crosby, is a character in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the fictional series, the character served as chief of security aboard the USS Enterprise-D for the first season....
. Sirtis recalls that on the day she received a call offering her the role of Deanna Troi, she was actually packing to return to England, because her six-month visa
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
had ended.
Deanna Troi was a half-human, half-Betazoid. Her Betazoid abilities allowed her to read the emotions of others. Her position on the Enterprise-D was ship's counsellor, looking after the crew's well-being and a trusted advisor to Captain Picard with a position seated next to him on the Bridge.
Initially, the writers found it difficult to write for Troi and even left her out of four of the first season episodes. Sirtis felt her job was in jeopardy after the first season but was overjoyed when Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...
took her aside at Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
's wedding and told her that the season two premiere episode, "The Child", would center on Troi.
Sirtis appeared in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, and her character was developed from a more passive therapist to tougher Starfleet officer, much to Sirtis's approval.
She has stated her favourite episode is season six's "Face of the Enemy", in which Troi is kidnapped and surgically altered to pose as a Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
. Troi's switching to a standard Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
uniform that season in "Chain of Command" elevated the character's dignity in Sirtis' eyes, and her enthusiasm in playing her, with Sirtis commenting, "It covered up my cleavage and, consequently, I got all my brains back, because when you have a cleavage you can't have brains in Hollywood. So I got all my brains back and I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled."
During her time on the show, she became close friends with her co-stars Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
(who played her on-again/off-again lover Commander Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
), Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn
Michael Dorn is an American actor, and voice artist who is best known for his role as the Klingon Worf from the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:...
(Lieutenant Worf
Worf
Worf, played by Michael Dorn, is a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in seasons four to seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appears in the films based on The Next Generation. Worf is the first Klingon main character to appear in Star Trek, and has appeared in more Star...
, also an on-screen love interest) and Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
(who played Lieutenant Commander Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
). Cast members Spiner and Dorn were groomsmen at her wedding.
She usually wore hair-pieces for her role as Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Sirtis' real hair was slightly shorter, and although curly, was not as bouffant as her character's. However, Sirtis' real hair was used in the pilot episode, and also in the first six episodes of season six, in which Troi sported a more natural looking pony-tailed style. She was also asked to create an accent (described as a mixture of Eastern European and Hebrew) for her character, although her natural accent is English. Over time, the accent was adjusted and became more Americanized.
Sirtis has also reprised her character of Deanna Troi in the feature films, Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek Generations is a 1994 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. Generations is the seventh feature film based on the Star Trek television series and the first film in the series to star the cast of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.Parts of the film...
(1994), Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
(1996), Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek: Insurrection is a 1998 American science fiction film directed by Jonathan Frakes, written by Michael Piller , and with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is the ninth film in the Star Trek franchise, and the third to feature the cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next...
(1999) and Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek Nemesis is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Stuart Baird, written by John Logan , and with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is the tenth feature film in the Star Trek franchise, and the fourth and final film to star the cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next...
(2002). She also appeared in Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
for three episodes toward the end of the series (1999 and 2000) and also in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
(2005).
Sirtis was delighted to get the chance to do some comedy in Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
and Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek: Insurrection is a 1998 American science fiction film directed by Jonathan Frakes, written by Michael Piller , and with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is the ninth film in the Star Trek franchise, and the third to feature the cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next...
. Her biggest role was in Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek: Nemesis
Star Trek Nemesis is a 2002 science fiction film directed by Stuart Baird, written by John Logan , and with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It is the tenth feature film in the Star Trek franchise, and the fourth and final film to star the cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next...
and she stated "I sort of had an inkling that I was going to have a good part in this movie because John Logan was such a big fan of the character. So I knew that he would do her some justice." Troi and Riker finally get married but Troi has to endure being telepathically violated. She gets her revenge by using her Betazoid senses to target the cloaked enemy ship.
Other work
After the end of Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
in 1994, Sirtis continued to work regularly. She provided the voice of Demona
Demona
Demona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles...
in the Disney animated television series Gargoyles
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
, (1994–1996 and two one off specials). Her Next Generation co-stars, Frakes, Spiner and Dorn, also lent their voices to the acclaimed show. She voiced the character again for an episode of the unmade Animated Series Team Atlantis
Atlantis: Milo's Return
Atlantis: Milo's Return, released in 2003, is Disney's twentieth animated direct-to-video sequel. It is a sequel to the film Atlantis: The Lost Empire....
.
Sirtis popularly appeared in episodes of other science fiction television series; The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
, Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and Earth: Final Conflict
Earth: Final Conflict
Earth: Final Conflict is a Canadian science fiction television series based on story ideas created by Gene Roddenberry, and produced under the guidance of his widow, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. It was not produced, filmed or broadcast until after his death...
. Sirtis was interviewed in the October 2000 SFX magazine in the UK, the cover stated "Marina Sirtis is Everywhere" referring to her numerous sci-fi appearances airing close together, Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
, Earth Final Conflict and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. Her other guest starring roles include Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us
Heaven Help Us is a 1985 comedy-drama film.Heaven Help Us may also refer to:*"Heaven Help Us", a song by Cirith Ungol from Paradise Lost*"Heaven Help Us", a song by My Chemical Romance, a B-side of the single "Welcome to the Black Parade"...
, Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder
Diagnosis: Murder is a mystery/medical/crime drama television series starring Dick Van Dyke as Dr. Mark Sloan, a medical doctor who solves crimes with the help of his son, a homicide detective played by his real-life son Barry Van Dyke. The series began as a spin-off of Jake and the Fatman...
, Threat Matrix
Threat Matrix
Threat Matrix is a 2003 American drama television series. It lasted 16 episodes. The plot consisted of the events in a United States Homeland Security anti-terrorism unit, led by Special agent John Kilmer....
(playing a Bio-weapons scientist from Iraq), The Closer
The Closer
The Closer is an American crime drama, starring Kyra Sedgwick as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Georgia police detective who often closes her cases using sometimes-questionable methods...
, a three episode recurring role on Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
and Without a Trace
Without a Trace
Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:...
.
She has also starred in many independent, made-for-television films and theatrical films including Gadgetman, Paradise Lost, Terminal Error
Terminal Error (film)
Terminal Error is a 2002 sci-fi thriller starring Michael Nouri, Marina Sirtis, Matthew Ewald and Timothy Busfield.-Plot:Elliot, an ex-employee of a computer firm wants revenge and befriends the boss Brad's son Dylan giving him an MP3 file containing a computer virus...
, Net Games, Spectres
Spectres (film)
Spectres is a is a supernatural themed drama directed by Phil Leirness and starring by Marina Sirtis, Dean Haglund and Tucker Smallwood.-Plot:...
, Grendel
Grendel (film)
Grendel is a 2007 film directed by Nick Lyon that is very loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The made-for-television film was produced by the Sci Fi channel as an original movie for broadcasting on the Sci Fi cable television network, and began airing in January 2007 .-Differences...
, Inalienable
InAlienable (film)
InAlienable is a 2008 science fiction horror film written and produced by Walter Koenig, and directed by Robert Dyke.-Plot:Dr. Eric Norris remains wracked with guilt after a terrible tragedy that cost him his family, and when he learns that an alien parasite is not only growing inside him but...
, Oranges
Oranges (film)
Oranges is a 2007 film drama starring Tom Sizemore, Tom Arnold, Heather Locklear and Jill Hennessy. The film was not fully released until 2011, when it was released under the title "Game of Life".-Plot:...
, Fist of the Warrior
Fist of the Warrior
Fist of the Warrior, formerly known as Lesser of Three Evils, is a martial arts/crime film directed by Wayne A. Kennedy in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Ho-Sung Pak, Peter Greene, Roger Guenveur Smith and Sherilyn Fenn, and features fight choreography by Ho-Sung Pak and Wayne A....
, The Grudge 3
The Grudge 3
The Grudge 3 is the direct-to-DVD sequel to the American horror film The Grudge and its sequel, The Grudge 2. The film was directed by Toby Wilkins taking Takashi Shimizu's place. The film was released on May 12, 2009. It stars Johanna Braddy and Shawnee Smith-Plot:Jake is brutally murdered by...
and Green Street 2
Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground
Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground is a sequel to the 2005 film Green Street directed by Lexi Alexander.-Plot:...
.
In the United Kingdom, she made a highly publicized guest appearance on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
hospital drama series Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
in 2001. In 2008, she made a guest appearance in an episode of Casualty
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
.
Sirtis has expanded her career branching out into production, she was associate producer for Spectres
Spectres (film)
Spectres is a is a supernatural themed drama directed by Phil Leirness and starring by Marina Sirtis, Dean Haglund and Tucker Smallwood.-Plot:...
and The Deep Below
The Deep Below
The Deep Below is a feature film released directly to DVD in March 2007 by Zepper Pictures. Directed by Rod Slane, who also co-written with Ami Neder, the film stars Jason Dohring, Marina Sirtis and Michael Dorn. The film was produced by Extended Family Entertainment, an Olahoma-based production...
.
In 2004, Sirtis had a minor role in the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning ensemble film Crash as the wife of the Persian shopkeeper.
She also has done voice work for video games, as the character Matriarch Benezia for the critically acclaimed RPG
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
Mass Effect
Mass Effect
Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
, as well as Deanna Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation – A Final Unity and Star Trek Generations PC games.
Sirtis has read a few audio books including Powers That Be, by Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
and Elizabeth Anne Scarborough.
In 1999 she co-starred in the Radio Reperatory Company of America radio play "Flight of the Bumble Bee".
2009 saw Sirtis continuing to regularly attend Star Trek conventions as well as a Gargoyles themed one. Sirtis appeared as a guest on the show Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
playing herself along with the rest of the cast of Star Trek: TNG. She has provided her voice for an episode of The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
airing at some point in the 09-10 season. Green Street 2, The Grudge 3
The Grudge 3
The Grudge 3 is the direct-to-DVD sequel to the American horror film The Grudge and its sequel, The Grudge 2. The film was directed by Toby Wilkins taking Takashi Shimizu's place. The film was released on May 12, 2009. It stars Johanna Braddy and Shawnee Smith-Plot:Jake is brutally murdered by...
and InAlienable
InAlienable
InAlienable is a 2008 science fiction horror film written and produced by Walter Koenig, and directed by Robert Dyke.-Plot:Dr. Eric Norris remains wracked with guilt after a terrible tragedy that cost him his family, and when he learns that an alien parasite is not only growing inside him but...
, all featuring Sirtis were released onto DVD. Independent film 31 North 62 East
31 North 62 East
31 North 62 East is a US$ 3.1 million British independent psychological thriller film released in September 2009. It was written by brothers Leofwine Loraine and Tristan Loraine with the first draft of the screen play being completed on 2 May 2008. Principal photography commenced on 21 July 2008...
was released in limited cinemas in the UK in September in which she had a starring role as the Prime Minister's aide who is kidnapped. Sirtis guest starred in the pilot episode of new medical drama Three Rivers
Three Rivers (TV series)
Three Rivers is a medical drama, which premiered on CBS on October 4, 2009 and aired Sundays at 9 pm Eastern Time/Pacific Time. The series was set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at a fictional hospital specializing in transplants, with Alex O'Loughlin starring as a famous transplant surgeon...
playing an Iranian, which aired on October 4, 2009. The made-for-TV movie Annihilation Earth (previously known as Doomsday) aired on Syfy in December 2009.
February 2010 saw Sirtis guest star as a Swiss doctor in two episodes of ABC Family's Make It or Break It. Sirtis is scheduled to commence filming for two more productions, Shadows in the Sky and P415 (sequel to 31 North 62 East) with Fact Not Fiction Films, based in West Sussex, UK. A vampire film entitled Immortal Cycle, which Sirtis reported she was filming last June in Louisiana, will be released at some point.
In May 2010, Sirtis announced that she would be providing the voice for comic book villainess Queen Bee
Queen Bee (comics)
Queen Bee is the name of four different DC Comics supervillains.-Queen Bee :The leader of the hiveworld Korll, Zazzala lives only for the interstellar expansion of her species. Zazzala first appeared in Justice League of America #23...
in the upcoming Young Justice
Young Justice (TV series)
Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
animated series.
In March 2011, Sirtis guest-starred on an episode of Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. She played an Iranian mother who was at the hospital to participate in a medical trial for Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
.
In September 2011, fans started a group to get Marina to appear on Doctor Who. A few weeks later, she acknowledged the group and her desire to be on the show at the Montreal Comiccon.
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Make It or Break It | Dr. Anna Kleister | |
| 2009 | Annihilation Earth | Paxton | TV Movie |
| 2009 | The Cleveland Show | Greek Prostitute | Animated Series |
| 2009 | Green Street 2 | Veronica Mavis | |
| 2009 | Three Rivers | Layla Rahimi | |
| 2008 | Holby City (UK) | Lucy Simmonds | |
| 2007 | Grendel | Queen Wealtheow | TV Movie |
| 2006 | Without a Trace | Alexas Soros | |
| 2006 | Girlfriends | Gina Richards | |
| 2005 | Family Guy | Marina Sirtis | Animated Series |
| 2005 | The Closer | Layla Moktari | |
| 2005 | Star Trek: Enterprise | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
| 2003 | Threat Matrix | Dr. Nabila Hassan | |
| 2001 | Casualty (UK) | Jane Taylor, MP | |
| 2000 | Star Trek: Voyager | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
| 2000 | Stargate: SG-1 | Dr. Svetlana Markova | |
| 1999 | Star Trek: Voyager | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
| 1999 | Earth: Final Conflict | Sister Margarette | |
| 1999 | The Outer Limits | Olivia 'Liv' Kohler | |
| 1998 | Diagnosis: Murder | Mary Ann Eagin | |
| 1998 | Gargoyles | Demona | Animated Series |
| 1997 | Duckman | Aurora Abromowitz | Animated Series |
| 1996-1994 | Gargoyles | Demona | Animated Series |
| 1996 | Gadgetman (UK) | Detective Inspector Walker | TV Movie |
| 1994 | Heaven Help Us | Carolyn Paris | |
| 1987–1994 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Counselor Deanna Troi | |
| 1990 | One Last Chance (UK) | Maria | TV Movie |
| 1987 | Hunter | Kate Scanlon | |
| 1986 | Room at the Bottom (UK) | Carla | |
| 1986 | Call Me Mister (UK) | Sally | |
| 1986 | The Return of Sherlock Holmes (UK) | Lucrezia | |
| 1985 | Up the Elephant and Round the Castle (UK) | Lisa | |
| 1985 | Death Wish 3 | Maria | |
| 1982 | Kelley Monteith (UK) | Uncredited | |
| 1979 | Minder (UK) | Stella | |
| 1979 | Cinzano Commercial | Stewardess | TV Commercial |
| 1978 | Hazell (UK) | Melina Stassinopolus | |
| 1978 | The Thief of Baghdad (UK) | Harem Girl | TV Movie |
| 1977 | Who Pays the Ferryman? (UK) | Ariadne | |
| 1977 | Raffles (UK) | Faustina |
Voice acting
- GargoylesGargoyles (TV series)Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
(1994–1997) ... DemonaDemonaDemona is a fictional character in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Marina Sirtis. One of the primary antagonists in the series, Demona was once Goliath's lover and part of their castle's Wyvern Clan of gargoyles... - Mass EffectMass EffectMass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The Xbox 360 version was released worldwide in November 2007 published by Microsoft Game Studios...
(Video game) (2008) ... Matriarch Benezia - Young JusticeYoung JusticeYoung Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
(2010) ... Queen BeeQueen Bee (comics)Queen Bee is the name of four different DC Comics supervillains.-Queen Bee :The leader of the hiveworld Korll, Zazzala lives only for the interstellar expansion of her species. Zazzala first appeared in Justice League of America #23...