Before her fame as a movie star, Ashley Judd appeared in two episodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationas Ensign Robin Lefler. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D,TNGintroduced a newStar Trekcrew who eventually became as popular as theirStar Trek: The Original Seriespredecessors. ThroughoutTNG’sseven seasons, some surprising faces popped up on the show before going on to have major Hollywood careers. In her first significant acting role,Ashely Judd appeared inTNGseason 5before going on to enjoy an impressive Hollywood film career.
The daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd, Ashley Judd landed her first film role in 1992’sKuffs,just a year after herTNGappearance. She went on to star inRuby in Paradisein 1993 and also appeared in 1995’sSmokeand 1996’sA Time to Kill. Judd then starred inKiss the Girls(1997) andDouble Jeopardy(1999), and laterearned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance inDe-Lovely(2004). More recently, Judd portrayed Natalie in2014’sDivergentand its sequels, starred in 2014’sBig Stone Gap,and popped up in 2017’sTwin Peaksrevival. Judd continues to act and she is also a humanitarian and political activist.
Ashley Judd Played Ensign Robin Lefler On Star Trek: TNG
Judd Appeared In 2 Episodes In TNG Season 5
Ashley Judd’s Ensign Robin Lefler first appeared inStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 5, episode 2, “Darmok,” assisting Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) in Engineering. After this brief appearance,Lefler played a much more significant role a few episodes later inTNGseason 5, episode 6, “The Game.“WhenWesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)visits the Enterprise on a break from Starfleet Academy, he and Robin form a connection. As the two embark on a brief romance, they discover that the Enterprise crew members are being influenced by an incredibly addictive game.
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Wes and Robin work together to free the crew from the game’s influence, but Robin ends up succumbing. Still, Wesley has learned enough to foil the Ktarians' plot and he frees everyone from the game’s control. Not only did Ensign Lefler play a significant role in “The Game,” she also got more development than many guest stars. Robin’s parents were plasma specialists, and she spent much of her childhood traveling from starbase to starbase. This set Lefler up to be a recurringStar Trek: The Next Generationcharacter,butAshley Judd never made another appearance.
Why Ashley Judd Didn’t Become A Regular Star Trek: TNG Cast Member
Ashley Judd Went On To Have A Successful Film Career
Despite being set up as a potential recurring character, Ashley Judd’s Ensign Lefler only appeared in twoStar Trek: The Next Generationepisodes, and her role in “Darmok” was very minor.Star Trek: The Next Generationrarely introduced minor characters who went on to become regulars, with most guest stars only appearing in one episode.TNGwas Judd’s first major acting role and her career took off soon after.Judd appeared in over thirty episodes ofSistersbeginning in 1991 before she prioritized her film career and starred in numerous popular and award-winning films throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
In 2002, there were rumors that Ashley Judd was going to reprise the role of Robin Lefler inStar Trek: Nemesisas Wesley Crusher’s wife, but these rumors proved to be unfounded.
EnsignRobin Lefler had been set up as a romantic interest for Wesley,butWil Wheaton was no longer a series regular, which would have complicated that storyline. A number of different factors likely contributed to Judd’s character not becoming a series regular, but Robin Lefler has popped up in someStar Trektie-in fiction.Star Trek: The Next Generationhad also just introduced Michelle Forbes' Ensign Ro and adding another new character to the mix may have been one change too many.
