Star Trek’s Outrageous Okona Actor Billy Campbell Explained

Billy Campbell played Captain Thadiun Okona in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generationbut returned to the franchise in animated form. Billy Campbell began acting in the mid-1980s, landing his first significant television role in Dynasty in 1984. Campbell co-starred as Detective Joey Indelli in Crime story before appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 4, “The Outrageous Okona.” Campbell landed the lead role in the Disney film The rocket in 1991 and also portrayed a vampire hunter in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992.

Billy Campbell continued to appear in popular films and television shows throughout the 1990s and beyond. From 1999 to 2002, Campbell starred alongside Sela Ward in the Emmy-winning film Over and over again. Campbell also appeared in episodes of Law and Order: SVU and The OC, and had a regular role in The 4400. Campbell played Darren Richmond in The killing, Dr. Alan Farragut in Propeller, and João Cardinal in Cardinal. More recently, Campbell has appeared in episodes of FBI and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and is set to appear in the next sequence of I know what you did last summer.

Billy Campbell played Captain Thadiun Okona in Star Trek: TNG

Campbell’s Okona stole the show in TNG’s “The Outrageous Okona”

In Star Trek: The Next GenerationIn “The Outrageous Okona”, the crew of the USS Enterprise-D meets Billy Campbell’s Captain Okona when he needs help repairing his ship. Once aboard the Enterprise, Okona charms the crew, particularly the women, but her presence on the ship soon draws the Enterprise into the middle of a family feud. Okona was passing messages between two young lovers on opposite sides of a conflict, but the leaders of the warring planets believed that Okona was a thief and dishonest. In the end, Okona helps the two families resolve their conflict and encourages the two lovers to get married.

Although all this happens on the bridge of the Enterprise, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) cannot intervene in the internal politics of the two planets. Aside from a lackluster subplot in which Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) tries to learn humor, “The Outrageous Okona” doesn’t give the main cast much to do. Billy Campbell’s performance as Okona elevates the episode, making it memorable despite its somewhat dull plot. Okona made such an impression as a character that Star Trek brought it back in animated form more than three decades later.

Billy Cambell’s return as Okona in Star Trek: Lower Decks and Prodigy

Okona is still a bootlegger, who occasionally works as a DJ

After its appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Okona was not mentioned again until he appeared in the background of the Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 5, ‘An Embarrassment Of Dooplers’. In this episode that takes place around 2381 Okona was working as a DJ at the Command Conference afterparty at Starbase 25. Okona also left his left eye in an unknown incident, making him look even more like a pirate. After this brief appearance, Okona made a more significant appearance in Star Trek: Prodigy.

In Star Trek: Prodigy season 1, episode 14, “Crossroads” and episode 15, “Masquerade”, Dal R’El (Brett Gray) and his friends found Okona when he hid in the cargo cart they used to escape from Starfleet. Okona helped the children escape and later took them to the Noble Isle spaceport to repair the Protostar. Okona made one more appearance in Prodigy Season 2, Episode 14, “Cracked Mirror”, in an alternate reality visited by Chakotay (Robert Beltran) and the Protostar children. In this reality, the Federation has been destroyed and Okona is invading the medical bay of the USS Voyager-A.

Billy Campbell Almost Played Star Trek: TNG’s Commander Riker

Campbell almost got the role that went to Jonathan Frakes

Although Billy Campbell’s Okona became more than just a one-off character, the actor almost played a much bigger role in the Star Trek franchise. Before Jonathan Frakes landed the role of Commander Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Billy Campbell was the favorite for the role. Several actors were considered to play Riker, but Campbell was reportedly Gene Roddenberry’s first choice for the role. At one point, Campbell was cast as Riker, but then-Paramount Studios president John Pike wasn’t a fan.

According to The Fifty Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, John Pike felt that Billy Campbell was missing “a sense of command.” The producers then went with their second choice, Jonathan Frakes, and he was perfect for the role. Not only did Campbell still land a role in Star Trek, but he continued to appear in a steady stream of popular films and television shows throughout his successful career. Billy Campbell made Captain Okona a memorable character Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star who continues to appear in the modern world Walk.