“Star Trek: First Contact” arrived in theaters in 1996, while “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager” were on television. So it’s only fitting that the film includes a few cameos from these shows.
Worf (Michael Dorn), who was introduced in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and then joined “Deep Space Nine” in season 4, is introduced in “First Contact” at the controls of the Defiant, the ship from “DS9”. Later, when the Borg invade the Enterprise, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) uses an EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram) to block the invaders.
The EMH is played by Robert Picardo, who Also played the hologram on the ship in “Voyager”. The idea is for these holographic assistants to be standard on Starfleet ships. “Voyager” follows a ship that runs aground halfway across the galaxy and loses several crew members, including the chief medical officer. So, the “Doctor” must take on this role, becoming a true member of the crew and a fully realized individual.
At Toronto Comic-Con 2017, Picardo revealed how he achieved this appearance. In “Star Trek: Generations”, the Enterprise-D is destroyed and “First Contact” launches the new Enterprise-E. Picardo, who had a meeting with “Star Trek” producer Rick Berman, said the new Enterprise should have an EMH.
“Why does the “Voyager” have more advanced technology than your flagship? Picardo remembers asking the question. When Berman asked why the EMHs of the different ships would be the same, Picardo replied, “Why wouldn’t they look the same? It’s like a popular screensaver.” Picardo continued to sow the seed of this idea among other important “Star Trek” writer/producers of the time, such as Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga.
According to Picardo, “First Contact” director Jonathan Frakes (who played Commander William T. Riker in “Next Generation”) got the job thanks to his direction on “Projections,” a well-received Doctor-centric episode of “Voyager.” When Frakes called Picardo to thank him, Picardo also mentioned the idea to Frakes. Someone recognized the good idea, and the rest is history.
