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Barry Jenner, Who Played Admiral Ross On 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,' Dies At 75 (deadline.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the rest-in-peace dept.

New submitter bufo333 quotes a report from Deadline: Character actor Barry Jenner, best known for his pivotal role as Admiral William Ross on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and with credits including recurring roles on "Dallas," "Knott's Landing," "Family Matters" and many others, died on August 9, his family has announced. He was 75.

59 comments

  1. The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While I consider TOS to be the best of any of the Star Trek series, DS9 is second on my list. It's not like any of the other series, but the acting was outstanding and the writing was great, especially after the first couple of seasons. The Dominion War was a great storyline. It was far better than what was going on at the same time on Voyager. They took an almost unstoppable enemy, weakened the hell out of them so they didn't adapt quickly and could be destroyed fat more easily, made assimilation cartoonishly ridiculous, and overused the hell out of them so they weren't scary any longer. Voyager was awful because of the writing, but DS9 was great. And I know this is blasphemy to many, but I actually like the first couple of seasons of TNG the best. It felt a lot more like TOS and was less of a drama than later seasons. Plus, there were plenty of excellent Ron Jones scores, which went away after season 4 because Rick Berman fired him. Episodes like The Neutral Zone, Q Who, and The Best of Both Worlds wouldn't have been the same without the music Jones composed.

    And as for Admiral Ross, he was a solid recurring character, but I think the summary overstates his importance. I considered the most important recurring characters to be Dukat, Nog, the female changeling, and maybe Weyoun. Maybe I misremember, but the most notable thing I associate Admiral Ross with was Section 39.

    1. Re: The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe I misremember, but the most notable thing I associate Admiral Ross with was Section 39.

      You misremember. The Federation secret intelligence agency was Section 31, and Ross was not a member, although he did turn a blind eye to their activities. You might be thinking of secret agent Luther Sloan played by William Sadler, who also played the sheriff on Roswell.

    2. Re: The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're right that it's Section 31. I'm pretty sure there was an episode in which Bashir alerts Admiral Ross to one of Sloan's plots, and Ross pretends to support Bashir's concerns while actually being in on the plot. Sisko certainly looked the other way when he ordered that Section 31 not be exposed for using Odo to infect the Founders. Ross wasn't part of Section 31, but he seemed to be more complicit with Sloan's activities while Sisko just looked the other way.

    3. Re:The second best Star Trek by OneHundredAndTen · · Score: 1

      To each his own. I thought that the Bajorans and their religious fundamentalism were ridiculous, and that the Sisko character, becoming essentially untouchable very quickly, was just a caricature.

    4. Re:The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Feel Free to Barge in to my Quarters any time of the Day or Night!!!

      Compared to other Star Trek Captains he was more of a real person.

    5. Re: The second best Star Trek by Vertigo+Acid · · Score: 1

      inter arma enim silent leges

      --
      Beta is bad enough to make me go edit settings like this sig that haven't been touched since I joined
    6. Re:The second best Star Trek by Captain+Scurvy · · Score: 1

      Maybe I misremember, but the most notable thing I associate Admiral Ross with was Section 39.

      Maybe I transmember, but the most notable thing I associate with Admiral Ross was his invention of symbiote taming method that allowed Agent Talcum to discover his inner identity as the Leader of the UESC's investigative strike-force in Season 2 of The MacGyver Files: Secret of the Ooze

    7. Re:The second best Star Trek by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      Agreed. I liked Admiral Ross until he showed his dark side. Then I still liked that his character was there, as he was now one of those high ranking good/bad guys.

    8. Re:The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I always skip the Bajoran episodes.

      Still, TOS > TNG > DS9 > STO > STC > ENT > TAS > STNV > VOY

    9. Re:The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Holy shit. I thought I was a nerd. Keep on mattering!

    10. Re:The second best Star Trek by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I skipped the Klingons since TNG. After Roddenberry reimagined the Klingon race as black people with rubber foreheads, every Klingon episode seemed more like Star Trek meets Soul Train.

    11. Re:The second best Star Trek by ananamouse · · Score: 1

      Actually, some of the last seasons episodes of Voyager were some of the best Star Trek from the standpoint of what Star Trek did best - biting social commentary. But only the last season.

  2. RIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    it was a trap :(

    1. Re:RIP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Its a fake!

  3. Whoa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was just binging through on old Stinsv DS9 sound bytes before reading this.

  4. Aw by jareth-0205 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I always liked him. He was one of the few Star Trek admirals who played it as a reasonable competent person, usually they were dicks...

    1. Re: Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Admiral Ross was a total dick to the Dominion representatives when they surrendered. He gloated about how great he was and quoted Earth history that was unfamiliar and irrelevant to them. Meanwhile the Dominion had just suffered its first surrender in 2000 years and the Founders were still under threat of total genocide by Federation war criminals.

    2. Re: Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      The Dominion had it coming, too. The Founders were cowards. They need the Jem'Hadar and Vorta to fight their battles while most of them just floated in the Great Link. They genetically engineered the Jem'Hadar to be drug addicts to ensure their loyalty to the Founders. The Vorta were weasels, too. But the Founders treated them all as expendable because they would just clone more as Vorta and Jem'Hadar were killed. The Jem'Hadar were one of the few respectable things about the Dominion. Also, the Dominion had just been engaged in genocide on Cardassia Prime, killing 800 million Cardassians. A bit of arrogance from Admiral Ross pales in comparison to the evil things the Dominion had been doing.

    3. Re: Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, yes, yes. The Dominion was Imperial Japan. Suicide tactics, blind obedience to authority, internment camps, two attempts to nuke the Founders, Admiral Ross quoting General MacArthur, it all fits.

    4. Re:Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You liked his character, not the actor.

    5. Re: Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You guys know this was fake. Right?

    6. Re: Aw by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      So was Moby Dick and every other piece of fiction, yet people still discuss them in great detail and somehow know that they are fiction. But thanks for the reminder. You did a service for all mankind.

    7. Re:Aw by jdavidb · · Score: 2

      I missed most of DS9 when it originally aired. My wife and I watched through the whole show two years ago, and I was amazed to see him because up till that point I only knew him as Lieutenant Murtaugh. Who was exactly the way you describe Star Trek admirals, so I was quite surprised to see the same actor portray someone so differently on DS9. Very versatile guy.

      --
      Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
  5. Ross was a heretic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ross was just another closed-minded Starfleet admiral who denied the divinity of the Bajoran Prophets.

    1. Re: Ross was a heretic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Going back to TOS, gods are portrayed as just being really powerful aliens. Apollo comes to mind as an example. Admiral Ross was a good recurring character, though I don't think his role was pivotal. There were certainly a lot of incompetent and annoying admirals. Hell, even Kirk sucked as an admiral. Ross was far less annoying than most of the Starfleet admirals.

    2. Re: Ross was a heretic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, yeah. Bill Ross was a pretty boy with a reassuring voice, the kind of nice guy you'd invite to a party (Romulan ale or Klingon bloodwine?) not like the other top brass who would just warp in to bark orders at the subordinates.

    3. Re: Ross was a heretic by mrbester · · Score: 1

      Kirk sucked as an admiral on purpose because he didn't want to be one. He was promoted (probably one of those automatic done X years service type things) out of the job he loved into one where he pushed pens and sent others off have all the fun. That's why he did stupid crap like climbing El Capitan unaided so he could have fun again. It's also why he disobeyed orders: he knew he'd get demoted for it and get the Enterprise back.

      --
      "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
    4. Re: Ross was a heretic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're only partially right.

      Kirk didn't want to be pushing papers from behind a desk, and you're right about that.

      However, Kirk didn't disobey orders to get demoted. He disobeyed direct orders out of his loyalty to Spock, McCoy, and Sarek. When Kirk stole the Enterprise, he really didn't know what would happen. The punishment was mitigated because he had just saved Earth from the probe and brought back a Bird of Prey, which would allow Starfleet to directly examine Klingon technology. The Enterprise was being decommissioned because of the extensive damage in the battle against Khan, so it wasn't a serious loss. But Kirk didn't know any of that when he stole the Enterprise, and makes a comment that he would give commendations to his crew, in whatever fleet they might serve.

      Also, Kirk had already been demoted to a captain when he climbed El Capitan.

      Finally, Kirk was portrayed as being completely out of touch in how he dealt with Captain Decker. Yes, it was obvious he didn't want to be an admiral. But he gave a number of bad orders that killed two crew members in a transporter accident, and later nearly destroyed the ship were it not for Decker countermanding his order to use phasers instead of torpedoes.

    5. Re: Ross was a heretic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kirk was already busted back to Captain at the end of ST IV. He was climbing El Capitan at the beginning of ST V because ST V was Star Trek's version of the Star Wars Holiday Special.

    6. Re:Ross was a heretic by trytoguess · · Score: 1

      Heathen. They are but insects compared to our true Lord and Savior Q. He who weaved His name into the fabric of our very speech.

  6. Re: Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hand over your nerd card on your way out.

  7. Re: Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Different AC, but if having to watch (and become obsessed by fictional detail in) Star Trek is a requirement for the card, then I will gladly give you mine back!

  8. Re: Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nerd poser only in it for the money, use Linux because it's business friendly, think Richard Stallman is some crazy old hippy who should be deader than Barry Jenner.

  9. Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The maquis did it!

  10. Final Proof by Big+Hairy+Ian · · Score: 1
    of a link between DS9 & Babylon 5

    Just kidding RIP

    --

    Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.

    1. Re:Final Proof by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      B5 was such a rip off of DS9 :)

  11. Re: Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You've obviously never actually met Richard Stallman.

  12. ROFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ya show me the shadows or vorlons in trek please...LOL

    ya show me something realistic on how ships explode as in gas inside shows colour of boom.

    ya show me the ships in B5 that look like trek...

    YOUR SO FAR OUT IN LEFT FIELD ITS SAD.

    the fact s them earth ships are prolly more along the lines what we will see come the future.

    1. Re: ROFL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NASA asked jms if they could use the star fury design for load operators in space. He have permission naturally.

  13. 'Hook' Turns 25! The Lost Boys Reunite by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    * Hook 25th Anniversary Reunion @ https://www.facebook.com/22Vis...
    URL: https://www.facebook.com/22Vis...
    Archived #1: https://archive.is/P1VnX
    Archived #2: https://web.archive.org/web/*/...
    WTF?: Hook (1991): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt01...
    @ Twitter: https://twitter.com/22Vision
    @ Twitter / Hashtags: #Hook25th #22Vision
    https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ho...
    https://twitter.com/hashtag/22...

    #####

    * Hook cast (1991): Where Are They Now? [Video]
    URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    #####

    - EXCLUSIVE: 'Hook' Turns 25! The Lost Boys Reunite and Remember Robin Williams [Video]
    URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    #####

    - 'Hook' Turns 25: Lost Boys Reunite For Photo Shoot, Remember Robin Williams
    URL: http://www.hollywoodreporter.c...
    Archived #1: https://archive.is/22Bks
    Archived #2: https://web.archive.org/web/*/...

    #####

    - EXCLUSIVE: âHookâ(TM) Turns 25! The Lost Boys Remember Robin Williams on the Second Anniversary of His Death
    URL: http://www.etonline.com/movies...
    Archived #1: https://archive.is/a6AgT
    Archived #2: https://web.archive.org/web/*/...

    #####

    - Lost Boys to men! Hook stars reunite in emotional picture 25 years on... without their leader Robin Williams
    URL: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs...
    Archived #1: https://archive.is/TWGcR
    Archived #2: https://web.archive.org/web/*/...

  14. (acute myeloid leukemia) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    9 August 2016, Los Angeles, California, USA (acute myeloid leukemia)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
     

  15. Re: Who? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have not met him but I've eaten his toe jam

    it wasn't very good. Diet cola products taste better

  16. So Long Ago by sycodon · · Score: 1

    It's hard to believe it was so long ago and that he was that old now.

    When I grew up, you knew when a show was "old" because it was in black and white.

    Now, you can watch DS9 (or anything else) on Netflix or similar and it looks and feels like it was just filmed.

      For instance...I still think Marina Sirtis is a hot young thing when I watch the show, but she's in AARP now (61)

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:So Long Ago by suso · · Score: 1

      You can tell if a show is old now by 4:3 aspect ratio. ;-)

  17. Any reports ... by PPH · · Score: 1

    ... of a self driving Jeep leaving the area rapidly?

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
    1. Re:Any reports ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, but there are rumors that Admiral Ross was scheduled to testify before the FBI about secret Clinton plans to join the Dominion, and his elimination was very mysterious, dying in an otherwise safe Holodeck while wearing a red shirt.

    2. Re:Any reports ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dam! Killery Strikes again!!!

    3. Re: Any reports ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Red is command colours in modern trek. Gold shirts die.

    4. Re: Any reports ... by PPH · · Score: 1

      Red is command colours

      Red shirt, brown pants.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
  18. Not Lt. Lieutenant Murtagh! by scaryjohn · · Score: 2

    Carl: If we're gonna die together, Lou, I'd at least like to know your first name.
    Murtagh: Lieutenant.
    Carl: I know you're my boss and I'm supposed to call you lieutenant--
    Murtagh: I had it legally changed when I was promoted.
    Carl: Okay. But what was your name before you got promoted?
    Murtagh: Sergeant.

    --
    One might ask the same about birds. What ARE birds? We just don't know.
  19. Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do we need a post every time some B-Side actor dies? It wasn't like any of us woke up thinking "oh well shit, I wonder what Barry Jenner is doing right now?".

    1. Re:Who cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And just think, if you hadn't taken the effort to click the link to the story and then shitpost about it, you would have made everyone's days better while wasting less time!

  20. inter Arma enim silent leges by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Best episode with him.

  21. Jenner? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Maybe he cut off his junk and will make a triumphant return as Barbara Jenner.

  22. Like Spock, he will be missed. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Unlike FBI employees, treasonous cunts that they are.