9 Amazing Bodies of Star Trek: The Next Generation

Who's ready for a game of Parrises Squares? Trim, athletic, and quick on their feet, the stars of Star Trek: The Next Generation look young and spry on reruns of the show, available on Paramount+. And the cast remains in shape even today, 30 years since the show went off the air. LeVar Burton keeps his skin hydrated. Patrick Stewart stays strong doing pushups. And Gates McFadden stays gluten-free. What other foods would they order in the replicator, and which actor orders tea—ginger, not Earl Grey—to satisfy her cravings? Read on.

1. LeVar Burton

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LeVar Burton played Lieutenant Geordi La Forge in the series. He makes sure to take care of his skin. Burton told NYMag that keeping his skin hydrated is important, and uses body oil. “Southern California, where I live, is a desert. The environment wreaks havoc on my skin as a person of color. From the crib, Black people learn how important moisturizing and hydrating and things like lotion and emollients are.”

2. Patrick Stewart

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Patrick Stewart played the legendary franchise character, Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Stewart makes sure to stay in shape, and shared his secrets in an Entertainment Tonight interview. “Pushups,” he said. “It’s that simple. Until I had my shoulder surgery two months ago, so I’m not doing pushups at the moment. An old war wound from location work.”

3. Gates McFadden

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Gates McFadden played the role of Doctor Beverly Crusher. McFadden makes sure to eat healthy, and shared her diet secrets on Twitter. “My diet does not include dairy or gluten. There are terrific crackers that are gf, most bread sucks so I bake biscuits that taste great. tofu salads, I occasionally eat fish. and am currently craving and scarfing down mochi that are made with coconut milk and are dairy & gf!”

4. Marina Sirtis

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Marina Sirtis played the role of Commander Deanna Troi. Sirtis opened up about her struggles with body image in an interview. “It’s not something I usually talk about, but I used to have an eating disorder. I can’t diet, because it sets the madness off again. As soon as I start counting calories, I start becoming obsessive about it. So I don’t count calories, nor do I weigh myself. I haven’t weighed in years.”

5. Wil Wheaton

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Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher on the first four seasons. In a post on his blog, Wheaton revealed he is working on his health. One thing he is doing is limiting and cutting out alcohol. “The very best part of drinking less and then not drinking at all is how I have had more productivity in my life in all areas. I’ve lost all the weight I wanted to lose, and my overall quality of life is vastly improved. There is also this profound clarity in my life that I never would have found if I hadn’t made a decision to quit drinking entirely, and face things that made me feel unhappy, or overwhelmed, or just some version of not good. I’ve talked with professionals and concluded that I never had a drinking problem like people who go to meetings to get sober, and I may decide that I can have a beer or a cocktail every now and then at some point in my future. But right now, I honestly don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.”

6. Michelle Forbes

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Michelle Forbes played the recurring role of Ro Laren. She revealed some of her favorite foods in an interview with SELF. "I've been a vegetarian for 31 years now and have crossed over into being a full and happy vegan this past year," says Forbes. "I'm still scratching my head about what took me so long! A plant-based diet has actually simplified my life in so many ways. For breakfast, I try to get my first serving of fruits and nuts for fuel. I'm completely addicted to coconut water for the electrolytes and hydration. I like to juice whatever feels right on the day, in this case, beet/apple/kale/ginger/carrot/lemon. And, of course, a warm cup of ginger tea that gets the senses right and alert. Can't get enough ginger!”

7. Ashley Judd

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Ashley Judd had a recurring role of Robin Lefler. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Judd revealed that she does Zumba to stay in shape. "Zumba is a gas. It's really fun. It's shaking your butt and pretending you're good at it. It's dancing! It's embarrassing old school aerobics. I actually started because I wanted the cross-brain experience. I wanted to use my non-dominant side, and then I just realized I liked to wiggle."

8. Rosalind Chao

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Rosalind Chao played Keiko O’Brien on the show. She shared her advice for aspiring actors with Backstage.com. “I really do believe every time you’re on a set, you have to be easy to work with. It’s like the restaurant business: If you get a delicious meal, you will go back to that restaurant. Some of my work has come about that way. Other than that, it’s been the normal channels of auditioning and throwing that spaghetti against the wall until it sticks.”

9. Whoopi Goldberg

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Whoopi Goldberg had a recurring role of Guinan. She opened up about her wellness rituals in an interview with SELF. “I'm having a good time in my life, and I always have tried to, but now I really don't care. I'm doing it whether other people think it's a good time or not.”

Star Trek stars have captivated audiences with their compelling performances and memorable characters (and pointy ears). Beyond the starships and interstellar adventures, these actors also share their personal journeys toward physical and emotional well-being. From Chris Pine's insights on healthy prepping for roles to Zachary Quinto's reflections on the evolving landscape for LGBTQ+ individuals, this article delves into the multifaceted lives of these talented individuals. Join us as we explore how actors like Karl Urban, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Michelle Yeoh strike a balance between maintaining incredible bodies, supporting charitable causes, and embracing their authentic selves in the ever-evolving realm of showbiz.

1. Chris Pine

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Chris Pine opened up about his career in an interview with Men’s Journal. In it, he says that he avoids those calorie rich diets when prepping for roles. “You’ve got Thor, you’ve got Captain America. These guys are eating 5,000, 7,000 calories, waking up just to eat food, eating 15 meals a day. For your liver, I don’t think that’s healthy.”

2. Karl Urban

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Karl Urban opened up about how he got in shape for his role in The Boys to Men’s Journal. “I made sure I was consistently putting work in the gym. I wanted to make sure I was meeting the requirements of what people had in their heads when they thought of him. There's also an importance on staying healthy when you're coming up on a big shoot like The Boys, because it can take a lot out of you. I put a program together based on a few other regimes I had built for other film projects and it worked. The goal was to add mass to all of the muscle groups, and hit them all. I wanted something that was just as much about fitness as it was about aesthetic.”

3. Zachary Quinto

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In an interview with Time, Zachary Quinto opened up about growing up as a gay man. “I feel grateful to have grown up at a time when all my experiences as a kid in learning to perform and growing up was based on the people that came before me. I spent a lot of time charting the journeys of the people who weren't allowed to be openly gay and had to live their lives in terrible self-oppression and torture and lies just to succeed. Kids today don't have to think about that, because so many of those people died. Now you can do what you want to do. That came at a cost. Honoring that cost is the only thing we owe each other.”

4. Chris Hemsworth

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Chris Hemsworth’s stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton, opened up about the way he and the actor get in shape for roles to Page Six. “Chris says to me, ‘We want to be the strongest, healthiest versions of ourselves for this next “Thor.” We want to take it to the next level.’ As you know, every single ‘Thor’ and ‘Avengers,’ he’s always in incredible shape. For him to want to take it to that next level, it was another huge challenge.”

5. Jason Isaacs

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Jason Isaacs shares his fitness secrets with GQ. "I have one of the many seven-minute workout apps. It’s star jumps; wall-sits; squats; crunches; push-ups with rotation; step-ups; planks; side planks as well. All the other actors and various crew members were initially interested, and one by all they’ve all dropped off. There’s a couple of die-hards that still do it with me but I am so much better at exercising when I’ve got a workout partner.”

6. Sonequa Martin-Green

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Sonequa Martin Green is open about supporting cancer charities. “What appealed to me about Stand Up To Cancer was the unity,” she told WebMD. “There is something so powerful about community, to know there are so many people from so many different disciplines in science coming together, shedding their egos, and combining their research. They’re world-changers and they’re doing it all as one, and I’m so honored to support this work.”

7. Michelle Yeoh

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Michelle Yeoh’s trainer, Andy Le, talked about working with her in an interview with GQ. “Her extensive background in martial arts films definitely had a great impact on how we worked together. Michelle brings a presence when the cameras are on her. You can take anyone else and teach them the same choreography and they would never be able to do it like her, she brings an X factor to her performance.”

8. Terry Farrell

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Terry Farrell opened up about working on Star Trek and what she’s learned in a 2015 interview with Woman At Warp. “I think that living in the moment is important – for myself, I strive to live in the moment, challenge myself to be a better person, and challenge myself to be my authentic self. And hopefully, whenever I get the feeling that I’m a little scared to deal with something, that instead I think ‘that’s how being brave feels’ and that motivates me to deal with it and confront it. I’ve had a lot of practice this year.”

9. Gates McFadden

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Gates McFadden opened up about her diet in this Tweet. “My diet does not include dairy or gluten. There are terrific crackers that are gf, most bread sucks so I bake biscuits that taste great. tofu salads, I occasionally eat fish, and am currently craving and scarfing down mochi that are made with coconut milk and are dairy & gf!”

10. Zoe Saldana

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In 2016, Zoe Saldana talked to Coveteur about getting in shape for Star Trek: Beyond. “The physical side of [filming] wasn’t demanding at all for me—I asked if it was okay for me to not try to be a hero in this installment of the films. I have my sons who are six months old. But with that being said I still have a fighting scene, and I’m so happy about it. I was already in my process of slowly getting back to my normal routine with my body, so I just started doing some power yoga and a lot of floor work—breathing has been helping me a great deal. I just love it, so that’s what I was doing in my spare time.”

11. Alison Pill

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Alison Pill opened up about the impact of Star Trek: Picard to Inverse.com. “I think we definitely all understand that humans are social animals and many animals are social,” Pill says. “So how do we organize ourselves by these principles that don't put us in these individual black and white boxes and get stuck in the binary way of thinking? Of good vs. bad? Or with us or against us? How, how could we operate in society if those weren't the only options? That’s what our show is about.”

12. Rebecca Romijn

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Rebecca Romijn is all about self-acceptance. She talked about this in an interview with People. “I think life is a whole game of acceptance. I think when you, especially as you get older, you just have to accept certain things and accepting your looks to a certain extent is part of that, just growing up, maturity.”

13. Anson Mount

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In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Anson Mount opened up about the impact of the Star Trek franchise, and honoring it in Strange New Worlds. “To me, it’s super important because I grew up watching the original series when it was in syndication. That is how I discovered Star Trek. And that was the only Star Trek I had until The Next Generation. So, for me, that’s everything. And that is what we really wanted to do, something that was a throwback and homage to the original series. And almost everything we do, that consideration goes into it.”

14. Jack Quaid

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Jack Quaid opened up about his life and career to GQ. He says that he wants to respect the people he works with. “I very much have a sorry to bother you attitude in my life. I don’t want to involve anyone else. But whatever people's processes are, as long as you're not actively hurting anyone, I think it's okay.”

15. Ella Purnell

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Ella Purnell talked about how she plays characters in an interview with TheFace.com. “It doesn’t matter to me if the character is likeable or not likeable. What matters to me is compelling storytelling. And if you lose the audience at episode three or four because your character is annoying, they’re not going to give a shit if you [PLOT DETAIL REDACTED] in episode 10.”

16. Wil Wheaton

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Wil Wheaton talked about the changes he was making to his diet in this 2016 post on his website. In it, he talked about how he was eating healthy and approaching food. “My only vice left is ice cream, and I have ice cream almost every night. I’m not going to feel bad or apologize for it, or make any excuses. All my other meals are really good, and we are cooking our own food at least three nights a week. I track my calories in and out, and I’m staying right around 1300 calories every day, which I guess is good for a guy my age and activity level and all that stuff.”

17. Christina Chong

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Christina Chong revealed in this interview that she likes to meditate. According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation has a lot of benefits. “During meditation, you focus your attention and eliminate the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. This process may result in enhanced physical and emotional well-being.”

Cue spooky music and embark on an extraterrestrial expedition to uncover the secrets behind the show's most iconic figures. The FBI's finest, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have revealed their off-screen regimens to maintain those investigative physiques that could even make Cigarette Smoking Man quit a bad habit. From Duchovny's passion for juicing to Anderson's dedication to skincare, it's clear these stars are as committed to their health as they are to solving paranormal phenomena. Joining the dossier are Annabeth Gish, who takes family fitness to new heights, and Joel McHale, whose disdain for lunges is matched only by his determination. Read on.

1. David Duchovny

David Duchovny played one of the lead characters, Fox Mulder, on the show. He shared some of his diet and workout secrets in a video interview with Men’s Health. He loves to make juices. “Down here we have juicing stuff like beet, carrot,” he said, showing the viewers his fridge. “I’ve got back into juicing recently. Fruit. I like this coconut stuff.”

2. Gillian Anderson

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Gillian Anderson played Dana Scully on the show. She shared some of her skincare secrets with New Beauty. "Even with all the fancy creams I’ve been gifted over the years, once I started seeing that my skin was suffering, I began to pay more attention to it. There’s a Clinique Moisture Surge Gel, which is kind of extraordinary for application in the afternoon, if you’re starting to feel like you’re drying up and need some hydration.”

3. Annabeth Gish

Annabeth Gish played Monica Reyes on the show. She revealed to Sportify that she and her family do a lot of physical activities together. “My kids know that working out for my mental and physical health is a priority. We all go rock climbing as a family. We ski. We scuba dive. My children are starting to now out-pace me. They want to go deeper, and ski faster, and climb higher. It’s beautiful to see when your children start to actively excel beyond you.”

4. Joel McHale

Joel McHale played Ted O’Malley on the revival series. In an interview with Men’s Journal, he revealed that he does a lot of tough lower body workouts. “I think all leg workouts are harder than upper body workouts just because it’s a much bigger muscle. Even though I don’t like doing lunges and they annoy the hell out of me, I do them, because I know I’ll be happy sometime later. I really don’t have that much trouble with motivation. I’ve never been one of those guys that’s like 'I don’t know if I’m going to work out today.' I’m way too vain to not work out.”

5. Robbie Amell

Robbie Amell played Miller on the revival. He shared some of his at-home workouts in an interview with Men’s Health. "Obviously, times are really weird right now, but I think it's really important to try and stay active, whether it's pushups, situps, burpees, jumping jacks, you know, anything to just get the blood flowing and get the endorphins going.”

6. Robert Patrick

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Robert Patrick played John Doggett on the series. He also appeared in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and talked about the experience with The Chicago Tribune. “If you let your imagination go, you can kind of endure anything. I don’t want that to sound so cavalier, but I think because of the preparation I had done, the training that I had done, I was able to do what was asked of me. And no one got hurt — including myself. I felt like I did a good job. Every effort was made to make me feel comfortable.”

1. Star Wars Universe

Sackhoff is thrilled with her part in The Mandalorian. “I love the Star Wars universe,” she says. “It’s one of the coolest things that I’ve ever been able to be a part of. I was so excited. To be able to play Bo-Katan is just awesome. I’m the first female Mandalorian warrior. It’s my Star Wars version of Starbuck… Star Wars was the first time that I watched a movie that took me into another universe, completely. I remember watching that when I was probably five, six or seven, and it was one of the coolest moments, ever. I wanted an Ewok. I think everybody wanted an Ewok, but that was my goal in life. I was like, ‘I want one of those teddy bear things.’”

2. Sweating With Sackhoff

Sackhoff has her own YouTube workout channel called Sweating With Sackhoff, where she details her at-home exercises and fitness routine. “I realized that since I'm working out at home anyway, I might as well share the routines I do with you guys!” she says. “Most of the workouts are timed intervals so that you can just play the video and workout along with us.”

3. Blonde Action Hero

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Sackhoff refuses to accept certain stereotypes related to her appearance. “When you play a tough character and you’re blonde, there is a complete disconnect,” she says. “I’m naturally blonde, but I’ve been told so many times, when I do one of these [action] roles, ‘We should really dye your hair brown. Because blonde girls aren’t tough. We should cut your hair off because girls with long hair just aren’t tough.’ People associate girls with long blonde hair with the girls in Clueless or Legally Blonde. You can’t be smart and educated and have an opinion because you are supposed to be stupid. They’re the same struggles, but they manifest themselves very differently in this business.”

4. Adding Muscle

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Sackhoff had to add ten pounds of muscle to play Lieutenant Kara "Starbuck" Thraceon in Battlestar Galactica. “That was a physical challenge for me,” she says. “I was working out, very, very hard, for three months before we even got there. I cut out alcohol for five months, and I cut out anything that tasted good. Not really, but I went on a paleo diet, so everything was very clean, with no processed sugar, no gluten, no alcohol, and none of that fun stuff, because I had to maintain what I thought she would like, which is the opposite of me. She’s also very capable. Starbuck had these scenes where she fought, but she was very much a bruiser. She was a boxer.”

5. Battlestar Galactica Pride

Sackhoff will forever be proud of her role in Battlestar Galactica. “There is a reason that I waited 10 or 12 years, or whatever it’s been, to go back into space,” she says. “There’s a reason I did a Western first. Nobody could compare it. Whether it had anything to do with my part in it or not, Battlestar Galactica hit it out of the park. It is still, to this day, getting new fans and a new appreciation for it. People are watching it for a second time with their children, who weren’t even born when we were filming. Battlestar Galactica will live on forever, which is the biggest blessing.”

The hit series "FBI" showcases not only gripping crime narratives but also a cast of stars with incredible bodies and unique fitness approaches. From Missy Peregrym's love for athletic roles to Alana de la Garza's trust in her creative process, these actors bring more than just their acting chops to the screen. Sela Ward's poolside laps, Zeeko Zaki's protein-powered transformation, Vedette Lim's desert hikes, and Ebonee Noel's technical dialogue mastery all contribute to their on-screen personas. Even Connie Nielsen's thoughtfully curated diet reflects her commitment to holistic well-being. Join us in exploring the inspiring physical journeys of these "FBI" stars.

1. Missy Peregrym

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2. Alana de la Garza

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Alana de la Garza talked about what she likes about starring in FBIin an interview. “There is something really relaxing about that creative process when you trust the people you work with and you’re able to perform. If you’re able to take words off a page and, luckily, the words that are on our pages are just incredible. The storytellers that we have that are writing these scripts are so good that you can trust that and you’re able to feel creatively complete by trusting the other characters on the show who are also your friends. There is something relaxing about that.”

3. Sela Ward

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Sela Ward loves to swim to stay in shape. She shared this photo on Facebook of herself in the pool after doing laps. She captioned the photo, “Got my laps in for the day! Can someone hand me a towel, please?”

4. Zeeko Zaki

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Zeeko Zaki talked about his weight loss in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. "The craziest part was just being kind of a different person every year. You get like 10 lbs. a year, I wanted to do it slow," Zaki explained. "But my biggest tip and the thing that I walked away from was a little trick I learned from The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss — 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up. So give it a shot."

5. Vedette Lim

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Vedette Lim spends a lot of time outside. Naturally, she likes to do outdoor workouts to keep herself in shape. Lim posted this photo on Instagram of herself going on a hike in the deserts of Arizona. She captioned it, “A visit to my birth state.”

6. Ebonee Noel

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Ebonee Noel has worked with Dick Wolf in both FBI and Law & Order SVU. She talked about her process with playing her roles in an interview with One Chicago. “I tried to make the technical dialogue be as interesting as possible when delivering it, because I know some of the stuff, I got the script and it’s like what am I talking about here? If I don’t know what I’m talking about, the audience is going to have no idea what I’m talking about. So it’s just fleshing out that jargon and trying to find her joy in figuring these things out.”

7. Connie Nielsen

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In a 2014 interview with Parade, Connie Nielsen talked about her diet. “For breakfast, I eat organic food with high fat content, such as whole milk yogurt, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and a scrambled egg. I cook it in organic grape seed oil for its high omega content. I drink a cappuccino for its dose of milk and the coffee for its taste, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. At lunch, I might eat smoked salmon with a slice of Mozzarella di Bufala, made from the milk of domestic water buffalo, along with avocado.”