Colm Meaney, so loved for his work as Chief Miles O’Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, finally opened up about revisiting the iconic character. In an exclusive conversation with Comic Book Movie, Meaney shared his thoughts on returning to the Star Trek universe and the impact of the character on his career.
The role of the everyman engineer Miles O’Brien, who served on both the USS Enterprise-D and Deep Space Nine, belonged to Meaney and is, quite arguably, one of the most indelible in the Star Trek franchise. For years, O’Brien has been a favorite of fans because he was an accessible character with much development, as he moved from the background to being a main character on Deep Space Nine.
In an interview, he expressed his gratitude for the role and acknowledged the place of O’Brien in Star Trek lore. “I never believed O’Brien was going to be such a loved character,” Meaney said. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see how much he means to fans.”
He was asked whether he would like to reprise this role again. An intrigued Meaney expressed interest but with a certain level of caution. “It’s always possible,” he said. “But it would have to be the right project, something that adds to the character’s story rather than just bringing him back for the sake of nostalgia.”
The Challenge of Reprising an Iconic Role
He also mentioned how hard it is to pick up a character again after all these years. Fondly remembering the time spent on Star Trek, he wants to make sure that should it happen once more, it would be meaningful in its content and honest with the development of the character. “You don’t want to undo the work that was done,” he clarified. “O’Brien’s story had a proper ending, and if he were to come back, it would need to be something that respects that.”
He also weighed in on the evolution of the Star Trek franchise and its recent resurgence across platforms such as Paramount+. In the wake of successes like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, Meaney felt the need to point out that the franchise knew a thing or two about reinventing itself while staying true to its roots: “The beauty of Star Trek is that it’s always been about new ideas, about pushing boundaries. And it’s nice to see that carried through in the new series.”
Not only did he address the possibility of his returning, but Meaney also spoke briefly to express his gratitude towards Star Trek fans, popularly referred to as “Trekkies.” He branded them as passionate and devoted, saying that their enthusiasm had served as motivation for him many times during his career. “Trekkies are among the most devoted and enthusiastic fans out there,” Meaney said. “It has been an honor to be part of something that has meant so much to so many people.”
Asked if the fans will ever get to see Miles O’Brien back in action, Meaney seemingly left the door open but with caveats that it would have to be handled carefully. “It’s always possible,” he said again. “But it has to be done right.”
For now, all that can be done by Star Trek fans is to wish that a project of the right vein comes up to see Chief O’Brien back on small screens. Until that time, it is Colm Meaney’s quiet, introspective reflections remind us of the lasting legacies left by both the character and the actor who gave life to him.