Armin Shimerman (born November 5, 1949) is an American actor who was born and raised in Lakewood, New Jersey. He is married to actress Kitty Swink.
Was the first actor ever to play a Ferengi on Star Trek, as "Letek" on the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987) episode "The Last Outpost." Five years later, he was offered the role of Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993), the first Ferengi character in the main cast of any Star Trek series and a role that he would play for seven years.
In "Judging Amy" (1999), he played a lawyer who was trying to argue that demons exist. His "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997) character, Principal Snyder, was eaten by a demon.
Was on the set of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) during a large earthquake in Los Angeles. He rushed to go home to check on his family, so he did not have time to get his makeup removed. His Ferengi makeup "scared the living shit out of people" as he says at conventions.
Along with Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie, Michael Ansara and Richard Poe, he is one of six actors to play the same character on three different 'Star Trek' series. He played Quark in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) and "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995).
When the first wave of the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) action figures were released, he did a commercial for the figures dressed as Quark, his character on the series. It showed him in his bar, picking up each character figure and quickly talking about it.
Along with Mark Allen Shepherd, Patrick Stewart (I) and Colm Meaney, he is one of only four actors to appear in the pilots of two different 'Star Trek' series. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) and "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995)).
Along with Michael Dorn (I), he is one of only two actors to appear in eleven different seasons of "Star Trek" ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987) Seasons One, Two and Seven, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) Seasons One through Seven and "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995) Season One).
Along with Marina Sirtis, Tim Russ and Ethan Phillips (I), he is one of only three "Star Trek" regulars to appear in three different "Star Trek" series ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993) and "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995)).
Former "Beauty and the Beast" (1987) co-star Ron Perlman gave him advice on how to emote effectively under full-head prosthetic appliances when he landed the role of Quark on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993).
