DECEMBER 19, 2022 - You know Armin Shimerman as the scheming Ferengi Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and possibly also as the principal of Sunnydale High on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But if you asked him what he considers to be his primary profession, you might be surprised by his answer. “I am primarily a teacher,” he tells me in the interview below.

Shimerman is also a writer, and the third book in his Illyria trilogy is set to be released early next year. He and I sat down to discuss the books, Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the late, great Rene Auberjonois.

If you’re considering buying the Illyria trilogy, I highly recommend starting with the first one, Betrayal of Angels, which you can order by following the Amazon link. If you’ve already read the first two, you can preorder the conclusion, Imbalance of Power, at the Jumpmaster Press website. Patreon supporters gain access to a deleted scene in which Shimerman discusses the problem with a recent filmed production of Macbeth and gives a brief masterclass on Shakespearean text.