Michael Dorn on Star Trek: Picard: “They have not contacted me at all”

Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard (left) and Michael Dorn as Worf (right) in Star Trek: The Next Generation

JANUARY 18, 2021 - With Jeri Ryan’s confirmation that the second season of Star Trek: Picard will begin filming in early February, many fans have been left wondering if (and when) some of their favorite cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation will make an appearance in the series. While promoting his latest film Agent: Revelation, Star Trek actor Michael Dorn admitted to ComicBookMovie.com that he has not been asked to appear as Worf...and that he might not take the role even if it was offered.

When asked if he had been contacted about appearing in Picard and if a nondisclosure agreement was preventing him from talking about it, Dorn said there was no conflict. “No, not at all,” the actor said. “In fact, I can say with full freedom that they have not contacted me at all.”

A lack of contact from the production team isn’t the only thing that could be standing in the way of audiences seeing Worf on Picard. In the interview, Dorn talked about the prosthetic and makeup process for his beloved character, saying, “It was the one really dark spot about doing the show. I love the people, and I love the character, and the work was great […] but that three hours [in makeup] every morning was out of control [...] I don’t know if I’d ever do it again.”

Even with the prospect of spending so much time in the makeup chair, Dorn didn’t entirely dismiss the idea of appearing on Picard. “It [...] would depend on a lot of things. It would depend on what they wanted to do with the character [...] The good thing about where I am in my career is that I can pick and choose [projects] I want to do because they’re interesting, not because I have to.” While Dorn admitted that spending time on set with Patrick Stewart and his other TNG costars is “always a lot of fun”, it seems clear that the actor expects Worf to have a meaningful place in the Picard storyline, if he’s going to have a place at all.

Dorn’s upcoming film Agent: Revelation will be released on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming platforms this Friday, January 22.