In the final season of Star Trek: Picard, a Ferengi was introduced who wasn’t anything like Quark played by Armin Shimerman on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Armin Shimerman played the first Ferengi ever seen on a Star Trek property on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Ferengi were meant to be enemies of the Federation and a threat; however, the episode that introduced the Ferengis took a comedic turn instead, something Shimerman regrets and has apologized for. But that did lead to a starring gig as Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
From that point forward, though, Ferengis were seen as greedy aliens that would sooner steal from you than stab you. They were never seen as much of a threat…until Star Trek: Picard changed all of that in its third and final season, introducing Sneed, a corrupt, essentially evil crime boss, played by Aaron Stanford (12 Monkeys and Nikita).
Armin Shimerman watched Standford’s portrayl of a Ferengi on Star Trek: Picard and felt the pangs of jealousy.
According to Indiewire, while watching Sneed on Star Trek: Picard, Shimerman turned to his wife and said “That’s the way I should have played the Ferengi from the first.”
Admitting that Sneed was more believable, oily, cunning, and less cartoonish, Shimerman knows the Ferengi would have been a much different species.
“[Sneed] was both cunning and oily and believable and less cartoonish … it would have been an entirely different species if I had played a Ferengi as well as that actor played it.”
In reality, though. would someone like Sneed have been able to continue long term on Deep Space Nine? Quark, in spite of his materialism and need for latinum, became a beloved character on the series. He certainly didn’t end up with his head chopped off at the end of Worf’s blade.
While the Ferengi were seen as comic relief, the Federation has its fair share of enemies, so having one that was more of an annoyance than a foe made sense as some aliens are more interested in the latinum than being the king of an evil empire. So while Shimerman may regret how he portrayed Quark, Star Trek fans don’t. Without him, we wouldn’t have the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and the numerous one-liners that made us laugh and appreciate him even more.
