Marina Sirtis
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Marina Sirtis (; born 29 March 1955) is a British actress. She is best known for her role as Counselor Deanna Troi on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and four ''Star Trek'' feature films, as well as other appearances in the ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'' franchise.


Early life

Marina Sirtis was born in Hackney, London, the daughter of Greek parents, Despina, a tailor's assistant, and John Sirtis. She was brought up in
Harringay Harringay (pronounced ) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the New River, where it crosses Green Lanes by Finsbury Park, and Duckett' ...
, North London. When she was three years old, Sirtis says, the teenage sons of her babysitter sexually molested her. Sirtis suffered from an eating disorder, which emerged due to the trauma of the assault. After suffering from the disorder for 20 years, she went into therapy in the 1990s and was able to manage the trauma and learn to eat healthily again. While still in secondary school, Sirtis secretly auditioned for drama school against her parents' wishes, ultimately being accepted to the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...
. In 1976, at the age of 21, Sirtis graduated from Guildhall and began her career by joining the
Connaught Theatre The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre and cinema in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre ( ...
. In 1986, Sirtis emigrated to the United States, settling in Los Angeles to boost her career. She later became a naturalized
US citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...
.


Career


Early work

Sirtis started her career as a member of the repertory company at the
Connaught Theatre The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre and cinema in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre ( ...
,
Worthing Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Hov ...
, West Sussex, in 1976. Directed by Nic Young, she appeared in
Joe Orton John Kingsley Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967), known by the pen name of Joe Orton, was an English playwright, author, and diarist. His public career, from 1964 until his death in 1967, was short but highly influential. During this brie ...
's '' What the Butler Saw'' and as Ophelia in ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''. Before her role in ''Star Trek'', Sirtis was featured in supporting roles in several films. In the 1983,
Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Faye Dunaway, many accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden ...
film, ''
The Wicked Lady ''The Wicked Lady'' is a 1945 British costume drama film directed by Leslie Arliss and starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who becomes a highwayman for the excitement. The film had one of the top audiences for a f ...
'', she engaged in a whip fight with Dunaway. In the
Charles Bronson Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky; November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor. Known for his "granite features and brawny physique," he gained international fame for his starring roles in action, Western, and war ...
sequel ''
Death Wish 3 ''Death Wish 3'' is a 1985 American action thriller film directed and edited by Michael Winner. It is the third film and the last to be directed by Winner in the ''Death Wish'' film series. It stars Charles Bronson as the vigilante killer Paul Ke ...
'', Sirtis' character is a rape victim. In the film ''
Blind Date A blind date is a social engagement between two people who have not met, usually arranged by a mutual acquaintance. Structure A blind date is arranged for by a mutual acquaintance of both participants. The two people who take part in the blind ...
'', she appears as a
sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work is d ...
who is murdered by a madman. Other early works include numerous guest-starring roles on British television series. Sirtis appeared in '' Raffles'' (1977), ''Who Pays the Ferryman'' (1977), '' Hazell'' (1978), ''
Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...
'' (1979), the
Jim Davidson James Cameron Davidson (born 13 December 1953) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, singer and TV presenter. He hosted the television shows '' Big Break'' and ''The Generation Game''. He also developed two adult pantomime shows such as ''B ...
sitcom ''
Up the Elephant and Round the Castle ''Up the Elephant and Round the Castle'' is a British television sitcom, which aired from 1983 to 1985, and was produced by Thames Television for the ITV network. Starring comedian Jim Davidson, who played the role of Jim London, the show spaw ...
'' (1985), and '' The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' (1986). She also played the flight attendant in a 1979 Cinzano Bianco television commercial starring
Leonard Rossiter Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series ''Rising Damp'' from ...
and
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...
, in which Collins was splattered with drink.


Star Trek


''Star Trek: The Next Generation''

In 1986, Sirtis relocated to the United States. When casting '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'',
Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
was inspired to ask Sirtis, whose appearance he considered "exotic", to audition for a role after seeing the film ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'' with
Bob Justman Robert Harris "Bob" Justman (July 13, 1926 – May 28, 2008) was an American television producer, director, and production manager. He worked on many American TV series including '' Lassie'', ''The Life of Riley'', '' Adventures of Superman'' ...
, which featured the prominent
Latina Latina or Latinas most often refers to: * Latinas, a demographic group in the United States * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America. *Latin Americans Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
character Vasquez, played by
Jenette Goldstein Jenette Elise Goldstein (born February 4, 1960) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Private Vasquez in the sci-fi horror film '' Aliens'' (1986), which won her the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also played Diam ...
. Sirtis and
Denise Crosby Denise Michelle Crosby is an American actress and model known for portraying Security Chief Tasha Yar mainly in season one of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and Yar's daughter, the half-Romulan Commander Sela, in subsequent seasons. She ...
initially tried out for each other's eventual roles on ''The Next Generation''. Sirtis' character was going to be named Lt. Macha Hernandez, the Security Chief. Gene Roddenberry decided to switch them, and Macha Hernandez became
Tasha Yar Natasha (russian: Наташа) is a name of Slavic origin. The Slavic name is the diminutive form of Natalia. Notable people * Natasha, the subject of ''Natasha's Story'', a 1994 nonfiction book * Natasha Aguilar (1970–2016), Costa Rican sw ...
. Sirtis recalls that on the day she received the call offering her the role, she was actually packing to return to Britain because her six-month
visa Visa most commonly refers to: *Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Visa Plus, an interbank network *Travel visa, a document that allows ...
had expired. Deanna Troi is a half-human, half-
Betazoid ''Star Trek'' is a science fiction media franchise that began with Gene Roddenberry's launch of the original ''Star Trek'' television series in 1966. Its success led to decades of films, novels, comics, and spinoff series. A major motif of the ...
. Her Betazoid abilities allow her to read the emotions of others. Her position on the Enterprise-D is ship's counselor, looking after the crew's well-being and serving as trusted advisor to Captain Picard, with a position next to him on the bridge. Initially, the writers found it difficult to write for Troi and even left her out of four first-season episodes. Sirtis felt her job was in jeopardy after the first season, but was overjoyed when Roddenberry took her aside at
Jonathan Frakes Jonathan Scott Frakes (born August 19, 1952) is an American actor and director. He is best known for his portrayal of Commander William Riker in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and subsequent films and series. Frakes als ...
' wedding and told her that the season-two premiere episode would centre on Troi. Sirtis appeared in all seven seasons of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and her character was developed from a more passive therapist to a tougher Starfleet officer. She has stated her favourite episode is season six's " Face of the Enemy", in which she is kidnapped and surgically altered to pose as a
Romulan The Romulans () are an extraterrestrial race in the American science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. They first appeared in the series ''Star Trek'' (1966–1969). They have appeared in most subsequent ''Star Trek'' releases, including '' The A ...
. Troi's switching to a standard
Starfleet Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
uniform in the same season in "
Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
" elevated the character's dignity in Sirtis' eyes, and her enthusiasm in playing her, with Sirtis commenting, "It covered up my cleavage and, consequently, I got all my brains back, because when you have a cleavage you can't have brains in Hollywood. So I got all my brains back and I was allowed to do things that I hadn't been allowed to do for five or six years. I went on away teams, I was in charge of staff, I had my pips back, I had phasers, I had all the equipment again, and it was fabulous. I was absolutely thrilled." During her time on the show, she became close friends with her co-stars Jonathan Frakes (who played Commander Riker),
Michael Dorn Michael Dorn (born December 9, 1952) is an American actor best known for his role as the Klingon Worf in the '' Star Trek'' franchise. He has appeared more times as a regular cast member than any other ''Star Trek'' actor in the franchise's histo ...
( Lieutenant Worf) and
Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the android Data on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', as well as four subsequent films. In 2019, he reprised the role for ...
(who played
Lieutenant Commander Data Data is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He appears in the television programme, television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (''TNG'') and ''Star Trek: Picard''; and the feature films ''Star Trek Generations'' (199 ...
). The latter cast members were groomsmen at her wedding. She wore black-coloured contact lenses during the seven-year run of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and the subsequent films because her character had black eyes. Her own eyes are
light brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model used ...
. She usually wore hairpieces for her role as Troi. Sirtis' real hair was slightly shorter and, although curly, was not as bouffant as her character's. However, Sirtis' real hair was used in the pilot episode, and also in the first six episodes of season six, in which Troi sported a more natural looking pony-tailed style. She was also asked to create an accent (described as a mixture of Eastern European and
Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...
) for her character, although her natural accent is
Cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or b ...
. Over time, the accent was adjusted and became more Americanized.


Other ''Star Trek'' works

Sirtis reprised her character in the feature films ''
Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek'' and the 1987 sequel series ''The Next G ...
'' (1994), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), '' Star Trek: Insurrection'' (1998), and '' Star Trek: Nemesis'' (2002). Sirtis was delighted to get the chance to do some comedy in ''Star Trek: First Contact'' and said, "I loved it because it opened the door to a different side of Troi we'd never seen before. That door has stayed open and that whole kind of wacky, zany Troi thing has continued into the next movie, which is great for me because I like to do things that are different." Sirtis stated of her role in ''Star Trek: Nemesis'', "I sort of had an inkling that I was going to have a good part in this film because John Logan was such a big fan of the character. So I knew that he would do her some justice." Sirtis also appeared in '' Star Trek: Voyager'' for three episodes toward the end of the series (1999 and 2000), and the series finale of ''
Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
'' (2005). She next returned to her role as Deanna Troi in 2020 in '' Star Trek: Picard'' episode "Nepenthe". She also reprised the role in "No Small Parts", the first-season finale of '' Star Trek: Lower Decks''.


Other work

While filming ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Sirtis returned to the UK during the hiatus between seasons three and four in 1990 to film a drama special entitled ''One Last Chance'' for the BBC. In 1992, she appeared in an episode of the short-lived series '' The Fifth Corner'' and had a cameo in the horror/fantasy movie '' Waxwork II: Lost in Time''. After the end of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' in 1994, Sirtis continued to work regularly. Her first role was a departure from previous work, an abused wife in the series ''
Heaven Help Us ''Heaven Help Us'' (also known as ''Catholic Boys'') is a 1985 American drama film starring Andrew McCarthy, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Dillon, Malcolm Danare, Patrick Dempsey, and Stephen Geoffreys as a group of 1960s Brooklyn teenagers, wit ...
''. She provided the voice of
Demona Demona (), voiced by Marina Sirtis, is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists of the Disney animated television series '' Gargoyles''. Demona was once Goliath's mate and was part of their 10th century AD castle's ''Wyvern Cl ...
in the animated Disney television series '' Gargoyles'' for two seasons starting in 1994. Her ''Next Generation'' co-stars, Frakes (as the voice of David Xanatos), Spiner and Dorn, also lent their voices to the show. She voiced the character again for an episode of the unmade animated series '' Team Atlantis''. In 1996, Sirtis starred as a villainous police detective in the British made-for-television movie, ''
Gadgetman ''Gadgetman'' is a 1996 American-British TV movie directed by Jim Goddard starring Martin Delaney and Marina Sirtis. Plot When an inventor is captured by kidnappers attempting to access ATMs, his son and his son's friends use computers to rescu ...
''. She played a villainess once again when she guest-starred as a race-track owner under investigation following the death of a driver in '' Diagnosis: Murder'' in 1998. The independent movie ''Paradise Lost'', with Sirtis in a starring role, was released in 1999. Beginning in 1999, Sirtis returned to science-fiction television in a number of roles starting with '' The Outer Limits''. The same year, she appeared in '' Earth: Final Conflict'', originally created by Gene Roddenberry. In 2000, she played a Russian scientist in ''
Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...
''. Sirtis was interviewed in the October 2000 issue of '' SFX'' magazine in the UK; the cover stated, "Marina Sirtis is Everywhere", also referring to her reprisal of her character Deanna Troi on ''Star Trek: Voyager''. In 2001, Sirtis made a highly publicised appearance on the long-running British hospital drama ''
Casualty Casualty may refer to: *Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster **Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare * The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
''. She played a politician with controversial views on the
National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...
. When she meets with a man with whom she is having an affair at a hotel, she is caught in an explosion. She appeared in the made-for-television movies '' Terminal Error'' in 2002 and ''Net Games'' in 2003. Also in 2003, she guest-starred in the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
series ''
Threat Matrix ''Threat Matrix'' is an American drama television series created by Daniel Voll that aired on ABC from September 18, 2003 to January 29, 2004 which lasted 16 episodes. The plot consisted of the events in a United States Homeland Security anti-t ...
'' playing a biological-weapons scientist from Iraq. Sirtis starred in the movie '' Spectres'' in 2004, and at
ShockerFest International Film Festival The Shocker Fest International Film Festival is a Californian film and video festival for horror films since 2002. ShockerFest 2013 ShockerFest International Film Festival 2013 was held on October 15–31, 2013. Unlike previous years, it was ...
, she won the best actress award. Sirtis had a minor role in the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
-winning ensemble film ''
Crash Crash or CRASH may refer to: Common meanings * Collision, an impact between two or more objects * Crash (computing), a condition where a program ceases to respond * Cardiac arrest, a medical condition in which the heart stops beating * Couch su ...
'' as the wife of the
Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
n shopkeeper. Following this, she played another Middle Eastern role on the series ''
The Closer ''The Closer'' is an Television in the United States, American television police procedural starring Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson, a Los Angeles Police Department Chief of police#United States, deputy chief. A CIA-trained interrogator o ...
'' in 2005. In 2006, she had a three-episode recurring role as a love match-maker on '' Girlfriends'', and she guest-starred in ''
Without a Trace ''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
''. In 2007, Sirtis starred in the
SyFy Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
channel production of ''
Grendel Grendel is a character in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem '' Beowulf'' (700–1000). He is one of the poem's three antagonists (along with his mother and the dragon), all aligned in opposition against the protagonist Beowulf. Grendel is feared by a ...
'', where she played Queen Onela. Independent movies ''Trade Routes'', '' The Deep Below'', and ''
Lesser of Three Evils ''Fist of the Warrior'', formerly known as ''Lesser of Three Evils'', is a martial arts/ crime film directed by Wayne A. Kennedy in his feature film directorial debut. It stars Ho-Sung Pak, Peter Greene, Roger Guenveur Smith and Sherilyn Fenn, ...
'' were released. She provided the voice for Matriarch Benezia in the critically acclaimed video game ''
Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' on
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
,
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and PC. In 2008, she made a guest appearance in an episode of the ''Casualty'' spin-off show ''
Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama ''Casualty'', and pr ...
''. The same year, the sci-fi/drama movie ''
Inalienable ''InAlienable'' is a 2007 science fiction film with horror and comic elements, written and executive produced by Walter Koenig, and directed by Robert Dyke. It was the first collaboration of Koenig and Dyke since their 1989 production of ''Moon ...
'', written by ''Star Trek'' alumnus
Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...
, was released. Sirtis said of her role, "I actually play the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, so I'm a bad guy, a mean lawyer, which was fantastic." The direct-to-DVD sequels '' Green Street 2'' and ''
The Grudge 3 ''The Grudge 3'' is a 2009 American supernatural horror film and the third and final installment in ''The Grudge'' original trilogy. Toby Wilkins, who had previously directed the successful film ''Splinter'' and the short film series '' Tales fro ...
'', featuring Sirtis, were released in 2009. She co-starred in the British movie '' 31 North 62 East'' as the prime minister's top aide; it had a limited theatrical release in the UK. Sirtis guest-starred in the first episode of the short-lived hospital drama '' Three Rivers''. She returned to SyFy in December 2009 in the disaster movie ''Annihilation Earth''. In 2010, Sirtis guest-starred as a Swiss doctor in two episodes of ABC Family's ''
Make It or Break It ''Make It or Break It'' ( ''MIOBI)'' is an American teen/family drama television series that focused on the lives of teen gymnasts who strived to make it to the Olympic Games in 2012. The series was inspired by Touchstone's 2006 teen comedy-dra ...
''. In May 2010, Sirtis announced that she would be providing the voice for comic-book villainess
Queen Bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
in the ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' animated series. She provided her voice for a number of episodes from 2011 until its cancellation in 2013. In March 2011, Sirtis guest-starred on an episode of ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into se ...
''. She played an Iranian mother who was at the hospital to participate in a medical trial for
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. In 2012, the vampire movie ''Speed Demons'', in which Sirtis co-starred, was released to pay-per-view services. The same year, she played a fortune teller in the ''
Castlevania ''Castlevania'' (), known in Japan as is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula (Castlevania), Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early system ...
'' fan-made series posted on YouTube. She accepted a recurring role as director of
Mossad Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
on '' NCIS''. Her character, Orli Elbaz, succeeds Eli David (portrayed by
Michael Nouri Michael Nouri (born December 9, 1945) is an American screen and stage actor. He is best known for his television roles, including Dr. Neil Roberts on ''The O.C.'', Phil Grey on ''Damages'', Caleb Cortlandt on ''All My Children'', Eli David in ...
) and was introduced in the season-10 episode "
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
", which aired in April 2013. She subsequently appeared in the second episode of season 11, which aired in early October 2013, and in the season 13 finale "Family First". Sirtis voiced the Enterprise's computer in the web series ''
Star Trek Continues ''Star Trek Continues'' is an American fan-made web series set in the '' Star Trek'' universe. Produced by the nonprofit charity Trek Continues, Inc. and Dracogen, and initially co-produced by Far from Home LLC and Farragut Films, the series con ...
''. In 2014, she co-starred in the SyFy channel horror movie ''Finders Keepers''. The following year, she appeared in the British film ''A Dark Reflection'', and in 2016, Sirtis starred in the Hallmark Channel movie ''My Summer Prince''. In 2019, Sirtis made her London West End stage debut in ''Dark Sublime'', playing the character of Marianne, a freelance actor and now-forgotten icon of a British sci-fi TV show, whose encounter with a fan changes both of their lives.


Personal life

Sirtis married Michael Lamper, an actor and rock guitarist, in 1992. Lamper died in his sleep on 7 December 2019. In 2021, Sirtis moved back to London, citing Lamper's death, growing tensions in America, and a desire for career opportunities in British film and television.


Filmography


Film


Television


Voice acting

* '' Griffin and Sabine'' audio series (1993) ... Sabine * '' Gargoyles'' (1994–97) ...
Demona Demona (), voiced by Marina Sirtis, is a fictional character and one of the primary antagonists of the Disney animated television series '' Gargoyles''. Demona was once Goliath's mate and was part of their 10th century AD castle's ''Wyvern Cl ...
* ''
Mass Effect ''Mass Effect'' is a military science fiction media franchise created by Casey Hudson, Drew Karpyshyn and Preston Watamaniuk. The franchise depicts a distant future where humanity and several alien civilizations have colonized the known univers ...
'' (Video game) (2007) ... Matriarch Benezia * ''
Young Justice Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team was formed in 1998 when DC's usual teen hero group, the Teen Titans, had become adults and changed their name to the Titans. Like the original ''Teen ...
'' (2010–12, 2018) ...
Queen Bee A queen bee is typically an adult, mated female (gyne) that lives in a colony or hive of honey bees. With fully developed reproductive organs, the queen is usually the mother of most, if not all, of the bees in the beehive. Queens are developed ...
* ''
Pilgrim of Eternity "Pilgrim of Eternity" is a fan-produced ''Star Trek'' episode released in 2013, the first in the web series '' Star Trek Continues'', which aims to continue the episodes of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' replicating their visual and storytell ...
'' (2013) ... Computer (recreation of the Computer from ''
Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
'') * ''
Adventure Time ''Adventure Time'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by Pendleton Ward for Cartoon Network and distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television. The series follows the adventures of a boy named Finn (Jeremy Shada) and ...
'' (2013) ... Samantha (Episode "The Pit") * '' XCOM 2: War of the Chosen'' (Video Game) (2017) ... Elena Dragunova * '' OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes'' (2017) ... Cosma * '' Elite: Dangerous'' (2018) ... COVAS Carina * '' The Worlds of Doctor Who: The Year of Martha Jones'' (2021) ... Karen


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* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sirtis, Marina 1955 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from London Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama American people of Greek descent American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses English emigrants to the United States English people of Greek descent English film actresses English television actresses English voice actresses Living people People from Harringay People from the London Borough of Hackney People with acquired American citizenship