DS9’s Chief O’Brien Called Out A Problematic Star Trek Blind Spot

Colm Meaney, the actor who played Chief Miles O’Brien in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, called out a problematic blind spot in Star Trek‘s commitment to breaking down cultural stereotypes. Born in Finglas in Ireland, Colm Meaney became a household name thanks to his Star Trek character. In 2020, 33 years after his Star Trek: The Next Generation debut, Colm Meaney was voted as one of Ireland’s greatest film actors, and that Irish heritage became a key part of Chief O’Brien’s character. DS9‘s Chief Engineer even traced his ancestry back to Brian Boru, High King of Ireland in the early 11th century.