Before They Were Stars: Robert Knepper on “Star Trek: The Next Generation”

For my Star Trek-themed week on “Before They Were Stars”, I will not only be showcasing early roles for Star Trek cast members, but recognizable actors who acted in some incarnation of Star Trek before they found fame. Robert Knepper is best known for his role as Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell of Prison Break, one of the most delightfully scummy villains of recent years, so it’s quite jarring to see him without his southern accent, playing a nice guy in one of his earliest roles on the “Haven” episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. This is only the 11th episode of the series and involves Deanna Troi returning to her home planet to be placed in an arranged marriage with Knepper’s character. Hmmm… Will Riker or a future convicted rapist and pedophile… I think Troi made the right call on that one.