Robert O'Reilly (born March 25, 1950) is an American film, stage, and television actor who has appeared in a variety of roles. He appeared in the Star Trek franchise for over ten years, primarily in his recurring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Chancellor Gowron, the leader of the Klingon Empire. He has also appeared in over 100 films and television episodes, and has acted on Broadway and at Carnegie Hall. His links with the Colony Theatre Company resulted in his receiving a Drama-Logue Award in 1981 for directing the play Getting Out.
Career
O'Reilly has appeared in over a hundred films and television episodes, primarily as either the antagonist or as a villain. The television series he has appeared in include Cheers, Darkroom, Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, Sledge Hammer!, MacGyver, In the Heat of the Night, NYPD Blue, and twice in Dallas.
Star Trek
thumb|left|O'Reilly (sitting) as [[Gowron, with J. G. Hertzler as Martok, at the Riverside Trek Fest in 2014]]
O'Reilly made his first appearance in the Star Trek franchise with an appearance in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Manhunt". The character he played in that episode has been referred to both as "Tough guy" and "Scarface". He was then cast as the Klingon Gowron in the episode "Reunion" which saw the character become the new Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. and was awarded the Sci-Fi Universe Reader's Choice Universe Award for Best Achievement in Genre Multi-Media. O'Reilly also appeared as a different Klingon in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game, a video cassette-based board game.
Theatre
O'Reilly has appeared on Broadway in the revival of The Tavern, and also appeared off-Broadway in The Promise and at Carnegie Hall in / by Nam June Paik. for which he was awarded a Drama-Logue Award and nominated for an award by the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle in 1981.
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| 1981
| Archie Bunker's Place
| Thug
| 1 episode
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| 1993
| Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game
| Kavok
| Video game
| O'Reilly's hobbies include golf and baseball.