Before DS9's main cast of characters, appearing in almost every episode, while Rom was a recurring character who first appeared in the pilot episode "Emissary." Together with Rom's son, Nog (Aron Eisenberg), the trio made up the bulk of Ferengi representation on DS9.

As the first Ferengi main characters on any Star Trek's Ferengi history and lore, making the species more sympathetic and complex. This was no small feat, as when the Ferengi were created for Star Trek: TNG, they were meant to be the series' main villains. Despite some of the Ferengi's less likable qualities, Quark and Rom as characters went a long way to making them a staple Star Trek alien race. However, Quark and Rom were not the first Ferengi either Shimerman or Grodénchik played.

Armin Shimerman Played 2 Other Ferengi On Star Trek: TNG Before DS9’s Quark

Shimerman was one of TNG's first Ferengi characters

Not only did Armin Shimerman appear as a Feregi twice before Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but he was also one of TNG's first-ever Ferengi characters, appearing in the species' debut episode. Shimerman played Letek in the Star Trek: TNG season 1 episode "The Last Outpost," one of three Ferengi antagonists that appeared after they stole a Federation energy converter and were pursued by Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D crew. Given how important Quark would become, it seems fitting that Shimerman was an integral part of the Ferengi's inaugural episode in the franchise.

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All 5 Star Trek Roles Played By Armin Shimerman (Including DS9’s Quark)

Although Armin Shimerman is most well-known for portraying Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Quark, he appeared as four other characters in Star Trek.

Aside from Letek, Shimerman appeared as one other Ferengi in TNG, this time in the season 2 episode "Peak Performance." Shimerman's character in "Peak Performace" was named Daimon Bractor, the Captain of a Ferengi vessel that inadvertently became caught up in a war games simulation the Enterprise-D was participating in as preparation to fight the Borg. While both Bractor and Letek were relatively small roles for Shimerman, it's hard to believe that didn't contribute to him ultimately being cast as Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Max Grodenchik’s 2 Other Ferengi Roles On Star Trek: TNG Before DS9’s Rom

Grodenchik's star in the franchise mirrored Shimmerman's

Like his fictional brother, Max Grodénchik also made two appearances on TNG before being cast as Rom, the first in the season 3 episode "Captain's Holiday." Grodénchik played Sovak, the episode's main Ferengi villain opposing Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) during her and Captain Picard's search for the mysterious Tox Uthat on Risa. Although Sovak was a fairly forgettable villain, "Captain's Holiday" is a memorable episode for its introduction of both Risa and Vash, who would go on to be one of Picard's most significant TNG love interests.

After its initial appearance in "Captain's Holiday," Risa became Star Trek's most infamous pleasure planet, appearing in one episode of DS9, two episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise, and even becoming important to Star Trek: Discovery season 4 as the home planet of Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle).

Grodénchik's second and final TNG appearance was season 5's "The Perfect Mate," where he once again played a villain. Grodénchik played Par Lenor, one half of the episode's Ferengi duo that attempted to steal the empathic metamorph Kamala (Famke Janssen) while she was being escorted to an arraigned marriage by the Enterprise-D. Once again, Grodénchik's Par Lenor wasn't a huge part of the episode, which focused more on the relationship between Kamala and Picard, but his appearance likely contributed to him later being cast as Rom on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.