Before her fame as a movie star, Ashley Judd appeared in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Ensign Robin Lefler. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG introduced a new Star Trek crew who eventually became as popular as their Star Trek: The Original Series predecessors. Throughout TNG's seven seasons, some surprising faces popped up on the show before going on to have major Hollywood careers. In her first significant acting role, Ashely Judd appeared in TNG season 5 before going on to enjoy an impressive Hollywood film career.

The daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd, Ashley Judd landed her first film role in 1992's Kuffs, just a year after her TNG appearance. She went on to star in Ruby in Paradise in 1993 and also appeared in 1995's Smoke and 1996's A Time to Kill. Judd then starred in Kiss the Girls (1997) and Double Jeopardy (1999), and later earned a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in De-Lovely (2004). More recently, Judd portrayed Natalie in 2014's Divergent and its sequels, starred in 2014's Big Stone Gap, and popped up in 2017's Twin Peaks revival. Judd continues to act and she is also a humanitarian and political activist.

Ashley Judd Played Ensign Robin Lefler On Star Trek: TNG

Judd Appeared In 2 Episodes In TNG Season 5

Ashley Judd's Ensign Robin Lefler first appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 2, "Darmok," assisting Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) in Engineering. After this brief appearance, Lefler played a much more significant role a few episodes later in TNG season 5, episode 6, "The Game." When Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) visits the Enterprise on a break from Starfleet Academy, he and Robin form a connection. As the two embark on a brief romance, they discover that the Enterprise crew are being influenced by an incredibly addictive game.

Wes and Robin work together to free the crew from the game's influence, but Robin ends up succumbing. Still, Wesley has learned enough to foil the Ktarians' plot and he frees everyone from the game's control. Not only did Ensign Lefler play a significant role in "The Game," she also got more development than many guest stars. Robin's parents were plasma specialists, and she spent much of her childhood traveling from starbase to starbase. This set Lefler up to be a recurring Star Trek: The Next Generation character, but Ashley Judd never made another appearance.

Why Ashley Judd Didn’t Become A Regular Star Trek: TNG Cast Member

Ashley Judd Went On To Have A Successful Film Career

Despite being set up as a potential recurring character, Ashley Judd's Ensign Lefler only appeared in two Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, and her role in "Darmok" was very minor. Star Trek: The Next Generation rarely introduced minor characters who went on to become regulars, with most guest stars only appearing in one episode. TNG was Judd's first major acting role and her career took off soon after. Judd appeared in over thirty episodes of Sisters beginning in 1991 before she prioritized her film career and starred in numerous popular and award-winning films throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2002, there were rumors that Ashley Judd was going to reprise the role of Robin Lefler in Star Trek: Nemesis as Wesley Crusher's wife, but these rumors proved to be unfounded.

Ensign Robin Lefler had been set up as a romantic interest for Wesley, but Wil Wheaton was no longer a series regular, which would have complicated that storyline. A number of different factors likely contributed to Judd's character not becoming a series regular, but Robin Lefler has popped up in some Star Trek tie-in fiction. Star Trek: The Next Generation had also just introduced Michelle Forbes' Ensign Ro and adding another new character to the mix may have been one change too many.