Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Quark Armin Shimerman Q&A

Join Armin Shimerman, best known for his role as Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, as he talks about the shows and characters he's done at Florida Supercon 2017
Check out the Deep Space Nine Illustrated Handbook @ Amazon - www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Defi...
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[@sterlingdennett]

As far as I am concerned, Armin Shimerman deserves an award (or two or three) for his role as Quark. He took a nearly one-note character from a race most people considered a joke, and he gave him and the Ferengi depth and complexity, and their own kind of honor. He took the role seriously, and gave it his all, and in so doing gave us one of the most interesting and memorable characters in all of Star Trek history. Kudos to Max Grodenchik and Aron Eisenberg as well!

[@RoyRogerer]

I think Armin made Ferengi serious, Max embraced the previous silliness of the Ferengi, and Aaron made the Ferengi relatable. Ofc this is a huge generalization, and they all share credit for all of them, but these are the broad stroke changes that happened when each of the characters got more developed.

[@HugoStiglitz88]

He deserves an award for playing Andrew Ryan. I still think that's the best voice acting performance ever if not one of them.

[@shawnaginther1987]

Indubidubly.

[@climeaware4814]

yes he did a really good job playing the part! You never even thought of him as human he did such a good job.

[@thomasley4006]

Respect for calling out the Seinfeld team! 14:41

[@joshuagayouauthor8401]

Quark was one of the greatest and most nuanced Trek characters of all time, and Shimerman's part in creating that character cannot be overstated. Incredible charisma and instincts.

[@directordan01]

22:40 Bioshock Andrew Ryan part

[@Bobo011]

Thank you.

[@kahalghafri]

directordan01 thank you 🙏🏼

[@xxLiquidxxSnakExx]

Thanks a bunch, that's actually the reason I'm here.

[@TheJayson8899]

What the hell? As a big Deep Space 9 fan and a Bioshock fan that’s awesome

[@DarthKross]

Thank you so much

[@Gisune]

I can hear quark immediately even when not looking...

[@Hotobu]

Yeah, it's almost like they gave the same voice. 🙄

[@JeiFaeKlubs]

How he perks up at 34:36 when asked about Quark is just adorable

[@cosmicbeing1922]

I would of loved to play a ferengi on star trek. Quark taught him to love life, he is Quark.

[@stephantom8237]

It's true, and I love what he says about Quark. Quark may have strange morals but he does love people, being around people, talking to people. A great character.

[@moshomaniac1]

That story about how the cast of Seinfeld treated him really makes me want to give Armin a bro hug or a pat on the back. Poor guy was completely ignored by them. That’s rotten. You don’t treat people like that, I don’t care who you are.

[@DoloresJNurss]

Yeah. And now I understand the George Takei vs. William Shatner feud much better. The latter cried out, "Why does he hate me so much when I hardly even knew him?" Sounds like that's precisely the problem.

[@ExelArts]

@@DoloresJNurss wait they hated each other? I didn't know what's the story?

[@ExelArts]

What happened?

[@yellowblanka6058]

Which is weird because I've been watching these little mini-interviews with different Seinfeld guest stars, and more than a few of them claim the main cast was very welcoming, so I have to wonder if it was a personality clash or something. Either that or the people doing the interview are lying, Armin seems like a very pleasant person so I can't imagine it being an issue of him being a prima donna or something.

[@slumberpirate-relaxingmusi9710]

2nd ad was like 1 minute in, greed

[@sewing1243]

It's my opinion that the character actors in alien makeup on DS9, Mr. Shimerman, Aron Eisenberg, Andrew Robinson, Max Grodénchik, Marc Alaimo, etc..., really were the icing on the cake.

[@rnhtube]

They pushed it over the edge from a good show to a great show. TNG relied on guest stars to carry most of their episodes but you can always count on Quark an Odo, or Garak for some good material.

[@oxogood9018]

Hear hear,couldn't agree more.

[@seventyfive7597]

As far as I'm concerned, they were the cake itself, Avery and the others couldn't hold a candle to them.

[@TheNooberd]

I saw Armin work King Lear at the Guthrie in Minneapolis in 2017, and I had no idea he was going to be there. I nearly died when I heard his voice. And it was incredible!

[@goman000]

Great to hear him talk about Bioshock and Andrew Ryan

[@gustafsone]

I just wish I could get the damn game to run without crashing all the time :(

[@petergreenwald9639]

Always the best dressed, most articulate, and genuinely honest. He takes these opportunities as a professional.

[@SQLUniversity]

Hi Armin, i wrote a poem in your honor: I came out the same year as Star Trek, 1966 I’ve seen every episode, read all the books and seen all the pics. The show is amazing, it has amassed a bunch of fame. In 1991 I even invented my own little personal Star trek game. There have been some amazing characters through the years: …Janeway, Kirk, Picard, Riker, Data and Spock But none of them has been more of a rock.. The character that has taken us out of the dark… Is none other than the mighty Quark. DS9 was so long-lasting. Armin Shimerman was the most perfect casting. Working hard at the bar, watering down the drinks, Never caring what Starfleet thinks… Being Forengi all the time… Never passing up a dime… Being true to your character, Shakespeare would be impressed. Having seen you act, we all feel blest! Every Star Trek series has been graced with its own ark, But no one, and I mean no one steals the scene more than Armin Shimerman playing Quark. Wearing all that make-up, what an impossible factor! But you really are such an amazing actor Armin: Thank you so much, it brings me to tears! Thank you so much for an amazing seven years! We know that Star Trek will always survive… But for seven years, you made it thrive! Thank you for all your hard work, and every endeavor, Because of you, Star Trek - will - remain - forever.

[@chopin65]

What a great actor! Quark was the best character on DS9.

[@bernardthedisappointedowl6938]

Well him and Garak, ^oo^

[@moshomaniac1]

Quark was hilarious. I always loved any episode featuring him.

[@The_Sass_Monster]

Who doesn’t love Quark

[@landoreeno3021]

Nefarious

[@phokingamajing]

Liquidator Brunt, FCA

[@JK-nj3bt]

Me

[@lj-pf7ig]

odo

[@whitehuayra]

Sisko

[@krankenheim13]

I really love Armin Shimerman. Quark is my favorite character on DS9 and possibly in all of Star Trek.

[@carrito1981]

An hour that felt like 9 minutes. I could listen to Armin all day long.

[@timothyward7737]

I am a long time star trek fan and always loved him as quark. This past weekend I was lucky enough to meet him at galaxycon in richmond virginia. It was late in the day so there was very few other people around and nobody waiting in line behind me. I discovered he is a really nice guy. He took the time to have a really nice conversation with me and was happy to answer all my questions. Q&as are great but it is so much better when you get to hang out with the star and get to ask your questions face to face. Anybody who has a chance to meet him go for it. He is a wonderful person as well as a great actor.

[@andrewlasalle4312]

I keep hearing quark every time I look away

[@VincentGonzalezVeg]

He has the lobes for the Job

[@TomGallagherSuperboyBeyond]

He seems like a really sweet man, i'm always impressed by the kindness he shows his fans, but also the credit he gives to all the writers, directors, make up artists and co-stars at every opportunity. Man i'm glad he returned for Lower Decks. Though i really want him in the actual make up at least one more time. Come on paramount, give us more DS9. Preferably with Behr at the helm.

[@beatediehl7966]

absolutely agree to every word you wrote. Bring back DS9 run by Ira!

[@SQLUniversity]

Armin Shimerman! Forget the Seinfeld cast! You are one of my most favorite actors! You have more talent in you than the 4 of them put together!

[@MontagZoso]

Agreed! 👍😎

[@ExelArts]

What happened. can you tell me when he talks about it?

[@beatediehl7966]

​watch the video you're commenting on and you know what happened

[@bencreateddisco]

i love that quark is a staunch unionist

[@sophiaperennis2360]

The best part about Quark is that he was a right-winger. He embodies Ferengi values, upholds them, and makes no apology for them, and despite all this he was never a caricature. That's what elevated his character. Meanwhile, i absolutely hated his mother how they had to ruin the Grand Nagus because of her stupid feminist hero arc.

[@causilvestrini7000]

I loved this, I love that Armin took the time to answer and share these stories. Wonderful actor!

[@thumpersquid]

My favorite Star Trek DS9 character was and still is Quark! Love the show and all the cast! Please remaster all episodes so I can buy them on blu-ray and 4k. My money is waiting!

[@alexwilliams5819]

Watching this, I wouldn’t think this guy is the voice of an egomaniac like Dr Nefarious. It’s also quite ironic that Nefarious’s biggest enemy was also called Qwark

[@peep39]

The stature of his ears is not lost on me

[@Danterag5]

Beautiful interview, I love how the DS9 cast just ooze hope through their attitudes and comments.

[@MrMegaManFan]

What a lovely man. Thank you for filming the Q&A and sharing it with us.

[@richardhead2772]

The magnificent ferengi!

[@GeistGuy]

The actor who plays George on Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, specifically mentions this interview when he was being interviewed himself. He said that apparently, Armin Shimerman said that the Seinfeld cast was unpleasant to work with. Are we that bad. So this interview did get back to the Seinfeld cast

[@jobsingames]

What a fantastic video, enjoyed every minute, Armin is a great interview always

[@Phantomworks666]

Why can’t I find any videos of this man planning dr nefarious... I can’t see this man yelling Lawrence at the microphone... haha

[@Tina.Di.Napoli]

This actors performance was so awesome at ds9

[@letty4558]

Quark is my favorite character on DS9, he was hilarious.

[@MrRocksW]

I love Armin, what a cool guy

[@daveimlach1773]

Ya great work on D.S.9 I watch just about every day it’s like comfort food for me.❤️

[@Anthony-yy3kc]

I always wanted to see Odo throw Quark in the brig! Such a talented actor Armin Shimerman is! Loved Deep Space 9.

[@JokeriPokeri17]

This man is a outstanding legend!

[@age6021]

I love this man!

[@Stelfc]

One best questions and answers session I have seen what a guy and so brutally honest he was brilliant in buffy and sublime in ds9 him odo one best double acts ever

[@SiriusMined]

One of my all-time favorite Star Trek characters

[@doktorcrasher501]

I love Quark .Super.

[@NyimaWongchuk]

Great to end on the union question. As Rom (and others) said, "We have nothing to lose but our chains!"

[@beatediehl7966]

no doubt that Armin is a fantastic actor. I love all of the DS9 (main) characters because (besides the great writing and directing) all of the cast were performing their characters just marvelous. But Quark was/is my favourite. Without him DS9 wouldn't have been DS9. He was essential to the atmosphere of that station and the stories. But what delights me amazingly each time I see Armin in interviews and conventions is his very modest, friendly empathic, appreciating and honest personality. I love him for being Quark and I love him for being Armin Shimmerman❤

[@FaustoM7432]

in fact i watched DS9 because Quark :-D which is the most iconic character on the series both with Odo who were friends/rivals like a duo. I would say they were even more iconic than Benjamin Sisko.

[@kalijasin]

He’s amazing.

[@EUROPAMusicOfficialChannel]

Starting at 4:00 to 4:10, he sounds like Heath Ledger's Joker.

[@sleepymars]

Wish I could be at Supercon

[@NomadicNaturePhotographer]

Cool.

[@KyloRen4238]

Armin Shimerman Shows & Movies 1. General Skarr - The Grim Adventure Of Billy & Mandy, Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, Wrath Of The Spider Queen 2003 - 2007 2. Skix Vigma - Ben 10 2006 Games 3. Fai Dan, Salarian Councilor Valern - Mass Effect 1, 2, 3, Legendary Edition 2007 - 2010 - 2012 - 2021

[@stefincanada]

yes ,,did they bring back quark for any guest spots. that would be great.

[@Hotobu]

@6:00 ... that was dark.

[@hushmychild6745]

18:39 S Q U I S H I E S

[@MontagZoso]

Armin is quite possibly the nicest guy in the Universe. Love him dearly as well as Quark!

[@zulfakaraspar2311]

33.55 is gold!

[@DravenRadcliff_1995]

That’s Me At 38:59 Asking About Buffy And General Skarr, I Can’t Believe He Remembers The Voice And His Past experiences With That Character I LOVE General Skarr😃

[@TallCecil77]

@Sadism2019 Yeah, I always find it interesting how these actor types can often remember episode names 20-25 years later. And on top of that you can tell he's very well spoken and has a higher than average intelligence level... And they are very charming and make the people in the audience feel like they are the center of the show.

[@leif1075]

Where exactly was this held? Fort Luaderdale or Miami? Thanks for sharing...

[@Charlottedapup]

I love Skarr too

[@tessmcgrath1443]

@@Charlottedapup I love him as well!

[@KyloRen4238]

Happy Birthday Armin Shimerman. UR amazing legend. I love The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy, Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure, Wrath of the Spider Queen and Ben 10. Great shows. And Mass Effect 1, 2, 3 and Legendary Edition. Mass Effect is the koolest alien games ever, totally badass. With respect: UR great Armin. May the Peace be with u General Skarr, Salarian Councilor Valern. From Harlingen Texas. November 5, 1949 November 5, 2021 through November 5, 3021

[@haznable]

Well, sort of knew the answer to the "would you reprise quark?" considering last week's Lower Decks episode.

[@fireball0762]

some of the ds9 actors should write books about their trek days with pictures.

[@DravenRadcliff_1995]

That’s Me At 17:39 And Asking About Dr. nefarious And Doing Clank’s Voice At The End

[@MontagZoso]

And....?

[@Hotobu]

We care

[@g3nov3s]

He looks like a Ferengi even without makeup...

[@woodrunner51]

:D he is good!

[@scottcrosby-art5490]

The amount of games this guy has starred in is ridiculous

[@trcsonic]

LAAAWWRENCE

[@xylopiano3]

His character in Star Trek is named Quark? QUAAAAAAAAAR- (short circuits)

[@ZamWeazle]

Love this guy so much! But what a shitty way to be treated on Seinfeld. Imo Armin including the whole cast and crew of DS9 need to have every award thrown at them for what they achieved with the show. Armin will always be a legend. 👍

[@4Legacy]

"One of the many hats I've worn." Of course the real life Quark would have his hand in a little bit of everything.

[@Ironbat92]

Dr. Nefarious.

[@Humanlink1]

This Ferengi promotes joining a union?! Truely disgusting...

[@AsianTheDomination]

No wonder the FCA never liked him

[@shannonharris]

Next, he'll be drinking Root Beer

[@mewimi]

I'm not sure if he heard things wrong, or if there is another dabo girl he is referencing. There is information about the actress playing M'Pella being targeted by a con artist/murderer ( not her boyfriend ) pretending to work in upscale movies and such, but she wasn't killed, but she could have possibly been if things played out differently.

[@robertaylor9218]

Yeah that’s the only thing I could find. If that was it I’m glad he remembered (or understood) the details wrongly. If not I hope we find out who the poor woman was.

[@The_Other_Ghost]

The Avery Brooks guy sounded a little like NDT.

[@TS-tq3of]

The caddy!

[@langdonalger9219]

Stan the caddy

[@willjohnboy]

He's back in the new ratchet and clank ps5 game as well.

[@raymondjackson6069]

Ira, when there's dispute or discussion, and you come down from on high and say do it this way, and leave, and it's done that way, you're a suit. You were just not an ah.

[@shawnaginther1987]

What was the name of that Dabbo girl you forgot the name of that you mentioned?

[@4Legacy]

Star Trek fan: "Hey Armin, got any fun behind the scenes stories from working on ds9? Armin: *psychologically scars the entire audience*

[@ExelArts]

did something happen to him, he says he cant do the quark character long term. he made it sound like he was hurt or something else

[@flavoredwallpaper]

Oh man, throwing shade at the cast of Seinfeld! Not sure how to feel about it. It's like my two favorite shows are feuding!

[@TheLostWorldFanChann]

14:37 Seinfeld really is a horrible person in real life, isn't he?

[@langdonalger9219]

TheLostWorldFanChann honestly, it doesn’t surprise me. I’m not defending the cast’s behaviour, but they probably didn’t interact with him much because they don’t know him. They were a tight knit group, and when someone comes in to guest star, it makes sense they wouldn’t speak much to that person because they don’t know them. It’s still impolite. You should welcome that person and speak to them during the time you work with them, but it doesn’t surprise me that stuff like this would happen. It likely happens on other shows too. I’m sorry to hear his experience on the show was so bad. It was a good episode, and he was good in it.

[@dylanthrillmour866]

You can sense how relieved he is to finally unleash his displeasure. Like he’s genuinely angry and hurt remembering it

[@yellowblanka6058]

Sounds like a high-school clique, cripes.

[@justin2956]

@@langdonalger9219 he might have been the titular character of the episode but he basically plays a bit part with only a handful of lines. i think this is simply hollywood ego showing it's face. this is also his version of events and before making any judgement i would like to hear everyone one else's version as well. maybe everyone felt he was standoffish and just kept their distance. maybe their style was just different than what he was used too on DS9. i've watched a lot of behind the scenes footage of seinfeld and they would never discuss what they were about to do. seinfeld and larry david had enough respect for the actors that they allowed them to develop their own character's personalities and mannerisms.

[@Despondencymusic]

@@justin2956 insightful

[@angbandsbane]

I don't know if I'd be able to resist asking "Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his brow?" Of course, he probably doesn't even remember Bioshock, let alone his first lines in the game lol.

[@richardthompson6079]

You heard it from Quark himself: "the decline of the middle class is the same as the decline of Unions."

[@koreancardboard]

I love both DS9 and Seinfeld so this hit me like a brick. I believe Armin and am disappointed with the way they treated him.

[@simik4981]

Every story has 3 sides.

[@koreancardboard]

@@simik4981 And I'd love to hear all of them.

[@WadeWoodring]

She went home one night to her boyfriend and he murdered her.... WTF?

[@gustafsone]

Wow, that one really was not expected. I thought for a second he might be joking and then when the realization kicked in that he was telling the truth I, too, had a big WTF moment. I love how Armin is more than willing to be open about anything during this Q&A but that was something he probably should not have revealed.

[@ZamWeazle]

@@gustafsone Well if it was in public domain its fine to talk about.

[@JosephBurdette]

36:00 Neal DeGrasse Tyson?!?!

[@Hotobu]

No

[@shannonharris]

I seriously asked myself the same question and then read your comment at about the same time... Great minds think alike?

[@remybaker7831]

That's a shitload of ad breaks, I'll find other armin interviews.

[@Frosted_Moontips]

Or just use an ad blocker?

[@bigbear1293]

If viewing on mobile, scroll the video to the end and leave about 10 seconds gap. Play it through and then just click the re-watch button and the ads should be gone

[@MontagZoso]

No ad breaks for me. Get an ad blocker. It’s free.

[@SiriusMined]

Sisko was a commander because Sinclair was a commander

[@ZamWeazle]

Different show, different lore!

[@ViaticalTree]

What the what? Dude says “star track”? 0:08

[@jordanbridges]

Just an accent

[@ViaticalTree]

Nope, he said “star track”.

[@jamescampisi7716]

Decent interview, Armin really snuffs himself at the end, however. The "Dirt" just shows how petty SAG-AFTRA really is....

[@HollowDubz]

"Uhh, umm"

[@alexghous]

My favorite Quark episode where with his Klingon wife. Got to love Klingon divorce.

[@alexghous]

I enjoyed your work from the start. I adored the concepts of worm hole aliens being non linear and “are you of Bajor?” Sisko punched Q. Odo come clean to Kirra. The other thing to note here is that these same were also on Voyager at times too. Well, some. The Next Generation gave us a look at Q’s and androids. That weren’t trying to kill everyone. DS9 didn’t come to the table empty handed. The worm hole aliens asking Sisko “Why do you live here?” This question basically applies to everyone on earth. Why do any of us live where we are? That’s not to say, it were all the show had. Yet I weren’t writing a book.

[@alexghous]

Shakespeare? I could see this in Patrick, if you hadn’t told me, I’d never have guessed. Don’t take it ill. Even now, I see Quark. Not Shakespeare. It’s kind of like Ki Winn. So many folks hated that character, I actually pointed out to them that it were this actresses’ skill of acting that made the character so hatable.

[@alexghous]

In fact, I had that discussion over on Facebook.

[@alexghous]

Kind of like wrestling. The good guys need bad guys to play off. Ki Winn were not someone I’d want to hang out with. The actress however, did an amazing job of her portrayal. In fact, I’d say this were so for all the DS9 villain types, or Star Trek as a whole.

[@alexghous]

The hero is only as good as the villain.

[@randyp2882]

Most of his humor is dry so as a respect to dry humor most of those guys doooo kinda sit back and laugh. Quark is my favorite character in all shows he has more potential then anything going on now.

[@livequality4578]

Glad he was honest about Seinfeld. Never liked it, never thought it was significantly funny.

[@IdealX-fr4eg]

The way the cast of Seinfeld ganged up and got the actress that played Susan killed off shows they are not the nicest bunch..

[@Innerspace100]

The story about Jerry Seinfeld... I can believe that. But that's 90 percent of comedians for you... They allmost invariably have some or another ship on their shoulders that somehow turn them into arseholes. And the more sucess they get, the worse they become.

[@campbelldowler1396]

That guy at 40:00 has the worst voice ever He sounds like my brother... 🤢

[@supermetroid009]

Maybe they were method acting? I mean before leads of Seinfeld are supposed to be assholes arent they? No but seriously that was really messed up, I don’t expect them to be like the nicest people, but to not have common decency for somebody else that’s not among the group it’s just stuck up kind of makes me not wanna watch the show anymore.

[@thschnick]

What the hell is sitting to the left of Armin in this video and does it know that it needs to shave it's face?

[@yellowblanka6058]

We're witnessing the birth of a strange new strain of hipsterbeard.

[@shannonharris]

Somehow they moved him to the right of Armin tho? 🤔

[@PG-qw8er]

Is that guy for real using skin colour as a reason why a space station commander isn't a captain 🤔🤔🤔👀👀👀😂😂😂😂