R.I.P. Aron Eisenberg, the Ferengi named Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

By: H&I Staff     Posted: September 23, 2019, 10:00AM Tags: Tags: news, obituaries

There is a faction of Trekkies who will argue that Deep Space Nine is the greatest of all Star Trek series. The third live-action Trek show was the most complex, both in plot and morality. It was the first to have a serialized narrative instead of a merely episodic one. That long, ongoing narrative explored the many facets of war, from both sides. 

The fascinating Dominion War overshadows another strength of Deep Space Nine — it is the best Trek series in regards to chronicling the life of kids in the federation. Sure, The Next Generation had the maturing Wesley, but because Deep Space Nine was set on a station instead of a ship, audiences gained a view of parenting and childhood.

Jake Sisko, son of the captain, comes of age over the course of seven seasons, becoming a writer for the Federation News Service. The younger Molly O'Brien, daughter of Miles and Keiko, has some character development. And then, of course, there is Nog the Ferengi, son of Rom and Prinadora, nephew of Quark. 

Nog has one of the most fascinating character arcs of the series, as he evolved from being apprehended by Odo for theft to becoming the first Ferengi to serve in Starfleet. 

Aron Eisenberg brought Nog to life beneath all that makeup and those prosthetic ears. Born in Hollywood, Eisenberg received a kidney transplant in his teen years, which stunted his growth. After landing some small roles in B-movies such as Beverly Hills Brats, The Horror Show and Prayer of the Rollerboys, Eisenberg began landing parts on TV shows. 

He played an elf in a Christmas episode of The Wonder Years. He played a teenager who sneaks into a morgue to film a movie on a great Tales from the Crypt episode, "Undertaking Palor." Obviously, none of those roles were as meaty as Nog, who appeared in dozens of episodes of Deep Space Nine.

He popped up as some other characters in the Trek universe. You can see him without makeup as a newspaper vendor in DS9's "Far Beyond the Stars." He was the center of a Voyager episode, too, "Initiations," where he played a young alien (a Kazon this time) who is hoping to transition into a warrior.

Following Deep Space Nine, Eisenberg worked as a photographer. You can explore some of his work on his website.

On Saturday, September 21, Eisenberg passed away, as first reported by Malíssa Longo on Facebook.

"It is with extreme regret and sadness to announce that my love and best friend, Aron Eisenberg, passed away earlier today.
He was an intelligent, humble, funny, emphatic soul. He sought to live his life with integrity and truth," she wrote. He was 50 years old.

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