Cast members of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine participated in the show for seven seasons. Siddig El Fadil, later known as Alexander Siddig, was an early front runner for the part of Captain Benjamin Sisko. The producers thought he was too young for the role ultimately given to Avery Brooks (pictured). Instead, Siddig was offered the part of Dr. Julian Amoros, who was subsequently renamed to Julian Bashir. The series was originally intended to have Ro Laren, a character from The Next Generation, as a main character. However, after actress Michelle Forbes declined to sign on for a five- to six-year commitment for the series, the part was re-written to become Major Kira Nerys, with Nana Visitor cast in that role. There were several actors who appeared in Deep Space Nine in roles they had previously played in other Star Trek series. The most prominent of these was Colm Meaney, who played Chief Miles O'Brien. Meaney had first appeared as an unnamed crewman in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint", and went on to appear in a total of 52 episodes of The Next Generation. (Full list...)