A prestigious testament to excellence, fame, and achievement, a Hall of Fame is typically used to recognize individuals for their standout contributions to a specific field. In the case ofSci-Fi, candidates for hypothetical inclusion under such a banner would be the individuals behind some of thesci-fi genre’s most iconic characters, breathing life into a diverse array of celebrated fictional faces across a range of acclaimed movies and TV shows.
FromStar WarstoStar Trekand everything in between,the actors who would be in the sci-fi movie and television Hall of Fameare renowned for producing at least one extremely notable contribution to the genre.However, in many cases, these highly regarded performers boast more than one standout sci-fi credit to their name, highlighting their status as icons of the wildly popular genre through multiple acclaimed performances in a variety of stories.
10Patrick Stewart
Best Known For: Star Trek & X-Men
One of Britain’s most respected and highly regarded dramatic imports, Sir Patrick Stewart also happens to be a sci-fi icon of the highest order.The man charged with bringing Captain Jean-Luc Picard to life,Stewart played the beloved character inStar Trek: The Next Generation,Star Trek: Picard,and several feature films to cement his credentials asStar Trekand sci-fi royalty.
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In addition to being credited with a role in David Lynch’s 1984 take on Frank Herbert’s epic novel,Dune, Stewart is also known and praised for another high-profile standout sci-fi bow, that of Professor Charles Xavier in theX-Menfilm series. The actor would go on to reprise his role as the supremely powerful telepath in 2017’sLogan, with his most recent appearance as Xavier coming in 2022’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
9Katee Sackhoff
Best Known For: Battlestar Galactica & The Mandalorian
Renowned for playing arguably the best character on one of the genre’s greatest TV shows,Katee Sackhoff would be a sure-fire candidate for science fiction’s Hall of Fame.The American actress made a name for herself off the back of a stellar performance as Lieutenant Kara “Starbuck” Thrace in the acclaimed remake of the military sci-fi series,Battlestar Galactica, earning rave reviews for her gender-swapped version of the character from 1978’s original.
Having high-profile appearances in two of sci-fi’s most revered franchises, Sackhoff is undoubtedly a first-ballot sci-fi Hall of Famer.
Outside of her most iconic credit, Sackhoff is also known to more modern audiences for her role asBo-Katan Kryze inThe Mandalorian, a live-action continuation of a role that she voiced in the animated television seriesStar Wars: The Clone WarsandStar Wars Rebels. Having significant appearances in two of sci-fi’s most revered franchises, Sackhoff is undoubtedly a first-ballot sci-fi Hall of Famer.
8Arnold Schwarzenegger
Best Known For: Terminator & Predator
If there ever was to be a sci-fi Hall of Fame, there would likely be an entire wing named after a certain former bodybuilder. One of popular culture’s most instantly recognizable faces, much of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s status as a cinematic legend is due to his unforgettable roles in some of the sci-fi genre’s most revered offerings. In addition to roles in the likes of 1990’sTotal Recall, the former Governor of California has starred in two of sci-fi’s most famous franchises,PredatorandTerminator.
While Schwarzenegger does not physically appear in 2009’sTerminator: Salvation, his likeness was used on a body double to create the T-800 seen in the movie.
While his turn asPredator’s hulking protagonist Dutch Schaeferis universally appreciated among sci-fi fans,it’s Schwarzenegger’s infamous bow as the titular cyborg in the long-runningTerminatorfranchise that remains his most celebrated role.Schwarzenegger has played multiple versions of the cybernetic assassin across all six movies, with his robotic tones and mannerisms forming the basis for one of the most widely imitated and parodied cinematic characters of all time, irrespective of genre.
7Jeffrey Combs
Best Known For: Star Trek
While it would be a push to label his fan-favorite performance as Herbert West in theRe-Animatorhorror film series as science fiction,Jeffrey Combs would still be a front-runner for inclusion in the genre’s Hall of Fame courtesy of a diverse selection of performances in theStar Trekuniverse.The actor has featured in no less than 10 separate roles throughout his career, withCombs playing numerous characters from different alien speciesacross multiple TV shows.
Star Trek
While he’s typically buried in enough makeup to render him virtually unrecognizable, striking alien characters like Brunt or Thy’lek Shran have allowed Combs to demonstrate his considerable range and versatility as an actor, underlining his status as one of the genre’s most underappreciated faces. He may not be a show-stealer in the vein of a Shatner or a Stewart, but a streak of consistently excellent performances makes the actor more than worthy of consideration for a spot in the Hall of Fame.
6William Shatner
Unlike many of his rivals for admission to the sci-fi Hall of Fame, William Shatner only boasts one indispensable genre credit. Accordingly,it speaks volumes to the memorability and popularity of his take on James T. Kirk in the originalStar Trekseries and multipleStar Trekmovies,that the Canadian actor is as close to a certainty of inclusion as physically possible, a titan of the genre on par with the likes of Schwarzenegger or Ford.
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Shatner’s take on the Enterprise’s captain has carved out an immortal niche for himself at the heart of Trekkie culture. The central focus of many of the genre’s most memorable scenes and soundbites, Kirk is an iconic sci-fi character of the highest order, meaning that the man who originally brought him to life is held in equally high regard by the franchise’s fan base.Multiple actors have played Kirk over the years, but Shatner’s version remains the gold standard.
5Zoe Saldaña
Best Known For: Avatar, Star Trek, & The MCU
In addition to starring in some of the most commercially successful films of all time, Zoe Saldaña is renowned as one of science fiction’s preeminent cinematic vessels. Even if one is to discount her five appearances as the alien assassin, Gamora, in the MCU as superhero films rather than fully-fledged sci-fi outings,several of Saldaña’s highest-grossing moviesstill include credits in many of the highest-profile genre titles of the 21st century, a state of affairs that began more than a decade ago.
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Cast as the modernized version of Nichelle Nichols' Nyota Uhura in theStar Trekreboot series, Saldaña would reprise the role in both sequels to 2009’s critically acclaimed remake. However, that wasn’t even her biggest sci-fi role of the year.2009 also saw the latest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress cast in James Cameron’s box office juggernaut,Avatar,a role that she would return to more than 10 years later with 2022’sAvatar: The Way of Water.
4Jeff Goldblum
Best Known For: The Fly, Jurassic Park & Independence Day
A beloved fixture of the genre since the 1980s,Jeff Goldblum’s lengthy list of sci-fi movie creditshighlights the actor’s status as another first-ballot Hall of Famer in sharp relief. The actor is known for his roles in acclaimed blockbuster franchises likeJurassic Park,Independence Day, and the MCU, also boasting a role in 1978’s lauded remake,Invasion of the Body Snatchers, to further flesh out his sci-fi resume.
Jeff Goldblum improvised the majority of his lines in 2017’sThor: Ragnarok.
However, there’s one role that guarantees Goldblum sci-fi icon status in and of itself, and that’sThe Fly. David Cronenberg’s magnum opus,the acclaimed 1986 film saw the actor produce a career-best performance as Seth Brundle in one of the greatest sci-fi horror movies of all time,chronicling the eccentric scientist’s transformation into a grotesque human-fly hybrid after a failed experiment in unforgettably nightmarish fashion.
3Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy is only associated with one role when it comes to consideration for the sci-fi Hall of Fame, again speaking volumes to the impact the late, great actor had on the genre that he is still an absolute guarantee for inclusion. Inextricably linked with his most iconic role,Nimoy is virtually synonymous with multiple performances as the logic-loving Spock in theStar Trekfranchise.
Nimoy’s credentials as royalty among Trekkies have no equal.
Playing the beloved half-Vulcan character inStar Trek: The Original Series, as well as reprising the role in multipleStar Trekmoviesacross a span of more than 50 years, Nimoy’s credentials as royalty among Trekkies have no equal. His dryly witty charge is a front-runner for the most compelling and memorable character in the entireStar Trekuniverse, an unprecedentedly popular franchise regarded by many fans as the finest example that science fiction has to offer.
2Harrison Ford
Best Known For: Star Wars & Blade Runner
It speaks volumes to Harrison Ford’s legacy as a cultural icon that he’d be up for consideration across multiple genres' respective Halls of Fame,balancing out his reputation as a cinematic action hero with a number of revered sci-fi roles. WhileHarrison Ford’s sci-fi moviesdo include clangers likeCowboys & AliensorEnder’s Game, it’s easy to forget these numbers when one considers the actor is credited with two of the most iconic characters in sci-fi history.
Star Wars
Introducing himself to a global audience with his breakout performance as the sardonic smuggler Han Solo in 1977’sStar Wars, Ford would go on to reprise his role in sci-fi’s biggest franchise on four separate occasions. While this legendary performance alone is worthy of inclusion in the Hall of Fame, Ford also boasts appearances as Rick Deckard in both acclaimedBlade Runnermovies to remove any semblance of doubt over his potential admission.
1Sigourney Weaver
Best Known For: Alien, Ghostbusters, & Avatar
The queen of science fiction herself, Sigourney Weaver’s bow as Ellen Ripley in theAlienfranchise alone marks her out as an unquestionable candidatefor the sci-fi Hall of Fame. Playing one of the most celebrated cinematic characters of all time across four appearances, the actress' take on the franchise’s iconic female action hero saw her nominated for an Academy Award at a time when the notion of a film likeAliensreceiving such consideration was positively laughable.
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Of course, it doesn’t hurt thatSigourney Weaver’s other sci-fi moviesalso include a prominent role in one of modern cinema’s most commercially profitable blockbuster franchises. Playing Doctor Grace Augustine inAvatar, she would also return in the second installment through a bizarre series of events that saw her Na’Vi avatar birth a daughter named Kiri following Augustine’s death. Throw in further roles in the acclaimed likes ofPaul,WALL-E, and theGhostbustersfranchise, and there are few within thesci-figenre who can rival the queen.
