It’s sad news today for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine family as singer James Darren, who joined the series as hologram Vic Fontaine in 1998, passed away today at age 88.
 
Reported by Variety, the actor — who started his career in movies like Gidget and The Guns of Navarone, followed by TV roles in The Time Tunnel and T.J. Hooker — became part of Deep Space Nine’s recurring cast in the episode “His Way,” as 1960s lounge singer Vic Fontaine, a period-specific hologram who would appear 8 times in total.
 
Darren’s most recent Trek-related appearance was on The Shuttlepod Show podcast hosted by Star Trek: Enterprise alums Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating:
 

 
Of course, Darren was well known in Hollywood as an actor and singer well before his time in Deep Space Nine, and continued to perform in person in Las Vegas until the last few years (before the COVID pandemic). Darren released his last two albums following his stint on Star Trek, 1999’s This One’s From the Heart and 2001’s Because of You.

 
Following his initial appearance in “His Way,” Darren’s character Vic Fontaine served a central role in memorable episodes like “It’s Only a Paper Moon” — where he coached an injured Nog (Aron Eisenberg) through his war trauma — and “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang,” an Ocean’s 11-style Vegas heist that gave the Deep Space Nine cast one final fun adventure before the series’ 10-episode closing arc.

 
Darren is survived by his wife, three sons, and five grandchildren; our condolences to his family.

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