Actor Aron Eisenberg, who played Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, died Saturday at age 50, his wife Malíssa Longo posted on Facebook. “He was an intelligent, humble, funny, emphatic soul,” Longo wrote. “He sought to live his life with integrity and truth. He was so driven to put the best he had into whatever work was put before him.”
The actor’s cause of death wasn’t released, but he underwent his second kidney transplant in 2015, StarTrek.com notes in an obituary.
Eisenberg played Nog, the first Ferengi to join Starfleet, and appeared in 40 episodes from across all seven seasons. The show ran from 1993 to 1999. His character was the son of Rom, the nephew of Quark, and the best friend of Jake Sisko, who was the son of commanding officer Benjamin Sisko.
Eisenberg was told nothing about his character when he was cast and had no idea that the part would last, Star Trek reports “I thought every episode I was doing might be my last episode,” he told StarTrek.com in 2012. The site also notes that Eisenberg also played Kar, the young Kazon-Ogla, in a 1995 Star Trek: Voyager episode.
Friends and fans remembered Eisenberg on social media.
“I have lost a great friend and the world has lost a great heart,” Armin Shimerman, the actor who played Quark, wrote in a tweet. “He was a man of conviction and enormous sensitivity and the best of humanity.”
I have lost a great friend and the world has lost a great heart @AronEisenberg He was a man of conviction and enormous sensitivity and the best of humanity. Kitty and I grieve for Aron, his boys, and Malissa. Flights of angels my friend…you will be missed. There are no words… https://t.co/Q18yIVeZEe
— Armin Shimerman (@ShimermanArmin) September 22, 2019
Loved his amazing work on DS9: he started out as Jake’s comedy sidekick and slowly developed his character to become a compelling, fascinating and vital presence in the story arc. He will be missed.
— e=mc2andallthat (@emc2andallthat) September 22, 2019
Aron and Nog both were exemplars of the ideal that, no matter who you are, where you come from, or what personal issues you have to deal with, you can be something great.
Aron left us before his time, but the lessons that he showed us won’t be forgotten.
— Spartan Jeremy (@jeremy_spartan) September 22, 2019
That PTSD episode where Nog stayed in the safety of the holodeck with Vic was (like many of Aron’s episodes) powerful and memorable. It helped me face my own PTSD almost 20 years later.
— Dermot Ó Mórdha 🇮🇪🏴🇪🇺 (@CalorieDodger) September 22, 2019