Star Trek Loses Its Greatest Voice

James Darren was already a Hollywood veteran by the time he came to Deep Space Nine, but nothing could prepare fans for just how great he was as Vic Fontaine. His character’s gimmick is that he is a special hologram, one that is fully self-aware. Therefore, while he appeared as a Las Vegas lounge singer, he also had the capacity to offer those on the station keen advice on everything from romance to PTSD.

While it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role, James Darren wasn’t originally the choice to play Vic Fontaine. At first, showrunner Ira Steven Behr wanted the character to appear earlier and be played by Frank Sinatra Jr.; the singer liked the idea, but because he wanted to play an alien instead of a human lounge singer, these plans fell through. Later, the producers wanted Steve Lawrence to play the role, but he was unavailable.

Incidentally, these failures to cast the character are why he didn’t appear until Season 6, even though Behr originally wanted him to pop up in Season 4. As for how James Darren landed the part, Behr first met him when the singer was signing autographs at a memorabilia show. The showrunner wanted to chat with him about the role of Vic Fontaine on the spot, but he ended up waiting, a wise choice considering that the musical legend would eventually have his reservations about the role.

Incredibly, James Darren turned down the offer to play Vic Fontaine three times because he thought that a real lounge singer playing a fictional lounge singer was too “on the nose.” Once he read the script, though, he fell in love with the character so much that he took an unconventional approach: refusing to memorize the lines.

When he came in for casting, he was simply improvising lines and seamlessly pivoted into character without warning; this approach worked so well that as soon as he left, producer Hans Beimler declared that “Vic Fontaine was just in the room…there’s no question!”

James Darren wasn’t certain if the Vic Fontaine part would become a recurring role, but after he won over fans, producers, and even the cast, it was a done deal.

After first appearing in “His Way,” he went on to star in one more Season 6 episode and five episodes of Season 7, including the series finale. By that point, the character had become so popular that he played a major role, singing “The Way You Look Tonight” in a scene pretty much guaranteed to make longtime fans cry.

It wasn’t just fans shedding tears, either: in a previous interview, James Darren described how that scene took multiple takes because every time he started singing, Kira actor Nana Visitor would begin crying, making the singer start crying as well.  He said that leaving behind the role of Vic Fontaine was hard “because my relationship with everyone had grown instantly. I loved that entire cast.”

Just as James Darren loved the Deep Space Nine cast, the fandom loved him wholeheartedly. The advice that he offered to the crew was timeless, and it helped many of us, watching at home, navigate our own difficult situations. Vic Fontaine was a friend and confidante to the entire station, someone whose gentle wisdom offered warmth even in the coldest depths of space.

The passing of James Darren has left many of us mourning, including his former TJ Hooker costar William Shatner. But as with any beloved celeb’s death, it’s important to celebrate everything he gave to the world (as Vic Fontaine and beyond) and to continue honoring his legacy as a musician, actor, and all-around pallie. The lights may be low, but thanks to Star Trek fans all around the world, Darren’s show will always go on.