annie wersching star trek voyager

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Annie Wersching

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The first episode of Picard 's third season , " The Next Generation " (and its accompanying aftershow episode ) were dedicated to her memory, as well as the starship USS Wersching also being named after her in " Bounty ".

She was perhaps best known for playing FBI Agent Renee Walker during the seventh and eighth seasons of the FOX Network television series 24 .

• 1 Early life and stage work
• 2.1 2002 – 2007
• 2.3 2010 – 2023
• 3 Appearances as the Borg Queen
• 4 Star Trek interview
• 5 External links

Early life and stage work [ ]

Wersching was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She was a part of the St. Louis Celtic Stepdancers for fourteen years and participated in Irish Dance competitions in her youth. She graduated from Millikin University in Illinois in 1999 with a degree in Musical Theater.

Wershing toured in stage productions of Anything Goes and A Christmas Carol and worked at a number of theaters before moving to Los Angeles in 2001. In the summer of that year, she appeared in a revival of Do I Hear A Waltz? at the Pasadena Playhouse with Anthony Crivello .

Film and television work [ ]

2002 – 2007 [ ].

After her appearance on Enterprise , she made guest appearances on such television shows as Birds of Prey (with series regulars Dina Meyer and Ian Abercrombie and fellow guest star Brian Thompson ), Frasier (starring Kelsey Grammer ), and E-Ring (with Jonathan Banks and Robert Joy ). She can also be seen in a small role in the 2003 film Bruce Almighty , in which Michael Bofshever , Robert Curtis Brown , Christopher Darga , and Max Grodénchik also appeared.

In a 2006 episode of the CBS series Cold Case directed by David Barrett , Wersching played a house wife who is murdered in 1979; her husband was played by fellow Enterprise guest performer Robert Pine in the scenes set in 2006. J. Patrick McCormack guest-starred in the episode, as well. Wersching was also seen in a 2006 episode of Boston Legal , the ABC series which starred William Shatner and, at the time, René Auberjonois . Her episode, "The Nutcrackers", also guest-starred Michelle Forbes and Clyde Kusatsu . In 2007, Wersching starred as Amelia Joffe on the daytime soap opera General Hospital .

On 24 , Wersching worked with Jeffrey Nordling as Special Agent in Charge Larry Moss until Moss' death. Walker was killed in the 17th episode of the eighth season, after briefly becoming romantically involved with the show's protagonist, Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland.

Bob Gunton was also a regular on 24 during the seventh season and made recurring appearances during the eighth season. Nazneen Contractor and Necar Zadegan were recurring guest stars in season eight. Enterprise regular John Billingsley had a brief recurring role at the beginning of season seven, and his Enterprise co-star Connor Trinneer had a brief role later in the season. The writers and producers on both seasons included former Enterprise show runners Manny Coto and Brannon Braga .

2010 – 2023 [ ]

Following her tenure on 24 , Wesching continued to make frequent guest appearances on various television series. Her credits include episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (starring Paul Guilfoyle and Wallace Langham , with Bertila Damas ), NCIS (with Jamie McShane , directed by James Whitmore, Jr. ), Hawaii Five-0 (starring Daniel Dae Kim , with Terry O'Quinn , developed by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman ), Body of Proof (starring Jeri Ryan ), Blue Bloods (starring Len Cariou , directed by David M. Barrett ), Castle (directed and produced by Rob Bowman ), Major Crimes (starring Raymond Cruz and Jonathan Del Arco ), and Doubt .

In 2015-16, Wersching played the recurring role of Lily Salvatore in the fantasy drama series The Vampire Diaries , starring Paul Wesley , and in 2017-18, the recurring role of Emma Whitmore in the science fiction adventure series Timeless . Between 2017 and 2019, she was a regular on the Hulu / Marvel superhero series Runaways .

She also had recurring roles in the crime series Bosch (2014-21), starring Titus Welliver and featuring Linda Park as a regular, and the cop series The Rookie (2019-22). She was also known for her motion capture and voice role as Tess in the 2013 video game The Last of Us , which also featured Nolan North .

Wersching was diagnosed with cancer during the summer of 2020, but kept her illness a secret and continued to work (which included her part on Picard ). She passed away on 29 January 2023, at the age of 45. [1]

Appearances as the Borg Queen [ ]

• " Penance "
• " Assimilation "
• " Watcher "
• " Fly Me to the Moon "
• " Two of One " (hallucination)
• " Hide and Seek "

Star Trek interview [ ]

• TRR : " Fly Me to the Moon "
• PIC Season 2 Blu-ray / DVD - special feature , "Rebuilding The Borg Queen" (2022)

External links [ ]

• Annie Wersching  at Facebook
• Annie Wersching  at Instagram
• Annie Wersching at X (formerly Twitter)
• Annie Wersching at the Internet Movie Database
• Annie Wersching at Wiki 24, the 24 wiki
• Annie Wersching at Wikipedia
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

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Annie Wersching, Who Played Borg Queen on ‘Star Trek: Picard,’ Dies at 45

Ms. Wersching was best known for playing the Borg Queen on the Paramount+ “Star Trek” series. She was also on the television series “24,” “Bosch” and “Timeless.”

By Livia Albeck-Ripka

The actress Annie Wersching, best known for her roles in positions of authority on television series like “Star Trek: Picard,” “24,” “Bosch” and “Timeless,” died on Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 45.

The cause was cancer, her publicist, Craig Schneider, said in a statement. He noted that even after Ms. Wersching was diagnosed in 2020, she continued her acting work, playing the Borg Queen on the second season of “Picard,” a “Star Trek” spinoff on Paramount+, as well as the serial killer Rosalind Dyer on the ABC crime series “The Rookie.”

Ms. Wersching was also known for playing Julia Brasher, a police officer on the Amazon series “Bosch,” and Emma Whitmore, an engineer, on the NBC series “Timeless.” On Fox’s “24,” about a counterterrorism team that protects the United States from potential attacks, she played the F.B.I. special agent Renee Walker, which she once called “a dream role.”

“She gets to experience so much action and do so many stunts; she is so cool,” Ms. Werschling told Alive St. Louis magazine in 2009. “Plus, I can relate to her; in real life, I’m not too much of a girly girl.”

Ms. Wersching also provided the voice for the character Tess in The Last of Us , a 2013 video game that has recently been adapted into a television series on HBO, with Anna Torv as Tess.

In an interview on the Paramount+ show “The Ready Room,” Ms. Wersching described playing the Borg Queen as “certainly a little intimidating.” She noted that she had familiarized herself with the role and those who had previously played it before going forward with her own interpretation and performance. “It’s such an iconic role,” she said. “I’m incredibly excited to have everyone see.”

Ms. Wersching was born on March 28, 1977, and raised in St. Louis. Her parents, Sandy and Frank Wersching, were involved in the local arts community. Her father died when she was 12.

Annie spent her youth competing in Irish dance with the St. Louis Celtic Stepdancers. She graduated from Crossroads College Preparatory School in 1995 and received a B.F.A. in musical theater from Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., in 1999. She had intended to make a career in theater but changed her mind after she was on tour with a musical in Los Angeles and went to a live taping of the sitcom “Stark Raving Mad.”

“I thought, ‘This is the best of both worlds — they are performing like it’s theater with the audience interaction, but you are on TV,’” she told Edge magazine. “This is the dream.”

She moved to Los Angeles in 2001.

She is survived by her husband, Stephen Full, whom she married in 2009, and three children, Freddie, Ozzie and Archie Full.

“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today,” Mr. Full said in a statement. “But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you.”

Mr. Full noted that whenever he and his sons left their house, Ms. Wersching would shout “Bye!” until they were out of earshot.

“I can still hear it ringing,” he added.

Amisha Padnani contributed reporting.

Livia Albeck-Ripka is a reporter for The Times based in California. She was previously a reporter in the Australia bureau. More about Livia Albeck-Ripka

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Published Apr 14, 2022

EXCERPT: Annie Wersching on Becoming the Borg Queen

Read the full interview when you buy your copy of Star Trek Explorer!

StarTrek.com

The Borg Queen is back… and so is Annie Wersching. The actress kicked off her career in 2002 by playing the Kantare character Liana in “Oasis,” a Season 1 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise . Wersching spent the next two decades as a familiar television presence, guesting, recurring, or co-starring on such shows as Charmed , Supernatural , General Hospital , 24 , Bosch , The Vampire Diaries , Timeless , and Runaways . Now she’s returned to the Star Trek Universe, breathing new life into the Borg Queen during Star Trek: Picard ’s sophomore season. And while in one sense the Trek universe is boundless, in another it can be pretty small: Wersching and Susanna Thompson, who played the Borg Queen in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes “Dark Frontier” and “Unimatrix Zero” (and who guested twice on Star Trek: The Next Generatio n and once on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ), worked together on the cult favorite sci-fi series Timeless .

Star Trek Explorer caught up with Wersching for a revealing conversation in which she recounts her appearance on Enterprise and discusses what it was like to play a very different Borg Queen on Picard .

Star Trek Explorer: Enterprise was your first job in Los Angeles. What do you recall of the experience?

Annie Wersching: I’d only done theater up until then, and I didn’t know anything about Star Trek . I tried to learn a little bit, but I was literally starting on the show the next day. I liked the experience. I knew it was really cool that René Auberjonois [who had previously played Odo for seven seasons of DS9] was back on Star Trek , even as a different character [Kantare engineer Exral]. I was a huge Quantum Leap fan growing up, so I was really excited to work with Scott Bakula [Captain Archer]. I can remember saying to Connor Trinneer [Trip], “I’ve only done theater. If I’m doing things way too big, or making a fool of myself, please feel free to give me a little heads up and let me know.”

For a guest spot, it had a beautiful arc to the story. Some guest spots you get a scene or two here or there, but Liana was a whole, fully fleshed-out character. She was innocent and naïve, and she learned a lot from everybody aboard the Enterprise .

You led a full life and career between Enterprise and Picard , getting married and having kids, and acting on dozens of shows. What was it like to come full-circle with Picard almost 20 years later?

AW: God, please don’t say 20 years! Is it really? It is… How dare you! No, it’s trippy, but exciting, super exciting. Even just when the audition came in for Picard , I was like “Ooh, this could be a cool, iconic show and role to be a part of.”

Did your previous experience with the franchise come up during your audition for Picard ?

AW: No, it didn’t. It did after the fact. One time, when I was Zooming with Akiva [Goldsman, Executive Producer], we were talking about Enterprise , and he said, “It’s Star Trek . We can say whatever we want. We could say that Liana was assimilated. We could connect the two if we really want to do that.” But we didn’t go there. We had enough craziness going on.

The Borg Queen has been an integral character in Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Voyager. Did you screen the movie and the Voyager episodes to learn about the character and see how your predecessors – including your Timeless co-star, Susanna Thompson – approached her?

AW: My “audition” was just, “Put yourself on tape at your house.” COVID was starting – it was around April 2020. As actors we’d all put ourselves on tape before, but now this was the only way to do it. It was a mysterious character; she was called “Alien,” I think. It didn’t say “Borg Queen” anywhere. Just from reading the description and then researching, I was like, “I think this might be the Borg Queen.” So, I actually went back and watched First Contact before I put myself on tape. Then the world shut down. All the shows stopped filming and I never heard anything else. Nothing was filming and the pandemic was really, really at the peak.

Cut to December of 2020, and my agents said, “Oh, they want you for that role.” I said, “What role? What are you talking about?” It was so long ago I literally had to be reminded of everything… the prosthetics, how all this would work.

Once I was cast, then I watched every Borg episode I could find. I watched them to know what I needed to know, and then I’d move on to the next one. I wanted to absorb what Alice [Krige, who played the Borg Queen in First Contact and Voyager ’s “Endgame”] and Susanna had done, but I didn’t necessarily study them or copy them. I watched and learned a little bit, and then didn’t think much more about it.

Read the full interview in Star Trek Explorer #2 – on sale April 12! Plus, interviews with Jeri Ryan and Akiva Goldsman; all-new and exclusive short fiction; your definitive guide to First Contact; Inside Trek: The Borg supplemental and much, much more!

Find out more and subscribe here !

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Distribution Group on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

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‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 2 Adds Annie Wersching as Borg Queen

By Joe Otterson

Joe Otterson

TV Reporter

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“ Star Trek: Picard ” Season 2 will see Jean-Luc squaring off against an old adversary: the Borg Queen.

Variety has confirmed that Annie Wersching will play the Borg Queen in the second season of the Paramount Plus series. Wersching will now be the third actress to take on the role after Alice Krige played the leader of the Borg Collective in the film “Star Trek: First Contact” and in “Star Trek: Voyager” series finale. Susanna Thompson also played the character in multiple episodes of “Voyager.”

Exactly how the Borg Queen will factor into Season 2 is unknown, but chances are it will involve some manner of time travel. An early trailer for the new season , which also gave fans a tease of John de Lancie returning as Q, hinted that time would be a major theme of the next installment of the series.

Wersching’s recent TV credits include “Bosch,” “Runaways,” “The Rookie,” and “Timeless.” She is also known for her roles on shows like “The Vampire Diaries,” “24,” and “General Hospital.”

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She is repped by Innovative Artists.

“Picard” stars Patrick Stewart, reprising the iconic role of the Starfleet captain that he made famous in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” The first season of the series was released in 2020. Fellow “TNG” alums Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, and Marina Sirtis also appeared in Season 1 along with “Voyager” alum Jeri Ryan. Jonathan Del Arco also reprised the role of Hugh, the former Borg drone, whom he played in multiple episodes of “TNG.”

Produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, “Star Trek: Picard” is executive produced by Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Stewart, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Doug Aarniokoski and Dylan Massin. Aaron Baiers and Kirsten Beyer serve as co-executive producers, while Goldsman and Matalas serve as co-showrunners for Season 2.

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‘picard’ borg queen actress weighs in on debated ‘star trek’ character question.

Annie Wersching becomes the third actress to play the iconic role in an experience that has been something of a roller coaster due to the pandemic.

By Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker

Former Senior Reporter

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[Warning: This story contains spoilers for episode two of Star Trek: Picard .] 

It has been a question pondered by Star Trek fans for years: Is there more than one Borg Queen, or have multiple actresses played the same alien in assorted franchise projects? Picard newcomer Annie Wersching has thoughts on the matter.

“In my opinion, she is a different incarnation of the Queen,” says the third actress to embody the iconic role. “[My version] is going to have all the information and all the memories that the other two queens have, but she is her own incarnation.”

Wersching made her debut as the (unmasked) Borg Queen in “Penance,” the second episode of the Paramount+ series’ second season. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter prior to the episode’s Thursday premiere, the actress detailed her roller-coaster experience while also teasing what’s to come with one of Jean-Luc Picard’s ( Patrick Stewart ) greatest adversaries.

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It is clear from “Penance” that Wersching’s Borg Queen is different from the previous versions, as this time, she is cut off from the Hive after Q (John de Lancie) returns to wreak havoc on the timeline.

“The Borg Queen is in such a distressed state at this point, which is not a way we are used to seeing her. She is usually so in control,” says the actress, who plays coy when asked about the queen’s true intentions after agreeing to fix the timeline. “I think a really interesting development that happens through the season is her interest in Agnes [Alison Pill], and what is that exactly. There is something very interesting in their relationship.”

It becomes clear in “Penance” that whatever Q did to the timeline, humanity took a dark turn, with Picard becoming one of its greatest military heroes as a conqueror of alien races and xenophobia on Earth running rampant, which comes to a head for the characters when Picard is supposed to publicly execute the queen, now the last of the Borg. That moment was a tough one, Wersching admits.

“It just makes you wildly uncomfortable, knowing there are people in the world who think like that for real,” says the actress of modern-day struggles around the globe. “ Star Trek has always been so good about acceptance for everyone. And it is very strange to see the totalitarianism that is happening in this episode. It is not something that [the writers] had to reach that far into their imaginations to find, unfortunately.”

Wersching was cast as the queen in December 2020 after auditioning via self-tape in April that year. In fact, so much time had elapsed due to the pandemic, she was in total shock when the call finally came. The actress would be the third Borg Queen in all of Star Trek , the first being Alice Krige in the feature film Star Trek: First Contact and then Susanna Thompson in the series Star Trek: Voyager .

“Before I auditioned, I watched First Contact , and then after I got the role, I watched every episode that had to do with the Borg,” Wersching recalls. “But I didn’t rewatch to mimic them. I wanted to watch once and get the information, and then take what I learned to make my own version. I know Alice is the queen of all Queens. It would be really special to meet her someday. Susanna and I actually worked together a bunch on the NBC show Timeless .”

Ironically, this is not Wersching’s first time working in the Star Trek world, as her first TV gig was a 2002 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise . And Picard producer Akiva Goldsman toyed with the idea of bringing the actress’ Star Trek adventure full circle.

“At one point, he was like, ‘You know, we could make it like the queen assimilated her and make it all connected. It is Star Trek ; we can make anything happen,'” Wersching says with a laugh. It seems the idea, while fun, was not pursued.

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Annie Wersching to Play the Borg Queen in ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 2

Star Trek: Picard

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An old enemy is returning for the second season of Star Trek: Picard as Runaways actress Annie Wersching is set to play the Borg Queen.

The casting is somewhat of a homecoming for Wersching, whose first acting role came in 2002 in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise . She is the third actress to take on the Borg Collective leader following Alice Krige , who played the character in Star Trek: First Contact and the Star Trek: Voyager series finale, and Arrow star Susanna Thompson , who portrayed her in two episodes of Voyager.

Star Trek: Picard debuted on Paramount+ in January 2020 and centers around a retired Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) who is still coming to terms with the death of Data (in Star Trek: Nemesis ) and the destruction of the planet Romulus (in 2009’s Star Trek ). The second season will continue to follow Picard into the next chapter of his life.

The series also stars Alison Pill as Agnes Jurati, Isa Briones as twin androids Dahj and Soji Asha, Evan Evagora as Elnor, Michelle Hurd as Rafaella “Raffi” Musiker, Santiago Cabrera as Cristobal “Chris” Rios, Harry Treadaway as Narek, Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, Orla Brady as Laris, and Star Trek: The Next Generation alum Brent Spiner as Data and Altan Inigo Soong.

Season 1 also saw appearances from fellow TNG cast members Jonathan Frakes , Marina Sirtis , and Jonathan Del Arco. Season 2 will also see John de Lancie reprise his role as alien Q, who he played in various Star Trek series over the years.

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Wersching is perhaps best known for her role as Renee Walker in the Fox action-drama series 24 . Her other roles include Julia Brasher in Amazon’s police procedural Bosch , Lily Salvatore in The CW’s supernatural teen drama The Vampire Diaries , and Emma Whitmore in NBC sci-fi series Timeless . She also voices the character of Tess in the popular video game The Last of Us .

Star Trek: Picard , Season 2, 2022, Paramount+

Star Trek: Picard where to stream

Annie Wersching

Picard’s new Borg Queen explains how she fits into Star Trek canon

There have two Borg Queens before Annie Wersching. Now she’s the third Borg Queen... or maybe the fourth?

Resistance is futile. Or, in the case of the new Borg Queen in at least one timeline of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, resistance is optional.

In the second episode of Season 2, “Penance,” we meet a very different Borg Queen than we’ve ever seen before, and possibly a different one than we met in the first episode. Ahead of the next Borg revelation in Picard , Inverse caught up with the new Queen, Annie Wersching, to get a sense of how her take on the character is brand new.

The first thing to know about Annie Wersching’s Borg Queen is that she’s a different version of the character than the Queen we met in First Contact or Voyager . After Jean-Luc and his allies find themselves in an altered version of their own timeline, the Borg Queen they encounter is imprisoned and scheduled for public execution by the brutal Confederation of Earth.

The imprisoned Borg Queen confronting Dr. Jurati.

“We’ve never really seen a Queen not completely in control, ” Wersching says. “She starts in such a strange place of distress. There’s silence in her head and it's maddening. There’s no hive. No Collective. She’s like ‘What the hell is going on?’”

Viewers might have a similar question. In the Season 2 debut of Picard , we met a strange black-robbed Borg Queen with tentacles and a face shrouded by a mechanized hood. We don’t know if that Queen is also played by Wersching, but Dr. Jurati (Alison Pill) makes a point of saying that the Queen’s outfit is “new.” So in Episode 2, when Wersching’s Queen is introduced, Jurati describes her as “more typical,” because she superficially resembles the Queens we’ve met before in First Contact (Alice Krige) and Voyager (Susanna Thompson).

“Of course, after I was cast, I re-watched all the Borg episodes. A lot of TNG. A lot of Voyager, ” Wersching says. “I watched First Contact . But I didn't necessarily watch it all over and over and try to mimic either Susanna or Alice. I just wanted to see what they did, take it in, and then have my own take on it.”

The Borg Queens. Top: Annie Wersching in Star Trek: Picard. Bottom, left-to-right: Susanna Thompson in Star Trek: Voyager , Alice Krige in Star Trek: First Contact , and the mysterious masked Borg Queen in the Picard episode “The Star Gazer.”

Picard’s “Penance” addresses the question of various Borg Queens more directly than any Trek episode before. Seven (Jeri Ryan) and Jurati refer to them as a type of Borg leader, rather than just one person. This is echoed in how Wersching talks about the role too.

Canonically, there have now been different Borg Queens. In this new timeline, the Queen could have begun her life as a different person. And because Wersching was in an episode of Star Trek before , things nearly got very complicated. In the 2002 Enterprise episode “Oasis” she played Liana, a character unwittingly raised by holograms created by her father Ezral, played by the legendary René Auberjonois. To Inverse , she reveals that she and producer Akiva Goldsman briefly considered connecting that continuity.

“Akiva said ‘We could make it that she’s actually Liana, and maybe she actually had been assimilated,’” Wersching says. “We thought about making this whole connection. Obviously, we didn’t go there. But Akiva said, ‘It’s the Star Trek world. We can make anything work.’”

For Wersching, appearing in Picard has brought her acting career full circle. 20 years ago, her brief appearance on Enterprise was her “first television job ever.” Now, just like the Borg Queen, Wersching’s Star Trek experience spans generations. “I was a theater kid before that. I kept asking Scott Bakula and Connor Trinneer to help me if I was doing anything too big. Star Trek was my first big learning experience.”

Annie Wersching on Enterprise in 2002.

Wersching teases that there are even bigger surprises coming in Picard Season 2. Specifically, she mentions that her connection with Picard regular Agnes Jurati will play out differently, and more surprisingly, than any other Borg-human relationship before.

“We’ve never seen a Queen obsessed with someone like this before,” Wersching says. “Yes, they’ve been obsessed with Locutus or Seven of Nine. But there’s something about Jurati that is fascinating to the Queen. With most of the humans, [the Queen] is annoyed. But with Jurati, she’s like ‘Wait a minute. maybe I can use you.’ It’s a really weird and interesting relationship that they turn to. I can’t wait for people to see it unfold.”

Star Trek: Picard season 2 airs new episodes on Thursdays on Paramount+.

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Star Trek: Picard Adds Annie Wersching to Play the Borg Queen in Season 2

Dave nemetz, west coast bureau chief.

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Star Trek: Picard has just anointed a new queen: Annie Wersching ( 24 , The Vampire Diaries ) will join the Season 2 cast as the Borg Queen, TVLine has learned.

Wersching will recur as the infamous Trek villain, first introduced in the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact and played by Alice Krige. The Borg Queen served as the de facto leader for the merciless Borg collective, one of the main adversaries for Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation . Krige also reprised the role in the 2001 series finale of Star Trek: Voyager . Susanna Thompson played the role in three other Voyager episodes.

The Borg Queen won’t be the only thorn in Jean-Luc’s side when Star Trek: Picard returns for Season 2 on Paramount+. John de Lancie is set to reprise his TNG role as trickster god Q, as seen in a teaser released in June . Season 2 of Picard is slated to debut next year, but no official premiere date has been set.

Wersching’s extensive list of TV roles includes playing FBI agent Renee Walker on the Fox thriller 24 and Stefan and Damon’s mother Lily Salvatore on the CW drama The Vampire Diaries . Her other credits include Castle , Timeless , The Rookie and Marvel’s Runaways , and she recently reprised her role as Julia Brasher on the Amazon cop drama Bosch . She has a Trek connection, too: She played Liana in the 2002 Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Oasis.”

Alright, Trekkies: Beam down to the comments and share your thoughts on the big Borg casting news.

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21 comments.

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Yes, I’ll be watching. Because resistance is futile.

Yes, unapologetically shilling for CBS’s online streaming shows is a futile enterprise. Fscking hell! Sometimes, I wish you guys could hear yourselves.

It’s 2021, cut the cord steady.

She will be an awesome Borg Queen.

I hope this season of Picard is better, because last season was not great, and it wasted Jeri Ryan.

I loved TNG and couldn’t get into Picard but will have to go back and watch if Annie is appearing. . I think she’ll be a great Queen as well.

Christi, I totally agree. Not only did they waste Jeri Ryan (whose appearance in the TNG universe was still kind of strange), they missed some great opportunities to utilize Jonathan Del Arco. (a.k.a. Hugh)

Hopefully, John de Lancie will breathe some life into this melancholy series.

Hard pass. Even super woke Stewart was uncomfortable with the cursing, puking and hatred of normal people on this show.

Should probably mention that Susanna Thompson played the Queen for most of her appearances on Voyager. . This is pretty cool news! I like Annie Wersching, I think she’ll be great as the Borg Queen.

She is certainly building up quite the resume of commanding, complicated villains.

Borg Queen shouldn’t be a big stretch from her religious culture leading ways on The Runaways. It sounds like good casting.

I didn’t recognize her from that picture and had to Google her before realizing she was Renee from 24. She’ll be great as the Borg Queen.

I guess I could’ve just read the rest of the article to figure out that part about Renee. But I’m really excited to see John de Lancie as Q again.

I love Annie Wersching so much… she will be a great queen! Great news!

What the hell stop putting spoilers in your headlines. Blocking this site permanently.

Renee Walker gets Assimilated!

You know what would have been better than this news? Seeing the Borg Queen for the first time having no previous confirmation of the character being present so that it would be a surprise.

Or go back in time to season 1 and redo the ultimately quite disappointing Queen Seven Moment….i swear i have never had such instant emotional whiplash. Approximate retelling of my emotional Rollercoaster during that episode:

“Oh my God this is the coolest thing ever! Holy crap holy crap its even cooler than I imagined…wow if I could go back in time and tell my childhood self that this was happening…wait what….WHAT!?ITS OVER? ALREADY? They’re just in space scoop them up. They can evidently exist in stasis for decades within the cube (with no apparent power to their regeneration chambers) they can walk on the hull of the Enterprise and attack the crew…..but they squeal like deflating balloons cuz the Romulans opened a window. Did First Contact mean nothing???? Shenanigans.

(I actually don’t care for much of First Contact cuz sexy borg Queen and Data’s plot made no logical sense to me. I only watch it to see Lily Sloan and Picard yell at each other. I much prefer Voyager Borg Queen, where she was more of a foil to Janeway, even trying to replicate the Mother / Daughter relationship that Janeway and Seven had built. So I hope we have something more in that vein than sexy arm hair blowing lol

I wish TV, in general would go back to making 20+ episodes per year. Waiting 9 or 10 months between seasons is bs. If Star Trek needs me to write for them to make this happen, I will come aboard.

I totally agree!

Well, it’s fiiine! I’m just getting concerned about the whole population. Picard is getting up in years. I’ll be praying!

Werschimg great but don’t freaking queue freaking deLancie – PLEASE!!!

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First reported by Deadline, Wersching— who actually began her career guest starring in the Season 1  Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Oasis,” but has also starred in shows like  24 ,  Timeless , The Vampire Diaries and more — will be part of Season 2’s Picard storyline in a recurring capacity, becoming the third actor to take on the role of domineering cybernetic bad gal and leader of the Borg Collective.

Originated by Alice Krige in 1996’s  Star Trek: First Contact , the Borg Queen serves as the face and voice of the Collective, personifying the unified mind of the half-organic, half-technological race in its quest for galactic assimilation and ‘perfection.’ (Archival footage from that film, including a shot of Krige as the Queen, appeared in brief flashback clips in Picard  Season 1.)

Susanna Thompson donned the latex and Borg prosthetics to play the Borg Queen for the majority of the character’s appearances in  Star Trek: Voyager , as she sought to return Seven of Nine to the Collective in “Dark Frontier,” “Unimatrix Zero, Part I,” and “Unimatrix Zero, Part II.”

Krige reprised the role in the  Voyager  series finale, facing off against a future Admiral Janeway in Voyager’s series finale (“Endgame”), and later filmed segments for the now-defunct  Star Trek: The Experience ride Borg Invasion 4D .

FILMING FLASHBACK! Alice Krige as the Borg Queen for #StarTrek Experience's "Borg Invasion 4D". (October 11, 2002) pic.twitter.com/MIEmE6EYMs — TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) October 11, 2016

With both Jean-Luc Picard and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as part of the Picard crew next season, the Borg Queen is the rare character that directly impacted both of them, each encountering one version of the Queen after they escaped from the Borg Collective.

Season 2 of  Star Trek: Picard is already expected to be quite a trip through alternate pasts, futures, and timelines, as Q (John de Lancie) returns to put retired Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) through another crazy adventure — and as we’ve now seen the Borg Queen die  twice in her past appearances, it’s likely that Wersching time as the Queen will also be part of one of Q’s alternate timelines.

We’re looking forward to next Wednesday, September 8, as  Star Trek Day is surely going to give us a lot more insight into where Season 2 of  Star Trek: Picard  will take the series next.

Star Trek: Picard is in production on Season 2 now, which is expected to air sometime in 2022 on Paramount+ in the United States, CTV Sci Fi Channel in Canada, and on Amazon Prime Video in many international regions.

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'Star Trek: Picard' Actress Annie Wersching Dead at 45

Wersching also originated the role of fan-favorite Tess in 'The Last of Us' video game.

Annie Wersching , the actress who brought to life a number of fan-favorite TV characters has sadly passed away today. Wersching most recently appeared as the villainous Borg Queen in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard , a role that saw her return to the Star Trek franchise in a much bigger capacity a decade after initially making her Star Trek debut in a guest role in Star Trek: Enterprise . Wersching also had roles in popular TV shows such as 24 , Bosch , and The Vampire Diaries . Away from TV, Wersching was a big part of the fast-rising The Last of Us franchise. She lent her voice and performed motion capture for the beloved role of non-player character Tess who was recently brought to live action on the HBO series by Anna Torv . Wersching was 45 years old at the time of her death.

Confirming her death to the media, Wersching's husband, actor Stephen Full penned a heartfelt tribute saying:

“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall. As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell BYE! until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…'"

Wersching was diagnosed with cancer in 2020, however, she pressed on with her career and continued to take up acting gigs one of those being the Borg Queen, another iteration of the Cyborg leader of the alien species in the second season of Star Trek: Picard , a character which previously appeared in The Next Generation , Star Trek: First Contact , and as well as Star Trek: Voyager series. Wersching became the third actress to take on the role following Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson .

RELATED: ‘The Last of Us’ Showrunners Reveal the Tess Plot They Scrapped

Annie Wersching began her career picking up bit parts in hit TV shows including Birds of Prey , Frasier , Boston Legal , and Supernatural . After recurring briefly on General Hospital , Wersching landed her first major TV gig as the FBI Special Agent, Renee Walker in Seasons 7 and 8 of the action series, 24 . Her subsequent main TV roles came in Bosch , and Hulu's Runaways based on the eponymous Marvel Comics superhero team and set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also appeared in the films Bruce Almighty and Below the Beltway .

Since news of her passing was made public, tributes have begun pouring in from Wersching's industry colleagues including Jon Cassar , the producer, and director of 24 , who reflected on their time working together writing;

“My heart is broken in more pieces than I can count. Annie came into my world with an open heart and a contagious smile. Brandishing such talent, she took my breath away. Annie became more than a workmate, she became a real friend to me, my family, and every cast and crew member that worked with her. She’ll be truly missed by them and the fans she always found time to interact with. Annie you’ll be missed, you left your mark, and we’re all the better for it.”

Wersching is survived by her husband Stephen and their three sons Freddie, Ozzie, and Archie. Our deepest condolences are with her loved ones at this difficult time; if you would like to make a donation to her family's GoFundMe you can do so here .

Annie Wersching

Series: Enterprise, Picard

Character: Liana, Borg Queen

Annie Wersching was an American actress who made her television debut playing Liana in the Star Trek: Enterprise first season episode “Oasis” and played the role of the Borg Queen in the second season of Star Trek: Picard.

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Annie Wersching assimilates to Star Trek: Picard cast as Borg Queen 

Credit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Q won’t be the only blast from Picard’s past to appear in the second season of his namesake’s show. Reports from TVLine and Variety have revealed that Annie Wersching is assimilating into the cast of Star Trek: Picard as the Borg Queen. 

Wersching ( The Vampire Diaries, Marvel’s Runaways ) will be the third actress to take on the role originated by Alice Krige in the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact and later reprised in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager in 2001 . Susanna Thompson also played the role in several Voyager episodes.

News of this old school baddie from Picard’s days as Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise follows John de Lancie confirming in April that he would be reprising his role as the mischievous and infuriating Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation . Based on the teaser that Paramount+ released in June, Q is back to test his “Capitan” one more time, much to Picard’s chagrin. 

In Season 2, Q is bracing Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) for an adventure not just through space, but also through time. Per the teaser’s voiceover, time has been broken, but as Picard promises, he and his crew can save the future. There’s no sign of any Borg Queen in the teaser, but there is that bit where Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine discovers she’s without her Borg implants, so...we’re not sure what that’s all about. 

In addition to Stewart and Ryan, Picard stars Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Orla Brady, and Brent Spiner. Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serve as co-showrunners for Season 2.

Though no specific release date has yet been announced, Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard is slated to air next year on Paramount+. 

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First introduced in Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen's multiple incarnations have been played by several different actors across the Star Trek franchise. The Borg Queen is the name assigned to the Borg Collective's central nexus, and while they have had different faces in Star Trek movies and TV shows, they appear to share the same memories and personality. The existence of a Queen continues the parallels between the Borg and bees, with the Borg Queen coordinating her drones via a hive mind. It was revealed in Star Trek: Voyager that the Borg Collective's central nexus was dubbed the Queen by Magnus and Erika Hansen, eminent experts in the Borg and parents to Annika.

After years of researching the Collective, the Hansens were eventually captured and assimilated by the Borg, with Annika becoming Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Seven was severed from the Borg Collective by the crew of the USS Voyager, and became a valuable member of the crew. Like Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) before her, Seven maintained a complicated link back to the Borg Collective, and the many faces of the Borg Queen - here's every one of the Borg Queens encountered by Seven, Picard and beyond.

RELATED: TNG's Best Borg Episode Is Really About Riker, Not Picard

6 Alice Krige - Star Trek: First Contact

The first Borg Queen was played by Alice Krige ( Thor: The Dark World ) in the 1996 TNG movie Star Trek: First Contact . Surprisingly for the Queen of a race of emotionless drones, she had a distinct personality and even attempted to seduce Lieutenant Data (Brent Spiner) with promises of the humanity he craved. The Borg Queen's use of manipulation and even sexuality has defined the character from her first appearance in First Contact to Star Trek: Picard season 2 .

It's heavily implied in First Contact that Jean-Luc Picard's assimilation into the Borg Collective as Locutus was an attempt to provide the Queen with a mate - something that was foiled by Picard's resistance to his Borg conditioning during the battle of Wolf-359. Krige played the role of the Borg Queen as a cold and calculating manipulator, who could seamlessly shift from seduction to ordering the destruction of mankind. As such, despite being destroyed by Data (Brent Spiner) in the movie's climax, Krige's Borg Queen is still the most recognizable incarnation.

5 Susanna Thompson - Star Trek: Voyager

Susanna Thompson had originally auditioned to play the role of the Borg Queen in First Contact , but lost out to Alice Krige. However, she got her wish to play the role when the USS Voyager finally entered Borg space during their adventures in the Delta Quadrant. When Voyager's Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) devised a risky plan to steal Borg technology, she caught the attention of the Borg Queen. As Alice Krige was unavailable to reprise her role for Voyager season 5, episodes 15 and 16, "Dark Frontier", Thompson was cast instead.

Like with Picard, Thompson's Borg Queen expressed a preference for Seven, stating she was her favorite Borg drone, threatening to assimilate the entire Voyager crew if Seven did not rejoin the Collective. Thompson took Krige's portrayal as the basis for her own performance, and added new depths to it, reprising the role once more for "Unimatrix Zero", which essentially explored the Borg Collective's capacity to dream and experience individuality through virtual reality.

RELATED: Star Trek Finally Made The Borg Scary Again (After 21 Years)

4 Alice Krige - Star Trek: Voyager

Alice Krige reprized her role as Borg Queen in Voyager 's finale "Endgame", in which she faced off against Starfleet's Admiral Janeway . Physically, this is presumably a different Queen from the one in First Contact and the one in previous Voyager episodes. In order to get Voyager back to the Alpha Quadrant earlier, Janeway traveled back in time to use the Borg's transwarp network. Her plan worked, aborting the tragic timeline in which Chakotay and Seven had died, and returning everyone back to Earth unscathed. In the process, Admiral Janeway had seemingly destroyed the Borg once and for all, but Star Trek: Picard later proved this wasn't entirely correct.

3 Alice Krige - Star Trek: Lower Decks

Alice Krige played the Borg Queen again in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 2, episode 8, "I, Excretus". The episode revolves around the crew of the USS Cerritos enduring a series of impossibly hard hologram simulations. Ever the over-achiever, Brad Boimler becomes obsessed with getting a perfect score on the Borg Cube simulation, which pits him against the Borg Queen. As Lower Decks is predominantly a comedy, and as the Borg Queen in "I, Excretus" is a holographic reconstruction, Krige gets to send up her First Contact performance in a vampish way, providing a great deal of comedy.

2 Annie Wersching - Star Trek: Picard

Not content with just having Q (John de Lancie) and Adam Soong (Brent Spiner) as antagonists, Picard season 2 also brought back the Borg Queen. Played by 24 's Annie Wersching, this was a different Borg Queen with new powers , however, she retained the unifying trait of both Krige and Thompson's incarnations - an inherent loneliness. It was that loneliness that drew First Contact 's Borg Queen to Locutus and Data, and it was a similar loneliness that drew Voyager 's Borg Queen to Seven.

In Picard season 2, the Borg Queen is from the dystopian timeline caused by Q's meddling. Picard and his crew rescue the Queen from public execution because she has the processing power to make the precise calculations that will allow them to travel back in time and fix what Q broke. As Picard confronts his childhood trauma and Seven is finally allowed to embrace her humanity, the Borg Queen sought companionship elsewhere. Using her famously manipulative techniques, the Borg Queen seduced Agnes (Alison Pill), so she could transfer her consciousness from her dying body and assimilate 21st Century Earth.

RELATED: Star Trek Now Has TWO Borg Queens

1 Alison Pill - Star Trek: Picard

Alison Pill essentially played two Borg Queens in Picard season 2. The first was the cold, ruthless version seen previously in First Contact and Voyager , but housed in the body of cyberneticist Agnes Jurati. The second Borg Queen was a more evolved form, combining Agnes' humanity and Borg technology to become something bigger, with the potential for greatly improving the lives of those elsewhere in the galaxy. Star Trek had introduced rogue Borg factions before, but this was something different. Where Borg like Hugh embraced their individuality, Agnes' Collective combined the technology of the Borg with the more utopian outlook of the Federation.

Agnes' changes to the Borg could lead to some fascinating developments in future Star Trek shows. She has spent centuries creating a new Collective, while the Borg have waged war elsewhere in the galaxy. Now that they've arrived to stand guard over the anomaly, offering the hand of friendship to the Federation, it suggests a new dynamic within the Borg Collective that could completely change the fan-favorite Star Trek aliens. Presumably there's another Borg Queen within the more hostile Collective, who could face off against Agnes Jurati further down the line.

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Annie Wersching Dies; ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Borg Queen Actress Was 45

| January 29, 2023 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 32 comments so far

Sunday brings shocking news that Annie Wersching passed away. First reported on social media, the news was confirmed by Wersching’s family. She played the Borg Queen in the second season of Star Trek: Picard .

RIP Wersching

According to reports Wersching died of cancer after learning of her diagnosis in 2020. Even after getting the news, the actress continued to work, with her recurring role in the second season of Star Trek: Picard as the Borg Queen being one of her final parts.

Allison Pill as Jurati and Annie Wersching as Borg Queen

In a statement (via Deadline ) Wersching’s husband said: “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.”

Wersching may best be known for her role as FBI agent Renee Walker in two seasons of 24 . She also had regular roles on Bosch  and Runaways as well as recurring roles in Timeless and The Vampire Diaries . Her final roles were in Picard and a recurring role on The Rookie .

Annie Wersching attending Star Trek Day event in Los Angeles –  September 8, 2021

Trek community remembers Wersching

The surprising news of Wersching’s passing has generated an outpouring of condolences from the cast and crew of Star Trek: Picard … and beyond.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Jeri Ryan (@jerilryan)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Alison Pill (@msalisonpill)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by ☾𝑖𝑠𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠☽ (@isacamillebriones)

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Michelle Hurd (@realmichellehurd)

https://t.co/3UOp6iOc5n — Terry Matalas (@TerryMatalas) January 29, 2023

This was Annie Wersching pic.twitter.com/6KioDkIGct — daní ᱬ (@LtMenalippe) January 29, 2023

Just hearing of this now. Impossible to process. So much passion, energy and love for her work. Such a joy to work with. She loved this role so much and really had fun with it. Damn. pic.twitter.com/hQKqiAQoqh — Dave Blass (@DaveBlass) January 29, 2023

I just heard about this. Losing a member of the Trek fam is always heartbreaking. All of my love & condolences to the friends and family of #AnnieWersching . https://t.co/31rdtXPfKi — Anson Mount (@ansonmount) January 29, 2023

A true loss to our Trek family, and to television. May she rest in God’s peace. #RIP #AnnieWersching https://t.co/qyQvxwwOkc — Doug Jones (@actordougjones) January 29, 2023

TrekMovie offers our condolences to the friends and family of Annie Wersching.

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So sad, so talented, so young.

<cry emoji>

She was one of the most memorable parts of Picard so far. Condolences to her family and friends.

Wow this is so shocking! I guess she didn’t tell anyone and she looked fine when she was doing interviews for Picard. After going through the pandemic (which is still killing tons of people even though most have practically forgotten about it) it’s another reminder any of us can go at any time or age.

That’s why I’m retiring in 2 months, at 57. Life is short.

When my beloved mom-in-law was fighting Stage IV lung cancer (though she never smoked a day in her life), she was taking a specific immunotherapy drug for her cancer which was of a specific genetic type.

She didn’t slow down much at all during her remaining time until about a month or so before her end, when the cancer had mutated and the drug was consequently no longer effective. From there it was a quick and steep decline. Maybe that was the case with Ms. Wersching. : (

You have to admire someone who most likely knew their time was limited and still threw themselves into life with verve that she apparently have. I find it truly inspiring.

Very sad to learn of her passing. Her Borg Queen was the right combinations of playful, seductive, and terrifying.

I had a hard time believing this news. She was the best part of S2 of Picard. She was amazing and terrifying at the same time. My thoughts are with her family tonight.

She was one of the best parts of Picard Season 2 and brought greatness to the role.

Oh my god, I knew Annie. She was so nice. This is heartbreaking. I had no idea she was even sick. Those poor kids.

Very sad news. How awful for her young children to lose their mother. Her performance was a highlight of season 2 of Picard and knowing now what she was dealing with during filming it’s even more impressive. RIP.

Rough news, and hitting close to home, having lost my brother to cancer about seven weeks ago. MRNA research can’t find a cure/vastly superior treatments fast enough… :-(

I’m so sorry to hear that. There’s no right way to grieve, we just try to muddle through in our own ways and find a way to live with the scars but also the happy memories.

So sorry to hear this. Condolences to you and your family for your loss.

My sincerest condolences…

Very sad news. She was so young and talented and I’m sure her family and friends are absolutely devastated. RIP.

Can’t believe this, watched several interviews and she looked so full of good vibes and energy. Such an amazing actor playing the Queen. Her performance was one of the highlights of Picard Season 2.

Breaks my heart thinking about her kids. My condolences to her family and friends. R.I.P.

Loved her on “24,” “Bosch,” and “Picard.” That’s a very bright light that just went out. :(

This is so sad. Annie Wersching’s Borg Queen was brilliant … right up there with Alice Krige. The interplay between Wersching and Allison Pill made up the most exciting parts of those middle six episodes (of PIC S2). So very sad she’s gone.

That video of Annie had me laughing and crying at the same time. I was ALWAYS impressed by her work. SHE WILL BE MISSED.

Very sad news. I’m currently re-watching Picard S2 in the run up to S3 and she was terrific in her role as the Borg queen. Annie Wersching was an undisputed highlight of S2. I also remember she appeared in an episode of Enterprise.

The Queen is dead, Long live the Queen! This is so tragic and unexpectedly sad, she was only 45 years of age. May she rest in peace.

This is truly sad news. She was a great incarnation of the Borg Queen.

It reminds me of the early Trek movies when we lost so many guest stars at such a young age… Merritt Butrick, Persis Khambatta, Bibi Besch It’s hard to lose those great talents at 85, but 45… so, so utterly sad…

Agree and well observed about early Trek movie losses.

She took a character created by Alice Krige and played it with relish. Sad to hear of her passing.

This is sad news and very unexpected. Far too young for this to happen to anyone. Annie Wersching was one of those instantly recognisable familiar faces on television; always an excellent actress too. She was great on 24 and Timeless, and of course most recently our very own Star Trek.

Rest in Peace. My condolences to Annie’s family and friends.

Love, Love, Love Timeless. Probably my all time fave show. I wanted a new season. But without Annie it wouldn’t be the same.

So sad, so talented. So bee Hive Queen vibes… my Condolences to her Family and Friends

This is so sad. Rest in Peace.

I’m shocked! I am a trekker from Sweden. Picard is very popular on Amazon Prime here in Sweden! Annie was perfect as the Borg Queen! R.I.P Annie Wersching

RIP and my condolences to her family. : (

Cancer is a killer and, as much as you can deny it, especially when you’re young, life is really short. Love is the answer and trying to live a life that is decent, kind, and good. Everyone will have regrets in the end, but we should work to be the best we can be.

Ms. Wersching sounds like she was a wonderful person, a loving mother and wife, and a gifted performer. The outpouring of love from her family and friends is evidence of that. She sounds like a person who’s life was well-lived. Bless her! My thoughts and prayers are with her family at this truly horrible time for them.

Depressing news. When I saw the announcement, it didn’t mention her Picard role and didn’t know THAT until I got to this site. I’m just numb. I’ve had relatives drop just about every 30-45 days the last few months. Its awful. Her Borg Queen portrayal was creepy with the blackened eyes, but effective.

Is Star Trek: Picard's Borg Queen A Brand-New Character? Here's What The Actress Says

Are we dealing with one Borg Queen or multiple versions of her?

While the Borg started out in Star Trek: The Next Generation as cybernetic beings all operating under a hive mind called the Collective without any kind of command hierarchy, the 1997 movie Star Trek: First Contact introduced the Borg Queen, who was established as guiding the Collective. The Borg Queen has been previously been played Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson ( Cher was also looked at for the role ), and she's now being brought to life in Star Trek: Picard Season 2 by 24 alum Annie Wersching. But there’s something about the character that hasn’t been clarified over the years: is there just the one Borg Queen, or are there multiple characters who hold that position?

As Annie Wersching sees it, the Borg Queen she’s playing in Star Trek: Picard is different from the ones we saw in Star Trek: First Contact , numerous episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and the “I, Excretus” episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks . As the actress explained to THR :

In my opinion, she is a different incarnation of the Queen. [My version] is going to have all the information and all the memories that the other two queens have, but she is her own incarnation.

Following Alice Krige’s debut as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact . Susanna Thompson’s version of the character appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager two-parters “Dark Frontier” and “Unimatrix Zero,” and Krige returned to the role for the series’ two-part finale “Endgame.” During that time, it was never officially established if there are several Borg Queens who control different portions of the Borg Collective, or just the same queen we’ve been seeing over and over who’s able to keep cheating death by downloading her consciousness into a new body. It remains to be seen if Star Trek: Picard will provide a definitive answer, but Annie Wersching has made her position on the matter clear.

SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Picard episode “Penance” are ahead!

As the actress noted, because her Borg Queen can access information obtained by her predecessors, this mystery could just be a moot point as far as the Star Trek: Picard storyline goes. Annie Wersching’s Borg Queen also has the benefit of having a “trans-temporal awareness” allowing her to hear echoes of herself across other realities. This is how she was able to realize that time was broken, and she now exists in a reality where she’s the only surviving Borg. 

Annie Wersching’s Borg Queen was scheduled to be executed at the hands of Jean-Luc Picard, who’s a ruthless, genocidal general for the Confederation in this reality. However, because of her ability to guide the protagonists into the past (specifically 2024 Los Angeles) so they can fix Q’s alterations to the timeline , she was saved from that fate. Whether this is a new Borg Queen or not, she finds herself cut off from the Collective, so she’s forced to ally with non-assimilated individuals. That’s not to say though that the Borg Queen has intentions she’s keeping to herself, and here’s what Wersching had to say about that:

The Borg Queen is in such a distressed state at this point, which is not a way we are used to seeing her. She is usually so in control. I think a really interesting development that happens through the season is her interest in Agnes [Alison Pill], and what is that exactly. There is something very interesting in their relationship.

While spouting off scientific gibberish about the broken timeline, the Borg Queen referred to Alison Pill’s Agnes Jurati as a “fragile teacup” who was accustomed to a feeling of “un-belonging.” It appears Annie Wersching’s character has taken an interest in Agnes, and however that plays out over the rest of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, it’s reasonable to assume that will cause more trouble than good. At least Wersching’s comments imply we won’t have to worry about seeing numerous Borg Queens together… right?

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Bosch and Runaways alum Annie Wersching will join the Season 2 cast of Paramount +’s and CBS Studios’ Star Trek : Picard. The series stars Patrick Stewart, Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Evan Evagora, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, Jeri Ryan, Orla Brady and Brent Spiner.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 follows its titular character (Stewart) into the next chapter of his life. Season 2 also touts the return of John de Lancie’s Q.

Wersching will recur as the Borg Queen. Alice Krige played the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact and VOY: Endgame . Susanna Thompson also took on the character in Star Trek: Voyager .

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 sees Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, Terry Matalas, Michael Chabon, Doug Aarniokoski, Dylan Massin, Patrick Stewart, Heather Kadin, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers; Aaron Baiers and Kirsten Beyer serve as co-executive producers.   Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas serve as co-showrunners for Season 2.

The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.

In addition to Bosch and Runaways , Wersching’s credits include The Rookie, Timeless, The Vampire Diaries, Castle, Dallas and 24 . She is repped by Innovative Artists.

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The casting was first reported by Deadline and will make Wersching the third actress to take on the role — originally played by Alice Krige in Star Trek: First Contact and later in Star Trek: Voyager . Susanna Thompson later played the Borg Queen in the Voyager episodes “Dark Frontier”, “Unimatrix Zero”, and “Unimatrix Zero, Part II”.

Wersching is no stranger to the Star Trek franchise, previously appearing on Enterprise as Liana in the first season episode “Oasis.” Her other credits include Bosch , Runaways , Timeless , The Vampire Diaries and General Hospital .

How the Borg Queen will factor into the second season of Picard is unknown but there’s a good chance she will face off against Jean-Luc Picard at some point and reignite their rivalry.

Star Trek: Picard season two will also see John de Lancie return as Q, which was revealed back in April with the premiere of the second season trailer.

The series will star Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard), Alison Pill (Agnes Jurati), Isa Briones (Soji Asha), Evan Evagora (Elnor), Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Santiago Cabrera (Chris Rios), Jeri Ryan (Seven of Nine), Orla Brady (Laris) and Brent Spiner (Altan Soong). Akiva Goldsman and Terry Matalas will serve as showrunners.

The second season will consist of ten episodes and is expected to premiere on Paramount+ in 2022.

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