Celebrate Iggy Pop’s 73rd Birthday By Recalling His Guest Spot on ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’

Iggy Pop. It’s a name that exudes the very essence of what it means to be “punk rock,” and today the man born as James Newell Osterberg Jr. celebrates his 73rd birthday.

On the official Iggy Pop website, fans can currently download his 1985 cover of “Family Affair,” originally performed by Sly & the Family Stone — as the singer offered up as a surprise for fans on his own birthday:

Iggy Pop (admittedly a catchier name than that birth one, no offense to Mr. & Mrs. Louella and James Osterberg) hasn’t owned a shirt in decades, preferring to conduct himself in a manner all his own.

OK, that first part part isn’t true, but the second certainly is. The man has been a firebrand of originality and punked-up energy for years, but did you also know he had a role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine?

Yep — way back in September 1997, the syndicated science fiction program aired an episode titled The Magnificent Ferengi, featuring Pop as a character named Yelgun. Here he is, in all his glory:

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, click here to watch the full episode.

Iggy Pop is one of many A-list talents you may or may not have known turned up in a Star Trek program over the years — here’s a fun compilation video of others, if you’re interested.

Admittedly, Iggy Pop’s star turn as Yelgun was unbeknownst to us, but was pointed out on Twitter by a fan responding to a Tweet from the official account regarding his birthday this week:

Or you could watch him in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Fun episode from 1997 – The Magnificent Ferengi (Season 6 Ep. 10) 👽

— Angela Jang (@SomebodySayWish) April 20, 2020

Happy birthday, Iggy Pop. Thanks for your 2019 album, Free, a testament to your unwavering originality:

Keep on being you.