john de lancie

Born John Sherwood de Lancie, Jr. on March 20, 1948, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John de Lancie is the son of John de Lancie, the principal oboist for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, he faced reading challenges but discovered acting at age 14, performing in a high school production of William Shakespeare’s ‘Henry V.’ He furthered his education at Kent State University and, after receiving a scholarship, attended the Juilliard School, establishing a career in theater before transitioning into film and television work.

De Lancie gained significant recognition for his portrayal of the omnipotent character Q across various ‘Star Trek’ series, including ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987-1994), ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993), ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ (1996-2001), and more recently, ‘Star Trek: Picard’ (2022-2023) and ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (2025). Beyond ‘Star Trek,’ de Lancie has held recurring roles as Eugene Bradford on ‘Days of Our Lives’ (1982-1986; 1989-1990), Frank Simmons in ‘Stargate SG-1’ (2001-2002), and Donald Margolis in ‘Breaking Bad’ (2009-2010). His distinctive voice has also been a hallmark of his career, notably as Discord in ‘My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic’ (2011-2019) and various video game characters like Trias in ‘Planescape: Torment’ and Alarak in ‘StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.’

In addition to his acting, de Lancie has contributed to various creative endeavors, co-writing the ‘Star Trek’ novel ‘I, Q’ and “Soldier of Light.” He has also engaged in stage work, performing and directing for Los Angeles Theater Works and serving as a narrator for major orchestras, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics. As a secular activist, he has been a featured speaker at events like the Reason Rally in 2016, advocating for atheism and humanism. De Lancie co-produced the documentary ‘Bronies: The Extremely Unexpected Adult Fans of My Little Pony,’ which successfully raised over $322,000 on Kickstarter in 2012.