9 Things You Should Know About Chase Masterson

Chase Masterson, everyone's favorite Bajoran Dabo girl Leeta, is celebrating her birthday today. To mark the occasion, StarTrek.com is happy to share 9 Things You Should Know About Chase Masterson.

A Love For Art As Communication

She was was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She seemed destined to become an actress. As she told StarTrek.com in a 2011 interview, "My mom was a theater director and actress while I was growing up. I did my first play when I was five, and continued working throughout high school; instead of going to standard activities after school, or just hanging out with friends, I always went with her to the theater or worked in other, larger theaters in programs at universities, etc... My being an actress is based in my love for art as communication. Beyond simply being entertainment, I feel that theater, television and film are the most effective ways to bring messages to an audience, to inspire change, to bring healing. Great storytelling, especially in the beautifully allegorical ways that this genre does it, is a powerful way to awaken the world, one person at a time. Including ourselves."

Before Deep Space Nine

Masterson's pre-DS9 acting credits included General Hospital and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

Becoming Leeta

The actress ultimately played Leeta in 17 episodes ofDS9 from 1995-1999.

Hours of Make-Up

It took three hours in the makeup chair each day to transform Masterson into Leeta.

Kissing Rom

Speaking of makeup, things got tricky when Leeta and Rom got together romantically. Asked by a StarTrek.com reader in 2011 how hard it was to kiss Max Grodenchik (who played Rom) with all that prosthetic makeup on his face and those teeth in his mouth, Masterson replied, "Well, after the laughing subsided, it was fine. Make no mistake, actors often suddenly revert to being nine years old during kissing scenes – and Max and I were no exception. The only rough thing was that he got his orange make-up on me, which I guess was fair play, since girls are always getting their lipstick on guys. I guess that’s part of Rom’s feminine side."

After Deep Space Nine

Masterson's post-DS9 film and TV credits have included The Specials, Presidio Heat, Manticore, Yesterday Was a Lie (which she co-produced) and The Flash. She's also done voiceover work for two Doctor Who audio dramas, The Shadow Heart and Night of the Stormcrow.

Admiral Leeta

She has voiced Leeta in the past for Star Trek Online. And now, for Star Trek Online's Agents of Yesterday expansion, Artifacts, Masterson will be reprising her role as Admiral Leeta from the Mirror Universe.

Beyond Acting

Beyond acting, Masterson is a singer. She's performed in concert at many conventions around the world and has released two albums, Yesterday Was a Lie and Burned with Desire.

The Pop Culture Hero Coalition

In 2013, Masterson founded -- with Carrie Goldman and Matt Langdon -- the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, the first-ever 501c3 organization to use the themes of Star Trek and other socially conscious TV shows and films to lead children and adults in acts of real-life heroism, paralleling the onscreen stories fans love. “I founded this Coalition in order to be a true embodiment of Kirk’s words, 'Let me help,’” Masterson told StarTrek.com in 2015. "In the spirit of Star Trek, the Pop Culture Hero Coalition... uses the universal appeal of TV and film to create anti-bullying programs in schools, communities and pop culture cons. The Coalition also works against racism, misogyny, cyber-bullying and other forms of hate, using the powerful themes of Trek and other genre stories to bring justice and healing, and to encourage everyday heroism."