Aron Eisenberg of ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ Dies At Age 50, Fans Mourn

Aron Eisenberg

| September 22, 2019 | By: Laurie Ulster 74 comments so far

It is with deep sadness that we report that actor Aron Eisenberg died last night.  His wife, Malissa Longo, posted the tragic news along with this moving tribute on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/malissa.longo/posts/10157104112256141

 

We don’t yet know the cause of death, but Eisenberg has had two kidney transplants. Friends and family are raising money to help offset the costs of his funeral.

Eisenberg played Nog on all seven seasons of Deep Space Nine, and guest-starred as a young Kazon in the Voyager episode “initiations.” He also hosted two video podcasts about the series, one with Voyager‘s Garrett Wang and Big Brother‘s”Evel Dick” Donato, and another with his DS9 buddy Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) called The 7th Rule. He was also a talented photographer, and a devoted husband and father.

His friends and colleagues mourned his passing on Twitter.

Aron’s last post on Instagram:

We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Aron, you will be missed.

 

SHARE TWEET PIN SHARE

Related Articles

74 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

*salutes* What can be said? He was young…

~Pensive’s Wetness (retired)

Aron Eisenberg did a masterful job of portraying Nog. The character started out as an annoying child and grew into a complex and rich young adult. It was a fusion of great writing and acting.

From reading his wife and others’ posts he was a beloved person in real life and made the world a better place. Condolences to his family and friends.

He was a young man who wanted to overcome his own failings and the limitations of his society to do better and be better.

Nog was what Star Trek was about.

Nog had one of the most satisfying character arcs of the entire series. Your observation is spot on—that the show was well written is undeniable, but Aron took what could’ve been a throwaway bit-part in one episode, made it his own, and breathed life into a character who became beloved by fans of the series.

Condolences ….

RIP, Aaron.

Very sad, but unfortunately not entirely unexpected. I’m no doctor but from what I understand, the problem with very little people is that the internal vital organs don’t have enough space and are easily damaged, leading to early organ failure and/or tremendous pain, often ending in suicide.

The little guy who was in The Man With the Golden Gun or the actor who played Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies come to mind.

I believe it was actually an auto accident.

WRONG, dude you didn’t even read the article. He has suffered from health issues. He is also not a little person. He suffered from the same problem that Gary Colman had with his kidney’s. Lived to about the same age and height.

He was 4’11”. I am 5″ and am not classified as a “little person”. Being short means you’re short. Being a little person means you have a genetic condition.

“Little People of America (LPA) defines dwarfism as a medical/genetic condition that usually results in an adult height of 4’10” or shorter among both men and women although, in some cases, a person with a dwarfing “condition” may be slightly taller than that…”

Just fyi. :)

He’d have a place in my heart just for the improv ‘dance’ Nog did with Jadzia, but on top of that, everything I ever heard about the guy was that he seemed ‘aces’ in all ways. Kudos to treksphere, whatever it is, for their offer (guess I’ll have to check it out.)

Deepest sympathies.

My heart aches to hear this.

After the kidney transplants, it had seemed, at least in the public sphere, that Aron was stronger.

But I know that the strongest among those with long term health challenges push forward in the face of pain and illness. That will to go forward and not give in to how circumstance could define his life seemed to be a common thread between the actor and Nog the character that he played.

I’ve checked out his social media over recent years. His presence was thoughtful and grounded in values. The sincere sorrow of those who worked with Aron, reflects the integrity that he presented.

Too soon indeed.

That was lovely, @TG47.

This is very sad news. The universe of Trek has lost another star; the world has lost another sensitive soul.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

RIP — and thank you for a wonderful character who had something real to say

Garak may have been my favorite recurring character on DS9, but Nog was a close second and Aron himself was at the top of the list of my favorite actors on the show. I never had the opportunity to meet him in person, but in every interview I’ve seen he was always so charming and articulate, and always seemed to just be so grateful to be a part of the series.

Only 50. I’m almost 6 years older. I think I need to go hug my partner right now. RIP Aron. If a kind heart and generosity of spirit count for anything, the Blessed Exchequer has surely welcomed you into the Divine Treasury.

Such a talented actor and a really nice human soul. Gone far too early. RIP brother. ❤️

Eisenberg’s acting was a major part of the appeal of DS9.

Eisenberg, Armin Shimmerman, Rene Aberjonois, J.G. Hertzler, Jeffery Combs… It’s the character actors that did the heavy lifting for that more (than TNG) character-driven show.

So sad to hear this, his character and journey was one of the best of Star Trek. I think he would have been happy to know how many people will always remember him for the rest of their lives. We’ve lost another part of our family. May he say hi to Gene, DeForrest, Majel, Leonard, Jimmy Doohan and Grace Lee Whitney.

It’s sad he’s gone but beautfitul how many lives he touched, and he seemed like a really great guy. It just goes to show how big, strong and loving the Trek family is to see the world react the way it has. Rest in power.

So sad. Love Nog. A character that started off annoyingly and grew to be such an icon. Cant believe he is gone at only 50 years.

Very sad news. He was too young to go. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP, Aron.

Just read of this on Yahoo. What a shame, he was so young.

Very sad, I will always appreciate his hard work to entertain myself and my family. Sad for his family.

This is terrible news. I am grieving a loss myself recently. I agree that Nog had a wonderful character arc and that Aron took a small part and made it his own — by the end of the series Nog was every bit as much senior staff as Cisco, O’Brien, Jadzia, and the others. And while I never otherwise cared for Vic Fontaine, “It’s Only a Paper Moon” is a classic. My condolences to Aron’s family and friends.

As a PTSD sufferer, I got to tell Mr. Eisenberg how much the episode of DS9 that dealt with that meant to me.
He stopped what he was doing, shook my hand and asked if I was ok. When I said that I was, he thanked me profusely for watching the show.
I help a vendor out at STLV every year and his booth is always near Mr. Eisenberg’s table.
You could always hear his booming voice and hearty laugh.
STLV 2020 will be a little quieter next year.
Boldy Go, Aron…. Boldly Go…

He portrayed Nog in Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Online. It was a blast playing besides Captain Nog. Aron will be missed by Star Trek fans worldwide. RIP

Damn!

I can’t believe this. I saw it on CNN. It’s a shock he’s gone so soon. I’ll echo what many have already said but he seem like such a great guy and he had one of the most sincere heartfelt exchanges in What We Left Behind discussing his time on DS9. I almost choke up when he talks about it.

His character on the show went from a two dimensional unlikable person to one of the most inspired in the whole franchise. I love Nog and more importantly Aron Eisenberg’s portrayal. He will be missed.

Funny, I rewatched probably his best episode of the show, “It’s Only a Paper Moon” last month. Looks like I’ll be watching it again.

Even though he was a small stature actor , he cast a large presence for his fans . One that brought warmth and respect in all he offered us from his ability , dedication and friendship . Safe journey to the stars and beyond , Aron .

So sad for the goodbye, but THRILLED by the joy we experienced from his life. He was(IS!) a treasure.

Wow so sad to hear that Eisenberg passed away so suddenly and at such a young age. His portrayal of Nog was masterfully done. Aron obviously cherished his work on Star Trek and the chance to meet fans at events like STLV. Also, I was very heartened to see the Star Trek fandom has responded so very positively to the Gofundme initiative. RIP Aron.

It’s nice to see that the GoFundMe has exceeded its goal. Please consider a donation if you have the means….

THIS REALLY, REALLY SUCKS! GREAT GUY!

Another gem is lost. He owned his role, and Nog will forever be a Star Trek legend. I did not know he was suffering from kidney problems… Perhaps we should start naming newly discovered exo-planets after lost Star Trek characters?

Absolutely heartbreaking, he always seemed like a genuinely good person, not just putting it on for the fans, but genuinely good.

I don’t think I can match the eloquence of many other commenters here — much has already been said beautifully — but Aron Eisenberg clearly made a huge positive impact on people who knew him. The brightest flames sometimes blaze for the shortest time; this happens far too often in life.

To echo what others have said, Aron did a phenomenal job portraying Nog’s transformation from Jake’s goofy teenage friend to a fiercely dedicated Starfleet bridge officer that you can absolutely believe was on the command track. Many wonderful scenes too: Nog with the earpiece acting as the communications intermediary between Sisko and the rest of the Defiant; the PTSD episode; the Visitor; the baseball card episode; Nog’s “respect” scenes with Martok. Many, many more.

As a tribute to Aron, perhaps the Picard show could include one of the main characters mentioning “Captain Nog” having heroically saved thousands/millions of lives (maybe during the Romulan rescue mission, for example). It should be pretty easy to insert a single sentence of dialogue in this way; I’m sure Patrick Stewart or Jeri Ryan would be happy to do it.

My condolences to Aron’s family and friends. May his memory be a blessing.

Even with principal photography over, it would be easy to add that kind of mention of Nog via looping or for a log entry. That’s a great idea, Jai.

Make it so…

Well said , Jai !

he was just super nice and he loved trek so much… saw him at the ds9 screening of the new doc and was so enthusiastic about that and trek that it was infectious. watching him and cirroc together and still being friends and doing a podcast together was a blast… this is so sad. i think this is the biggest trek death in the modern trek era of a major actor on a show… from tng and beyond…

There is Anton Yelchin. And Majel Barrett was in several hundred episodes in the Berman era.

i knew someone was gonna do that… i’m very aware of those… i wasn’t thinking it was a competition but majel is still original trek… she’s the queen of trek… if roddenberry’s the king… and while anton was a sad tragedy and he was terrific he was just a small part in 2 movies… plus i said a major actor on a show… anton was not on a show… and majel was terrific as lwaxana but she did only a few (no her voice work doesnt count for me) and wouldn’t be considered a major cast member to tng… lots of guest actors or crew members have died but many would rank aron’s work as nog as significant in ds9… again it’s not a competition… looking at series characters from tng on this is the biggest loss

Sure, he’s the first by the incredibly narrow definition of guest actors who played the same role in more than 9 episodes not counting voice work.

he’s the first of any regular and major recurring since the late 80s… yes… i’m very proud of you… his spirit must be looking down with joy

Shocking when one passes so very young.

Condolences from another fan.

..with all the rumors and facts floating around about ST:Picard, one was either he wanted to appear or was actually going to be Captain Nog. It is never easy losing any of our Trek family.

A true gentleman. Sadly missed.

We lost Sid Haig, the First Lawgiver of Return of the Archons today.

I met him once at a Trek convention in Philadelphia. Real nice guy, very approachable and seemed to genuinely enjoy meeting and chatting with fans. I loved his character on DS9, Nog was the perfect compatriot for Jake Sisko.

He will be missed! RIP Aron.

The GoFundMe site has been reopened. Please consider a small donation.

An Admin at the DS9 Facebook page has posted the following:
“Like many of you, we as admins have wondered what happened to Aron. A variety of rumors have circulated in the past days. But now we have official confirmation of what happened.

As many of you know, Aron loved soccer and enjoyed coaching a kids soccer team. It seems that as he walked off the field, he collapsed and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. His death was not due to his well known kidney issues but was a heart attack.”

I didn’t know Aron coached a kids soccer team, but do find it appropriate that he was doing something he loved and found great joy in.

That’s really sad and scary.
Just goes to show that one can never know what tomorrow will bring. Life can be so cruel and unexpected sometimes. RIP.

Heartfelt condolences to all his family.

Warp Speed Ahead, and Thank You, Mr. Eisenberg. 🖖

I thought this was nice. There is a petition to get a Nog statue in the Picard show:

https://comicbook.com/startrek/2019/09/28/star-trek-aron-eisenberg-death-captain-nog-statue-picard-petitio/

I don’t think it will happen, but it would be nice to have something done.

I’m not sure that that would make sense. We’re all sad that Aron is dead, but Nog is just a normal guy in-universe. He probably isn’t even dead. Unless they visit Ferenginar, and Rom has had a statue built of his son, I don’t really see it making sense for there to be a statue of him. Plus, filming has finished on season 1.

I think it would make a lot of sense. He was the first Ferengi in Starfleet, that alone would earn him a statue. And if they made this season 8 episode 1 of the DS9 doku semi canon, he also would have died in the line of duty. Sure thing he would get a statue.

There are hundreds of species in Starfleet. We’ve never seen statues of Worf, or of any other Starfleet officer. Unless Nog saved the galaxy or something, I can’t see them making a statue of him. I also can’t really see them making the DS9 documentary stuff semi-canon.

If they use story points from the documentary they may need to pay royalties/give writing credit to the DS9 writers from the documentary because this wasn’t made by CBS.

In theory, they could add a statue to a scene during post-production even with principle photography finished. Whether it makes sense is another question. There haven’t been a lot of statues commemorating Starfleet heroes in Trek before. Either Starfleet isn’t big on statues or we just haven’t seen them, yet.

They made a lot of fuss about the one of Zefram Cochrane.

Zefram Cochrane was the founder of their civilization. He has a near mythical status in the Federation. Nog was just a normal Starfleet officer who happened to be a Ferengi.

he was unique, alongside spock, worf and data as the first of their kind to join starfleet so he deserves recognition.

and it just be nice to do in honor of aron.

tony,

Re: he deserves recognition

But why does the fictional character Nog suddenly deserve a statue over the others that you cited who the Federation has yet to see fit to immortalize in stone?

@tony Spock wasn’t the first Vulcan in Starfleet, T’Pol was. Worf wasn’t the first Klingon in Starfleet, Voq was. It’s not likely Data was the first Android either.

Who cares,

Re: Data was the first [Starfleet] Android either.

That would be Norman. Although I, MUDD doesn’t establish how legitimate his assignment to the Enterprise was. It may have been as phony as KT Carol Marcus’ or he may have Questor’ed his way through Starfleet Academy. It was never investigated on screen as to how Norman managed it.

@Disinvited

I thought about Norman, but given the events of I, Mudd and The Escape Artist it seems that Harry discovered the planet much earlier than previously believed. Like before he ever met Kirk. He had a ship full of Android duplicates of himself, and was selling them to bounty hunters looking to turn him in for the Federation’s bounty on him (100K Credits), his buyers were unaware of course. This followed the events of Magic to Make The Sanest Man Mad, as the last charge on his bounty was “penetrating a space whale”, ie the space going creature he used to get aboard Discovery with his Time Crystal. He made 60 strips of Latinum for each sale, I’m not sure the exchange rate of Latinum to Credits but his buyers thought it was a fair cut, so I assume 20 to 40 K Credits each sale, possibly 50.

All those factors considered Mudd certainly had the capacity and time to both plant an Android with a false Starfleet personnel file, and send an Android to Starfleet Academy. However without the need to obtain a ship full of people for the Androids why would he send Norman to the Academy?

So while I can’t say for sure that Norman wasn’t genuinely commissioned I am leaning towards not. Still, we could someday find out about yet another that served at some time before Data. Don’t forget that when Riker met Data and asked him about being an Android he then assumed that Data’s rank was honorary, implying a Starfleet standard procedure for Androids to serve.

Then too, in the Kelvin Timeline, there is Science Officer 0718 (Joseph Gatt in STID). His official origin is that an alien intelligence inhabited the Enterprise and grew itself a body, when the ship was later threatened with destruvction it sacrificed its mind to save the ship, leaving a vacant body. Spock then programmed a new intelligence, and he became a member of the crew. So in the Kelvin Timeline at least Data isn’t the first.

Who cares,

Re: why would he [Mudd] send Norman to the Academy?

Because HE didn’t send Norman anywhere. Norman sent himself out to investigate Harry’s claims that humans would be suitable for Norman and his kind to “serve.” as replacements for their original creators who, if I recall correctly, abandoned Norman and his ilk because they couldn’t stand their smothering care’s suffocation.

In this scenario, Norman would’ve enrolled in the academy so that he could learn all he could about humans to better determine their suitability for the role he intended for 400 or so of them to play in his “world’s” need to serve.

Although, I must say that since Norman was unique, i.e. he had no duplicate and was the linchpin to all the other androids on his world, I did find it puzzling that he found it logical to risk his irreplaceable self in an off-world mission – even one that might have been solely limited to infiltrating the Enterprise?

tony,

Re: he deserves recognition

But why does the fictional character Nog suddenly deserve a statue over the others, equally deserving of recognition, that you cited who the Federation has yet to see fit to immortalize in stone (The only statuary that I recall was for Data from a non-Federation civilization and then there was that collector who was planning to blisterpack him?)

An ephemeral fictional Nog statue doesn’t honor Aron, at best it might honor the writer who created the character to whom Aron lent his likeness. If we truly want to honor Aron we do that by putting his actual name on something with a little more substance and permanence than a CGI statue where it doesn’t even appear.

I’m sorry but to me, this just comes off sounding irrational, like fans planning to raise funds for Aron’s grave marker by having it be solely a Nog grave marker.

‘you told him about the statue?’

This is just one of those things about Trek fans that I find both endearing about them in their motivations while simultaneously being repulsed by the turning away from their normal hyper-rationalism towards blurring the lines between the fictional roles that the actors portrayed and the very real lives that those same actors, real people all, led.

I’m sorry, but a fictional statue to Nog is NOT equivalent to a real statue to a very deserving Aron Eisenberg that honors the real life he led and the real lives he touched. Worse, it is very difficult to see how killing off a fictional character for no other reason than because Aron died, honors anyone?

They may have a memorial wall at Starfleet HQ or Academy , that Nog could be on ?

Have only just heard this very sad news today (30 Sep) which was quite a shock.

Can only really echo all of the previous comments and say what a truly great job Mr Eisenberg did in portraying the role of Nog. In a show which placed so much emphasis on character, his arc had perhaps the most development and growth of anyone.

So nice to see just what he meant to everyone who knew him in real life too.

RIP Aron. Thanks for everything.

In addition to what countless fans have said, you can tell he was a gentle and kind soul just by looking in his eyes. He will be missed by millions and I can’t think of a greater tribute to the man. Rest in peace.

He will be missed, I am glad I got to talk with him a few times that the Vegas convention. Even got a photo op with him and Max in makeup & costume one year.