Star Trek: The Next Generation ran for seven seasons between 1987 and 1994 and its characters grew to be older and wiser during that time. The crew went through so much on their missions to explore strange new worlds that it may come as a surprise what their actual ages were during the first and last seasons of the show. TNG features many of the best characters from Trek history, including Captain Picard, Data, Wesley Crusher, and more.
Unlike in Star Trek: The Original Series, where Kirk’s original crew were around the same age, the eight main bridge characters on Captain Picard’s Enterprise came together at very different stages in their lives. The in-universe date at the start of TNG was the year 2364 and by the end of the series, it was the year 2370. Over this time period, Picard’s Enterprise crew were together for weddings, the birth of children, deaths, and birthdays. Here’s how old they all were during their initial six-year run together on the Enterprise.
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Picard was born on July 13, 2305. He was 59 at the start of TNG and 65 by season 7. He was originally intended to be about a decade younger but Patrick Stewart’s characteristic baldness may have contributed to the decision to age the character up. Patrick Stewart was 47 when he started playing Picard and 54 by the time TNG ended.
William T. Riker
Commander Riker was born in the year 2335. He was 29 during season 1 of TNG and 35 during the final season. He’d originally planned to become Captain by age 35, but he didn’t accept the position until 2379 when he was 44. Jonathan Frakes was 35 at the start of TNG and 42 at the end.
Data
Lieutenant Commander Data was created around the year 2336, which made him 28 at the start of TNG and 34 at the end. He was in his early forties when he sacrificed himself in Star Trek: Nemesis. Brent Spiner was 38 at the start of TNG and 45 at the end.
Geordi LaForge
Lieutenant LaForge was born on February 16th, 2335. He was 28 at the start of TNG and 34 by the end. LeVar Burton was 30 at the start of the series and 37 in the final season.
Worf
Lieutenant Worf was born in 2340. He was 24 at the start of TNG, and he celebrated his 30th birthday with the crew in the season 7 episode “Parallels.” Michael Dorn was 35 when he began playing Worf and 42 when TNG ended, although he continued to play Worf in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, creating the record for most Star Trek appearances. By the time DS9 ended Worf was 35 and Dorn was 47.
Deanna Troi
Counselor Troi was born on March 29, 2336. She was 28 at the start of TNG and 34 by the end. Marina Sirtis was 35 when TNG began and 42 in its final season.
Beverly Crusher
Doctor Crusher was born on October 13, 2324. She was 40 during the first season of TNG and 41 when she left in the second season to become Head of Starfleet Medical. She was 46 at the end of season 7. Gates McFadden was 38 at the start of TNG and 45 by the end.
Wesley Crusher
Wesley (Wil Wheaton) was born on July 29, 2348, making him only 15 years old when he first came aboard the Enterprise. He was 21 in the final season, although his last regular appearance on the show was before he left for Starfleet Academy in season 4 when he was 18. Wil Wheaton was 15 in the first season and 22 in the final season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
