(written from a Production point of view)
Biff Yeager (born 24 October 1942; age 78) is the actor who played the role of Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Argyle in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episodes "Where No One Has Gone Before" and "Datalore".
In a review of "Where No One Has Gone Before" for TV Squad, Wil Wheaton suggested (with the caveat that this was based on his memories of 20-years past, and that he was only 14 years old at the time), that the character of Argyle was under consideration by producers to become a permanent chief engineer for the Enterprise until they began receiving letters campaigning for Argyle, referencing one of his episodes before it had aired, and fans began complaining that they had been spammed via mail which asked them to write in on behalf of Yeager. [1]
Yeager is currently best known for his recurring appearances as Tom on the television series Gilmore Girls. One episode he appeared in also guest-starred fellow TNG guest performer Mädchen Amick. Another episode featured Bruce French; yet another featured Lawrence Pressman. He has also appeared on such shows as Knots Landing, T.J. Hooker (starring James Darren, Richard Herd, and, of course, William Shatner), Buffalo Bill (starring Joanna Cassidy and John Fiedler), Hill Street Blues, Hardcastle and McCormick (starring Brian Keith and Daniel Hugh Kelly), Murder, She Wrote, Alien Nation (starring Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, Michele Scarabelli, and Ron Fassler), The Wonder Years, Dallas, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Married… with Children, Judging Amy, and Scrubs.
Yeager has also appeared in three popular films from gothic director Tim Burton: Edward Scissorhands in 1990; Batman Returns in 1992 (with Vincent Schiavelli and Sean Whalen; and Ed Wood in 1994 (with Daniel Riordan and Mike Starr). He actually made his film debut with an uncredited role in the 1957 John Wayne drama Jet Pilot, which also featured Bill Erwin, Paul Fix, and Kenneth Tobey. His many other film credits since then have included Frances (1982, with Jonathan Banks, Anne Haney, and Keone Young), Repo Man (1984, with Tracey Walter, George Sawaya, and Angelique Pettyjohn, and music from Iggy Pop), Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985, with Ed Lauter and Morgan Woodward), Savage Dawn (1985, with Richard Lynch, Charles H. Hyman, and Tim Culbertson), Prime Risk (1985, with Patricia McPherson, Lois Hall, and Carey Scott), Jagged Edge (1985, with Michael Dorn and Leigh Taylor-Young), Sid and Nancy (1986, with Iggy Pop), Walker (1987, with Rene Auberjonois, Gerrit Graham and Keith Szarabajka), Another 48 Hours (1990; with Kevin Tighe, Ed O'Ross, David Anthony Marshall, Bernie Casey, Page Leong, Allan Graf, Rex Pierson, Benjamin Lum, Victor Brandt and Shauna O'Brien; music by James Horner; stunts by Patricia Tallman), The Glass Shield (1994, with Bernie Casey, Jim Fitzpatrick, Natalia Nogulich, and Lori Petty), and White Oleander (2002, with John Billingsley).
He had a recurring role as Mr. Shelly Borkman on Walk the Prank. (with Paul Eliopoulos, Tim Sitarz)
