Christopher Rydell (born 16 November 1963; age 61) is the actor who played the Alien Astronaut in the Star Trek: Enterprise first season episode "Dear Doctor".
Rydell is the son of Star Trek: The Original Series guest actress Joanne Linville and director Mark Rydell. His sister Amy Rydell is also an occasional actress.
Rydell has started his career when he was young and appeared in small roles in films, directed by his father. Among the films he has played in are Cinderella Liberty (1973), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976, with Bert Remsen and Ted Cassidy), Gotcha! (1985, with Greg Karas and Gene LeBell), Listen to Me (1989, with Anthony Zerbe, Timothy Dang, Tom Schanley, Lilyan Chauvin, and Tricia Sheldon), By the Sword (1991, with F. Murray Abraham, Doug Wert, and Brett Cullen), For the Boys (1991, with Jack Sheldon, Bruce Gray, Matthew Faison, Andy Milder, David Selburg, David Bowe, and Andy Dick), Flesh and Bone (1993, with Barbara Alyn Woods), A Man Is Mostly Water (2000), Last Goodbye (2004), and Dr. Rage (2005, with John Kassir).
Rydell has also guest starred in several television series such as Cagney & Lacey (1984), Family Ties (1984, with Robert Pine), The Hitchhiker (1990), and as the narrator in the Beyond the Glory episode The Buss Family (2004).