Actor James Read portrayed Jaffen in the Star Trek: Voyager episodes Workforce, Part I and Workforce, Part II
His first role was as part of the original cast of the television series Remington Steele. His big break was a starring role in the mini-series North and South where he portrayed George Hazard. Jonathan Frakes and Kirstie Alley played Read's brother and sister, Stanley and Virgilia Hazard. Read would portray the character in the two sequels, North and South, Book II and North and South, Book III.
In recent years he's been seen in the films Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2 playing Reese Witherspoon's father and is a recurring character on the television series Charmed, playing Alyssa Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Shannen Doherty's father.