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Deborah May is the actress who played Haneek in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine second season episode "Sanctuary" and Lyris in the Star Trek: Voyager third season episode "Favorite Son".

May was a regular on CBS' Guiding Light from 1979 through 1980 and then again from 1982 through 1983. She also had recurring roles on St. Elsewhere, ER, and Gideon's Crossing, HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, L.A. Law, Murder One, and Days of Our Lives.

Following her time on Guiding Light, May co-starred with Bill Cobbs, George Coe, Kevin Conway, and John Glover in NBC's 1983 two-part made-for-TV movie Rage of Angels. The following year, she made her feature film debut with a brief role in the romantic comedy The Woman in Red, which also featured Viola Stimpson.

On St. Elsewhere, May portrayed Terri Valere for twelve episodes during the show's fourth (1985-86) season. Fellow Star Trek alumni William Daniels, Ed Begley, Jr., Norman Lloyd, Jennifer Savidge, and Alfre Woodard were regulars on this series during May's tenure. Among the other Star Trek veterans May worked with on the show are Gary Armagnac, Fran Bennett, K Callan, Robert Costanzo, Lily Mariye, Terrence O'Connor, Joseph Ruskin, William Schallert, Eve Smith, Brenda Strong, Linda Thorson, and George D. Wallace.

May's other television credits during the 1980s include guest spots on Falcon Crest (starring Robert Foxworth), Hotel (with Cliff Potts), Remington Steele (with Daniel Davis and Dakin Matthews), The Twilight Zone (in a segment directed by Paul Lynch and co-starring Earl Billings and William Schallert), and Murphy Brown (with Harley Venton). She also appeared in In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988, starring Ronny Cox, Bruce Greenwood, and David Soul).

May appeared as Carla Stritch in two episodes of L.A. Law. Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star Corbin Bernsen and Voyager guest actor Larry Drake were regulars on this series. May's first episode, 1988's "Sperminator", also featured Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor. Her second episode, 1990's "Noah's Bark", co-starred Diana Muldaur in her recurring role as Rosalind Shays.

In 1990, May starred in Call Me Anna, along with Timothy Carhart and Richard Fancy. The following year, she appeared on an episode of Wings, starring fellow Deep Space Nine guest actor Steven Weber. In 1992, May appeared in Jake and the Fatman with Dey Young and in the TV movie Sexual Advances with Terry O'Quinn.

Between 1992 and 1998, May portrayed Melanie Parrish in ten episodes of HBO's acclaimed comedy series, The Larry Sanders Show. During this time, she worked with such performers as Jason Alexander, Megan Gallagher, Penny Johnson, Wallace Langham, Jim Lau, and Scott Thompson.

In 1993, May guest-starred in a two-part episode of the CBS series Hearts Afire, along with David Spielberg. She also worked with Robert Pine in an episode of Bodies of Evidence. Just prior to her appearance on Deep Space Nine, May guest-starred in the popular "puffy shirt" episode of Seinfeld, working with the aforementioned Jason Alexander.

May's subsequent TV credits include guest-starring roles on television shows such as All-American Girl (starring Clyde Kusatsu), Women of the House (starring Terri Garr), and Dark Skies (working with Maury Sterling) and supporting roles in TV movies such as A Walton Wedding (with Roy Brocksmith), The Other Mother (with Gwynyth Walsh), The Tomorrow Man (starring Craig Wasson), and After Jimmy (with Bruce Davison, Tina Lifford, Aaron Lustig, Jeanne Mori, and Natalia Nogulich).

May worked with numerous Star Trek performers during her five appearances as Dana Benson on Murder One. In addition to series regulars Daniel Benzali, Barbara Bosson, John Fleck, and Vanessa Williams, May's co-stars on this series included James Avery, Roy Brocksmith, Maury Ginsberg, Gregory Itzin, Stanley Kamel, Donna Murphy, and Kevin Tighe.

May was one of the many Star Trek performers to star in HBO's acclaimed 1998 mini-series From the Earth to the Moon. Her co-stars on this project included Sam Anderson, David Andrews, Dan Butler, David Clennon, Ronny Cox, Brett Cullen, Robert Curtis Brown, Ann Cusack, David Drew Gallagher, Jerry Hardin, Clint Howard, Daniel Hugh Kelly, John Carroll Lynch, Dakin Matthews, Andy Milder, Kieran Mulroney, Holmes R. Osborne, Ethan Phillips, Harve Presnell, Mark Rolston, Stephen Root, and Alan Ruck.

Between 1996 and 2002, May guest-starred as Mary Cain in seven episodes of NBC's ER, appearing with Sam Anderson, Jack Blessing, Fran Bennett, Paul Collins, John Cothran, Jr., Kirsten Dunst, Lily Mariye, Marnie McPhail, John Rubinstein, and Murder One co-star Kevin Tighe. On Gideon's Crossing, May worked with Ed Begley, Jr., Casey Biggs, Elizabeth Dennehy, Michael Nouri, Randy Oglesby, Matt Roe, and Freda Foh Shen. May played an unnamed doctor on this series.

In 2002, May guest-starred as Iris in five episodes of Days of Our Lives. Her co-stars on this series included Vaughn Armstrong and Renée Jones. Her other recent guest spots include episodes of Grounded for Life (starring Richard Riehle), The West Wing (with George Coe, John Cothran, Jr., and Malachi Throne), and Malcolm in the Middle. She also recurred on Neal McDonough's short-lived series, Boomtown.

In addition to her many television credits, May can be seen in a few feature films. Following her appearance in the aforementioned The Lady in Red, she portrayed the mother of the lead character in Johnny Be Good (1988, co-starring Seymour Cassel}. In 1992, she appeared in the action film Caged Fear along with Paddi Edwards. Most recently, she had roles in Nurse Betty (2000, with Next Generation guest stars Elizabeth Dennehy and George D. Wallace and Star Trek: Enterprise actor Steven Culp) and Disney's The Kid (2000, featuring Voyager's Jeri Ryan).

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