by MATTHEW HAYS

When actors walk away from roles, they tend to think of them as over. But as Montrealer Leni Parker has learned, certain roles can come back to haunt you, especially given TV and the power of reruns.

Parker was 31 in 1997 when she landed the role of Da'an, an androgynous alien on the sci-fi series Earth: Final Conflict. The show involved the invasion of Earth by an alien species who at first seemed good but turned out to be evil. (If it sounds a bit like a knockoff of a Gene Roddenberry series, that's because he created it.)

As a struggling actor, Parker was thrilled to have steady work for a set period of time. "The reaction I got from people was great. Friends and family were so proud. I felt like a debutante - the newest alien on the block!"

After a time, though, the appeal of regular work began to wear off, given the rather gruelling hours Parker faced. Creating the character of Da'an meant arriving on the set as early as 3 a.m. to have hours of makeup applied. And she was then introduced to the strain of fans who've come to love all things Trek. "Don't get me wrong, the adoration was very sweet, but it all became a bit much after a while. The makeup became a burden. The crew and cast were amazing, but the producers didn't really seem to appreciate what we were doing."

Parker acknowledges now that she saw a therapist during the run of the show due to the stress she felt. "The hours were so long - an average day was 16 or 18 hours. I really threw myself into the character completely. I lost my sense of identity, and that scared me. I suppose I wasn't really the right person to do the role in some respects."

Finally, Parker quit the show. She says it was odd to leave it, suddenly thrust into the hungry-for-work actor's role. "The trouble is, because I wore all that makeup, no one really recognized me or knew that I'd been working on a series for four years. I was 35 and, as far as anyone knew or was concerned, was just entering the field. That was tough."

But ironically enough, Earth: Final Conflict and the legions of diehard sci-fi fans are what's given Parker some extra boosts since the show ended. Constantly toasted on the Internet, endowed with a fervent fan-club base, Parker has found she's a hit on the sci-fi convention circuit. She did five "cons" (as she calls them) last year alone, signing autographs and rubbing elbows with the likes of Lou Ferrigno, Linda Blair and various other sci-fi and retro TV stars.

"It's definitely been odd, seeing as I was never even that into sci-fi," Parker says. "But the fans are so warm and kind. They all want to have their photos taken with me.

"Some have told me that I'm the new Spock, and as flattering as that is, I think that's overstating the case."

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