Ishka

Ishka is a fictional character from the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9). A female Ferengi, she is the mother of Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodénchik). Ishka appears in five canon episodes of DS9, and also features in seven licensed-but-non-canon Star Trek novels. Conceptualized as a feminist character, Ishka was played by Andrea Martin once and Cecily Adams four times. Both actresses endured a lot of makeup, prostheses, and costuming. Adams loved the character, and was stunned by the positive fan reaction to Ishka. Conception Ishka was conceived as a Ferengi "women's libber" that Robert Hewitt Wolfe described as transcending the stereotypical protester. Ishka did not want to end the Ferengi profit-making way of life, but wanted Ferengi females to be able to take part in it. It was immediately after Ishka's introduction in "Family Business" the idea of bringing her together with Grand Nagus Zek came about. René Auberjonois (Odo) even anticipated the pairing in an interview with Starlog for their January 1996 issue. Casting