Dawson's Creek and Star Trek actor Obi Ndefo dies aged 51

Obi Ndefo, who played the role of Prof. Coleman on the hit coming-of-age TV show Dawson's Creek and Ensign Burke on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has sadly passed away. He was 51.

No cause of death has been released yet, but friends have paid tribute on social media.

Ndefo was born in Washington, D.C., and began his acting career in the early 1990s, appearing in small roles on TV shows such as NYPD Blue and Law & Order.

He landed his breakout role as Prof. Coleman on Dawson's Creek in 1998, playing the love interest of Busy Philipps' character, Audrey Liddell. Ndefo appeared in 12 episodes of the show over three seasons.

In 1999, Ndefo joined the cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the recurring role of Ensign Burke. He appeared in a total of 10 episodes of the show over two seasons.

After leaving Star Trek, Ndefo continued to act in small roles on television and in films. His most recent role was in the 2019 film The Last Black Man in San Francisco.

Ndefo's death has been met with an outpouring of grief from friends and fans. On social media, many have shared their memories of working with Ndefo and praised his talent and kindness.

One friend wrote on Facebook: "Obi was a true gentleman and a wonderful actor. He will be dearly missed." Another wrote: "I had the pleasure of working with Obi on Dawson's Creek and he was always so professional and kind. He was a great actor and a great friend."