David Froman

David Wesley Froman was the veteran television actor and drama instructor who played Commander K'Nera in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Lt. Bob Brooks on the NBC (later ABC) television series Matlock from 1986 through 1994.

Froman was born in Miami, Oklahoma. He was a full-time speech and theater faculty member at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College from 1961 through 1969. Between 1980 and 1984, he appeared on the soap opera The Edge of Night, and in 1982, he made his film debut in Sidney Poitier's Hanky Panky. Both Froman and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine guest star William Sadler had small roles in this film. Froman's only other feature film credit was 1987's Steele Justice, which also featured Ronny Cox, David L. Lander, and Irene Tsu.

In 1986, Froman guest-starred on an episode of the crime-adventure series T.J. Hooker, which starred William Shatner and James Darren. He again worked with James Darren the following year when Darren directed him in a two-parter of the short-lived horror series Werewolf. Lance LeGault was a regular on this series, while Star Trek: Voyager's Ethan Phillips appeared in Froman's first episode.

Other television shows Froman appeared on include Scarecrow and Mrs. King (directed by Winrich Kolbe), Hill Street Blues (on which James B. Sikking was a regular), Trapper John, M.D. (which featured Madge Sinclair), Our House (starring Chad Allen, in an episode directed by Robert Scheerer), Simon & Simon (with Mary Carver and Michael Forest), Hunter (working with director Corey Allen, Larry Drake, Richard Lineback, and Richard Lynch), Cheers (with Kirstie Alley, Charles Esten, Kelsey Grammer, and Paul Willson), and Diagnosis Murder (with Christopher Carroll and Andreas Katsulas). He also appeared in the 1986 TV movie Blind Justice, along with Jack Blessing and Anne Haney.

Froman began appeared on Matlock in 1986, beginning with the show's third episode, "The Stripper." This episode also guest-starred the aforementioned Anne Haney. He acted in fifty-six of the show's 195 episodes, the last of which was 1994's "The Dare" directed by Leo Penn. By this time, Daniel Roebuck had become a regular on the series.

After Matlock ended its run in 1994, Froman returned to Miami, Oklahoma, and rejoined the faculty at A&M College, where he remained as a full-time instructor until 2002. He also worked with the Miami Little Theatre for many years. In August 2007, he continued working at A&M College as a part-time drama instructor, where he remained until his death from cancer on 8 February 2010. He was 71 years old.