American actor and director who played two Benzites in The Next Generation, the Academy candidate Mordock and the exchange officer Mendon, and a journalist in Star Trek Generations.
John Putch is an American actor who later became a busy television director. He played both Benzites seen in the early seasons of The Next Generation.
In the first-season episode Coming of Age he is Mordock, the candidate who beats Wesley Crusher to a place at Starfleet Academy. In the second-season episode A Matter of Honor he is Ensign Mendon, an exchange officer aboard the Enterprise-D whose habit of withholding findings until his analysis is complete nearly proves costly. The script jokes that the two look identical.
Putch also appears as one of the journalists aboard the Enterprise-B in Star Trek Generations. As a director his credits include episodes of Scrubs and Cougar Town.