Kate Mulgrew stars as Captain Kathryn Janeway, the captain of the starship U.S.S. Voyager on Paramount Network Television's Star Trek: Voyager for UPN. As captain, it is Janeway's job to keep the crew hopeful as they struggle through the far reaches of the uncharted Delta Quadrant in search of a way home. As the first female to captain a featured lead Star Trek vessel in the franchise's 31-year history, Kate Mulgrew has stepped into television history. In commenting on her award-winning role, Mulgrew said, "Beneath Captain Janeway's extraordinary control runs a very deep vein of vulnerability and sensitivity. (She) is the quintessential woman of the future--both commanding and discerning."
Kate grew up in Dubuque, Iowa, the oldest girl in a family of eight. She left home at age 17 and traveled to New York City to study acting. There she enrolled at New York University and was accepted into the famed Stella Adler Conservatory. At the end of her junior year, Kate left the university to commit herself full-time to her craft.
Exhibiting some of the legendary "luck of the Irish," Kate was immediately cast as Mary Ryan on the ABC daytime drama Ryan's Hope (a job that lasted two years), while simultaneously earning the role of Emily in a production of "Our Town" at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut.
At the age of 23, Kate was approached by then head of NBC programming Fred Silverman, who offered her a starring role in a series he had created with her in mind -- Kate Columbo. The series found Kate playing the wife of one of TV's most beloved detectives, Lt. Columbo. While a critical success, the series was canceled after two seasons, although it can still be seen in syndication under the title Kate Loves a Mystery.
Mulgrew went on to star in several feature films, including "Love Spell: Isolt of Ireland" alongside Richard Burton, and "A Stranger is Watching" with Rip Torn. She traveled to Europe to film the ABC mini-series "The Manions of America" with Pierce Brosnan, and spent time in Mexico filming the feature "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins." Mulgrew also starred in "Throw Momma from the Train" with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal.
She returned to television as star of the ABC drama Heartbeat, where she portrayed Doctor Joanne Springstein, the head of a medical clinic. This series, which aired for two seasons, won a People's Choice Award for Best Drama. Following this, Mulgrew went on to co-star in the comedy series Man of the People alongside actor James Garner.
Her episodic television credits include a recurring role as a Boston councilwoman and Sam Malone's love interest in several important episodes of Cheers. She also portrayed an alcoholic anchorwoman on an episode of Murphy Brown, for which she won the Tracey Humanitarian Award. In addition, she starred in the UPN movie "Riddler's Moon" during the 1998-99 television season.
Mulgrew is also a veteran of numerous theatrical productions. She made her Broadway debut in "Black Comedy," a play written by Peter Schaeffer that also starred Nancy Marchand and Peter MacNicol. Her other stage credits include starring roles in "Titus Andronicus" at the Shakespeare Theater in New York City's Central Park; and "Hedda Gabler" and "Measure for Measure" at Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum.
She is the recipient of the 1998 Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an actress in a dramatic TV series and the 24th Annual Saturn Award for Best Genre TV actress.
Mulgrew received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters for Artistic Contribution from Seton Hall University. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Tim Hagan, and two sons, Ian and Alexander.
ACTOR WEBSITE
www.members.aol.com/nowvoy/
Robert Beltran plays Chakotay, the fearless first officer on Star Trek: Voyager. A Native American who attended Starfleet Academy and attained the rank of lieutenant commander, Chakotay resigned his commission to join the Maquis as a captain. When he and his Maquis rebels became stranded in the Delta Quadrant along with the U.S.S. Voyager, Chakotay agreed to serve under Captain Janeway to lead a combined Federation-Maquis crew in their quest to find their way home. "Chakotay is a passionate man who has earned Captain Janeway's respect as her friend and first officer," Beltran explains.
Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Beltran graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in Theater Arts. His love for acting began in elementary school and his passion has flourished throughout the years into an impressive list of credits.
Beltran's extensive theater background includes performances in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Hamlet" and "King Henry IV" for the California Shakespeare Festival. He has worked with El Teatro Campesino, the theater company of famed writer/director Luis Valdez, where he appeared in "Corridos," "Rose of the Rancho," and "La Pastorela." At the Los Angeles Theater Center, Beltran performed to critical acclaim in the Luis Valdez play "I Don't Have To Show You No Stinkin' Badges."
His feature film credits include a critically acclaimed performance in "Eating Raoul," plus leading roles in "Gaby" and "Kiss Me A Killer." He also starred in "Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills" and portrayed John Sturges in Oliver Stone's "Nixon." In 1999, Beltran starred with Cheech Marin and Scott Bakula in the film "Luminarias."
Prior to joining Star Trek: Voyager, Beltran appeared in the recurring role of Lieutenant Soto in Fox's Models, Inc. His television performances include the lead role in HBO's "Midnight Caller" and the ABC mini-series "The Mystic Warrior." He has also guest starred on numerous programs including Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Miami Vice and Murder, She Wrote.
Beltran is the founding member and co-artistic director of the East Los Angeles Classic Theater Group. Designed to provide cultural enrichment to the East Los Angeles community, the theater company has performed "A Touch of the Poet" and "The Price" at California State University at Los Angeles. More recently, Robert directed and starred in "Hamlet" at the Actor's Gang Theater in Hollywood.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.robertbeltran.com
Roxann Dawson is Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager. B'Elanna is a beautiful young woman who is half-human, half Klingon. A former student at the Starfleet Academy, B'Elanna quit and joined the Maquis. "B'Elanna is strong willed, independent and confused," Roxann explains. "Caught between two worlds, she attempts to deny and suppress her powerful Klingon side."
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Roxann was a Theater Arts major at the University of California at Berkeley. The talented actress soon found her first acting job nothing short of remarkable as she landed the role of Diana Morales in the Broadway production of "A Chorus Line."
Her theatrical credits continued as she performed in numerous plays as a member of the Circle Repertory Company. In addition to her work off Broadway in "The Tempest" for the Classic Stage Company, Roxann appeared in "Accelerando" at the American Contemporary Theater, among other regional theaters.
Roxann was a series regular in the NBC series Nightingales and The Round Table . Additionally, she had leading roles in USA Network's movies-of-the-week "Mortal Sins" and "Dirty Work", the NBC telefilm "Broken Angel" and the syndicated movie-of-the-week "Pointman." She has also guest starred in various television series including The Untouchables , Jack's Place and Equal Justice .
Roxann also appeared in the feature films "Guilty By Suspicion" and "Darkman II."
Roxann resides in Los Angeles with her husband, casting director Eric Dawson, and their daughter Emma Rose.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.roxanndawson.net
Robert Duncan McNeill stars as Lieutenant Tom Paris, an outstanding pilot descended from a proud family of Starfleet legends, in Star Trek: Voyager. When the pressures of living up to the family name resulted in tragedy, Paris enlisted with the renegade Maquis, only to be captured and imprisoned by Starfleet. Given a second chance by Captain Janeway, Paris is determined to prove his worth as the starship U.S.S. Voyager strives to return home. As McNeill puts it, "Tom is a man who has made mistakes, but who hasn't allowed these mistakes to ruin his life. He's got another chance, and is going to do everything in his power to earn back lost respect and gain admiration."
McNeill has recently added "director" to his list of credits, making his directorial debut on Star Trek: Voyager with an episode entitled "Sacred Ground." He was the first of the series' ensemble cast to step behind the camera as an episodic director, and his effort was so successful that he was subsequently chosen to direct "Unity," a momentous episode which introduced the Borg on Voyager.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C., McNeill's family finally settled in Atlanta, Georgia. After attending a local high school, Robert decided to move to New York City to become an actor. After a number of chorus roles and small parts, he enrolled in The Juilliard School, where he spent two years studying the trade.
While attending Juilliard, Robert was cast as Charlie Brent on the popular ABC daytime drama All My Children. From 1984 through 1986, McNeill became a favorite in the world of daytime soaps, his efforts earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination. During this time, he also produced and starred in an off-Broadway play, and starred in the science fiction feature film "Masters of the Universe," alongside Dolph Lundgren, Courtney Cox and Frank Langella.
After leaving All My Children, McNeill landed a starring role in the national touring production of Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway musical "Into the Woods." The tour would ultimately bring him to Los Angeles for a six-month run, and it would be here that he would finally put down roots with his new wife, Carol.
While L.A. was to become home, his career continued to take him back to the Big Apple. He returned to New York to appear in many plays on and off-Broadway. While there, he and his wife founded Real Play Productions, an organization that provides inner-city school children with creative ways of dealing with crises and issues they face on a daily basis.
His favorite and perhaps most memorable performance was in Lincoln Center's critically acclaimed production of "Six Degrees of Separation," which also starred Stockard Channing. McNeill played the role of Rick, a kid from Utah whose suicide is the turning point of the play.
McNeill soon moved back to Los Angeles and appeared in numerous television series including LA Law, Quantum Leap and Murder, She Wrote. He also appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty" as Cadet First Class Nicholas Locarno, the charismatic but reckless leader of Starfleet Academy's Nova Squadron.
After his Star Trek debut, McNeill landed a starring role in the ABC series Going to Extremes. His credits also include recurring roles on ABC's Homefront, and on CBS's Second Chances with Connie Selleca. He also appeared as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Ford Theater in Hollywood, earning a Dramalogue Award as Best Actor for that performance.
In addition to his work on Star Trek: Voyager, McNeill continues to pursue his interests behind the scenes and is developing television and film projects to produce and direct, including his recent short film "The Battery."
Robert and his wife Carol currently reside in Los Angeles with their three children, daughter Taylor and sons Kyle and Carter.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.geocities.com/~rdmflt/
Ethan Phillips stars as the Talaxian Neelix, a member of an alien race indigenous to the Delta Quadrant in UPN's Star Trek: Voyager. Neelix is a charming yet scraggly scavenger who acts as the ship's mess officer and budding ambassador. Phillips said about his character, "Neelix is a loner and a lover. He's manipulative and brave, emotional and silly. You might say he's an alien of many colors... an eccentric oddball who never ceases to amaze me."
Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Phillips grew up as the only boy of six children. He received a Jesuit education in New York, and attended Boston University where he graduated with a degree in English Literature. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree at Cornell University.
Phillips began his acting career in the theater, appearing in such Broadway and off-Broadway productions as "My Favorite Year" at Lincoln Center, "Measure for Measure" at the Delacorte, "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" at the Lucille Lortel, and "Modigliani" at the Astor Place. Phillips was in new productions for Playwrights Horizons, the Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Hudson Guild Theater and others, and has played leading roles for many of the major regional theaters around the country.
While he may have "cut his acting teeth" on stage, Phillips is perhaps best known for his extensive television work. Audiences will most likely remember him for his five seasons as Pete Downey, the governor's press aide on the hit television sitcom Benson (co-starring with Deep Space Nine's Rene Auberjonois). In addition, he had a recurring role in the nighttime drama Werewolf, and has guest-starred on numerous shows including NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, Chicago Hope, Law & Order, and HBO's historical drama about the Apollo program, From the Earth to the Moon. Phillips also appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation as the Ferengi Dr. Farek in the episode "Menage A Troi."
But Phillips is no stranger to feature films either. Star Trek fans recognized him in human form as a holographic nightclub maitre d' in "Star Trek: First Contact." He starred in the Tim Allen film "For Richer or Poorer," and appeared in the movie "Jeffrey" as a sexaholic attending a 12-step group meeting. In addition, Ethan can be seen in the movies "The Shadow," "Wagons East," "Man Without a Face," "Green Card," "Bloodhounds of Broadway," "Glory" and "Lean On Me," among others.
Besides acting in stage, television and movie projects, Ethan is also a playwright and an author. His original play, "Penguin Blues," was published by the Samuel French company and has been produced more than 150 times throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1999, his "Star Trek Cookbook"featuring Neelix on the coverwas published by Pocket Books. Ethan co-authored this book with William J. Birnes.
Ethan lives with his wife, Patricia Cresswell, and their West Highland terrier, Frank, in Los Angeles. In his spare time he is a devoted backpacker and rock climber, and fancies himself an amateur ornithologist and botanist. He dreams of someday hiking the Appalachian Trail from end to end.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.ethanphillips.com
Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo plays the Doctor, a holographically projected computer program devised by Starfleet as the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH). When the Starship U.S.S. Voyager was catapulted to the Delta Quadrant, the human doctor aboard was killed, and the EMH was activated to become the ship's resident physician. The virtual doctor has since become a full-fledged member of the Voyager crew.
"The Doctor is programmed with state-of-the-art 24th-century medical information, but his bedside manner needs work," explains Picardo. "He can be arrogant, rude, impatient and slightly paranoid. I see him as a satire of managed health care."
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Picardo graduated from the William Penn Charter School. He then entered Yale University as a pre-med student, not aware he was destined to "play" doctor in primetime and on stage. Before his stint on Star Trek: Voyager, Picardo was Dr. Dick Richards on the award-winning Vietnam drama series China Beach. He also played Dr. McCaskill in the theater production "The Waiting Room" at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
While at Yale, Picardo landed a role in Leonard Bernstein's "Mass," a musical theater piece originally commissioned for the 1972 opening of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It was Bernstein himself who convinced Robert (and his parents) that he should pursue acting. He changed his major and graduated from Yale in 1974 with a B.A. in Drama, then enrolled at the Circle in the Square Professional Theater Workshop (whose other alumni include Kevin Bacon and Ken Olin). Robert had to pay his dues and wait tables for a couple of years, but then his theatrical work prospered in 1976 when he appeared in the David Mamet play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago," and with Diane Keaton in "The Primary English Class."
Picardo made his Broadway debut as the lead in the comedy hit "Gemini" with Danny Aiello. He went on to co-star with Jack Lemmon in Bernard Slade's "Tribute" on Broadway and in Los Angeles. His work in theater also includes "Beyond Therapy" and "Geniuses" at the Coronet Theater. Picardo won critical acclaim for his powerful performance in "The Normal Heart" at the Berkeley Repertory Theater, earning him a Dramalogue Award.
The awards and recognition continued as Robert became involved in television. He was nominated for an Emmy award for his role as Mr. Cutlip on the ABC series The Wonder Years, and he was awarded the Viewers for Quality Television Founder's Award for his outstanding performances in both The Wonder Years and China Beach.
Robert's extensive television credits include a starring role opposite Helena Bonham-Carter in the NBC movie-of-the-week "Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald." He also appeared in the HBO movies "The Second Civil War" and "White Mile," the Showtime movie "Menno's Mind," and the NBC mini-series "Deadly Matrimony." He had recurring roles on Home Improvement, L.A. Law and Alice, and has guest-starred in such series as Ally McBeal, Early Edition, ER, Tales From The Crypt, Amazing Stories, Benson, Taxi and Showtime's The Outer Limits. He lent his voice talent to ABC's Dinosaurs, and also starred as the voice of Pfish, the singing land shark, in the Cartoon Network's animated short "Pfish and Chips," part of the World Premiere 'Toons series.
In feature films, Picardo was seen in the DreamWorks comedy "Small Soldiers," as well as "Wagons East" (with John Candy), "Gremlins II," "Innerspace," "The 'Burbs," "Back to School," "Star 80," "Loverboy" and "The Howling." And, of course, he made a cameo appearance as the U.S.S. Enterprise-E's own EMH in "Star Trek: First Contact."
Robert has recently donned the director's hat by helming the Star Trek: Voyager episodes "Alter Ego" and "One Small Step." The latter episodeabout Voyager's discovery of a lost command module from the first manned mission to Marsis one that Robert is particularly proud of, because he is an active supporter of The Planetary Society, a space advocacy organization founded by Carl Sagan. Robert serves on the group's Advisory Council with the likes of Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke and Buzz Aldrin.
Robert resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Linda, and two daughters.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.robertpicardo.com
Tim Russ
Tim Russ stars as Tuvok, a Vulcan who serves as the Starfleet Tactical/Security Officer aboard the starship U.S.S. Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager. While U.S.S. Voyager treks through the uncharted Delta Quadrant, Tuvok's powerful combination of wisdom, experience and physical skills make him a valued crewmember. How does Tim feel about playing the emotionless Vulcan? "I can identify with Tuvok in that we both believe in the power of logic," he responds.
Born into a military family in Washington, D.C., Tim was raised on Air Force bases around the world. He and his younger brother and sister spent time in the Orient and the Middle East before his family finally settled in Sacramento. Russ feels there is a direct correlation between growing up in a military family and being an actor. Each experience has elements of insecurity, and both are unpredictable by nature.
Russ' first professional job came while he was at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, when he appeared in a PBS Masterpiece Theater production. But it wasn't until 1985, eight years later, that he began to work full time at his trade. While Tim's efforts have been split equally between film, television and stage, his most memorable roles to date have been in television.
Russ starred as Sam Jones' computer-whiz compadre in the NBC primetime series The Highwayman , and he appeared as the Answering Machine Guy in the NBC comedy The People Next Door. This role found him playing an annoying alter-ego character who resided in series star Jeffrey Jones' answering machine. In addition, Tim had a recurring part in the syndicated drama Arresting Behavior, which was loosely based on the reality program Cops, and he made guest appearances in Freddy's Nightmares with star Robert Englund, and the NBC pilot "Journey To The Center Of The Earth."
Russ has also appeared in numerous telefilm projects. He portrayed a deputy sheriff in "Dead Silence," and was cast opposite actress Virginia Madsen in the USA cable movie "Bitter Vengeance." One of Tim's most memorable roles was that of a military corporal in "Heroes of the Storm," a television movie that depicted true-life stories from survivors of Desert Storm.
He made his debut in the 1985 Paramount feature "Fire With Fire," in which he played an honor warden at a juvenile camp alongside Craig Shaeffer and Virginia Madsen. Additionally he also appeared as a detective in the Propaganda offering "Dead Connection" with Michael Madsen and Lisa Bonet.
Russ is a veteran of the stage as well, having appeared in numerous roles across the country. Most recently, Tim starred in an updated version of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" which was staged at the CBS/MTM studios. He received the NAACP Image Award for his portrayal of dual roles as "prisoner" and "high priest" in the Los Angeles Theater Center production of "Barrabas." Russ has also appeared in productions of "Dream Girls," at L.A.'s Shubert Theater, "As You Like It," "Twelfth Night," "Macbeth" and "Cave Dwellers."
When not acting, Russ finds time to indulge his other passionsmusic and film producing. An accomplished guitarist and vocalist, he has performed in a number of bands and stage productions during the past 20 years. In addition, a public service announcement he wrote called "The Zone" won the Sony Innovators Award. During his second season summer hiatus he worked as a writer/producer on the feature film "East of Hope Street."
The versatile performer regularly plays guitar and sings at Los Angeles-area venues, his brother Mike playing drums in the band as well.
Tim has a new, self-titled CD that premiered April 1, 2000. "Tim Russ" is the actor's second CD and is available for $13.00 plus $2.00 shipping and handling for U.S. residents.
(For Canada and overseas, please add an additional $2.00)
STAR TREK.COM visitors can also order Russ' debut, a four-song CD of acoustic ballads entitled "Only a Dream in Rio."
This CD is $8.00, plus $2.00 for shipping and handling to US residents. (For Canada and overseas, please add an additional $2.00).
To order the above titles, please send a check or money order made payable to "Insiders":
Insiders CD
PO Box 8248
Long Beach, CA 90808
These CD's are also available using VISA or MC through the link below.
Please allow three weeks for delivery.
Russ currently resides in Los Angeles.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.timrusswebpage.com
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan portrays Seven of Nine, a human who was assimilated by the Borg. When Captain Janeway severs Seven of Nine's link to the Borg Collective, she is forced to remain on the U.S.S. Voyager and adapt to human society. Now, as a crew member of the U.S.S. Voyager, she must try to conform to Starfleet rules and regulations. "Seven of Nine is confused by the complexities of human interaction," Ryan explains. "Torn between her past as a Borg and her future as a human, Janeway plays an integral role in helping Seven of Nine adapt to her new reality."
Ryan, a self-admitted Army brat, grew up near bases ranging from Germany to Hawaii. She was born in Munich, Germany and after re-locating to bases in Kansas, Maryland, Georgia and Texas, her family settled down in Paduch, Kentucky when she was 11. After graduating from Northwestern University in Chicago as a National Merit Scholar with a B.S. in theater, she came to Los Angeles.
As a former series regular on NBC's Dark Skies, Ryan is no stranger to the world of science fiction. She portrayed Juliet, a mysterious government agent who helped in a secret program against hostile extraterrestrials. Prior to landing that role, she guest-starred on several television series including Matlock, Who's the Boss?, Murder, She Wrote, Reasonable Doubts and Diagnosis Murder. Additionally, Ryan appeared in two episodes of Melrose Place, as a lesbian soap opera actress who endured a staged marriage to a gay bridegroom.
Ryan's television experience also includes roles in a variety of telefilms including "Coed Call Girl," "Nightmare in Columbia County," NBC's "In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco" and UPN's The Sentinel. Her feature film credits include the independent films "The Last Man" and "Men Cry Bullets." Jeri can also be seen in the Wes Craven film "Dracula 2000."
Ryan resides in the Los Angeles area with her young son, Alex.
ACTOR WEBSITE
www.jerilynn.com
Garrett Wang
Garrett Wang is Ops/Communication Officer Harry Kim on Star Trek: Voyager. A graduate of the Starfleet Academy, Harry boarded the Starship U.S.S. Voyager after a stellar academic career. He embraces the challenges of space exploration as the crew travels through the unknown region of space known as the Delta Quadrant. "Kim is eager, personable and shows traces of a wry sense of humor, although he takes his job very seriously," Wang says.
Born in Riverside, California to Chinese immigrant parents, Wang spent his formative years on the move. He lived in Indiana, Bermuda and Tennessee. He moved to Los Angeles and attended UCLA where he majored in Asian Studies and dabbled in theater. He credits UCLA theater professor Jenny Roudtree as a key influence in his development as an actor. "Jenny was responsible for my first breakthrough," he explains. "She inspired me to go beyond the status quo."
Wang, in his first performance outside of college, garnered unprecedented critical acclaim for his portrayal of John Lee in the lead of Chay Yew's "Porcelain" at Burbage Theater. Despite a busy schedule, Garrett has continued to perform in various staged readings such as "Model Minority" for the Los Angeles Theater Center, "Woman Warrior" for the Mark Taper Forum and "A Language of Their Own" for the Intiman Theater.
Prior to joining the cast of Star Trek: Voyager, Garrett guest starred in the premiere episode of the ABC series All American Girl starring Margaret Cho. "I believe that I now have a huge responsibility in being one of a very small number of Asian Americans appearing on television regularly," Wang explains. "My goal now is to do the best job possible playing Harry Kim and to begin repaying my parents for the unaccountable financial support they have given me throughout the years."
Wang recently appeared in two independent feature films "Ivory Towers" and "Hundred Percent." In 1997, he was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People magazine. Additionally, E! Entertainment Television has selected Garrett as on of the "20 Coolest Bachelors" in the country.
ACTOR WEB SITE
www.garrettwang.com
Jennifer Lien
For the first three seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, Jennifer Lien starred as Kes, a beautiful, young Ocampa who came aboard the starship with her lover, Neelix, and helped him run the Mess Hall. With her inquisitive mind and intelligence, Kes soon became an apprentice and friend to the fussy, pragmatic Holographic Doctor. During the fourth season's second episode, Kes transcended physical form as her advanced mental abilities mushroomed and in the process sent her crewmates 9,500 lightyears closer to home.
Commenting on why she was attracted to the role, Jennifer said: "Kes is wise and courageous while possessing an innocence. Being aboard the starship has proven to be a great adventure and the opportunity for development is enormous."
Born and raised in Illinois, Jennifer knew early on that she wanted to act. Encouraged by an English teacher along with a drama teacher, she began performing in summer theater and festivals at the age of 13. She cut her teeth on roles in Shakespeare's "The Tempest" and "Othello" before moving on to more contemporary dramatic and musical theater. Additionally, she guest starred on an episode of the Oprah Winfrey series Brewster Place .
At 16, Jennifer was hired by Another World and moved to New York to portray the newly-created character of Hannah, a misfit orphan, on the NBC daytime drama. She remained with the show for a year and a half, then gave her face a rest and put her voice to work. She can be heard on Saturday Night Live regular Adam Sandler's comedy album, has guest-voiced on The Critic , and even dubbed lines in the English version of the French Miramax film "Baby Blood."
Back before the camera, she landed the role of Roanne in the ABC series Phenom , and appeared in the short independent film trailer "The Hairy Bird." Jennifer has also appeared in the acclaimed film "American History X," as well as "S.L.C. Punk!" with Matthew Lillard. Her voice work includes "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" and Men in Black: The Series.
In 2000, Lien made a return guest appearance on Star Trek: Voyager as a vengeful Kes in the episode "Fury."
|
