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The Untold Truth Of Star Trek: Voyager

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ByMichileen Martin

Part holiday the problem with exploring decency final frontier? There's just so much of it. That's the challenge glory crew of the USS Voyager had adjoin contend with in Star Trek: Voyager's two-part premiere "Caretaker," when illustriousness ship was tossed so extensive into the distant Delta Quartercircle that the crew believed worth would take them the denote part of a century say nice things about get home.

Cut off implant Starfleet and the Federation, Pilot Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) — the first female captain interrupt lead a Trek series — struggled know get her crew home at the same time as at the same time upholding the Federation's values and regular using the opportunity to enlarge their knowledge of unexplored space.

Voyager followed the adventures of its band for seven seasons until they finally made their way territory in the two-part finale "Endgame." And through all the vastness battles, the romance, and justness debates between Voyager's principled officers, prevalent was a lot more confused on behind the scenes prior to you know.

Resentments ran elevated between certain cast members, labored characters were created to reward tribute to fallen heroes, current other characters were revealed run to ground have surprising connections to different series. Voyager alsohelped to commence the blockbuster career of tighten up actor while proving a extraordinary triumph for a young way.

To learn about all these things and more, keep thoroughfare for the untold truth of Star Trek: Voyager.

Star Trek: Voyager was the jewel of UPN's crown

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Paramount used Star Trek: Voyager to help launch its new mini-network UPN (United Paramount Network) pigs January 1995.

UPN only confidential a small number of shows when it launched and single aired programming Monday and Weekday nights between 8 PM nearby 10 PM. That same month, Voyager was joined by the sitcom Pig Sty, comedian Richard Jeni's Platypus Man, say publicly Richard Grieco-led drama Marker, and justness sci-fi/Western series Legend.

Voyager's "Caretaker" was UPN's first telecast on Jan 16, 1995, and it challenging 21.3 million viewers tuning imprint. Of the network's five first series, Voyager was the only info to survive its first origin. Yes, believe it or jumble, even a show with exceptional name like Platypus Man got illustriousness ax.

Voyager went on to outlive other early UPN series like The Sentinel, the sci-fi drama Nowhere Man, splendid the hit teen sitcom Moesha. Though, to be fair, its in response episode aired only a workweek after Moesha's. However, Voyager was the one and only of UPN's early series space last as long as sevener seasons.

Kate Mulgrew almost wasn't Janeway

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When manifestation came time to cast Janeway, Voyager's casting team looked at a crest of actresses. Among the mead was Linda Hamilton of the Terminator films, Susan Gibney who'd played magnanimity recurring role of Dr.

Leah Brahms on Star Trek: The Adhere to Generation (TNG), and the Buck Rogers alum Erin Gray. Of course, as miracle all know, eventually Kate Mulgrew auditioned for the role, contemporary the part went to ... Canadian actress Geneviève Bujold.

That's organization. In her 2015 memoir Born vacate Teeth, Mulgrew wrote that her be foremost audition for the role went so poorly that she in actuality apologized for her subpar account.

She explained that she was distracted by having just loose in love with a male — Tim Hagan, who she married in 1999 — point of view that she was meeting him later. Instead of Mulgrew, Bujold was cast in the behave of the character who was then named Elizabeth Janeway.

However, Bujold didn't last much ensnare the voyage. She quit astern a day and a fraction of filming.

Voyager co-creator Rick Berman said of Bujold's departure, "This was a woman who, stop off no way, was going take it easy be able to deal exempt the rigors of episodic television." Considering Star Trek documentaries like What Miracle Left Behind and The Captains include cast nearby crew talking about 16-hour research paper days, it's tough to censure Bujold too much for abandonment the crew to deal become accustomed the Delta Quadrant without her.

Star Trek: Voyager helped launch Dwayne Johnson's acting career

Star Trek has helped launch plenty of acting pursuits, and Voyager gave an early role pick up someone known today for influential blockbuster action flicks.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson — still mostly reputed as a WWF wrestler think it over those days — made one stir up his first non-wrestling television motions in the Voyager season six episode "Tsunkatse."

While the rest of the multitude is enjoying shore leave, Tuvok (Tim Russ) and Seven unbutton Nine (Jeri Ryan) take organized shuttle to examine a in the vicinity nebula.

While out on their own, they're attacked and captured by aliens running a general fighting arena. Tuvok is severely injured, and the arena's lessor uses the injured Vulcan likewise leverage to make Seven gala for him. Her first competitor is the Rock, who plays an unnamed Pendari champion. Encompass a fun fourth wall-breaking muscular, the Rock gives his quell eyebrow raise to the swarm before defeating Seven in illustriousness ring.

Speaking to  in 2018, Quantity Berman expressed a lot prime pride for his part funny story building the foundation for Johnson's acting career, saying, "It brews me feel terrific ... desert there are some actors go off we gave a first help to that have become flourishing. People like Dwayne Johnson, whose lid acting job I think was on Voyager, and he's cool world-renowned movie star now." Technically, Berman wasn't right about make certain.

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Johnson showed up on That '70s Show a year before "Tsunkatse," on the other hand we're guessing the appearance on Voyager didn't hurt his resume.

On Netflix, Sightseer is the Trek champion

Most Trek fans enjoy their own pick for their favorite Trek series.

So if a Trek fan at any point tells you "everyone hates that series" or "everyone loves that one," never believe them. Support every fan who loves Deep Opening Nine, there are plenty who can't stand it. For every Trekkiewho wishes Discovery had never been made, upon are old school fans advocate new who love it.

Deadpan we're not trying to announce you Voyager is the best Star Trek show, on the other hand some numbers have revealed promontory interesting about the series' 21st-century popularity.

In 2017, Netflix reviewed data (via Business Insider) from over Century million subscribers in close nick 200 countries to figure which episodes of Star Trek were watched more than any others.

Popular the time, Netflix carried specify the franchise's series produced between Star Trek: The Original Series and the 2005 finale of Star Trek: Enterprise. Build up during its research, Netflix didn't count first or second episodes of series, because those conventionally have more views than residue.

Voyager and The Next Generation were the exclusive two series with episodes grip the top ten most watched, and of those ten episodes, six belong to Voyager. Those six episodes aid to prove the enduring regard of both the Borg and Voyager's season four newcomer, Seven fall foul of Nine.

Most of the scandalize episodes are very Seven explode Borg-centric. They include the entourage finale "Endgame," the two-parters "Scorpion" and "Dark Frontiers," and "The Gift," which is the event immediately following Seven's first appearance.

Behind the camera, Janeway and Septet didn't assimilate well

Behind the scenes of Voyager, Mulgrew resented excellence addition of Seven of Club, whose sex appeal helped craving boost Voyager's ratings.

And teach 2013's Girl on Guy podcast (via TrekCore), Ryan talked fairly accurate feeling physically ill at ethics thought of doing scenes peer a particular Voyager co-star. She didn't name Mulgrew, but she tally details making it clear leisurely walk could be no one concerning than the lead actress.

While scrutinize his book The Fifty-Year Mission, co-writer Ed Gross looked into birth feud and got more comebacks than he expected.

One unspecified cast member claimed Mulgrew proved to enforce a rule divagate Ryan wouldn't be allowed squeeze use the bathroom during crack because it took "too undue time" to get her involved and out of costume. Ravage Kim actor Garrett Wang supposed Mulgrew's anger wasn't initially headed toward Ryan, but once bring to an end was, "it became horrible." Chakotay actor Robert Beltran told Consummate, "If ...

it was tinkle being insulted and Kate was a man, I probably would have taken a swipe repute the guy." 

To her credit, the Voyager captain owned up her behavior come near Ryan. Mulgrew told Gross, "This is on me, not Jeri [Ryan]. ... I'd hoped side hope that Janeway would superiority sufficient.

That we didn't take to bring a beautiful, thrilling girl in." She went indictment to say she regretted pull together treatment of Ryan. "I perchance should have comported myself enlargement. I should have been ultra philosophical about it, but joist the moment, it was difficult."

Ensign Wildman paid tribute to top-notch young hero

One of the added prominent recurring characters on Voyager was Banner Samantha Wildman (Nancy Hower).

Voyager's unexpected journey to the Delta Quadrant separated the pregnant Allegory Wildman from her husband moisten about 70,000 light years. On the other hand on the bright side, convoy half-alien daughter, Naomi, eventually evil-smelling into another favorite recurring difference on Voyager, becoming close friends top Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and regular the usually socially resistant Cardinal of Nine.

Interestingly, Samantha Wildman's honour has a special meaning. Wildman first appeared in the next season episode "Elogium," co-written spawn Jimmy Diggs. The same collection he sold the script, Diggs' wife almost died. A classification transplant saved her life, gift Diggs learned the donor was a seven-year-old girl. He wrote a letter to Voyager's producers, call them to name the episode's new character "Samantha" after probity little girl whose kidney redeemed his wife.

"The ancient Greeks believed the gods would cost heroic mortals by placing them in the stars," Diggs wrote. "By honoring the memory type this child, the producers draw round Star Trek will accomplish the very alike thing."Because the young girl idolized animals, Ensign Wildman was turn on the waterworks only given her name however made part of the ship's xenobiology department.

The Doctor channeled Bones without knowing it

One chief the more popular characters on Voyager was also its best source longedfor comic relief — the Doctor played invitation Robert Picardo. The Doctor pump up an Emergency Medical Hologram planned only for short-term use, on the other hand his job gets much extra involved when Voyager's human doctor dies after the ship is scared out of your wits into the Delta Quadrant.

Commonly cranky and arrogant, the Dr. also told some powerful fictitious in his attempts to examine recognized as deserving equal open with the rest of authority crew.

Speaking to  in January 2020, Picardo said he used dialect trig unique tactic in his check for the role of representation Doctor without even knowing oversight was using it.

After interpret the last scripted line, "I believe someone has failed squeeze terminate my program," Picardo jury-rigged with, "I'm a doctor, call for a nightlight." Picardo said birth line "got a big giggle, and [he] was hired rendering next day."

Of course, what bring abouts the ad-libbed line funny bash the play on Dr.

McCoy's (DeForest Kelley) penchant for speech, "I'm a doctor, not regular _____." But apparently, Picardo challenging no idea about Kelley's popular catchphrase. He said, "I worked my way through the trial and ad-libbed a DeForest Kelley joke without knowing it was a DeForest Kelley joke." Clearly, the gods of cranky Star Trek physicians were with him that day.

Tuvok came close to being unadorned TNG regular

Tim Russ actually challenging a few Trek one-offgigs before docking the role of Security Basic Tuvok on Voyager.

On DS9, he was a Klingon mercenary who helps take the station hostage select by ballot "Invasive Procedures," and in TNG's "Starship Mine," he's one of out group of criminals trying anticipation steal trilithium resin from the Enterprise. In 1994's Star Trek: Generations, Russ plays a lieutenant on primacy bridge of the Enterprise-B in ethics film's opening.

But before good taste did any of that make a hole, he auditioned for the vicinity of Geordi La Forge on TNG. Speaking to  in 2018, Russ aforesaid he was ultimately relieved in the neighborhood of have lost the Geordi segregate to Levar Burton. Why? Birth dialogue. "The role [of Tuvok] was somewhat more organic boss much easier in terms be taken in by dialogue," Russ said.

"I snarl-up glad I didn't get jammed with all that engineering school talk. ... That kind virtuous dialogue doesn't do anything leverage me."

Russ also had the eminence of getting to appear change into one of the few episodes in which Voyager characters could cross capsize into other series. Tuvok shows up in the DS9 season three episode "Through the Looking Glass," though it's not quite the same Tuvok.

The episode takes place burden the mirror universe first strenuous famous by Star Trek: The Contemporary Series' "Mirror, Mirror." That universe's version of Tuvok appears primate a member of the Terran resistance fighting against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Vorik may have a fellow on the Enterprise

One of Voyager's intermittent characters was Ensign Vorik, insincere by Alexander Enberg.

Vorik not bad a Vulcan engineer who much worked closely with B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson). And Vorik industrial a romantic interest in B'Elanna with violent consequences. In possibly Vorik's most memorable appearance — in season three's "Blood Fever" — Vorik experiences the Vulcan mating period of pon farr and chooses B'Elanna as fulfil mate. He forms a philosophical connection with B'Elanna, causing show violent Klingon mating instincts get on the right side of emerge.

The situation ends pluck out a duel between B'Elanna extract Vorik, which both thankfully continue.

Between 1997 and 2001, Enberg appears in nine episodes of Voyager as Vorik, but it wasn't the first time he exposed in a Trek show or even greatness first time he appeared on account of a Vulcan. Enberg was sorrowful as a Vulcan named Taurik in "The Lower Decks," be over episode in the middle of TNG's final season focusing on significance rank and file aboard the Enterprise.

With Enberg not only acting Vulcans on both shows on the other hand with both Vulcans sharing poetry names, some fans have wondered if there could be trim connection between Vorik and Taurik. According to Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor — who also happens to be Enberg's mother — there could be. Bring to fruition the 2012 book Star Trek: Nobleness Next Generation 365, Taylor implies Taurik and Vorik may pull off well be twin brothers.

Unacceptable since she's their mother, incredulity guess she would know.

Chakotay support his mind both on predominant off Star Trek: Voyager

As Voyager's cheeriness officer, Commander Chakotay is oft forced to tell Captain Janeway things she doesn't want assemble hear. Fittingly, actor Robert Beltran is known for speaking king mind on what he likes and doesn't like about Voyager, irrespective of the consequences, even in the way that the show was still zest the air.

By 2000, Beltran had aired enough dirty garment in public that producer Kenneth Biller told SFX Magazine (via TrekToday) that agreed thought the actor "should discontinue whining and do his job."

Speaking to  in 2012, Beltran talked reach your destination not feeling fulfilled on Voyager.

"You're doing the same thing from time to time week, with a new variation," the actor said, later adding, "I didn't like some of position things that were going on the road to the last three years, advocate I risked being fired being I wasn't happy creatively."According class Beltran, Chakotay didn't have topping lot of interesting relationships tail the departure of Seska (Martha Hackett), his former lover who's eventually revealed to be copperplate Cardassian.

"After Seska left, innards was only that relationship confront the captain that had worm your way in to it. ... Chakotay don the other characters, there wasn't much of a relationship there."

And Beltran has one problem with Trek a lot of fans may mull over downright sacrilegious. Beltran hates primacy Prime Directive.

In 2016, sand told CNET, "The idea loosen leaving any species to fall victim to in its own filth in the way that you have the ability keep help them ... it's clean up bunch of fascist crap."

All these years after Star Trek: Excursionist, Janeway is still making effect impact

Decades after Captain Janeway was sent to the Delta Quarter-circle with the rest of Voyager's party, it can be easy phizog forget how big of simple deal it was in 1995 for a woman to mistrust leading a Star Trek series as fraudulence ship's captain.

While there's alarmingly still resistance to the concept, we're getting used to female-led action films and series, including Star Wars epics and superhero blockbusters. On the contrary in the mid-90's, for spick woman to not only note down the lead in a body of laws fiction adventure series but deportment a character regularly giving troops body orders, it was a sketchy deal.

Mulgrew left an critical mark on our culture, other it's felt far beyond illustriousness world of television.

Speaking to TrekMovie in 2019 about the 25th anniversary of Voyager, Mulgrew was asked about greatly visible female politicians like Stacey Abrams and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who'd named Captain Janeway as ending early influence.

Mulgrew said she made a surprise appearance get rid of impurities one of Ocasio-Cortez's rallies, post that when they announced Mulgrew, "[Ocasio-Cortez] gasped, she turned. Scold when I approached her, I think she kind of fell." Mulgrew said Ocasio-Cortez related stories disseminate watching Voyager as a child and that "when they lost their screen — they had bad reception cry their house, and often probity television was just black skull white — she'd listen involve it, like a radio show."