Star Trek: Voyager “Broke 3 Or 4 Molds” & Tim Russ Is Proud

Actor Tim Russ discusses several franchise firsts set by Star Trek: Voyager and highlights how Star Trek’s fourth live-action series “broke three or four molds.” Russ played Tuvok, a Vulcan security officer on the USS Voyager’s main bridge. Initially serving as a junior science officer on the USS Excelsior under Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) before a spell on Vulcan outside of Starfleet, Tuvok later joined the diverse crew of the USS Voyager as a lieutenant under Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Mulgrew would become Star Trek’s first leading female captain, alongside several other first-time facets set by the show.

Airing between 1995 and 2001, Star Trek: Voyager introduced a new crew and returned to a starship setting in the previously uncharted Delta Quadrant. Attempting something new over its run of seven seasons, Voyager introduced many successful characters – and new alien species – and followed the adventures and trials of a crew fighting for survival far away from home. Following in the tradition of the franchise’s previous series, Star Trek: Voyager set itself apart from its sister shows and built upon a rich foundation of established lore, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s original vision of exploration and unity with mold-breaking innovation and accomplishment.

Tim Russ Explains How Star Trek: Voyager Broke Molds

Tim Russ Starred As Lieutenant Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager made many accomplishments during its travels in the far-flung Delta Quadrant. Uniting with the rebel Maquis crew of a vessel similarly thrown 70,000 light years from home, the USS Voyager crew encountered many strange new worlds and races during their long trek toward Earth. Captain Janeway, Star Trek‘s first female lead, complemented the show’s multiple first contacts and establishment of previously unmet races, alongside the incorporation of the Maquis crew onto the Federation starship and introduction of the show’s first Hispanic First Officer and first Asian regular cast member.

Initially undercover on the Maquis vessel, Russ’ Tuvok worked as a friend and colleague alongside Janeway. Reinstated as Chief Security and Tactical Officer, Tuvok also took on the role of second in command with the Maquis’ Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) as First Officer, with Garrett Wang taking up the role of Operations Officer. In Peter Holmstrom’s oral history, The Center Seat: 55 Years Of Star Trek, Tim Russ reflects fondly on the show’s groundbreaking legacy and remarks on Kate Mulgrew’s perfect casting for the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway. Read Tim Russ’s full quote below:

The first female captain, the first Hispanic commanding officer, the first Asian regular cast member. As a matter of fact, there weren’t even that many Asian cast members on any series as a regular before Garrett. We broke three or four molds on that show and rightly so. This takes place several centuries in the future, so I’m assuming several centuries from now, it won’t be like it is now. I can only hope. I’m glad I was there for that ceiling breakthrough, as well, and they could not have picked anyone better than Kate Mulgrew for that role [of Captain].

Other Ways Star Trek: Voyager Made History

Star Trek: Voyager aired seven seasons between 1995 and 2001

Star Trek: Voyager established first contact with many new species, occasionally even integrating members of these races into the USS Voyager crew, for example, the Talaxian Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Ocampan Kes (Jennifer Lien). Other noteworthy character developments include Star Trek‘s first female chief engineer, Lt. B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson), and the ship’s backup medical program, the EMH (Emergency Medical Hologram). Known simply as The Doctor (Robert Picardo), Voyager’s EMH was initiated as Chief Medical Officer following the loss of the ship’s previous chief medic. The Doctor embarked on a fascinating journey of evolution and self-realization over the show’s seven seasons as Star Trek’s first holographic regular cast member.

The first titular vessel to be stranded light years from Earth, the USS Voyager made history as the first starship to explore (on-screen) a previously uncharted region of space – the Delta Quadrant. Significantly, Voyager was also the first starship to land on a planet and relaunch successfully on-screen. In Star Trek: Voyager, season 2, episode 1, “The 37s,” Captain Janeway opts to land the ship instead of beaming down or using a shuttlecraft due to atmospheric interference. The series set a remarkable precedent, depicting five such starship landings throughout its seven-season run. With its trailblazing achievements, Star Trek: Voyager continues to influence the franchise’s timeline through ongoing character narratives in subsequent shows.