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Tim Russ ( born 22 June 1956 ; age 67) is an actor who has portrayed different characters in various Star Trek television series and movies ; however, he is best known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Commander Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager . He also directed the Voyager fourth season episode " Living Witness ".

Along with Jonathan Frakes , Russ is one of the only Star Trek actors to have appeared on-screen with four Star Trek series captains. (Frakes did appear in Star Trek Generations with Kirk actor William Shatner , but he did not share any scenes with him. Russ, on the other hand, did share scenes with Shatner in that movie.)

One of Russ' favorite movies is Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . One of his favorite actors is the late William Marshall , who appeared on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " The Ultimate Computer " as Doctor Richard Daystrom . ( citation needed • edit ) Russ once cited his favorite TOS episodes as " Assignment: Earth ", " All Our Yesterdays ", and " Balance of Terror ". ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 101 , p. 53)

• 1 Early life and career
• 3 After Voyager
• 4.1 Voice acting credits
• 5 Writing credits
• 6 Star Trek interviews
• 7 External links

Early life and career [ ]

Born in Washington, DC, Russ spent his childhood in a number of different places, as his father was a United States Air Force officer. He wound up graduating from high school in Turkey, earning his diploma from Rome Academy in New York, and receiving a BS in Theater Arts from St. Edward's University in Texas. He then received a full scholarship from Illinois State University, where he continued studying the theater. During his early life, Tim Russ owned many dogs.

Russ began acting full time in 1985. In October of that year, he appeared in episodes of The Twilight Zone and Hunter (the latter of which he acted alongside Bruce Davison , Gary Graham , and Tony Plana ). The following year, he made his feature film debut, playing Robert Johnson in the musical drama Crossroads . He followed this with another film that same year: the romantic drama Fire with Fire , starring Virginia Madsen .

In 1987 , Tim Russ auditioned for the role of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation , but the part was given to LeVar Burton . However, he did win the role of D.C. Montana in the TV movie pilot for an action series called The Highwayman that same year. The series was subsequently picked up and debuted in 1988, with Russ as a regular cast member. However, the series only lasted nine episodes before being canceled.

" We ain't found shit! " – Russ as an angry trooper in Spaceballs

In the meantime, Russ continued to make guest appearances on such TV shows as Hill Street Blues (with Anne Haney and James B. Sikking ), Jake and the Fatman (with his future Voyager co-star, Dwight Schultz ), Beauty and the Beast (with Ron Perlman and Warren Munson ), and Alien Nation , starring Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint .

Russ made a memorable, though brief, appearance in the popular science fiction spoof Spaceballs . In the movie, Russ plays a trooper who is assigned to literally comb a desert using an over-sized comb. When asked if he had found anything, Russ' frustrated trooper proclaims, " We ain't found shit! " Dey Young also made an appearance in Spaceballs as a waitress.

In addition, Russ appeared in the 1987 action film Death Wish 4: The Crackdown ( Marina Sirtis had appeared in Death Wish 3 ), the 1988 sci-fi/horror film Pulse , starring Cliff DeYoung , and the 1988 drama Bird , which featured Bill Cobbs , Hamilton Camp , and Tony Todd . Also in 1988, Russ co-starred with James Sloyan and Leigh Taylor-Young in the telefilm Who Gets the Friends? and was one of several Star Trek performers to appear in the TV special Roots: The Gift . His co-stars in this latter film included Avery Brooks (later to star as Benjamin Sisko on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ), LeVar Burton, and Kate Mulgrew (later to co-star with Russ on Voyager ).

Russ' work in the early 1990s included the TV movies The Heroes of Desert Storm (with Glenn Morshower ), Journey to the Center of the Earth (with F. Murray Abraham and Carel Struycken ), and Bitter Vengeance (co-starring Virginia Madsen and Bruce Greenwood ); the films Eve of Destruction , Mr. Saturday Night and Dead Connection ; and guest appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (a Christmas two-parter, including one episode which guest-starred Kenneth Tigar ), Murphy Brown (as a Secret Service agent who keeps Murphy from approaching the Easter egg hunt on the White House lawn) and episodes of the short-lived Cop Rock (starring Ronny Cox ) and Tequila and Bonetti (starring Charles Rocket ). He also guest-starred in an episode of Melrose Place with Casey Biggs . He later appeared in an episode of the short-lived television show seaQuest DSV , where he played a noteworthy computer hacker named Martin Clemens, who was nicknamed "Mycroft" (clearly after the brother of Sherlock Holmes ).

In 1993, he was cast in his first Star Trek role, playing Devor in the Next Generation episode " Starship Mine ". He followed this with the role of T'Kar on Deep Space Nine later that same year. These roles (and his appearance in the film Star Trek Generations ) ultimately won him the role of Tuvok on Voyager , which debuted in January of 1995 . He played the role for the next seven years.

After his Trek directing debut with the episode " Living Witness ", Russ was prepared to direct another episode in season six but was not chosen to do so. He also said that he worked with four and a half Trek captains, namely William Shatner , Patrick Stewart , Avery Brooks , Kate Mulgrew , and Genevieve Bujold and that the crew produced a blooper tape of the first season which was not published. ( Trekworld, June 1999 )

Several costumes worn by Russ were later sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay including his Ilari undercover uniform from the third season episode " Warlord ". [1]

Although Voyager took up most of Russ' time, he nonetheless had the chance to co-write, direct, and star in the 1998 independent drama film East of Hope Street . He also voiced the character of Hobie Brown, aka the Prowler, for an episode of the animated Spider-Man series based on the characters appearing in Marvel Comics .

After Voyager [ ]

Since Voyager 's end in 2001 , Russ has focused on directing as well as his singing career. In 2001, he released his second album through independent distribution, Kushangaza , featuring the song " Kushangaza ". This song could also be seen (and heard) in a hidden music video on disc 7 of the Star Trek: Voyager season 2 DVD.

In 2003, Russ directed the short film Roddenberry on Patrol , a comedic look at Gene Roddenberry 's search to create Star Trek . He signed a number of other Trek alumni to appear in the film, including TOS stars Nichelle Nichols , Walter Koenig , and George Takei (who narrated) and Voyager co-stars Robert Beltran , Ethan Phillips , and Robert Picardo . Featured as Montgomery Scott was actor Bart Shattuck. Russ himself also appeared in the film.

In 2005, he appeared in an episode of ER , along with Mädchen Amick and Leland Orser , and the following year he appeared with Star Trek: Enterprise star Connor Trinneer in an episode of NCIS . He also had roles in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2005, co-starring Doug Jones , Richard Herd and Time Winters ) and The OH in Ohio (2006). In addition, he had a recurring role on the short-lived NBC TV series Twenty Good Years and on the soap opera General Hospital . Most recently, he made a brief appearance as an agent on Without a Trace , starring Enrique Murciano and played a throat doctor in an episode of the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana entitled "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak".

Russ directed and starred in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men , complete with a Star Trek -related cast, including Nichols, Koenig, Grace Lee Whitney , Alan Ruck , Garrett Wang , Chase Masterson , J.G. Hertzler , Gary Graham , and Crystal Allen .

Russ also appeared in Live Free or Die Hard (2007). He also starred as Frank the doorman on the ABC comedy series Samantha Who? , which was produced and sometimes directed by Russ' Voyager castmate Robert Duncan McNeill (a satire of the show in the May 2008 issue of MAD magazine showed Russ' character with Vulcan ears and a Starfleet combadge on his jacket).

In 2009, Russ voiced Zathrian, an elf, in the Bioware game Dragon Age: Origins (with Kate Mulgrew and S.A. Templeman ). Russ once again worked with " Darkling " guest star David Lee Smith on CSI: Miami in the 6th episode "Meltdown", playing a character in law enforcement, just like Smith's Rick Stetler.

Russ recently co-starred with Robert Picardo in a web series pilot for Funny or Die called Chad and the Alien Toupee .

From 2007 to 2012, Russ appeared as a recurring character in Nickelodeon's iCarly . He plays Ted Franklin, the principal at Ridgeway school, which the main characters attend.

In 2013, Russ was working on reprising his role as Tuvok in Star Trek: Renegades , a pilot episode for a possible web series, along with Walter Koenig who was to reprise his role as Pavel Chekov and Manu Intiraymi as Icheb . The proposed series was set well after Voyager and involved the Vulcan joining a reformed Section 31 in order to save the Federation from a new threat.

Afterwards, Russ announced his participation in the new episode "A Step Between Stars" of the video game Star Trek Online in which he'd also reprise his role as Admiral Tuvok. [2] . He returned for the game's Season 9 update, including the episode "Surface Tension" and returned in the game's second expansion "Delta Rising" alongside fellow Voyager alum Garrett Wang .

In 2015, he voiced Lancer-Captain Kells in Fallout 4 with Alan Oppenheimer , Dwight Schultz and Robert Picardo .

In 2018, Russ guest-starred in The CW hit DC TV series Supergirl , as a Kryptonian Argo City councilmen, Jul-Us.

In 2019, Russ became one of many Star Trek franchise actors to appear on The Orville (alongside main cast members Seth MacFarlane , Penny Johnson , and Scott Grimes ), appearing as Dr. Sherman in the episode "Lasting Impressions."

In 2020, Russ had a cameo role in The Midnight Sky , which also featured Ethan Peck . He also did voice work for the Shadowlands expansion of the MMORPG World of Warcraft by Blizzard Entertainment, as the character Thenios.

Star Trek appearances [ ]

Voice acting credits [ ]

• Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force
• Star Trek: Elite Force II
• Star Trek Online

Writing credits [ ]

• #29: " Sole Asylum, Part One " (co-plotting "Enemies & Allies, part one" story with Mark Paniccia )
• #30: " Sole Asylum, Part Two " (co-plotting "Enemies & Allies, part two" story with Mark Paniccia )

Star Trek interviews [ ]

• E! Inside Star Trek: Voyager ( 1995 )
• Launch of Star Trek: Voyager (1995)
• Star Trek: Voyager - Inside the New Adventure (1995)
• VOY Season 1 DVD special feature Cast Reflections: Season One , interviewed on 20 March 2001

External links [ ]

• Tim Russ at the Internet Movie Database
• Tim Russ at Wikipedia
• Interview with Tim Russ at BlankManInc.com
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)

• June 5, 2024 | Connor Trinneer And Dominic Keating Launch ‘D-Con Chamber’ Podcast; Season 3 Of ‘InvestiGates’ On The Way
• June 4, 2024 | Netflix To Release All 20 Episodes Of ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 In July; Also Coming To SkyShowtime
• June 4, 2024 | Nog Is Faced With A Ferengi Existential Crisis In Preview Of ‘Sons Of Star Trek’ #3
• June 3, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Season 2 Coming To Netflix In July
• May 31, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Says Farewell To ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ With “Life, Itself”

Interview: Tim Russ On the Zen Of Tuvok And Looking Back At ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ With Pride

| June 24, 2020 | By: Anthony Pascale 18 comments so far

On Thursday, Tim Russ will join two of his Star Trek: Voyager co-stars for a virtual GalaxyCon Live event . TrekMovie had a chance to talk to the actor and director about his time in the Delta Quadrant, current events, as well as the other projects keeping him busy these days.

This week you will be doing a Voyager panel online. While we miss in-person cons, do you see advantages to these virtual ones?

I haven’t had a chance to do one like this until this Thursday. Logistically, there are some advantages. Yeah, you can just roll out of bed, get dressed, and sit down in your living room and be able to do a Q&A and a panel and all that good stuff. For people who cannot afford to get to the conventions and all the expenditure that’s involved in flying, hotels, and stuff, it definitely is advantageous for them to do it online.

But it’s a double-edged sword. It is a give and take. I don’t think that those are going to permanently replace in-person conventions, which I think I would probably prefer. Just the scale is generally pretty big. And sometimes I get a chance to perform at those musically with my band, so that is much easier to do in person.

You and your co-stars were set to do a Voyager reunion at Star Trek Las Vegas in August. That event has now moved to December. Will you be there and will the cast have that 25th anniversary reunion in Vegas?

Absolutely, it is on my calendar, starting on December the 10th. I have not spoken to everybody. I know they were all coming for the original date, but I don’t know if they are all rescheduled. I would say there’s a very good chance that they will, simply because we’re far out.

Being the 25 th anniversary year of Voyager , how has the legacy of that show impacted you?

Being part of the franchise, which is as we speak ongoing, being on board that train that seems to be never-ending.  Anything I do now, or anywhere I go, the majority of people out there relate me to [ Voyager ]. I’m going to be tied to it. It’s not ever going to go away. From a career standpoint, the legacy has been quite positive. I’ve been able to do a lot more things and stretch my wings creatively because of the opportunities that came about as a result of being on that show. I think that has been a big plus for me.

It has, not a huge following, but they’re very much a group of enthusiastic fans. They are over-the-top enthusiastic about it. And thus, we’re still doing conventions and that that adds up to roughly 27 years, 28 years of doing conventions without stopping. So it’s pretty remarkable being involved in a project for that long.

Tim Russ and Robert Beltran at STLV 2018

In recent years you seem to always be on TV, from Sharknado to Supergirl , to Swamp Thing , to PEN15 , and much more. How has being on Voyager impacted your acting career? When I recently talked to John Billingsley , he said he experienced a bit of a lull after Enterprise,  before returning to regular work.

There was in fact a lull after I got off the show after working on it for seven years. I’d say that it lasted roughly three or four years. But during that time, I was able to go do other things. I was working as a director with a production company on the east coast shooting a lot of reenactment stuff for their docu-drama series. Now and then I did film and TV work. It didn’t pick up until after four or five years and I went back to doing more television. I worked on a series with Christina Applegate [ Samantha Who? ] and I had a recurring role on iCarly for a while. It took a while for it to kind of ramp back up again, which is fine. At the time I got out I wanted to take a break and do other things which I did.

I’ve been able to be attached to certain projects and to work in front of and behind the camera—again, because of the legacy of Star Trek and having worked on the show and having the fan base from that show. That is something that people who are interested in having me on board because of that and or they are fans themselves. It’s remarkable.

I assume one of those instances was being cast in The Orville because all of those guys are Star Trek nerds.

Absolutely. One hundred percent!

What was that experience like? Did it almost feel like working on a Star Trek set?

As far as Orville went, Seth MacFarlane is a huge fan. And there have been other [ Voyager ] actors that have been on the show. And they love the show and it was really fun to work on it. It was really cool because they’re very meticulous and they’re very detail-oriented about getting everything just right and the writing’s really tight. I was very happy to have the dialogue written in the way it was. The humor was just very lightly woven into the lines here and there. It’s really, really nice and very poignant in the episode that I worked on.

It was cool to be back on a spaceship set which is really elaborate. They’ve done a wonderful job on that set. It’s incredible. Very, very big and very detailed and, and very realistic. And I loved playing that kind of character on there as well. It’s right down my alley as far as being a historically-based character. I dug it, it was a blast. A great cast to work with as well.

Tim Russ in The Orville ‘s “Lasting Impressions”

You were a fan of Star Trek yourself and had worked in the franchise before being cast in Voyager . You took it pretty seriously. What did you do to prepare for the role, especially playing a Vulcan?

Growing up with this show, we watched Star Trek back in the day when I was in high school and college because there were only three channels and they only played reruns from everything from Gilligan’s Island , I Love Lucy , to T he Andy Griffith Show . I can quote lines and sayings from all those shows just as well as I could for Star Trek . They ran it 24/7; that’s what we watched. And The Twilight Zone too, let’s not forget that. I could honestly say I was a fan of every one of those shows, including Trek.

In terms of my career, there was serendipity as it happened to be a show that I ended up playing a character based on that Original Series . You couldn’t write this stuff, and you couldn’t predict it was going to happen. You can only look back in hindsight, and it’s crazy to look back and see how that path came about. I could have ended up on Baywatch just as easily as Voyager . But it turns out that I get to read for the producers, they like me, they bring me back again and again and again to read. And then finally something pops.

As they often do, they brought back a lot of actors that worked on the show in one series, or another of the Trek franchise. Luckily enough, I was able to land one as a regular character. And for that character, all I had to do was give the character foundation based on what’s already been out there. Of the Vulcan characters I could figure, ‘Well, this is what the walk and talk is going to be for this character to start out with,’ until they can write stories for me to give me more of a background and a backstory and things like that. And the framework was different than the original character of Spock in terms of his life and in terms of his being married and having children. So his mindset is going to be different that way. I was able to use his character and other Vulcan characters that had been portrayed as an amalgam for Tuvok.

On a recent episode of the Inglorious Treksperts podcast, Bryan Fuller said, “Tim Russ is a secret weapon who was rarely deployed to maximum efficacy.” He also talked about how well you understood your character. He is kind of implying that the writers underutilized you. Do you feel they could have used you more or missed out on some opportunities with Tuvok?

It could have been different. We introduced other characters, like Seven of Nine, later on in the series, which I think changed the dynamic of how many storylines were going to be allotted to everyone. Plus, we had nine people in the cast. So that’s nine characters to all have backstories and storylines. And then some of them are ensemble storylines. It doesn’t leave a tremendous amount of room for everybody to get that many storylines that are interesting or different, and we don’t know how many stories they might have broken that were not used. They might have had something that they were going to use and they didn’t, or something that could have worked, but they weren’t as crazy about it and they chose another one instead. I don’t know all those things because I wasn’t in the room, as it were.

But with the late coming of Jeri Ryan’s character, they had to get her established and get the backstory on her character up to speed so that she was along with the rest of us. And they focused on her to do that. And it would have taken a few storylines from everybody just getting that that process done. That was a decision they made. We didn’t go with that the regular cast the whole entire time through. It happens,  that’s the way it works. I have no problem. I got at least three, four, or five storylines out of there that I was very happy with.

Tim Russ as Tuvok in “Body and Soul”

In that same podcast, Fuller talks about some of the tension between the writers’ room and management, like how they wanted to do a full season arc for “Year of Hell” instead of just a two-parter. Were you guys aware that the writers wanted to be more ambitious and take more risks with the characters and the show?

Not really, unless it involved your character specifically. If it didn’t specifically involve my character then I’m just in the story as a supporting player for that storyline. If I’m just contributing to the ensemble, or I’m supporting somebody’s storyline in that episode, I’m not going to feel the impact of that as much. And the stories they gave me were not that crazy and radical. They were pretty focused and pretty grounded. And a couple of them were really cool.

But I wasn’t aware of “Year of Hell” just being a two-episode arc rather than an entire season arc. I had no idea that that was the plan. You know, the only time I had communication with the writers generally was when it had to do with my character, specifically for an episode or for a scene or whatever it might come out to.

There is one episode where I assume you did have more interaction, which was “Living Witness,” your first time behind the camera. That episode had a lot of interesting choices and went to some pretty dark places. How much creative control did you have as a first-time director?

You have somewhat limited control over what you could do as a director on a Star Trek episode. I knew what the executive producers wanted and what they didn’t want. So there are places I could not go as far as shooting that episode, although there wasn’t really a huge call for me to go in places that were that unusual in terms of what I could get away with and what I couldn’t.

The episode I directed was a standout because I was behind the camera as well as in front of the camera. In that episode the other actors had to play the dark versions of themselves, which we hadn’t done up until that point. I remember the first day of shooting when they had to appear on camera as their evil versions. And they just laid it out. I didn’t have to think or do anything. They just brought it, and all I had to do was film it.

Voyager never did a Mirror Universe episode, but as you say this episode allowed for actors playing evil versions of themselves. Do you know if the idea started as a Mirror episode and writers chose to do it in a different way?

No, I don’t know how they got that going. I think they were trying to go for something similar, but they didn’t want to do the same thing because they’d done it on DS9, twice or more.

You were there!

Yeah, I know. I was in it! [playing Mirror Tuvok in DS9’s “ Through the Looking Glass “] And they so they didn’t want to do something that was exactly the same. I loved the format. I love the alternative history theme in this thing. History is a hobby of mine. You don’t pick those shows, they give you the show that you’re going to shoot and I was so lucky to get an episode like that. And it’s such a great point about the legacy of cultures and how they interact and treat each other.

I mean, MY GOD, we’re going through this stuff now almost. People are looking back at history and history affecting the results of the current times. And that’s EXACTLY what that show was. It’s exactly the same thing. You know, the interpretation of what happened before affects how the two cultures interact with each other and deal with each other in the present day. And then when that news is found out to be falsified, how do you break that news? And what kind of reaction are people going to have? And they wove that story so elegantly. And of course, Bob Picardo as the central character played it wonderfully and carried it off. So it was spectacular.

Tim Russ directing the Voyager episode “Living Witness”

You brought up recent events, and I know you were out on the streets for Black Lives Matter. Did you encounter anyone going, “Hey Tuvok is here!”

[Laughs] I did not get that reaction. I wasn’t in a huge crowd. That was going to be a little too risky for me. I was in the protests when people were more spread out and I always kept on the move as well. So it was very unlikely that was going to happen, plus I had the mask on. I did an interview with [ LAist ] during the thing, and that’s the only time that information came out. Otherwise, it was just people on the street and nobody said anything. They were very focused on what they were there for, which is great.

So much has been written about the importance of diversity in Star Trek, going back to The Original Series . There were of course a number of Black actors in The Next Generation era before you were on Voyager , but was there any discussion of the significance of being a Black actor and a Vulcan?

For me, it didn’t factor into it because they already everybody from Nichelle Nichols to Avery Brooks on DS9, the commander of that station. And then a female captain on our show, and the second in command was Native American. At the end of the day, I’m just part of that mix, by the time we get to me. That was the way that [Gene] Roddenberry did things from the beginning. That was the way Star Trek has done things from the beginning, across the board. Of course, it is in the future. It is science fiction. It would be an obvious makeup of multiple ethnicities involved in any storyline in the future, as long as they’re still humans running around, that would make total sense.

Even if someone asks you, “Well, how could there be a black Vulcan?” Well, they have two suns. So I would imagine it’d be twice as hot as it was on planet Earth. [laughs] And look at the diversity of human beings that we have based on evolution on this planet. Do we all look the same? No. To use a phrase I used often with the character, logically, that would make sense for there to be dark-skinned Vulcans.

Have you encountered feedback from those who saw it as significant? For some fans, isn’t it important to see something of themselves on screen?

Yeah, it is very important. As a role model character, it’s absolutely important. And I have had feedback from people about them being inspired by my being on the show and inspired by my character being an officer on the bridge and being African-American and also in being in a position of rank and status. And also, as a positive role model, I have had positive feedback about that often.

From my standpoint, I enjoy being able to do that. When I first started out working as an actor at that time, I was playing roles that were quite the opposite. A lot of street toughs and drug dealers and things like that. To be able to go from those types of roles all the way up to working as an officer on the bridge of the starship in a science fiction series, yeah, that’s something I can look back on with some pride in knowing that it’s portraying a positive role model. And also, one that is more or less Zen and in control of things and not flying off the handle. I mean the guy’s a very centered character.

Tim Russ holds a sign during a protest at Sunset and Vine, on June 2. (Emily Elena Dugdale/LAist)

Recently, Garrett and Robbie started a podcast rewatching every episode of Voyager . Is that something you could imagine doing?

Not really. I didn’t watch a lot of them when I was working on the show. I have the DVD collections here at the house and I saw some recently when I was at a convention and some of them are actually quite interesting and quite good. Eventually, I will see the majority of them but I haven’t really watched. You know, we shot quite a few episodes.

Generally what I would prefer, if I was to do a podcast, I would rather be dealing with sociopolitical topics and/or science in general. I’m an amateur astronomer, so I enjoy science. I’d rather be talking about hard science, history, or sociopolitical topics. That’s where my interests mostly lie. And it could be pop culture, in some cases, I don’t mind talking about that as well. But serious stuff is what I would typically want to surround myself in terms of topic matters, rather than necessarily Voyager .

Are there any other current film or television projects you want to let fans know about?

There is this feature film I directed that we released just at the end of 2019 called Junkie . It’s a drama with a strong female character lead role. It is about a young woman who is addicted to heroin and her brother goes missing. As he’s trying to get her off this stuff, he confronts the drug dealers and he ends up going missing and she has to kick the habit really fast in order to try to help find him and rescue him and she ends up going head-to-head with the people who are selling the stuff in this very small town in anywhere USA. That’s out on Amazon and a few other places.

There is also 5 th Passenger , which is also out on streaming on Amazon and a whole bunch of other places. It’s science fiction. I was an actor in that and it’s a very unusual role. Again, it’s sort of a commentary on what’s happening right now. But in reverse. It’s very cool. It’s a lifeboat type space drama with a number of people who are on an escape pod from a ship that’s just exploded, and how they’re going to survive. And it’s a very cool story with a couple of twists in it.

I am working on a couple of projects right now with co-writers. One is a sci-fi project that is contemporary but has science fiction elements. I cannot give away anything about that one because it hasn’t been done yet. And there is another science fiction adventure called Proxima 7 which I’m working on with John Macht, who is the producer. We are just now in development.

Finally, you mentioned your band [“Tim Russ Crew”]. Any plans on when you will be able to get back out and do some gigs?

We don’t have any booked gigs because clubs aren’t open yet. But we will be doing a performance this Saturday afternoon at five o’clock at my house, right in my front yard. We’re going to perform live and we’re going to put it on Facebook in a stream. It’ll be us playing in my front yard here in West Hollywood, which I have not done before. So we’ll see how that works.

[More info on “LIVE FROM TIM’s YARD” event: CLICK HERE ]

The Tim Russ Crew

GalaxyCon Virtual Voyager virtual event with Tim Russ on Thursday

GalaxyCon Live is holding a Star Trek: Voyager virtual event on Thursday, June 25th. Tim will be joined by Robert Picardo and Garrett Wang. There will be a free streaming live panel, along with the opportunity to buy group or one-on-one chats with the celebrities. They are also offering signed autographs and personalized video recordings. More info and tickets can be found at galaxycon.com .

Celebrate Voyager’s 25th anniversary with TrekMovie

We have more recent Voyager coverage to take you back to the Delta Quadrant.

TrekMovie interview with Kate Mulgrew

TrekMovie interview with Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang, Part 1 (and Part 2 )

Video of Voyager virtual reunion

Keep up with all the interviews at  TrekMovie.com .

I’d not bet on any live con’s in Vegas this year. Rona hasn’t gone away yet.

And yes, yes, VOTE.

He sounds like a cool dude. I was at a Black Lives Matter protest in Minneapolis. Police reform is important. I haven’t watched Voyager recently.

Tuvok is by far my absolutely favourite Vulcan, not only because he was usually written well but especially because of what Russ brought to the role. His face, his mimics, spoke volumes about what was going on inside of him under that emotional dampening fiele. Brilliantly acted through and through. I hope against all hope that we’ll see him again in Trek at some point.

What I loved most about his performance was that he didn’t fell into the trap of making him appear arrogant – it would have been easy with some of the lines the writers gave him, but he did a hell of a job with it. Truly a real vulcan.

I know it’s a pretty superficial thing to say but he’s aged pretty well, he doesn’t look like he’d have too much trouble getting ready to play him again.

Love, love love Tuvok!

Easily one of my favorite characters and my favorite Vulcan (but I loved them all on every show). Rewatched Meld a little over two weeks ago and is probably his best episode character wise. And Tim Russ is such a cool dude. Would love to see him on Picard. If not, I’ll take him on Lower Decks!

I’m just loving all the Voyager interviews we been getting here lately TM. Maybe because it’s the anniversary of the series but this is the most I been seeing about Voyager in the last few years. Keep it up with the Voyager love please! :)

I agree meld was Tuvok’s best episode. Some of the others weren’t so hot I’m afraid, like the one with the ever annoying Lori Petty.

Tuvok is great. He was truly a Vulcan. I wished they did less degenerative neurological disease and more spying episodes. He was loyal and funny, which is a contradiction. Tuvok and Neelix remind me Odo and Quark. Interesting bantering, from time to time, was very amusig.

Tuvix as well. One of the most unique and fascinating episodes of Star Trek Voyager.

I’m in the streets for BLM too, Mr. Russ! Glad to see you being a role model in real life. Also huge props to Trekmovie for capitalizing Black in this context. Quality interview with a quality actor.

I was at a BLM protest in Minneapolis too. Really Glad to see celebrities support the Black Lives Matter movement. Me. Russ is a gentleman. The interview was too notch. Context is super important especially that Black context like you said.

Time for America to wake up.

Fear not, young Zoomer, this millennial will work with you to shake this country awake! I’m plugged into grassroots movements in NYC and we’re making waves. You keep doing what you’re doing, and together our generations will take back the world from the clutches of the polluting, Trump-voting boomers who are trying to run the world into the ground, not that they’ll be around to see it. But if we keep applying the pressure, we’ll reclaim our future and put us back on track to explore the stars someday :)

Voyager seems to be undergoing a positive critical reappraisal now that 20 years have passed since it ended and it is finding new audiences on streaming channels. There are a lot of great and good stories there, and a very talented cast. Tim Russ was an important part of that, and it’s good to see his work getting continuing recognition for its high quality.

Voyager was actually what introduced me to Star Trek and I am glad it is being re-evaluated a bit these days. In general it wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be and I enjoyed the hell out of it. Tuvok was also an excellent Vulcan character, like Russ said very Zen, but also could kick your ass in a moments notice. It was also interesting seeing a Vulcan as the chief security officer as we were told previously how they were very physically strong species and this was an opportunity to show some of this physical strength as well.

His Vulcan portrayal is second only to Loenards, IMHO!

So, when is Unbelievable The Movie coming out??

Tuvok was one of Voyager’s only great characters, along with the Doctor, Seven and occasionally Janeway. I enjoyed his performance immensely.

Because I lived in a TV-free household for a couple of decades, I’m a long-time fan of TOS but have only recently been working my way through the other Trek shows. I’m almost finished with Season 6 of Voyager at the moment — I saw “Life Line” last night — and I’m liking Voyager a lot more than I’d expected to, given its reputation in the fandom.

During this dive into Voyager, the #1 thing I’ve been wanting is better writing, but the #2 thing I want is MORE TUVOK. Tim Russ is an excellent actor, and he does a fabulous job at walking the fine line an actor has to walk in order to play a Vulcan. I’m happy for him that he’s not bitter about not having been used as much as he could have been, but I wish we’d gotten a WHOLE lot less Harry Kim and way, way more Tuvok.

I love Tuvok and Janeway together, and I wish their interactions had been a bigger part of the show.

I get the underutilized angle simply because the writers often had Tuvok undergo some radical change so Tim Russ could knock it out of the park being vengeful, childish, suave or murderous, and he’d do it so well. But he was a stalwart and reliable player throughout, definitely an underrated character in that ensemble. I’ve mused about how they could have dumped Kim and not lost anything besides Asian representation, but Tuvok was a keystone keeping it all together.

Nice interview. Tuvok is one of my favorite characters. We should have had more Tuvok,less Kim and less Kes. OK, no Kes.

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• Full Name Timothy Darrell Russ
• Nickname Tim Russ
• Occupation Actor & Astronomer
• Nationality American
• Birthplace Washington DC, USA
• Birth Date Jun 22, 1956
• Age 67 Years, 11 Months
• Height 5 Feet 11.5 Inches
• Net Worth 6 Million USD (Celebritynetworth)

Tim Russ | Biography

Tim is a space enthusiast and an amateur astronomer. He has been observing the night skies with his telescope for several decades. In his recent interview with skyandtelescope.org on 1 February 2022, he discussed how he developed an interest in astronomy. According to him, becoming an astronomer happened unexpectedly. He said, "It came out of the blue as far as my actual participating in it. But I've always been interested in space science, all the way through college and post-college. Once I moved to Los Angeles in my mid-to-late twenties, I started to think about getting hands-on into the hobby."

• By Anil Pradhan
• Update : February 17, 2022

Tim Russ is a famous American actor and amateur astronomer. Star Trek fans mainly recognize him as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok from the UPN TV series  Star Trek: Voyager .

Tim Russ Short Bio

Tim Russ is a veteran American actor born in Washington DC, USA, on 22 June 1956. He took birth as Timothy Darrell Russ to his father Walt, an Air Force Officer, and mother, Josephine.

Born in a military family, Tim and his two younger siblings, Angela Russ and Michael Russ, grew up living at several military bases around the world.

At first, Tim completed high school education at Izmir High School in Turkey. Later, he earned a diploma from Rome Free University in New York. Moreover, he also graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Theater Arts from Saint Edwards University.

Tim began his professional acting journey while still a student at Saint Edwards University. His first acting job was with PBS Masterpiece Theater.

Later, in 1985, he landed his first role on TV as the minor character Sam in the TV series  Hunter . The following year, he worked as a small role artist in several movies and TV shows like  Crossroads  (1986 film),  Fire with Fire  (1986 film),  Heart of the City  (1986 TV series), etc.

In 1987, Tim got his first leading role in the NBC action-adventure TV series  The Highwayman . He appeared alongside actors Mark Jackson and Sam J. Jones in the series. Moreover, this series marked his prominence in the acting industry.

Also Read About -  Kathryn Hays - 'Star Trek,' Net Worth & Daughter

Tim's career has spanned over 37 years. He has appeared with varied roles in approximately 180 movies and TV shows in all these years. His most notable works are in  Star Trek: Voyager  (1995-2001 TV series),  Unbeatable Harold  (2006 film),  Live Free or Die Hard  (2007 film),  iCarly  (2007-2012 TV series),  Alongside Night  (2014 film),  Blade of Honor  (2017 TV series),  The Midnight Sky  (2020 film),  The Star City Murders  (2021 film),  Nightshade  (2022 film), etc.

'Star Trek-Voyager'

Star Trek: Voyager  is a multiple Emmy Award-winning TV series on the American TV network UPN. The series premiered on 16 January 1995 and aired seven seasons with 172 episodes through 23 May 2001.

Tim was the show's lead cast in all seasons alongside Kate Mulgrew,  Robert Beltran , Roxann Dawson, Robert Picardo, and many other actors. 

He appeared as the character Lt. Commander Tuvok, a commanding officer of the Starfleet. He was part of a total of 168 out of 172 episodes.

Besides being a veteran actor, Tim is a space enthusiast and an amateur astronomer. He has been observing the night skies with his telescope for several decades.

In his recent interview with  skyandtelescope.org  on 1 February 2022, he discussed how he developed an interest in astronomy. According to him, becoming an astronomer happened unexpectedly. He said,

It came out of the blue as far as my actual participating in it. But I've always been interested in space science, all the way through college and post-college. Once I moved to Los Angeles in my mid-to-late twenties, I started to think about getting hands-on into the hobby.

Furthermore, in August 2021,  NASA credited  him with five other astronomers for detecting Patroclus. Patroclus is a Trojan asteroid that orbits the planet Jupiter.

Tim has not yet shared information on his married life or wife in the media. However, he has a daughter named Madison Russ, born on 9 March 1999.

On 15 December 2017, Madison shared a picture with her dad Tim on her Instagram handle  @itsmadisonruss .

Tim's daughter Madison is also an actress with several TV series and film credits. Her acting credits include  Star Trek: Of Gods and Men  (2007 short film),  Star Trek: Renegades  (2015-2017 TV series),  Junkie  (2018 film),  Candy Corn  (2019 film),  Nightshade  (2022 film), etc. Moreover, she is set to appear on the upcoming projects  Renegades: Ominara  and  Subject Unknown .

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To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free to  Contact Us . Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost.

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Tim Russ Beams Down to The Ready Room | Star Trek: Picard

The legacy actor discusses his return to the Star Trek universe as Tuvok!

SPOILER WARNING: Discussions for Star Trek: Picard Season 3's Episode 7, "Dominion"!

Host Wil Wheaton welcomes legacy actor Tim Russ to The Ready Room to discuss his return as the Vulcan Tuvok as well as the conspiracies that threaten to destroy Starfleet from within, in this week's episode of Star Trek: Picard !

Plus, go behind-the-scenes of the season's costumes and uncover the dark truths about Project Proteus. Don't miss an exclusive sneak peek at next week's episode, "Surrender."

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

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Whatever Happened To Tim Russ, ‘Tuvok’ From Star Trek: Voyager?

By Christopher Covello | January 18, 2023

Tim Russ is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and musician known for appearing in several different Star Trek series, including a lead role on Star Trek: Voyager as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok.

Background Info and Early Life

Russ was born in Washington, D.C. on June 22, 1956. His family traveled frequently, as his father was an officer in the United States Air Force, and lived on bases in New York, Nebraska, Alaska, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Turkey.

Russ attended St. Edward’s University and graduated with a degree in theater arts before subsequently attending Illinois State University’s graduate program. It was during his time at St. Edward’s University that Russ’ career began with a PBS Masterpiece production.

Acting Career

Russ’ first post-graduate acting credit came in 1985 for an episode of The Twilight Zone entitled “Kentucky Rye”, where he depicted a police officer. His early career would find him in similar minor or uncredited roles in shows like Hunter and Hill Street Blues. 

Hill Street Blues

Russ’ first two appearances on serial police procedural series Hill Street Blues were in 1984 and 1985, both times picturing him as an uncredited paramedic adjacent to the episode’s action. In 1985, however, he landed a role as Burton in an episode entitled “The Virgin and The Turkey.” Russ would appear credited once more in 1987 as Ben Childers in an episode called “Days of Swine and Roses.”

Spaceballs was an iconic Mel Brooks film released in 1987 to parody the monumentally popular and massively successful Star Wars franchise, and featured stars of the era Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, and the voice of Joan Rivers.

The film would also feature a young Tim Russ credited simply as Trooper. His appearance was brief and humorous, as the bad guys are asked to “comb the desert” looking for the good guys and a single shot depicts Russ literally combing the desert with an afro comb before reporting to Rick Moranis, “We ain’t found shit!”

The Highwayman

The Highwayman was a short-lived action-adventure series that aired on NBC in 1987. The show consisted of 1 pilot and 9 episodes before being canceled due to poor ratings.

The show follows lead actor Sam J. Jones who leads a ragtag group of crime-fighting, mystery-solving truck drivers each with their own mysterious backstory and high-tech truck. Tim Russ featured in all 10 episodes as D.C. Montana who services and repairs the trucks for the Highwaymen.

Generations

Starting in 1989, NBC began airing a daytime soap opera called Generations, which was considered groundbreaking for the time since it featured an African-American family from the inception of the show as main characters. Notable actors from the show included Vivica A. Fox, Lynn Hamilton, Kristoff St. John, and Richard Roundtree.

The show also featured Tim Russ in 1990 on 10 of the 470 episodes as Brian Price.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

By 1993, Russ found his way to Star Trek with a feature in Star Trek: The Next Generation as the mercenary Devor. In the episode “Starship Mine”, Picard’s crew has evacuated for the essential but lethal baryon sweep when opportunistic Devor and Co hop aboard to steal trilithium resin from the warp core.

Star Trek: Generations

Russ would pop up in the Trekverse once more in the film Star Trek: Generations as an unnamed lieutenant before appearing on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as Klingon mercenary T’Kar.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

On Deep Space Nine episode “Invasive Procedures”, the Deep Space Nine crew evacuates the station to dodge an impending plasma storm when good ol’ Tim Russ as T’Kar waltzes aboard in search of the Dax symbiont.

Russ’ appearance as T’Kar would take place in 1993, but he would appear once more in 1995 as his Voyager character, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok.

Star Trek: Voyager

Russ’ true big break took place in 1995 when he was cast as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok on the main cast of Star Trek: Voyager. Russ portrayed Tuvok on 168 of 172 episodes for all seven of the show’s seasons between 1995 and 2001. Russ would reprise the role on fan-made Star Trek: Of Gods and Men in 2007.

Fans praised Russ’ performance, as his extensive Trekkie knowledge of Vulcan lore helped him faithfully portray Tuvok’s character while his education and previous TV roles helped equip him with the talent and range to provide fans an exceptional acting performance.

Tuvok remains Tim Russ’ most iconic role to date, including all other shows, movies, and his appearance as 3 other characters in the Trekverse.

What did Tim Russ do after Star Trek: Voyager?

Russ remained an actor after Voyager wrapped, landing minor roles on shows like ABC’s Samantha Who?, Nickelodeon’s iCarly, or Disney’s Hannah Montana.

He has made guest appearances on shows such as Arrested Development, Castle, NCIS, and Fox’s 9-1-1. Russ also lends his voice to many popular video games including Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Fallout 4.

What is Tim Russ doing now?

Conventions

A lifelong Trekkie, Tim Russ regularly attends Star Trek conventions to this day. In 2022, he attended the San Diego Comic Con, the London Film and Comic Con, the Phoenix Fan Fusion and the CyPhaCon, as well as the Star Trek Cruise.

He will be attending the Star Trek: 56-Year Mission in Las Vegas and the Destination Star Trek convention in Germany.

Tim Russ is also available on Cameo , the platform which allows fans to purchase personalized messages from their favorite celebrities. Starting at $100, you can get a personalized birthday wish from everyone’s favorite Vulcan Lieutenant Commander with best wishes to live long and prosper.

Music Career

Beyond TV and film, Tim Russ is also known as an avid singer and musician who would play regularly in bars and clubs well before his acting career took off.

Today, he plays guitar and sings for his band Tim Russ Crew on their unique blend of pop, rock, and blues. The band, based in California, play regularly at events showcasing their music talent and original songs.

As it would turn out, Tim Russ’ interest in outer space was no mere act, and he has been an amateur astronomer as a hobby for many years. In 2021, he and a group of amateur astronomers observed a celestial object orbiting Jupiter which turned out to be an asteroid thereafter dubbed 617 Patroclus.

NASA had been planning a mission in that region, and Russ’ findings became crucial intel for the mission’s success. Thus, Russ was asked to provide his data directly to NASA to assist in the mission.

Family Life

Tim Russ most often speaks about his professional life, leaving his personal life shrouded in mystery. However, it is known that Tim Russ has been with costume designer Deborah Hartwell for many years.

The two worked together on projects including the fan-made Star Trek: Of Gods and Men as well as the Tim Russ directed feature film Junkie.

Russ has one daughter, Madison Russ , who was born in 1999. Madison is currently an actress and has been featured on shows and movies including Blade of Honor, Star Trek: Renegades, Junkie, and Candy Corn.

Related Posts:

About Christopher Covello

Christopher Covello is a professional freelancer and published author. He writes copy, content, and SEO-focused material in various niches including music, entertainment, fitness, video games, business, travel, pet care, and eCommerce. More from Christopher

Star Trek's Tuvok Actor Played A DS9 Character But Only Real Fans Caught It

Since the introduction of the literal, logic-loving species in the mid-1960s,  "Star Trek"  fans have been rather fond of Vulcans, especially Tim Russ' "Star Trek: Voyager" character Tuvok. He also likely left an impression while portraying a Klingon named T'Kar during Season 2 of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." However, Trekkies may have some difficulty identifying Russ as the malicious mercenary. For one, the actor's physical transformation into T'Kar was more extensive than Tuvok, given that Klingons have significant facial folds. In addition, he also was convincingly able to embody a Vulcan and a Klingon — two very distinct species — without any overlap in terms of his physicality or cadence.

That being said, Russ may have had less difficulty portraying Tuvok than T'Kar. In a March 2023 interview on "The Ready Room," hosted by "Star Trek: The Next Generation" star Wil Wheaton , the actor noted that he and his Vulcan counterpart are quite similar. "In terms of his logic and his craving of practicality and sensibility. And organized — that would be part of me. Very much so. So, the logic aspect of it is definitely part of me," Russ said.

Tim Russ discussed his long history with 'Star Trek'

While appearing on a "Star Trek" panel , Tim Russ stated he had some history with the franchise before sporting Tuvok's Vulcan ears. He explained that longtime producer Rick Berman noticed how he embodied certain characters, including T'Kar, and approached him to don Tuvok's Starfleet uniform. "By the time we got to 'Voyager,' he was already asking me about the role and the part, you know, six months beforehand. So the time came and I came in to read for it a couple of times. And it just turned out that I was right for the role, physically," said the actor.

Russ also shared he was eager to be a "Star Trek: Voyager" star, as he knew the series would have several seasons. "As an actor, you kind of look out for those things," he admitted.

During the "The Ready Room" interview, Russ noted that Tuvok — well, at least someone who resembled the Vulcan — had a significant storyline during Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard." "I was wondering if and when my character might be able to appear on the show because the timeline was consistent with my character from 'Voyager.' So, sure enough, the email came in from my manager's office, asking for availability. I thought, 'Oh my goodness, that's great,'" he said.

Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Tim russ: lt. tuvok, tulak, tuvok.

• Photos (239)
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Quotes 

Tuvok : [after repelling a creature from Voyager's hull]  It appears we have lost our sex appeal, Captain.

Harry Kim : Didn't we already pass a tri-nary system like this?

Chakotay : Not that I remember, why?

Harry Kim : It just seems familiar.

Tuvok : Perhaps you are experiencing a paradoxical state dependant associative phenomenon.

Harry Kim : [puzzled look] 

Captain Janeway : Déjà vu!

Female Q : Well, there is one possibility, but somehow I don't think this rickety barge and its half-witted crewmembers is up to the challenge.

Tuvok : May I remind you, madam, that this "rickety barge" and its "half-witted" crew are your only hope at the moment.

Tuvok : I am curious. Have the Q always had had an absence of manners, or is it the result of some natural evolutionary process that comes with omnipotence?

Seven of Nine : Two hours, thirty seven minutes, thirteen seconds.

Tuvok : [puzzled look] 

Seven of Nine : That's how long we've gone without verbal communication.

Tuvok : Why is that remarkable?

Seven of Nine : The doctor encourages me to engage in conversation during awkward silences.

Tuvok : Did you find the silence awkward?

Seven of Nine : No.

Tuvok : Nor did I.

Tuvok : Shall I flog them as well?

Neelix : I will not rest until I see you smile.

Tuvok : Then you will not rest.

Tuvok : You're in love with a computer subroutine?

Neelix : I don't suppose you've ever heard of the Vulcan Rumarie?

Tuvok : The Rumarie is an ancient pagan festival.

Neelix : Full of barely-clothed Vulcan men and women, covered in slippery Rillan grease, chasing one another.

Tuvok : That has not been observed for a millennium.

Neelix : Well, it's time to bring it back!

B'Elanna Torres : [over the com]  Lieutenant Tuvok, report to engineering.

Tuvok : Acknowledged.

[walks away] 

Neelix : [shouting after Tuvok]  I've been thinking of a Rumarie theme for the mess hall next week. Lots of high-fat, greasy foods, and if people want to take off their clothes and chase one another... Well, it certainly wouldn't hurt morale around here.

[In reference to the Qomar] 

Tuvok : They are interfering with normal ship business.

Captain Janeway : Since when has business on this ship ever been normal?

Tuvok : Vulcans do not dance.

Neelix : Why don't we sing a song while we toil, hm? It'll cheer you up. Now, I've been studying Vulcan music. Do you know that lovely tune that starts "Oh starless night of boundless black...

Tuvok : That "lovely tune" is a traditional funeral dirge.

Neelix : I know. But it was the, er... the most cheerful song I could find in the Vulcan database.

Tuvok : Vulcans do not smile.

[Tuvok is setting a trap, using Tom Paris as bait] 

Tom Paris : Hey, Tuvok, I know it's a little late to ask, but you're sure you've got the logic of this thing worked out?

Tuvok : If I am incorrect, we will know it shortly.

Tom Paris : Ah, that makes me feel a whole lot better.

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Star trek: voyager actor explains spock was key to his winning tuvok role.

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Star Trek Should Admit Voyager’s Tuvok Is As Great As Spock

Sasha alexander reunites with dinozzo & ziva actors ahead of their ncis spinoff in new photos, we know why the acolyte's lightsabers look so different.

• Tuvok from Star Trek: Voyager was the first Vulcan main character since Spock from The Original Series, making his role challenging.
• Actor Tim Russ, who played Tuvok, credited his knowledge of Spock and TOS for helping him secure the role.
• While both Spock and Tuvok were logical characters, Spock's humanity and struggle with emotions made him more relatable and popular.

Star Trek: Voyager 's Tim Russ explained why Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from Star Trek: The Original Series was the key to winning his role as Tuvok. Although Vulcans are a popular Star Trek species, Spock and Tuvok are the only two Vulcan main characters to date in any franchise show. Nimoy originated Spock and many traits and customs of the logical alien race on TOS , but Voyager ended up being the first show since TOS to include a Vulcan as part of its main cast, leaving Tuvok with big shoes to fill. Luckily, Tuvok became a compelling character in his own right and was brought to life beautifully by Tim Russ.

Although Russ was a regular Star Trek player, having appeared in other projects before Voyager , he still needed to audition for the role of Tuvok before being cast. In an interview for The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Russ discussed landing the part of Tuvok and how he prepared for the audition . Interestingly, Russ credited his knowledge of TOS and Spock in particular in helping him land the role. Read Russ' full quote below:

" I had the edge over most people reading for the part, because I know that character. Tuvok is definitely based on Spock. Why does everybody like Spock? Why was he genuinely — over Captain Kirk, even — the most popular character on that show? It’s because he was what we all want to be. We want to be perfect, we want to be able to overcome all the trials we have to deal with. The character is so interesting to watch, because every situation that came up you’d want to see what Spock would do, you wanted to see how he reacted — and you enjoyed watching him just completely confused and baffled by human beings. You could forget that he was part human. So, coming into the reading I was armed to the teeth with this character. And casting is generally 80 percent personality and 20 percent talent. I’m not saying I’m able to do the things the way Tuvok does, it’s just that I do like to approach things from an analytical or logical standpoint. If you are 100 percent Vulcan, obviously there’s no choice between being human or Vulcan. Spock had to make a choice. Tuvok never had to make that choice. It’s like an athlete who trains to do the decathlon and an athlete who’s born to do the decathlon. The person who comes into this world destined by nature to do it, has the edge. "

Spock is often thought of as Star Trek's greatest Vulcan, but Voyager's Tuvok has had just as impressive a life and career as Spock did.

Spock's Key Difference From Tuvok Gave Him A Popular Advantage

Interestingly, Russ' discussion of the similarities between Spock and Tuvok also hit upon the key difference between them: the full scope of their heritage. Unlike Spock, Tuvok was completely Vulcan and therefore much less prone to emotional difficulties or any true displays of vulnerability. If Tuvok did become emotional, it was because some outside force was influencing him and forcing him to act out of character. Otherwise, Tuvok was completely logical, with no human side of his personality to fall back on. This meant that Tuvok was the unintentional villain of some Voyager episodes when his rigidity came into conflict with his human crewmates.

In contrast, Spock was half-human, making the struggle between the opposing sides of his personality even more fascinating. Russ is correct that watching an unemotional character make decisions is interesting, but what made Spock particularly compelling were his attempts to balance his logic and emotion and how difficult it was sometimes for him to maintain the two. Tuvok's similarly emotionally challenging moments were much rarer on Star Trek: Voyager , making him just a little harder to relate to. Spock's frequent loss of control over his emotions humanized him and, along with Nimoy originating much of the Vulcan culture, ended up giving Spock a popular advantage over Tuvok as a character.

Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: The Original Series are both available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross

Was Lak Actor Elias Toufexis In Star Trek: Discoverys Series Finale?

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery's Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

• Elias Toufexis did not return to play L'ak in the Star Trek: Discovery series finale.
• An uncredited actor took over the role of L'ak in the final three episodes, wearing the costume and mold of the character's head.
• The fate of L'ak, his lover Moll, and the Breen civil war is left unresolved, hinting at potential storylines for future Star Trek series.

Elias Toufexis portrayed L'ak in 7 episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, but did he return to play the late Breen rebel in Discovery 's series finale, "Life, Itself"? Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise, and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 10 was a super-sized episode that concluded Captain Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) hunt for the Progenitors' treasure before flashing forward with an epilogue that gives Admiral Burnham and the USS Discovery an emotionally poignant ending. Meanwhile, Star Trek: Discovery' s finale's ending is more open-ended for L'ak, his lover, Moll (Eve Harlow), and the Breen.

L'ak died in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah", which revealed he was the Breen scion and direct blood descendant to the Breen emperor. L'ak was the key to the civil war between the Breen factions to succeed the late emperor, but L'ak turned his back on his people out of love for Moll. L'ak and Moll were on the run for years with an Erigah (blood bounty) on their heads. Finally captured and held aboard the USS Discovery, a mortally wounded L'ak miscalculated his dose of tricordrazine as he tried to enable Moll's escape, and he gave himself a fatal dose. But Moll took L'ak's corpse with her when she allied with the Breen to find the Progenitors' technology.

L'ak's corpse appeared in the final three episodes of Star Trek: Discovery , both with and without his Breen helmet. L'ak was the first Breen ever to remove his helmet in Star Trek .

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Elias Toufexis Didnt Play Lak In Star Trek: Discoverys Finale

L'ak's corpse was played by an unknown actor.

Although L'ak appeared in the final three episodes of Star Trek: Discovery , "Labyrinths", "Lagrange Point", and "Life, Itself", Elias Toufexis did not play his Breen character after he departed the series following Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah" . Screen Rant reached out to Toufexis about who played L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale, and this is his response:

Elias Toufexis didn't need to play L'ak anymore after "Erigah" since the Breen was just a corpse in Star Trek: Discovery 's final three episodes. Although, Toufexis regretted not returning for Jonathan Frakes' episode , "Lagrange Point", which is the final episode of Star Trek: Discovery directed by the Star Trek: The Next Generation icon. An uncredited actor played L'ak at the end of Star Trek: Discovery and wore the costume and the mold of L'ak's head.

Curiously, L'ak was wearing his helmet when Moll placed him in a portable pattern buffer in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 9, "Lagrange Point", but he emerged without his helmet in the Progentors' dimension in Star Trek: Discovery 's series finale.

What Happens To Lak, Moll & The Breen After Star Trek: Discovery Ends?

The fate of the breen civil war is an open question..

An open question left behind by Star Trek: Discovery 's finale that's bigger than who played L'ak is what becomes of L'ak, Moll, and the Breen? Under the command of Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), with help from Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones), the USS Discovery executed a saucer separation and spore jumped the Breen dreadnought and the ship controlled by Primarch Tahal (Patricia Summersett) to the Galactic Barrier. Without a spore drive of their own, Rayner estimates it will take them 20 years to return. But that only eliminates two Breen factions, leaving the result of the Breen civil war and the next emperor's identity dangling.

What becomes of L'ak's corpse?

Meanwhile, Moll could not use the Progenitors' technology to resurrect L'ak as he would only come back physically, not as the man she loved. But what becomes of L'ak's corpse, which Moll returned to her portable pattern buffer ? Is L'ak ever laid to rest? After all, Moll's next stop is a Federation prison, after which Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg) has plans for the former courier. Perhaps Star Trek: Starfleet Academ y, the next Star Trek series, will address what ultimately becomes of L'ak's corpse, Moll, and the Breen after Star Trek: Discovery ends.

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+