Voyager Actors On The Trek Phenomenon

"Where's your holo-emitter?" That's the question Robert Picardo (The Holodoc) thinks Trek fans are asking themselves whenever they give him that 'special look.'

Picardo was one of four Voyager cast members interviewed by the official site as part of their special Voyager Retrospective. The actors were asked to comment on the effect that Star Trek has had on their lives.

"There's a tremendous reach world wide of Star Trek," said the Holodoc actor, "and even though we're not the top rated show on television, to the people who watch our show and care about it, they care very, very much, and they give you that special look, which I've seen everywhere from my grocery store to the subway in Vienna."

Roxann Dawson, who plays B'Elanna Torres on the series, talked about the many doors that Voyager has opened up for her. "Just to be employed for seven years as an actor is a highly unusual thing," the actress said. "It's afforded me an amazing opportunity to be able to direct, which I hope to be able to pursue, and it's afforded me the opportunity to do a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to do before."

"I find myself looking over my back wondering if someone's following me sometimes," joked Robert Beltran (Commander Chakotay). Just like Dawson, he commented on the security of having a steady job for seven years, particularly as it has given him more creative freedom as an actor. "I'm secure enough financially to be able to say 'no' to projects that I should say 'no' to," Beltran said. "Without that security, I might have to be tempted, or forced, to take a job that I normally would not want to do."

Finally, Garrett Wang (Harry Kim) talked about the profoundly personal effect Voyager has had on his life. Growing up, Wang faced a lot of prejudice, as he lived in an area with very few Asians. "I developed somewhat of a chip on my shoulder to the point where when I came out here for college and people would be looking at me too much, I would think immediately that they were thinking something racist," he said. "But now, being on the show, if someone stares at me, I pretty much have to chalk that up to 'Hey, they probably watch the show.' So, if anything, that's helped me out. It's been a bit of a therapy session for me, I guess."

The full videos can be found here at StarTrek.com, which promises new interviews every week leading up to the final episode, 'Endgame,' set to air on May 23rd.

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