Star Trek: Voyager was the fourth main Star Trek TV show. It ran from 1995 to 2001. It was the first Star Trek TV series to feature a female captain as the head of a starship crew.

Captain Kathryn Janeway led the crew of the starship Voyager on what they believed would be a quick mission to track a rebel Maquis ship.

Unfortunately, Voyager and the Maquis ship were transported by a powerful anomaly across the galaxy to the Delta Quadrant. In order to protect the vulnerable Ocampa from the marauding Kazon, Janeway decides to destroy their easiest means of getting back to the Alpha Quadrant.

Thus their epic journey begins to return to the Alpha quadrant. Along the way, the two contentious crews become a family and Voyager becomes their home.

The crew of Voyager braved many dangerous parts of space and even more dangerous alien species. Throughout their journey, they stood by the principals of the Federation and promoted exploration and diplomacy.

The characters on the show developed individually and together. The audience got to know the crew of Voyager very closely. However, there is a whole different side of the show and the cast that most audiences didn’t get to see.

Thanks to these photos, we can see the cast and crew of Voyager in a whole new light. They and other players in the Star Trek franchise had roles we never realized.

Prepare to be fascinated by these 20 Behind-The-Scenes Photos That Completely Change Star Trek: Voyager!

20. JERI RYAN AND KATE MULGREW WITH CHAMPAGNE 

Seven of Nine was always reluctant to participate in social gatherings on Voyager. She found them awkward and inefficient.

Captain Janeway wasn’t always the most social captain, but she always commanded attention even at informal occasions. Janeway was always a mother figure and role model for Seven, even if Seven didn’t directly say so often.

Jeri Ryan was much more sociable than her on-screen character.

Here, Ryan and Kate Mulgrew pose together for a photo while at a cast and crew party.

Each are holding a glass of champagne. Drinking alcoholic beverages was another activity you would seldom, if ever, see Seven doing.

The fact that both actors are in their costumes makes the photo even more jarring.

19. ROBERT DUNCAN MCNEIL AND ANTHONY MONTGOMERY

Most Star Trek viewers only see the roles that the actors play on screen in the franchise. However, plenty of Star Trek actors have taken on other jobs.

Robert Duncan McNeil is most famous for playing Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager, but he also has worked as a director on Star Trek and other shows.

He directed four episodes of Voyager and four episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise.

In the photo above, he appears alongside Anthony Montgomery, who played fellow starship pilot Travis Mayweather.

Both are wearing their Star Fleet Uniform costumes. It’s strange to see Montgomery smiling for the camera with a bloody cheek, but it's most likely just makeup, and not a real injury.

18. FROZEN SEVEN

In the season 5, episode 6, “Timeless”, a grim fate seems to befall the Voyager crew. They were testing an experimental new slipstream drive to shorten their journey back to Earth.

However, they ended up crashing on a frozen planet and becoming entombed.

Chakotay and Kim made it back to Earth in a shuttle, but now they are trying to change the past.

They return to the icy planet and delve into the frozen wreck of Voyager to recover Seven’s Borg implants.

For this part in the episode, Jeri Ryan had to put on some icy crystalline makeup.

It makes her look like she’s been buried in ice for many years.

However, in the photo above she’s standing upright and looking alert, which is very eerie.

17. KATE MULGREW, TIM RUSS AND GEORGE TAKEI

In season 3, episode 2, “Flashback”, Tuvok experiences disconcerting memories from his past. He cannot remember them in context or why he’s experiencing them so forcibly now.

To explore and stop these visions, Janeway participates in a mind meld with Tuvok.

In exploring his memories, they focus on Tuvok’s time aboard the U.S.S. Excelsior under the command of then Captain Sulu.

George Takei guest stars in the episode as Sulu. Tuvok was just an Ensign at that time in his life. However, that didn’t stop him from raising logical objections to Sulu’s loyal but reckless actions.

To see the three Star Trek characters in their different era uniforms around a pool table is definitely unusual.

~~11. ROXANN DAWSON KLINGON MAKEUP

Roxann Dawson played B’Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager. Torres comes from a mixed family of Human and Klingon parents.

She never quite fit in with her peers or in Star Fleet. On Voyager, she frequently buts heads with the other crew members, especially the regular Star Fleet officers.

She eventually forms healthier, more stable relationships with the other main characters. She and Janeway build up great respect for each other, and Torres even marries Tom Paris.

Her distinctive Klingon forehead ridges always set her apart from the other characters.

Even if her forehead isn't as pronounced as a pureblood Klingon, it’s still a long process in makeup to get it on every day.

This behind the scenes shot shows the edges of the prosthetic without a wig to cover it up.

15. VOYAGER 100 EPISODE CELEBRATION

We don’t get many chances to see all of the Voyager crew happy at one time. There’s always some dangerous species or special anomaly or personal conflict that troubles them.

Also, it’s not like they are on a mission they wanted to be on in the first place. Celebrating how long their journey has lasted doesn’t make sense.

However, for the show’s cast and crew, reaching 100 episodes is quite a milestone.

Everyone looks happy as Mulgrew prepares to cut into the cake shaped like the number 100.

The most interesting thing about the picture is who appears at the party in their Star Fleet uniform and who appears in more casual clothing.

Roxann Dawson and Ethan Phillips are also not in their makeup.

14. ROBERT BELTRAN TATTOO

Robert Beltran joined the cast of Star Trek: Voyager in 1995. He was cast as Commander Chakotay. Chakotay started the series as the leader of a Maquis ship of Federation dissidents.

When his crew and the crew of Voyager became stranded together in the Delta Quadrant, they grew to work together as one crew.

Chakotay always has a distinguishing tattoo around his left eyebrow. It’s supposed to be a signifier of his Native American ancestry.

Beltran himself has both Latin and Native American heritage, but the tattoo was created for the show.

In this behind the scenes photo, Beltran sits in the makeup chair while his tattoo is applied.

Fans have become so used to seeing Chakotay with it on-screen that the idea of having to apply it every day for filming seems strange.

13. LEVAR BURTON AND KATE MULGREW

Levar Burton first joined the Star Trek franchise when he was cast as Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

He served as the Enterprise’s Chief Engineer for the entire show.

However, Burton is also among the Star Trek actors who have contributed to the franchise behind the camera. Burton has directed several Star Trek episodes, including two from The Next Generation.

He also directed several episodes of Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, and Voyager.

In the behind the scenes photo above, Burton is in his director workman’s garb, while Mulgrew in in costume as Janeway.

This looks like part of the Delta Flyer or another Voyager shuttlecraft. It also looks like there’s some incredulity between Burton and Mulgrew in this shot, but it could just be the momentary camera.

12. VOYAGER MODEL

The USS Voyager (NCC-74656) is an Intrepid-class Federation Starship. It launched from Earth Station McKinley on stardate 48038.5 in the year 2371. It was one of the first Intrepid-class models ever constructed.

Captain Kathryn Janeway took command of Voyager before the launch of its first mission.

Due to extraordinary circumstances, the ship became stranded in the Delta quadrant with a hybrid crew of Star Fleet officers and Maquis dissenters.

We see Voyager travelling through space all the time on the show.

However, in the production photo above, we can see modeler Mike Okuda applying decals to the actual prop in a workshop.

The show Voyager is capable of carrying a crew of 150, but here Okuda looks like he could carry the whole ship in his arms if he had to.

16. BORG CHILDREN ON SET

In season 6, episode 16, “Collective,” Voyager comes upon a damaged Borg vessel. Seven accompanies the away team to investigate.

Once on board, they discover that all of the vessel’s drones have been disabled or destroyed - except for 5 juvenile drones at various stages of development.

They may not be as numerous or focused as a full blown collective, but they are still Borg and impetuous as other children. Two of them are twins, Azan and Rebi.

They were played by real life twins Kurt Wetherill and Cody Wetherill.

In the photo above, they are in their full Borg makeup and costumes standing in broad daylight.

Perhaps Borg are made to look best in dark, harsh green lighting.

10. JERI RYAN AND ETHAN PHILLIPS

Neelix and Seven of Nine were both outside additions to the crew of Voyager. Neelix is a Talaxian who joined the crew after they all arrived in the Delta Quadrant. Seven was a Borg drone that the Voyager crew liberated from the collective.

Both took some time to adjust to life on Voyager and to find their roles.

Each of them also had radically different personalities. Neelix was always excitable and social, while Seven was reserved and solitary.

However, in this photo, you can see Jeri Ryan with a big smile, arm in arm with Ethan Phillips.

Ryan was clearly friendlier behind the scenes than what her role called for on camera. We hardly ever get to see Seven smile on the show.

9. ROXANN DAWSON, ROBERT PICARDO AND BABY

In the finale of Star Trek: Voyager, B’Elanna Torres goes into labor just as their finale mission home is about to begin.

Overseen by the EMH, the labor begins while the ship is still in the Delta Quadrant and the baby arrives when they arrive in the Alpha Quadrant.

It’s a heartwarming culmination of the journey of the Voyager crew and of Tom and B’Elanna’s relationship.

In this behind the scenes photo, Dawson and Picardo smile for the camera with the newborn baby, commemorating this profound moment in the show’s history.

The newborn Miral Paris was actually played by babies Carolyn Corey and Mathew Corey.

While neither were actually credited in the episode, they did play a special role nonetheless.

8. JERI RYAN AND JONATHAN DEL ARCO

Jonathan Del Arco may be most recognizable from the TV series Major Crimes and The Closer. Both shows had more to do with modern day crime instead of spacefaring futuristic sci-fi. Still, Star Trek fans should definitely recognize him.

In The Next Generation, Del Arco played Hugh, an individual Borg drone that becomes separated from the collective and taken aboard the Enterprise.

In Star Trek: Voyager, Del Arco portrays a deceptively intelligent alien that Voyager encounters while in the Void.

The Void is a perilous region of space with no natural resources whatsoever, but this alien seems to thrive in it.

The Doctor calls the alien Fantome after a piece of classical music that seems to soothe it.

In this photo, Del Arco is arm in arm with Jeri Ryan.

7. ROBERT PICARDO WITH GUITAR

Voyager’s onboard Emergency Medical Hologram was just designed to supplement the crews’ medical needs. However, he became the chief medical practitioner on board when their main doctor was lost on their disastrous trip to the Delta Quadrant.

The EMH or the Doctor grew, both as a character and as a hologram. He expanded his program to include all kinds of interests and skills unrelated to medicine.

Music was one of the Doctor’s biggest passions. He became very fond of classical music and sang in various episodes of the show.

In the photo above, Robert Picardo sits in the captain’s chair, no less, with a guitar and a confident grin.

The guitar even has a star field on it.

6. DWAYNE THE ROCK JOHNSON WITH THE CAST

Dwayne The Rock Johnson started his career on TV in wrestling. He quickly became one of the most popular personalities in the WWF and the WWE.

In 2000, he took one of his earliest steps into “serious” acting. He played the champion of an interstellar martial arts competition called Tsunkatse on Star Trek: Voyager.

In the episode, Seven of Nine and Tuvok get abducted and pressganged into the televised matches. Seven goes up against The Rock in the match and loses.

Having The Rock cameoing on Star Trek looks like a big deal for at least some of the cast.

Chakotay, Harry, Tom and Neelix all unexpectedly end up watching Seven’s match.

These four cast members are the ones in this photo, making over the top poses along with Dwayne Johnson.

5. JERI RYAN AND ETHAN PHILLIPS IN FRANCE

In a two-episode arc in season 4, “The Killing Game”, a species of merciless hunters called the Hirogen take over Voyager.

For their own sadistic amusement, the Hirogen launch a ship wide holodeck recreation of occupied France during WWII. Then they brainwash most of the Voyager crew into playing roles in the militant French resistance, while they take on the role of the invaders.

Star Trek always finds excuses to dress their cast up in period clothing.

In this behind the scenes photo, Jeri Ryan and Ethan Phillips pose in their 1940s French attire.

It’s quite a contrast to see Ryan as Seven dressed in a beret and a skirt with white socks and heeled shoes.

4. ROBERT PICARDO, ETHAN PHILLIPS AND LEVAR BURTON

Ethan Phillips played the Talaxian wayfarer Neelix all throughout Voyager’s 7 seasons. Neelix stuck with the Voyager crew even though he wasn’t in Star Fleet.

He formed deep friendships and relationships with many of the other main characters.

However, in season 7 episode 23, Voyager encounters a colony of Talaxians, trying to make a new home for themselves.

Compelled to help his people, Neelix and Janeway agree to let him stay with the colony, and to stay in contact with the Federation as an ambassador to the Delta Quadrant.

The crew give him an honorary send off, with Tuvok even given him a farewell dance.

Levar Burton also directed this episode.

Phillips, Burton, and Robert Picardo all stand shoulder to shoulder in this photo.

3. JERI RYAN AT DELTA FLYER CONTROLS

The Delta Flyer is a prototype shuttle craft designed by Tom Paris. The crew use it frequently on away missions.

Various characters over the course of the series get stranded in it or save the day with it.

Some CGI obviously goes into the realization of the Delta Flyer on screen, as with most ships in Star Trek.

We don’t yet have the technology to film entertainment like space battles and exploration actually in space.

However, film crews can make the ship interiors as real sets and add the external space with special effects.

In this behind the scenes shot, Jeri Ryan sits at the controls of the Delta Flyer. From this angle, you can see out of the shuttle’s window into the surrounding blue screen of the soundstage.

2. JENNIFER LIEN AND EXTRA ON LOCATION

In the season 2 finale of Voyager, “Basics, Part 1”, the Kazon launch a hostile takeover of Voyager.

They seize the ship and leave the crew stranded on an uninhabited planet - supposedly uninhabited, anyway.

The crew has to adapt to survive, relying on basic survival skills and some help from their crewmates still hiding on Voyager.

The scenes on the planet were shot on location in Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California.

In this simple '90s photograph, Kes actor Jennifer Lien takes a breather with her arm around an extra playing a Voyager crew member.

You can even see the time stamp on the photo as April 16th, 1996. That would put this photo approximately a month before the episode premiered.

1. JERI RYAN AND SCARLETT POMERS

Ensign Samantha Wildman became pregnant before she joined the Voyager crew. When the crew was unexpectedly transported to the Delta quadrant, she realized that she would have to have the baby on board the ship.

Once she had matured into a young girl, she was played mostly by actress Scarlett Pomers on the show.

Naomi was insatiably curious and developed close relationships with Neelix and Seven of Nine.

In this behind the scenes photo, both Pomers and Jeri Ryan are in their character makeup. Pomers has her Ktarian forehead horns and Ryan has her ocular Borg implant.

Ryan is also kneeling to let the camera holder take an easier shot with both of them in frame.

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What do you think of these Star Trek: Voyager behind-the-scenes photos? Are there any others that we need to see? Let us know in the comments!