Best known as Voyager’s Tuvok, actor Tim Russ has played members of some of Star Trek’s most notable alien species in movies and TV shows.

Best known for playing the role of the Vulcan Lt. Commander, Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager, the actor Tim Russ has played multiple members of some of Star Trek‘s best-loved alien species. During seven seasons of Voyager, Tim Russ played various different versions of Tuvok from the Komar possessed version to the biomimetic duplicate created from silver blood. On top of these deep-cut Voyager aliens, Tim Russ also played several characters before joining the cast of Star Trek: Voyager. At an early point in his career, Tim Russ even auditioned for the role of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Tim Russ is also one of several Star Trek actors in The Twilight Zone, which gave him one of his earliest roles. With such a varied career, it’s no surprise that Tim Russ was chosen to play multiple species from Star Trek: The Next Generation all the way to Star Trek: Picard in 2023. Out of the most important species in the Star Trek universe, the only roles that Tim Russ hasn’t played are as a Cardassian, Romulan, Ferengi, and Andorian. However, with the Star Trek franchise in robust shape in 2024, there could still be time for the actor to tick these species off his list.

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2 Tim Russ Star Trek Characters Exist Simultaneously In Kirk’s Era

Best known as Tuvok, Voyager’s Tim Russ played two Star Trek characters who co-existed in the latter years of Captain Kirk’s Starfleet career.

5 Human In Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Generations

Devor in Star Trek: TNG season 6, episode 18, “Starship Mine” and Enterprise-B Lieutenant in Star Trek Generations

Tim Russ’ first role was as Devor in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 18, “Starship Mine.” Devor was part of the team of thieves that attempted to steal trilithium resin while the USS Enterprise-D was undergoing a lethal barium sweep. Devor was swiftly dispatched by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) who, ironically, gave Tuvok actor Tim Russ a Vulcan nerve pinch. As with many of his co-conspirators, Devor was killed by the barium sweep, after being left behind by Picard.

Tim Russ next appeared in Star Trek Generations, in which he shared a scene with another legendary captain of the starship Enterprise. Russ played an unnamed lieutenant aboard the USS Enterprise-B during the disastrous rescue mission that claimed the life of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). As well as sharing screen time alongside William Shatner, Russ also shared scenes with Star Trek: The Original Series stalwarts James Doohan and Walter Koenig.

4 Klingon in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

T’Kar in Star Trek: DS9, season 2, episode 4, “Invasive Procedures”

Tim Russ’ third Star Trek role was the Klingon mercenary T’Kar in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 4, “Invasive Procedures.” Aside from the Klingon make-up and more aggressive performance, T’Kar was very similar to Devor from Star Trek: The Next Generation. In “Invasive Procedures”, Deep Space Nine was operating with a skeleton crew during an ion storm when a group of criminals boarded the station to steal the Dax symbiont. T’Kar survived longer than Devor, however, and made it to the end of the episode, at which point he was arrested by Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois).

3 Vulcan in Star Trek: Voyager

Lt. Commander Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager seasons 1 to 7

Tim Russ’ defining Star Trek role was Lt. Commander Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager. Close friend and advisor to Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Tuvok was an integral part of the USS Voyager’s crew. He shaped the more troublesome of Voyager’s Maquis crew into Starfleet officers, and tutored Jennifer Lien’s Kes in managing her psychic abilities. As a Vulcan, Tuvok had to deal with the onset of pon farr during the USS Voyager’s seven years in the Delta Quadrant, and also had an adverse response to a mind meld with a homicidal Betazoid, Lon Suder (Brad Dourif).

In Star Trek: Voyager season 2, episode 24, “Tuvix”, Tuvok was merged with Neelix (Ethan Phillips), creating a brand-new life form. Tom Wright played the eponymous Tuvix in Star Trek: Voyager, which emphasized the impossible moral dilemma that Captain Janeway faced. If Tim Russ or Ethan Phillips had played Tuvix, then it would be impossible to sell the character as a unique being, deserving of life. Another notable Tuvok moment in Voyager was the revelation that he served under Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei), allowing Tim Russ to share scenes with another Star Trek: The Original Series star.

2 Borg in Star Trek: Voyager

Assimilated Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager – “Unimatrix Zero”

In the shocking cliffhanger ending to Star Trek: Voyager season 6, Captain Janeway, Lt. Commander Tuvok, and Lt. B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) were assimilated into the Borg Collective. It was part of a daring plan to sever the connection between a group of dissident drones and Star Trek‘s Borg Queen (Susanna Thompson) by inserting a virus into the Collective while they were assimilated. After a successful mission to free their fellow Borg drones and weaken the Queen’s hold over the Collective, Janeway, Torres and Tuvok had their Borg implants removed before returning to active service.

1 Changeling in Star Trek: Picard

Changeling Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard, season 3, episode 7, “Dominion”

Tim Russ made a surprise return as Captain Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but all was not as it seemed. When Commander Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) sought out Tuvok for help in finding the missing Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes), she discovered that her old friend was actually a Changeling impostor. Tim Russ clearly relished playing a malicious version of the beloved Star Trek: Voyager character. The evil smirk that came across Tuvok’s face upon being exposed was a chilling moment that proved there are still many more layers for Tim Russ to explore as Tuvok.