The Doctor was a character designed as a stop-gap, a temporary solution in a crisis who would end up developing beyond his limited programming to serve as the only doctor on board the USS Voyager for it’s seven years lost in the Delta Quadrant. It seems fitting that the man behind the emitter, Robert Picardo, has since become a larger part of the Star Trek Universe than he ever thought he’d be.
Now starring as a main feature on Starfleet Academy, his second live action role, Picardo’s Doctor was also a prominent part of both seasons of Star Trek Prodigy and has even man aged to squeeze in appearances as another EMH on board the Enterprise E in First Contact, and as holographic engineer Lewis Zimmerman in Deep Space Nine as well as bringing the character to expanded media including Star Trek Online.
Joining the Star Trek world in 1995 with the launch of Star Trek Voyager, Picardo’s character early on was the grump of the show. Hosting the entire medical knowledge of the Federation, he was able to perform any procedure and treatment with ease, but he was also programmed with an ego and a short temper thanks to being based on his creator, an arrogant genius who had anything but a good bedside manner. But over time the Doctor became his own person fairly swiftly as he ran longer than ever intended and in that time developed his own personality that let us explore stories of identity, ethical dilemmas and personal growth.
Developing the character over seven seasons, Picardo guided the character through a huge arc of self discovery and development, gained a stunning amount of emotional depth and turned what was on paper a one note character into one of the most ethical and complex fan favourites by the time Voyager finally made it back to Earth.
His time on Voyager made him a household name in the world of science fiction, but long before he put on the black and blue jumpsuit, Robert Picardo was already stealing the spotlight among multiple genres of film and television. One of his most notable standout roles came as them unsettling serial killer Eddie in The Howling, a small role that gained a lot of attention and lead to many more unique and sometimes odd scene stealing parts.
Soon enough he developed a reputation for being one of the most reliable character actors thanks to his ability to switch between drama and comedy in the blink of an eye and would show up nearly everywhere in the 80’s and early 90’s including appearances on some of the most popular shows including Golden Girls, 21 Jump Street and Benson among too many others to list while he’d continue to appear on film in memorable roles including one of the human antagonists in Gremlins 2 and ‘The Cowboy’ in Innerspace.
Even after his original run in Star Trek, his time was filled with roles across more TV shows than you could remember in one sitting from shows like The OC, Bones, The West Wing and Quantum Leap. He’d even join fellow Trek alumni John DeLancie as part of the civilian oversight in Stargate SG1 leading to him continuing the role as leader of the Atlantis expedition in the spin off’s final series. If that wasn’t enough to fill his time, he’s also joined his Voyager cast mates in lending his voice to video games including Fallout 4 and Call of Duty Black Ops.
Ever present on screen, Picardo has become one of the most recognised and respected performers, particularly in science fiction. But his passion leads beyond screen. His involvement in the Planetary Society, a non profit advocacy organisation co-founded by the legendary Carl Sagan, helps to spread awareness of their goals and aims. Once even serving as the executive director, he more than happily used his status as an icon of his own to promote the valued work in the field of space exploration. Work he continues to this day to use his ever present platform for.
Being a huge part of the Star Trek world for thirty years, Robert Picardo continues to deliver stellar performances as the Doctor whilst still fighting for Starfleets mission to become a reality in the real world. From his work ethic to his clear passion for a better world, Robert Picardo remains a true icon of Star Trek and a continuing inspiration to all generations.
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