Robert Duncan McNeill Reflects On Disliking Tom Paris In Early Star Trek: Voyager Seasons

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Robert Duncan McNeill has said he didn’t initially connect with his character, Lieutenant Tom Paris, during the first few seasons of Star Trek: Voyager. He played Paris throughout all seven seasons of the show, which will mark its 30th anniversary in 2025.

I always found Lieutenant Tom Paris fascinating. He was Voyager’s incredibly skilled pilot, but his story was a bit unusual. Captain Janeway actually pulled him out of prison at the start of our journey, hoping he could help us locate the Maquis. He was a fantastic pilot, no doubt, but in the beginning, he was definitely cocky, a little rough, and had to learn to work as part of a crew. He really grew on me over the years, though!

In a recent appearance on The Transporter Room podcast with Chris Garis, Allyson Leach-Heid, and Linda Paiges, Robert Duncan McNeill shared his honest feelings about the early writing for his Star Trek: Voyager character, Tom Paris. He admitted he didn’t much care for how the character was initially portrayed. However, McNeill also noted that Tom’s problematic behavior at the start actually made his later development and growth as a character more rewarding to watch. Here’s what Robbie had to say:

I never really connected with that character, even from the beginning. It wasn’t just the lines he spoke; the writers hadn’t quite figured him out yet. His actions felt inconsistent and frustrating – he’d make progress, then immediately do something to undo it. It was like he was constantly sabotaging himself, and I wondered how viewers were supposed to root for someone behaving that way.

I’m glad they moved away from Tom Paris’s initial personality. They seemed to be aiming for a Han Solo or even a sweet, sincere Julian Bashir type, but Tom came across as jaded and bitter. He was often rude, focused on himself, and had a poor track record with women – he didn’t speak about them respectfully. Honestly, I didn’t find that version of him very likeable.

His character development was really satisfying. While he wasn’t always likable at the beginning, that actually made his eventual growth and positive outcome even more rewarding. It was a bit tough to watch early on, but ultimately, I think it worked out for the best.

Watch Robert Duncan McNeill on The Transporter Room below:

Lieutenant Tom Paris was initially written as somewhat unlikeable because the character was inspired by a previous role played by Robert Duncan McNeill: Nicholas Locarno in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The producers of Star Trek: Voyager felt Locarno’s history of trouble at Starfleet Academy made him a hopeless character, and they used that as a basis for creating Tom Paris.

Lieutenant Tom Paris shared some initial traits with the character Nick Locarno, even being played by the same actor. But as Star Trek: Voyager progressed, Tom developed into a more likable and reliable member of the Voyager crew. His relationship with Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) also helped to overcome his initially flawed portrayal.

Fans of Star Trek: Voyager now have a lot of affection for Tom Paris, remembering him as Ensign Harry Kim’s (Garrett Wang) close friend and the co-creator of the Delta Flyer. He’s also widely considered one of Starfleet’s most skilled pilots. When Robert Duncan McNeill reprised his role as Lt. Tom Paris on Star Trek: Lower Decks, the character was presented as a Starfleet hero, even getting a collectible plate made in his honor.

On their podcast, The Delta Flyers, Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang rewatched every episode of Star Trek: Voyager. Robert, who played Lieutenant Tom Paris, has a unique and insightful understanding of the character’s development, especially how much Tom grew and evolved from his initial portrayal into a hero over the show’s seven seasons.

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2025-11-13 04:38