<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Robert Picardo as The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager continues a great Star Trek tradition. The producers have shown an incredible knack for picking an actor who can make each "ship's doctor" an unforgettable, irascible, endearing character. From DeForest Kelley's Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek through John Billingsley's Denobulan Dr. Phlox in Enterprise, the doctors have stolen the show, and this was never more true than with Robert Picardo.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Picardo brought a B.A. in Drama from Yale and many years of acting experience to his role as chief medical officer of the U.S.S. Voyager. His extensive list of credits includes such genre shows as the movie Star Trek: First Contact, and television appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, The Dead Zone, Outer Limits, Early Edition, The 4400, Tales from the Crypt, and Amazing Stories. His feature film appearances include Small Soldiers, Wagons East, Gremlins II, and Innerspace, among others. His work in theater includes numerous roles on Broadway as well as at the Los Angeles Public Theater and the Berkeley Repertory Theater. In addition to his regular cast role in Star Trek: Voyager, he also directed two episodes of the show.

Voyager's doctor is neither human nor alien, but an Emergency Medical Hologram--the only source of skilled medical help after the ship's doctor and entire medical staff were killed at the beginning of the series. The Doctor's programming was derived from an amalgam of 47 specific surgeons and 3,000 cultures, along with a dollop of testiness from its creator, Dr. Lewis Zimmerman. The Doctor's signature line is Picardo's deadpan delivery of his first words each time his program is activated: "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." As the series progressed, Picardo gradually developed The Doctor's persona from an almost-robotic demeanor reminiscent of early Lieutenant Data in Star Trek: Enterprise to a full-fledged individual with human quirks and a rocky love life.

In 2008, Picardo joined the cast of Atlantis as the expedition leader, reprising his role of Richard Woolsey. He has played the interfering bureaucrat on several episodes of Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis.

External Links

• Official Star Trek Site
• Robert Picardo.com - Official Site
• Robert Picardo - IMDB
• Upcoming TV Schedule by IMDB.com

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