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Robert Duncan McNeill stars as Lieutenant Tom Paris, an outstanding pilot descended from a proud family of Starfleet legends, in Star Trek: Voyager. When the pressures of living up to the family name resulted in tragedy, Paris enlisted with the renegade Maquis, only to be captured and imprisoned by Starfleet. Given a second chance by Captain Janeway, Paris is determined to prove his worth as the starship U.S.S. Voyager strives to return home. As McNeill puts it, "Tom is a man who has made mistakes, but who hasn't allowed these mistakes to ruin his life. He's got another chance, and is going to do everything in his power to earn back lost respect and gain admiration."
McNeill has recently added "director" to his list of credits, making his directorial debut on Star Trek: Voyager with an episode entitled "Sacred Ground." He was the first of the series' ensemble cast to step behind the camera as an episodic director, and his effort was so successful that he was subsequently chosen to direct "Unity," a momentous episode which introduced the Borg on Voyager.
Born in North Carolina and raised in Washington, D.C., McNeill's family finally settled in Atlanta, Georgia. After attending a local high school, Robert decided to move to New York City to become an actor. After a number of chorus roles and small parts, he enrolled in The Juilliard School, where he spent two years studying the trade.
While attending Juilliard, Robert was cast as Charlie Brent on the popular ABC daytime drama All My Children. From 1984 through 1986, McNeill became a favorite in the world of daytime soaps, his efforts earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination. During this time, he also produced and starred in an off-Broadway play, and starred in the science fiction feature film "Masters of the Universe," alongside Dolph Lundgren, Courtney Cox and Frank Langella.
After leaving All My Children, McNeill landed a starring role in the national touring production of Stephen Sondheim's hit Broadway musical "Into the Woods." The tour would ultimately bring him to Los Angeles for a six-month run, and it would be here that he would finally put down roots with his new wife, Carol.
While L.A. was to become home, his career continued to take him back to the Big Apple. He returned to New York to appear in many plays on and off-Broadway. While there, he and his wife founded Real Play Productions, an organization that provides inner-city school children with creative ways of dealing with crises and issues they face on a daily basis.
His favorite and perhaps most memorable performance was in Lincoln Center's critically acclaimed production of "Six Degrees of Separation," which also starred Stockard Channing. McNeill played the role of Rick, a kid from Utah whose suicide is the turning point of the play.
McNeill soon moved back to Los Angeles and appeared in numerous television series including LA Law, Quantum Leap and Murder, She Wrote. He also appeared in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty" as Cadet First Class Nicholas Locarno, the charismatic but reckless leader of Starfleet Academy's Nova Squadron.
After his Star Trek debut, McNeill landed a starring role in the ABC series Going to Extremes. His credits also include recurring roles on ABC's Homefront, and on CBS's Second Chances with Connie Selleca. He also appeared as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Ford Theater in Hollywood, earning a Dramalogue Award as Best Actor for that performance.
In addition to his work on Star Trek: Voyager, McNeill continues to pursue his interests behind the scenes and is developing television and film projects to produce and direct, including his recent short film "The Battery."
Robert and his wife Carol currently reside in Los Angeles with their three children, daughter Taylor and sons Kyle and Carter.
Official Robert Duncan McNeill Fan Club Website-www.geocities.com/~rdmflt/
from startrek.com.
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