Robert Duncan McNeill stars as Starfleet Lieutenant Tom Paris, a man 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 Robert 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 recently added directing to his credits, making his directorial debut on Star Trek: Voyager with an episode entitled, "Sacred Ground." Additionally, he is developing new television and film projects including the short film, The Battery which he recently produced and directed.
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. McNeill enrolled at Juilliard, 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 1985 through 1988, 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 in New York, he and his wife founded Real Play Productions. They created the organization to provide inner-city school children with creative ways of dealing with the crises and issues they face on a daily basis.
McNeill's favorite, and perhaps most memorable performance was in Lincoln Center's critically acclaimed production Six Degrees of Separation. In this drama, which also starred Stockard Channing, he played Rick, a kid from Utah whose suicide provides the turning point for the entire play.
McNeill soon moved back to Los Angeles and appeared in numerous television series including, LA Law, Quantum Leap and Murder She Wrote. After a guest starring role on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he 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. McNeill also appeared as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet at the Ford Theater, where he earned a Drama Logue Award as Best Actor.
Robert and his wife Carol currently reside in Los Angeles with their daughter Taylor, son Kyle, and newborn Carter.