Ethan Phillips stars as the Talaxian Neelix, a member of an alien race never before encountered in the Star Trek universe. Neelix is a charming yet scraggly scavenger who acts as the ship's mess officer.. When asked about his character, Ethan replied, "Neelix is a loner and a lover. He's manipulative and brave, sexy and silly." He added, "You might say he's an alien of many colors... an eccentric oddball who never ceases to amaze me."
Born and raised on Long Island, Ethan grew up as the only boy of six children. He received a Jesuit education in New York, and attended Boston University, where he graduated with a degree in English Literature. He went on to study at Cornell University, and eventually received a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Ethan began his acting career in the theater, appearing in such Broadway and off-Broadway productions as "My Favorite Year" at Lincoln Center, "Measure for Measure" at the Delacorte, "Lips Together, Teeth Apart" at the Lucille Lortel and "Modigliani" at the Astor Place, along with new productions for Playwrights Horizons Ensemble Studio Theater, Hudson Guild Theater, and others. He also played leading roles for many of the regional theaters in the country.
While he may have "cut his acting teeth" while trodding the boards, Ethan is perhaps best known for his extensive television work. Audiences will most likely remember him for his five seasons as Pete Downey, the Governor's press aide on the hit television sitcom Benson. In addition, he had a recurring role in the night time drama Werewolf , and guest-starred on numerous shows, including NYPD Blue , L.A. Law, Murphy Brown, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Law & Order.
Ethan is no stranger to feature films, either. He appears in the film "Jeffrey," in which he plays a sexaholic attending a 12-step group meeting.
In addition, Ethan can be seen in the movies "The Shadow," "Wagons East," "Man Without a Face," "Green Card," "Bloodhounds of Broadway," "Glory," "Lean On Me" and others. In addition to acting in stage, television and movie projects, Ethan is also a published and produced playwright. His original work, "Penguin Blues," was published by the Samuel French company, and has been produced more than 150 times throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Ethan lives with his wife, Patricia, and their West Highland terrier, Frank. In his spare time, he is a devoted backpacker and rock climber, and fancies himself an amateur ornithologist and botanist. He dreams of hiking the Appalachian trail from end-to-end.