10 Background Star Trek Actors More Important Than You Think

10. Tarik Ergin As Lieutenant Ayala

Lieutenant Ayala was one of the most interesting characters on Voyager, but rarely got any speaking lines. He was Chakotay's right-hand man aboard their Maquis raider, the Val Jean, before it was destroyed and the Maquis crew were forced to integrate with Voyager.

He shows up in the background of tons of episodes, for example, at the funeral in Alliances, as well as the holodeck luau in Alter Ego and many, many more. What's weird about Ayala is that despite seeing him so often, he almost never speaks. This is even weirder when you consider that he went from being a high-ranking member of a violent protest group to a lieutenant on a starship, apparently ending his friendship with Chakotay in the process, as they never speak privately again. Perhaps he simply keeps quiet because he resents the crew, either because Janeway took away his command power or because he still holds harsh feelings against Starfleet for fighting the Maquis.

That quiet, no-nonsense face says a lot more when you know Ayala's history. Tarik does a great job of making him seem like he's going along with the ride on Voyager, but only because he has no other option.