Star Trek: 10 Behind The Scenes Secrets From Caretaker
4. Nick Locarno
The earliest notes for Caretaker included, by name, the character of Nick Locarno. Initially, he was there to play the part of a former Starfleet officer who had fallen from grace. While this description would seem to apply to a number of characters - Chakotay, Tom Paris, and Torres all fit in their own ways - the character that became Tom Paris was quite clearly a reuse.
The next set of notes still included the name Locarno, which led to Robert Duncan McNeill being offered the chance to audition. He and Tim Russ were among the earliest cast, as both were well-known to, and liked by, the producers. McNeill later reflected that he initially had no idea he was reading for a pilot, though he did note that the script read exactly like the character of Locarno.
He knew that a Next Generation movie was imminent, so he assumed that the character was being resurrected to appear in Star Trek: Generations. However, once Locarno was renamed Tom Paris, McNeill discovered that this was, in fact, for an entirely new show. While the circumstances surrounding the creation of Tom Paris are a little mixed, it is clear that McNeill was always on the cards.