10 Amazing Behind The Scenes Secrets Of Star Trek: Voyager
5. Garrett Wang Was 'Too Hot' To Fire
If there's one thing that's possibly even better known than the recasting of Captain Janeway, it's that it was very nearly Harry Kim, rather than Kes, who was written out in Season 4.
The showrunners knew that they wanted Jeri Ryan to come in as a brand new character, but they also knew this was absolutely one too many members of the principal cast. They had, they surmised, two candidates to leave the show, both of whom seemed to have completed their early arcs and now struggled to find compelling storylines. Garret Wang's Harry Kim (who would have been killed off to raise the show's stakes) and Kes (who would be written out to fulfill her initial story).
After much consideration, they decided to remove Kim.
Or rather they did, until he was included in People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World article between seasons 3 and 4. Immediately seeing him as an untapped resource for the show, the producers gave Jennifer Lien the bullet instead and tried their best to think of things for Harry to do for the remaining 3 seaons.
And I mean... he was good in Timeless? And he pulled in The Disease! And in Ashes to Ashes so... yeah, solid work.