Casting Star Trek: Voyager Reboot

9. Neelix - Eric Stonestreet

VOYAGER NEELIX ERIC STONESTREET
Paramount/ABC

The character of Neelix, as played by Ethan Phillips, has been a slightly polarizing one with fans. As written, his infectious optimism has often been criticized. He has been called annoying on more than one occasion! However, he is arguably one of the most essential characters on the show.

Neelix is both a guide and the morale officer aboard the USS Voyager. To truly capture that, an actor needs to display both a wisdom, yet a playful energy in the part. Eric Stonestreet is perhaps best known for portraying Cameron Tucker on Modern Family, one half of the same-sex married couple alongside Jesse Tyler-Ferguson.

His upbeat optimism and hilarious line delivery have shown that he can absolutely deliver when it comes to the comedic side of Neelix, yet he has also shown that he can play both sweet and serious as well. He has appeared in several movies, along with other roles in television series.

While he may disappear beneath the Talaxian make-up, there is no question that Stonestreet would bring a wonderful joy to the show!

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"