Star Trek: Voyager’s Robert Duncan McNeill Was Offered A Directing Job On Discovery

The team behind Star Trek: Discovery has been reaching out to Star Trek vets for cameo appearances and directing jobs, and while some have answered the call, one Star Trek: Voyager star passed on the offer.

At this year’s Star Trek Las Vegas convention, Robert Duncan McNeill, who played Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager, said that he was offered a directing job on Star Trek: Discovery but had to turn the offer down.

“I don’t know anything about Discovery, to be honest,” McNeill said (via Trek Movie). “A couple of friends of mine have directed, like Frakes. I hope it is successful. They did ask me for some dates [to direct] but I just wasn’t available.”

McNeill made it clear that he would love to direct an episode of Star Trek: Discovery if his schedule clears up.

“I would love to do it,” he said. “I hope it is a huge success. It is good for the fans, it is good for the franchise. It is good for the future of Star Trek.”

McNeill did find time to direct an episode of Seth MacFarlane’s comedic Star Trek homage, The Orville, reunited with former Star Trek: Voyager showrunner Brannon Braga, is now an executive producer on The Orville.

“I directed one [episode of The Orville],” McNeill said. “Everybody’s very cautious of the legalities of a spaceship that looks a lot like other spaceships…”

McNeill and Braga both had significant roles in what is considered to be one of the worst episodes of Star Trek: Voyager’s seven-season run on television.

Set 10 years prior to the five-year mission of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery follows the adventures of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship, new characters, and new missions while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Star Trek: Discovery will debut on Sept. 24.