BREAKING: Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan’s Star Trek Feud, Finally Explained

Behind-the-scenes drama can have a way of showing up in the final product. Stories of actors, directors, and other creatives who feud with each other can make for easy — and often distasteful — gossip fodder. However, it can be hard to avoid when its effects appear onscreen. The Star Trek franchise hasn’t always been free of backstage feuds, the most noted of which is doubtless the one in the later seasons of Star Trek: Voyager between stars Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan.

The reasons behind it all are nebulous and complicated, and at the end of the day had comparatively little to do with the two actors themselves. It was fueled for decades by speculation and rumor, which the participants did little to dispel until much later. The fact of the matter is that Mulgrew made life needlessly difficult for Ryan onset, which she took responsibility for in a 2018 interview with Woman’s World. The results can be seen in the onscreen tension between the two characters, as well as Ryan’s trepidation over what should have been the hallmark performance of her career.

Jennifer Lien’s Departure Fed the Voyager Feud

Ryan’s arrival coincided with the departure of actor Jennifer Lien, who played the Ocampa Kes for the show’s first three seasons. The actor proved a warm and likable presence onscreen, and by all accounts got along extremely well with her costars and the crew. Kes remained an audience favorite during her time on Voyager, with her optimism, kindness and deep emotional reserves endearing her very quickly. Lien was replaced by Ryan for Season 4, which immediately put Ryan in an awkward position. It smacked of misogyny, among other concerns, with a gentle and quiet female character replaced by an overtly sexualized one.

At the time, the production kept mum about the change, citing only that they felt that Kes had reached a creative dead end. That was patently absurd, as Kes’ abrupt departure from Voyager caught viewers by surprise and left a lot of disappointment in its wake. However, it fueled the impression that Kes had been replaced with the “sexier” Seven of Nine. It also led to rampant speculation about the specifics among the fanbase, which played into the subsequent impression of the difficulties between Ryan and Mulgrew. The facts of the matter emerged in the 2020 book Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration by Ben Robinson and Mark Wright.

The pair spoke to the entire cast for the project, and confirmed that Lien was suffering from significant mental health issues that affected her ability to do the job. Producers reluctantly determined that she could not reliably continue during Season 3, and wrote her off the show. Seven — and Ryan — were brought in as a replacement. Sadly, Lien’s struggles continued off-screen after she retired from acting, and she was ordered to undergo mental health treatment after a series of arrests between 2015 and 2018. She has since remained out of the news and doesn’t post on social media. She was also the only cast member who was not interviewed for Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration, leaving little verifiable information on her current status.

Why Kate Mulgrew Was Angry About Seven’s Arrival on Voyager

The circumstances surrounding Lien left Ryan with the unenviable task of filling the spot left by the well-liked performer who had three years to bond with fellow members of the cast and crew. In addition, it was hard to deny accusations of using Seven as eye candy, as the character spent her early appearances in a form-fitting catsuit and was actively pushed as a sex symbol in the show’s promotional content.

Showrunner Rick Berman was responsible for creating Seven, referring to her as “pizzazz” to the press. The move did have the effect of boosting ratings, and Seven rapidly became a fan favorite. In fact, she still ranks among the most popular characters the franchise produced. Mulgrew responded poorly, as she acknowledged in the Woman’s Day interview. The perceived sexism rankled her, as did the idea that she couldn’t carry the show on her own.

I’d hoped against hope that Janeway would be sufficient. That we didn’t have to bring a beautiful, sexy girl in.

Mulgrew also reportedly felt protective of Lien, which contributed to her frustration, as well as having to share the spotlight on the show she was intended to lead. That translated into poor treatment of Ryan, including reported efforts to deny her breaks and similar acts of bullying. Mulgrew later praised the other actor for maintaining her professionalism amid the whole thing:

This is on me, not Jeri. She came in and did what she was asked to do.

The success of both characters amplified the circumstances, and yet it also allowed them to persevere despite the behind-the-scenes rockiness. Janeway is one of the show’s most beloved captains, which was a huge leap forward for onscreen representation. Similarly, Ryan’s cool fish-out-of-water Seven rapidly became one of Voyager’s big selling points. The last few seasons of Voyager brought their share of iconic moments (many of them centered around Janeway’s conflict with the Borg) that wouldn’t have been the same without the ex-Borg.

Both characters returned to the franchise for celebrated curtain calls, with Janeway being featured in the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy and Seven in Star Trek: Picard. Both turns were welcomed by fans for the depth and context they brought. Such feuds were sadly nothing new for the Star Trek franchise. William Shatner infamously bullied costar George Takei on the set of The Original Series, while Berman’s off-screen behavior resulted in the departure of popular actor Terry Ferrell from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the end of its sixth season.

Like Voyager, Deep Space Nine endured a controversial casting addition at the beginning of Season 4 when Worf transferred over from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The pressures of working long hours on a franchise with such an enthusiastic audience have engendered an off-screen cost, most of which remains well under the radar of even the most dedicated fans.

Jeri Ryan and Seven of Nine Grew Into the Role

It’s easy to overlook the way Ryan effortlessly rose above the character’s implied status as pure eye candy. Seven’s loneliness and inability to connect with the crew slowly changed over time, as she found her soul amid new friendships with the Doctor and other crew members. That made fans of the character for reasons that had nothing to do with the catsuit, paving the way for her triumphant return in Picard where she once again stole the show out from under the ostensible lead. There’s a strong chance that the Star Trek franchise hasn’t seen the last of Seven, either, with fans actively lobbying for a series centered around her adventures as captain of the USS Titan.

It’s an impressive achievement, particularly for a character who could very easily have become the empty sex symbol her early critics feared. As far as Voyager itself goes, the offscreen tension feeds into the characters’ relationship onscreen. Janeway’s animosity towards the Borg can be seen in her sometimes chilly relationship with Seven. The two become allies, with Janeway growing into the role of mentor after a rocky start between the two. That turns into a certain bitterness in Picard, as Janeway was unable to secure a position in Starfleet for Seven, leaving her to join the Fenris Rangers instead.

While that in no way excuses the behind-the-scenes behavior that created the vibe, it’s not something that can be readily dismissed as just gossip. One way or another, it informs the path of both characters (to say nothing of Kes), with art at least partially reflecting the real-life circumstances behind its creation. Ryan certainly has nothing to apologize for, and whatever difficulties she endured make her triumph as Seven all the more admirable.

Mulgrew remains a beloved fixture for Star Trek fans as well, and her acknowledgment of responsibility suggests that she’s done her share of soul-searching over whatever took place. It’s left to fans to contemplate the impact it had on Voyager, as well as the paths of its two most prominent protagonists. The rest has become a matter of franchise history, for better or worse, and a reminder of just how challenging it can be to put good work onscreen.