One tie binds Tim Russ’ latest “NCIS” role to many of the parts he’s taken before; he’s played a whole lot of doctors over the years. He’s suited up in scrubs for projects as disparate as “Hannah Montana,” “General Hospital,” “ER” and “Freddy’s Nightmares” over the years, proving that he definitely has range beyond his signature role as “Star Trek: Voyager” Vulcan Tuvok.
Ironically, per an interview with trekmovie.com, Russ even read for the role of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” doctor Julian Bashir, whom Alexander Siddig would play on the program. His auditioning specialty definitely doesn’t start and end with doctors, though, even when it comes to “Star Trek” properties. He was up for the iconic part of Geordi La Forge, which went to LeVar Burton.
Russ’ persistence paid off, and he secured roles on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “Star Trek: Generations,” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” where he played a Klingon, on the road to his destiny as Tuvok. “I did audition for all of those shows. Over the course of a year or two, off and on, and finally just booked a few of them. So, I had already been in their wheelhouse prior to Voyager, which was an advantage in my case,” Russ said in 2018. It just goes to show that a dose of persistence a day is the best medicine an actor could want.