Ethan Phillips is an American actor and playwright, born on February 8, 1955, in Garden City, New York. His career is inextricably linked to the role of the Talaxian Neelix in the science fiction television series *Star Trek: Voyager*, which he portrayed for seven seasons from 1995 to 2001. Prior to this iconic character, he was known for his role as Pete Downey in the sitcom *Benson* during the 1980s. His versatility has also led him to appear in other series within the Star Trek franchise, such as *The Next Generation* and *Enterprise*, playing Ferengi characters. On the big screen, he has appeared in notable films such as *Glory* and has collaborated with the Coen brothers on *The Man Who Wasn't There* and *Inside Llewyn Davis*. Also active in theater, both on and off-Broadway, Phillips is the author of the play *Penguin Blues*. For his work on *Voyager*, he shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the rest of the cast for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.