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Published Jul 20, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About Star Trek: Voyager's Seska

A guide to one of Voyager’s most ferocious foes!

StarTrek.com

The crew of the U.S.S. Voyager faced a variety of foes during their journey home. External threats came from the Borg and the Kazon , but one of the show’s most memorable came from their own crew!

Seska joined the crew as part of the Maquis ship Val Jean when their fighters were brought onboard at the start of the series. However, Seska’s own secrets led to her partnering with the Kazon to try and betray the Voyager crew and Captain Janeway . As she faces off against The Diviner in this week’s round of the Villain Showdown , we’re diving into Seska’s exploits throughout her time on the series.

Seska’s Secrets

Seska’s first appearances showed her to be a Bajoran woman, but she was hiding her true identity. She was, in fact, a Cardassian operative disguised as a Bajoran fighter who had infiltrated the Val Jean . She and Chakotay previously had a romantic connection while she was undercover, using their relationship to get information to report to her Cardassian superiors.

This isn’t the first time that a character has undergone surgery to appear as a different alien species. There are plenty of examples from across the franchise, including notably in the Deep Space Nine episode “ Second Skin ,” when Kira Nerys is kidnapped by Cardassians and gaslit into believing she is a Cardassian operative.

Aboard Voyager

Seska made it clear to Chakotay when they were onboard the Voyager that she would support a Maquis mutiny to take over the ship. Still disguised as a Bajoran, she expressed disapproval of Starfleet and their procedures. She and her close friend B’Elanna Torres were both assigned to Engineering by Janeway; but as B’Elanna became part of the Voyager family, Seska never fully acclimated.

In the episode “ Prime Factors ,” she and several other crew members attempted to steal spatial trajector technology from the Sikarians; when that plan failed, Seska attempted to lie to Janeway about what happened. However, B’Elanna held her back, stating she didn’t want to lie— this signaled a fracturing of their friendship.

Eventually, Seska collaborated with the Kazon, offering them replicator technology in exchange for their help. In the episode “ State of Flux ,” her Cardassian background was discovered by The Doctor . Though she tried to lie and cover up her past, she ultimately revealed the truth when confronted by Chakotay, then escaped to a Kazon ship.

As part of the Kazon, Seska became a consort of First Maje Culluh, having a child with him. She continued to aid the Kazon in their attacks on the Voyager until she died.

At one point following her death, Chakotay traveled through time due to temporal distortions and discovered Seska and other Kazon trying to take over the ship through Engineering in the year 2370. Upon learning her fate, Seska tried to change the course of history to ensure the Kazon’s victory and her own survival. However, they were defeated and her memory of the incident was wiped.

Seska appeared in 13 episodes of Voyager. Her trickery and cunning made her a worthy adversary of the crew. Will she emerge victorious in a showdown with The Diviner? Vote for your favorite and check back next week for the winner!

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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The Intriguing World Of Entertainment

Whatever Happened To Martha Hackett, ‘Seska’ From Star Trek: Voyager?

By Nick Lee | December 9, 2022

Great science fiction shows are even better with able and well-written villains. In Star Trek Voyager, viewers got that villain in ‘Seska’, the nefarious Cardassian agent, played by Martha Hackett. Although she only appeared on 13 episodes, she made a lasting impact on many fans who regarded her as one of the most memorable villains of the show.

20 years has passed since the end of Voyager, what has Martha Hackett been up to ever since?

Born on February 21st, 1961, Hackett hails from Boston, Massachusetts.

Hackett got into acting during high school. While in college, she starred in several stage productions.

She graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in English, American Literature, and Languages.

After Harvard, Hackett went to Hollywood to further her career. She landed her first job in the police drama Hill Street Blues (1986) as Carole Greene.

Acting Career

Hackett’s introduction to the Star Trek universe came with Deep Space Nine in 1992. She unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Jadzia Dax. Getting there just took a bit longer! She was not done with Trek despite this or alien costumes and makeup.

Between the "Trek" years, Hackett appeared in several movies or T.V. roles. She played a detective in Leprechaun 2 and The Marshall Chronicles (1990).

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Hackett auditioned for Star Trek: The Next Generation. She portrayed an alien species called the Terrellian in the series’ final episode, "All Good Things." Her part was cut in the editing and was not in the finale.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Her gig in TNG led to a two-episode appearance on Deep Space Nine as the Romulan subcommander T’Rul (1994).

Like many scenes in Trek history about cloaking devices and the Federation, Hackett’s T’rul was to protect the device against seizure. Dominion forces caught the episodes’ characters all before being rescued.

Star Trek: Voyager

Hackett’s portrayal as T’Rul was a lead up to her most arguably best role: Seska on Star Trek Voyager.

Seska was among the rebels – the Maquis, but in reality, it was revaled that she was a Cardassian agent who infiltrated the group to spy on them.

To aid her deception, Seska was altered to look like a Bajoran – a people subjected by the Cardassians.

As Seska, Hackett masterfully played the role of a double agent. Seska helped mask her duplicity using Commander Chakotay as her lover.

Though she loved him, Seska did not hesitate to seek others to help her. As Hackett’s role matured, she betrayed Voyager to the Kazons and as the main villain, Hackett usually stayed one step ahead.

Seska’s ultimate goal was to capture the Voyager for the technology.

Hackett showed Seska’s deceitfulness but was also conflicted too. Besides her betrayal, she stole Chakotay’s DNA to become pregnant and took up with the head Kazon. Her stalker-ish goal was to get Chakotay back. 

Hackett depicted Seska for thirteen episodes over two seasons. Subsequently, she appeared twice more in later seasons, still vicious. Her last swipe she aimed at Tuvok; she changed a program he used to try and kill him.

After Hackett’s Voyager stint ended, she did voice work in several Star Trek video games, the last in 2003. 

What did she do after Star Trek: Voyager?

From the late 90s, Hackett appeared in various T.V. shows and films. Among the films are Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) with Robert Downey Jr and the TV show I Heart Vampires, where she played the part of Siona McCabre for six episodes.

Other credits for Hackett include, Days of Our Lives for four episodes in 2018. In Days of Our Live, she played the character of Pamela Van Damme, who was the head of a military group called the ISA. Like Seska, Pamela was morally corrupt and covered up her evil deeds. This character, too, had a less than happy ending!

What is Martha Hackett doing now?

Martha is still acting in movies and on stage. In 2019, she acted in a virtual reality Amazon movie – Exorcism of Allie Fay. The movie’s plot, like The Exorcist, shows the expelling of a demon from a young woman by two priests.

Her last television role was in 2020 for the TV movie A Deadly Lullaby, where she played the character of Monica.

Martha is also very prominent in the theater and stage acting world. She was the lead or in supporting roles in fifteen-plus plays. In 2018 she played the lead actress in Edward Albee’s Occupant, which played at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank.

One aspect of acting in any Star Trek series is the convention afterlife. Trekkies are a fanatically loyal fanbase. Like most Trek alum, Hackett has appeared at several conventions. Her most recent appearance was in 2021 at the Destination Star Trek – London convention.

Personal Life

Martha Hackett married Tim Disney, although the date of the marriage is unknown. Tim is the son of Roy E. Disney and the great-grandnephew of Walt Disney. 

Tim Disney was born in 1961, graduated from Harvard and became a filmmaker.

While filming Voyager, Martha got pregnant and instead of hiding the pregnancy, writers wrote her pregnancy into the show.

Martha and Tim have two sons together, although they divorced in 2004.

Related Posts:

About Nick Lee

Nick is a Senior Staff Writer for Ned Hardy. Some of his favorite subjects include sci-fi, history, and obscure facts about 90's television. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. More from Nick

Whatever Happened To The Cast Of Star Trek: Voyager?

The third "Star Trek" series to air in the 1990s, "Star Trek: Voyager" was also the flagship series for the all-new Paramount television network UPN. Making its debut in January of 1995, the series saw Captain Kathryn Janeway command the state-of-the-art starship Voyager on a mission to pursue a group of Maquis rebels. However, when a phenomenon envelops them both and hurls them to the distant Delta Quadrant, Starfleet officers and Maquis terrorists become one crew on a perilous journey home.

Despite a few cast shake-ups, "Voyager" ran for seven seasons and featured a consistently stellar ensemble. The series helped launch the careers of several of its lesser-known actors, while others can count the series as the highest point in their filmography. Some walked away from Hollywood after it concluded, while a few have since made big comebacks, returning to the roles that made them famous.

Since it ended in 2001, "Voyager" has aged like fine wine, earning new fans thanks to the magic of streaming where new generations can discover it anew. Whether seeing it for the first time — or even if you're watching it for the umpteenth — you may be wondering where the cast is now. Well, recalibrate the bio-neural gel packs and prep the Delta Flyer for launch because we're here to fill you in on what's happened to the cast of "Star Trek: Voyager."

Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

It's no secret that Kate Mulgrew wasn't the first choice to play Captain Janeway in "Star Trek: Voyager." Academy Award-nominee Geneviève Bujold was famously cast first  but filmed only a few scenes before quitting the show during the production of the series pilot, leading to Mulgrew being brought in. Today it is difficult to imagine anyone else in the role, though it's hardly Mulgrew's only iconic TV series.

Following the show's conclusion in 2001, Mulgrew took a few years off from acting, returning with a small role in the 2005 film "Perception" with Piper Perabo. After a guest appearance on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Mulgrew snagged a recurring role on "The Black Donnellys" in 2007 alongside Jonathan Tucker and Olivia Wilde and another in the short-lived NBC medical drama "Mercy" in 2009. Her return to a main cast, however, came in the Adult Swim series "NTSF:SD:SUV::," where she played an eye patch-wearing leader of an anti-terrorism task force alongside future "Star Trek" star Rebecca Romijn .

Of course, Mulgrew found a major career resurgence in 2013, starring in one of Netflix's earliest forays into original programming, "Orange is the New Black." In the series she stars as Red, an inmate at a women's prison, a role that would earn her an Emmy nomination. Mulgrew returned to "Star Trek" in 2021, voicing both Kathryn Janeway and a holographic version of the character in the Nickelodeon-produced CGI-animated series  "Star Trek: Prodigy."

Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay

Sitting in the chair next to Captain Janeway for seven seasons was Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay, a former Maquis first officer. Though Beltran counts his heritage as Latino, Chakotay was actually the first Native American series regular in the franchise but was sadly under-used, a fact that the actor has  commented on . Following "Star Trek: Voyager," Beltran's work on the small screen was mostly limited to guest appearances, popping up in episodes of "CSI: Miami" and "Medium" in the 2000s while filling roles in movies like "Taking Chances," "Fire Serpent," and "Manticore." 

Beltran's first recurring part on TV after "Voyager" was in the series "Big Love," starring Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn. In the series, he played Jerry Flute — another Native American — who has plans to construct a casino on a reservation. However, over the next decade, Beltran seemed to move away from acting, with a sparse handful of minor roles. He revealed on Twitter that he turned down a chance to play Chakotay one more time in the revival series "Star Trek: Picard," as he was unhappy with the part they'd written for him. 

Nevertheless, Beltran did come back to join Kate Mulgrew for the animated children's series "Star Trek: Prodigy." Voicing Chakotay in his triumphant return to the franchise, the series sees the character lost in space and his former captain on a mission to find him.

Tim Russ as Lt. Tuvok

Actor Tim Russ had already made a few guest appearances in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and even the film "Star Trek Generations" before joining the main cast of "Star Trek: Voyager" in 1995. Russ became a fan-favorite as Vulcan Lt. Tuvok, who was later promoted to Lt. Commander. However, after seven seasons playing the stoic, emotionless Tuvok, Russ kept busy with a variety of different roles, mostly guest-starring in popular TV hits.

This includes guest spots in everything from "ER" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" to episodes of "Hannah Montana" and "Without a Trace." He even appeared on the big screen with a small role in "Live Free or Die Hard" in 2007, but it didn't keep him away from TV, as he also had a multi-episode appearance on the hit soap "General Hospital." That same year, Russ joined the main cast of the Christina Applegate comedy "Samantha Who?" and later began working in video games, providing voice work for "Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus" and "The Last of Us Part 2." 

Since then, the actor has kept busy with countless roles in such as "Criminal Minds," "NCIS: New Orleans," "Supergirl," and "The Good Doctor." More recently, Russ turned up in an episode of Seth MacFarlane's "Star Trek" homage "The Orville,"  and in 2023 voiced Lucius Fox in the animated film "Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham."

Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres

On "Star Trek: Voyager," the role of chief engineer was filled by Roxann Dawson who played half-Klingon/half-human B'Elanna Torres. Starting out as a Maquis rebel, she eventually becomes one of the most important members of the crew, as well as a wife and mother. Following her run on the series, Dawson had just a handful of on-screen roles, which included single episodes of "The Closer" and "Without a Trace." That's because, like her franchise cohort  Jonathan Frakes , Dawson moved behind the camera to become a director full-time.

Getting her start overseeing episodes of "Voyager" first, Dawson moved on to helm entries of "Star Trek" spin-off "Enterprise" before broadening to other shows across television. Since 2005, Dawson has directed episodes of some of the biggest hits on TV including "Lost" and "The O.C." in 2006, eight episodes of "Cold Case," a trio of "Heroes" episodes, and more. 

We could go on and on rattling off the hit shows she's sat behind the camera for but among her most notable might be the David Simon HBO series "Treme" in 2011, "Hell on Wheels" with future starship captain Anson Mount, and modern masterpieces like "Bates Motel," "The Americans," and "This is Us." Her most recent work saw her return to sci-fi, helming two episodes of the Apple TV+ series "Foundation."

Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Despite never seeing a rise in rank and perpetually remaining a low-level ensign, Harry Kim — played by Garrett Wang – often played a crucial role in defeating many of the enemies the crew would face in the Delta Quadrant. When "Star Trek: Voyager" left the airwaves, though, Wang bounced around, with his biggest role arguably coming in the 2005 Steven Spielberg-produced miniseries "Into the West." He has continued embracing his role as Ensign Kim by appearing at many fan conventions, where he found an entirely new calling. 

Beginning in 2010, Kim embarked on a career as an event moderator, serving as the Master of Ceremonies at that year's FedCon (a science fiction convention held in Germany). Later, he was the Trek Track Director at the celebrated Dragon Con event, held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. Over the course of his new career, Wang has held moderating duties and hosted panels and events at major pop culture conventions in Montreal, Edmonton, Phoenix, and Denver. According to Wang, his biggest role as a moderator came at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo in 2012, where he interviewed the legendary Stan Lee .

In 2020, Wang joined forces with co-star Robert Duncan McNeill to launch "The Delta Flyers," a podcast that discusses classic episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager."

Robert Duncan McNeill as Lt. Tom Paris

Robert Duncan McNeill guest-starred in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as a hotshot pilot who broke the rules and wound up booted from Starfleet. So when producers developed a similar character, they brought in McNeill to play him, resulting in brash, cavalier helm officer Tom Paris. In 2002, after "Star Trek: Voyager" ended, McNeill starred in an episode of  "The Outer Limits" revival  and a few more small roles. However, like Dawson, McNeill left acting not long after the series ended to become a director and producer, starting with four episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise."

Into the 2000s, McNiell helmed episodes of "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill" before becoming an executive producer on the action-comedy series "Chuck" starring Zachary Levi. Ultimately he'd direct 21 episodes of that series across its five seasons. From there, McNeill went on to sit behind the camera for installments of "The Mentalist," "Blue Bloods," and "Suits." 

Since the 2010s, McNeill has served as an executive producer on further shows that included "The Gifted," the Disney+ reboot of "Turner & Hooch," and the SyFy series "Resident Alien." In addition to hosting "The Delta Flyers" podcast with co-star Garrett Wang, McNeill came back to "Star Trek" in 2022 when he voiced the character of Tom Paris in a cameo on the animated comedy "Star Trek: Lower Decks."

Ethan Phillips as Neelix

Another actor to appear on "Star Trek" before taking a leading role on "Voyager," Ethan Phillips played the quirky alien chef Neelix for all seven seasons of the show's run. A well-established veteran, his TV roles prior had included dramas like "NYPD Blue" and family hits like "Doogie Howser, M.D." Unfortunately, his role on "Voyager" never translated to big-time success after, though he hardly struggled for work. That's because he went back to his former career as a character actor.

In the ensuing years, Phillips could be seen all over the dial and beyond, with parts in "Touched by an Angel" and "8 Simple Rules" among many others, even popping up in a guest-starring role in an episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2002. Later he did a three-episode run on "Boston Legal," another Beantown-based legal drama from David E. Kelley, this one starring "Star Trek" legend William Shatner and "Deep Space Nine" alum René Auberjonois. Some of the biggest shows he's found work on during the 2010s meanwhile include "Better Call Saul" and a recurring role in the Lena Dunham comedy "Girls." He's also had roles in major movies, showing up in "Inside Llewyn Davis," "The Purge: Election Year," and "The Island."

Though he hasn't come back to "Star Trek," Phillips did return to sci-fi in 2020, joining the main cast of the HBO space comedy "Avenue 5" alongside Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad.

Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine

Though she didn't arrive on "Star Trek: Voyager" until Season 4, Jeri Ryan arguably became the series' biggest star. She came in to help liven up a series that was struggling and joined the cast as a former Borg drone named Seven of Nine . It proved to be just what the series needed and a career-defining role for Ryan. One of the few cast members of "Voyager" to parlay her role into bigger success, Ryan immediately joined the David E. Kelley legal drama "Boston Public" after the series ended.

There she had a three-season run and in 2006 she secured another starring role on another legal drama, this time in the James Woods series "Shark," with Danielle Panabaker and Henry Simmons. Smaller recurring roles came after, including multi-episode stints on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Two and a Half Men," and "Leverage," before Ryan returned to a main cast with her co-starring role in "Body of Proof" in 2011 alongside Dana Delany. Parts in "Helix" and "Bosch" came after, as well as brief recurring roles in "MacGyver" and "Major Crimes," leading right up to her return to "Star Trek" in 2020.

That year, Ryan joined the cast of the revival series "Star Trek: Picard." Returning to the role of Seven of Nine, she supported series lead Patrick Stewart by appearing in all three seasons, and rumor has it she may even star in a spin-off. 

Jennifer Lien as Kes

Joining the Starfleet and Maquis crew aboard Voyager was Kes, a young alien woman with mild telepathic powers and just a nine-year lifespan, and played by Jennifer Lien. Unfortunately, her character never quite gelled, and in Season 4 Lien was written out to make way for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine.

Leaving the series in 1997, Lien's career stalled in front of the camera, though she did manage a role in "American History X" alongside "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" star Avery Brooks. However, most of her subsequent work came in animation, with voice work in "Superman: The Animated Series" — where she played Inza, the wife of Doctor Fate — and a starring role as Agent L in "Men in Black: The Series." 

Unfortunately, Lien pretty much left acting shortly after that. She married filmmaker Phil Hwang and started a family but has faced personal problems along the way. While struggling to deal with her mental health, Lien was arrested in 2015 for indecent exposure and again in 2018 for driving without a license. 

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website .

Manu Intiraymi as Icheb

Late in Season 6 of "Star Trek: Voyager," a storyline saw the ship rescue a stranded vessel commanded by a group of wayward Borg children. At the conclusion of the story, four young drones join the crew, becoming a surrogate family of sorts to Seven of Nine after jettisoning their Borg identities. The eldest of them is Icheb, a teenager who becomes like a brother to Seven, played by actor Manu Intiraymi. The young actor went on to make 11 appearances across the final two seasons of the show. 

When "Voyager" ended in 2001, Intiraymi continued acting, with his largest role coming in "One Tree Hill." There he played Billy — a local drug dealer — in a recurring role in 2012. Further projects were mostly independent films like "5th Passenger" in 2017 and "Hell on the Border," a 2019 Western starring David Gyasi, Ron Perlman, and Frank Grillo. 

In 2017, Intiraymi came under fire for criticizing fellow "Star Trek" actor Anthony Rapp, who'd made accusations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey . A few years later, fans speculated those comments may have been why he wasn't asked to return to the role of Icheb in "Star Trek: Picard," with a new actor playing the part in a scene that killed off the character.

Scarlett Pomers as Naomi Wildman

Plenty of TV shows have added a kid to shake up the status quo late into their run, and "Star Trek: Voyager" was not immune to this trope. In addition to Borg kids like Icheb, Samantha Wildman — the newborn daughter of a crewperson — became a recurring character beginning in Season 5, played by Scarlett Pomers. She'd wind up in 16 episodes, including a few where she played a leading role. In the aftermath of the end of the series, Pomers appeared in the Julia Roberts film "Erin Brockovich," and in 2001 joined the cast of the sitcom "Reba."

For six seasons Pomers starred as Kyra Hart, daughter of the show's star played by Reba McEntire. Appearing in a whopping 103 episodes, it was only Pomers' second regular role but also her last on-screen performance. When that series concluded, Pomers essentially retired from acting. Unfortunately, her exit from the stage was at least partly due to her ongoing battle with an eating disorder, and Pomers has since become an outspoken advocate for those struggling with anorexia and mental illness. In a 2019 interview with StarTrek.com , Pomers also talked about her subsequent career as a photographer, musician, and jewelry designer.

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

Martha Hackett as Seska

In the early seasons of "Star Trek: Voyager," one of the most compelling ongoing storylines was that of Seska, a Bajoran and former Maquis rebel and on-again-off-again lover of Chakotay. Played by recurring guest star Martha Hackett, it was later revealed that Seska was actually an enemy agent in disguise. Hackett would appear in a total of 13 episodes of the series, making it by far the largest role in her career. Still, she has appeared in some big hits over the last two decades.

Those included a small role in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" in 2005 and an appearance in the cult horror movie "The Bye Bye Man" in 2017. It also includes one-off appearances in episodes of popular projects on the small screen, like "The Mindy Project" in 2014, "Masters of Sex" a year earlier, and a recurring role in the daytime soap "Days of Our Lives" between 2016 and 2018. Thanks to her iconic role as Seska, though, Hackett continues to be a regular on the "Star Trek" convention circuit and was interviewed for the upcoming "Star Trek: Voyager" documentary "To the Journey."

Robert Picardo as the Doctor

For 30 years, the world of science fiction meant one thing when the moniker of "The Doctor" was uttered, but that all changed in 1995 with the launch of "Star Trek: Voyager." There, actor Robert Picardo — already known for antagonistic roles in "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" and "InnerSpace" — starred as the Doctor, the nameless holographic chief medical officer aboard the Voyager. Known for his offbeat humor and cantankerous attitude, he was played to perfection by Picardo, and it would become the actor's signature role. 

Still, even after leaving sickbay as the Doctor, Picardo had a healthy career, moving quickly into a role in "The Lyon's Den" starring Rob Lowe and Kyle Chandler in 2003. A year later he joined another iconic sci-fi franchise when he secured a recurring part in "Stargate SG-1"  as Richard Woolsey, a grumpy U.S. official who opposed the Stargate program. Following a string of appearances on the flagship series, Picardo joined the main cast of "Stargate: Atlantis" in 2006. A few years later, Picardo had another repeat role, this time as Jason Cooper on "The Mentalist," and he later enjoyed a stint on the Apple TV+ drama "Dickinson."

In 2023, the actor made a guest appearance on the "Quantum Leap" revival playing Doctor Woolsey, whose name is a clear tribute to his two biggest TV roles.

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Martha Hackett

She won a Dramalogue Award for her acting in the theatrical production Barbarians and has appeared in King Lear , The Revenger's Tragedy , Tom Walker (2001), and Happy End (2005).

• 1 Early career
• 2 Star Trek
• 3 Post- Trek career
• 4.1 Recurring appearance as Seska
• 5 External links

Early career [ ]

Hackett started her career as an actress in the late '80s with guest roles in episodes of Hill Street Blues (1986, with James B. Sikking , Megan Gallagher , Carlos Palomino , and Lawrence Tierney ) and Hard Time on Planet Earth (1989, with Stan Ivar and Gregory Wagrowski ). She then appeared in episodes of The Marshall Chronicles (1990, with Steven Anderson ), Civil Wars (1991, with Matthew Faison , Barry Kivel , and Wallace Shawn ), Sirens (1993), and Monty (1994, with Deborah Landis ).

Among her early film work are Flight of Black Angel (1991, with K Callan ), Carnosaur (1993, with Raphael Sbarge , Clint Howard , and Frank Novak ), Leprechaun 2 (1994, with Clint Howard and Mark Kiely ), the drama In the Heat of Passion II: Unfaithful (1994, with Matt McCoy ), and the drama One Night Stand (1995, with Gina Hecht and Diane Salinger ).

Star Trek [ ]

Her entry into the Star Trek universe came when she auditioned for the role of Jadzia Dax on Deep Space Nine . Although she didn't end up getting the part, which went to Terry Farrell , the producers did like something about her and she was called back to play the Terrellian pilot Androna in the Next Generation seventh season episode " All Good Things... " Unfortunately, her storyline was cut from the final production. An image of her was printed in the Star Trek Monthly  issue 26 and her costume from this appearance was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1] (X)

A few months later she was called in to play Sub-Commander T'Rul , a Romulan on Deep Space Nine , in the episodes " The Search, Part I " and " The Search, Part II ". It was then a director called her, saying they wanted her for a role coming up later that season, on the new Trek series Voyager .

When brought aboard to play Seska , she was promised a recurring role though there was no guarantee of the number of episodes, and the writer had not fully figured out her character yet. All she was told about the character was that "she was a member of the Maquis , and she's not so happy with Janeway ." It wasn't until her fourth appearance in " State of Flux " that she knew Seska was "more than a little unhinged," and she was perfectly fine with the fact her character was a villain. Said Hackett, " I had a lot of sympathy for her. As an actor, you have to look at it from your character's point of view, even if your character is a murderer. " ( citation needed • edit )

In 1995, Hackett found out that she was pregnant. Unsure about how this would affect her future on the show, she went to tell them and was told, "Wow! We're writing it in anyway." So she was very pleased at the interesting coincidence. Pleased after receiving the initial script for " Basics, Part II " in which Maje Culluh and her baby die, while she escapes in a pod 'to live to fight Voyager another day,' she was later disappointed at the rewrites (and eventually final) script where she died, and both of the others lived. But overall she was pleased with how Seska eventually turned out.

After Seska was killed off, she was pleasantly surprised to be called back later for the episode " Worst Case Scenario ", and surprised again later in 2001 for the episode " Shattered ". Hackett's favorite episode is " Maneuvers ".

She was interviewed in The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 7 ( June 1996 ), Star Trek Monthly  issue 34 ( December 1997 ), and Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 11 ( March 2000 ). Several costumes and costume components worn by Hackett during her time on Star Trek were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay including a pair of boots, [2] (X) a shirt, [3] (X) and a Starfleet uniform. [4] (X)

Beside her work in canon Star Trek , Hackett played a Romulan again in an advertisement for Hallmark 's Star Trek Christmas ornaments. She additionally portrayed Pok's mother in the 1996 video game Star Trek: Klingon and voiced Commander Saffi Larsen in the 2002 video game Star Trek: Bridge Commander as well as Dr. Stevenson in the 2003 game Star Trek: Elite Force II . Hackett also provided additional voices for the games Star Trek: Klingon Academy ( 2000 ) and Star Trek: Armada II ( 2001 ).

Post- Trek career [ ]

During her time on Voyager Hackett also worked on other productions. She appeared as Kelly Monroe in the Touched by an Angel episode "Crisis of Faith" in 1997 with Christopher Pettiet and had featured parts in the independent film Inconceivable (1998, with Valerie Wildman ), Music from Another Room (1998, with David Carpenter , Don Pugsley , and Mel Green ), Let the Devil Wear Black (1999, with Chris Sarandon , Jonathan Banks , and Tony Plana ), The Last Man on Planet Earth (1999, with Elizabeth Dennehy , Nancy Hower , Tamlyn Tomita , Azalea Davila and Cliff DeYoung , written by Kenneth Biller and directed by Les Landau ), Never Been Kissed (1999, with Cress Williams , David Doty , and Jennifer S. Parsons ), and the fantasy drama A Question of Faith (2000, with Randy Oglesby and Kenneth Tigar ).

Following the birth of her second child in late 2000 Hackett had guest roles in episodes of Whoopi Goldberg ’s Strong Medicine (2001, starring Jenifer Lewis , with Jack Donner , Jill Jacobson , and Joanna Miles ), The Guardian (2002, with Raphael Sbarge and Earl Billings ), and The Division (2003, with Eugene Roche ). Film credits include the television western The Lone Ranger (2003, with Jeffrey Nordling and Sam Hennings ) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005, with Corbin Bernsen , Christopher Gilman , Brian Simpson , Cole McKay , Ben Bray , and Azalea Davila). In 2004 Hackett was divorced from her husband Tim Disney, a director, producer, and writer.

After an acting break of two years, Hackett returned on screen in 2007 when she had a guest role in the The Riches episode "Been There, Done That" alongside fellow Trek performers Todd Stashwick , Gregg Henry , and Bruce French . The same year she portrayed a grieving widow in the Dexter episode "An Inconvenient Lie". For this appearance, Hackett received no credit but performed along Trek actors Don McManus and Keith Carradine .

In 2009, she portrayed inmate Celia Roberts in the NCIS episode "Caged" which also featured Stephanie Niznik and stuntman Panuvat Anthony Nanakornpanom . More recently she portrayed the author Siona McCabre in I Heart Vampires (2009-2010). Hackett portrayed her character in six episodes. [5]

Star Trek appearances [ ]

Recurring appearance as Seska [ ]

• " Parallax " ( Season 1 )
• " Emanations "
• " Prime Factors "
• " State of Flux "
• " Maneuvers " ( Season 2 )
• " Alliances "
• " Lifesigns "
• " Investigations "
• " Basics, Part I "
• " Basics, Part II " ( Season 3 )
• " Worst Case Scenario " (as a hologram only)
• " Shattered " ( Season 7 )

External links [ ]

• MarthaHackettOfficial.com – official site
• Martha Hackett at Wikipedia
• Martha Hackett at the Internet Movie Database
• Interview at Littlereview.com
• 2 Klingon augment virus
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

Screen Rant

Star trek: voyager’s seska actor thinks her character’s death was “a mistake”.

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Every Voyager Character Who Has Returned In Star Trek (& How)

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• Martha Hackett thought Seska's Star Trek: Voyager death was a mistake due to a lack of proper confrontation with Janeway or Chakotay.
• Seska's death was a victim of a failing storyline involving the Kazon in Voyager's plot.
• Seska, a potentially great villain, was underutilized by the show's writers, missing out on her full narrative potential.

Star Trek: Voyager actor Martha Hackett felt that Seska's death at the beginning of season 3 was a mistake. Seska was first introduced in Voyager season 1, episode 3, "Parallax." As a former Maquis and someone who had a romantic history with Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran), Seska quickly became a recurring member of Star Trek: Voyager 's cast throughout most of season 1, until it was revealed late in the season that she was Cardassian spy within the Maquis and had been stealing and sharing technology with the Kazon since she joined Voyager 's crew.

Seska quickly defected to the Kazon when her deception was discovered, and became a villain for the majority of season 2, working alongside Maje Culluh (Anthony De Longis) to antagonize the USS Voyager. This culminated in the Voyager season 2 finale/season 3 premiere episode, "Basics Parts 1&2" where Seska and the Kazon briefly managed to take over the ship and strand the crew on an alien planet. Luckily, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) was able to retake Voyager and stop the Kazon for good, but this ultimately came at the cost of a few significant lives, including Seska's.

Star Trek: Voyager's beloved characters have returned in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and especially Star Trek: Prodigy.

Martha Hackett Thought That Seska’s Star Trek: Voyager Death Was A Mistake

Hackett felt that seska's death should have been handled differently.

In an interview with Star Trek Monthly issue 34 (now called Star Trek Magazine ), Martha Hackett outlined her issues with the way that Seska was killed, even going so far as to call the decision a mistake. Hackett's bigger issue with her character's death seemed to be the abrupt way it happened, which gave no time for a final confrontation between her and Captain Janeway or even Chakotay , the two characters she maintained the most antagonism with throughout her run. Read Hackett's full quote below.

"I think it was a mistake to kill Seska. I just felt that if they were going to kill her off, they should have done it in a more fantastic way. It would have been interesting if it had been something that came down to being between Seska and Captain Janeway, or Seska and Chakotay. She was their nemesis, and for her to die in a ship blast seemed like an easy way out. There were other opportunities for a face-off where they couldn't help but kill her off. But that's just me talking. I suppose the writers felt like they were at the end of that storyline."

Seska's death in "Basics Part 2" was dramatic in a sense. Although being felled by a series of overloaded consoles wasn't exactly memorable, Seska's final attempt to reach her newborn baby in Janeway's ready room was legitimately heartbreaking to watch. Still, Hackett's assessment that "Basics" essentially wasted Seska's potential is accurate. Excluding the possibility of a showdown between here and Janeway or Chakotay left a large part of her story feeling unfinished. Unfortunately, Seska was the victim of being caught up in an already failing storyline.

Why Voyager Killed Seska Off At The Beginning Of Season 3

Seska was the victim of being dragged into a dying storyline.

Involving Seska in Voyager 's Kazon storyline sealed her fate from the beginning. Unfortunately, the Kazon were nearly universally hated after their introduction in "Caretaker." Voyager never found a way to make them work, and it was inevitable that their storyline would end not with a bang but with a whimper. If the Kazon had been the only victims of the end of season 2, it would arguably have been a victory for the show, but the storyline had the unfortunate side effect of taking Seska with it.

Seska was objectively a much more interesting nemesis than the Kazon, and a tie-back to a familiar set of Star Trek villains with her Cardassian heritage. Having her join the Kazon after betraying Voyager did make narrative sense, but had she been allowed to function on her own, the possibilities for her story might have been more expansive. If Star Trek: Voyager had given Seska more independence, her death might have ended up being closer to the one Martha Hackett envisioned, instead of an aborted ending where she felt under-utilized.

Source: Star Trek Monthly issue 34

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Star Trek: Voyager

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The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Star Trek: Voyager - Who Is Seska?

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At the beginning of Star Trek: Voyager , two ships are transported to the Delta Quadrant, thousands of light years from home, by the mysterious alien called the Caretaker . Knowing that there was strength in numbers, the two crews decide to integrate: the Starfleet vessel Voyager, with the Maquis rebel ship the Val Jean. Tensions were high at first. Starfleet crew distrusted the Maquis rebels, and the Maquis were reluctant to follow Starfleet protocol. But eventually, they gained mutual respect and began to work together, even becoming fast friends.

There was, however, one former Maquis who proved she could not be trusted. It turned out that her allegiances lay with neither the Federation nor the Maquis, but with enemies of them both. Just who was Ensign Seska, and why did she betray Voyager and her crew?

RELATED: Star Trek: Is Voyager More Advanced Than The Enterprise?

Early Appearances

Seska was a recurring character in early episodes of Voyager 's first season. She was a determined and sometimes headstrong Bajoran woman, growing easily frustrated with Starfleet protocol. However, she was generally friendly with the rest of the crew. Seska had a close friendship with B'elanna Torres , as they had been in the Maquis together. She appeared to get along with Harry Kim, teasing him about a mishap on a double date. Seska and Chakotay had been romantically involved at some point in the past, and even though they had decided it wouldn't work, she still displayed affection for him. Her connections with the other characters, as well as her determination to help get Voyager home, made Seska a likable supporting cast member.

That all changed in season 1, episode 11, "State of Flux." In the episode, the crew of Voyager learns that someone has been secretly feeding information to the Kazon , a ruthless race of aliens hungry for power and hell-bent on seizing Voyager's technology. What's more, Federation technology is found on a wrecked Kazon vessel. Many suspect Seska, who had previously been vocal in her willingness to trade technology for protection from the Kazon. These suspicions anger Seska, who sets about trying to prove her innocence.

Seska's True Nature

Unfortunately for her, Seska's efforts have the opposite effect. When she transports to the Kazon ship to try and remove the technology, she is knocked unconscious and beamed back to sickbay. There, the Doctor makes a shocking discovery: Seska's blood is missing all the typical Bajoran genetic markers. He determines that she cannot be Bajoran, and is in fact Cardassian .

Seska tries to explain her anomalous physiology with Orkett's Disease, which killed thousands of Bajoran children during the Cardassian occupation . Seska claims that she survived due to a Cardassian bone marrow transplant. However, the Doctor examines her story and concludes that it can't explain the genetic markers in her blood. After she falls into a trap set up by the crew's officers, it is confirmed that Seska is the one behind the stolen technology.

Unmasked, Seska releases her anger on Janeway and Chakotay. She had been disguised as a Bajoran to infiltrate the Maquis, who were fighting the tyrannical Cardassians. She had tried to cooperate with Janeway's crew, but grew frustrated and resentful with Starfleet's way of doing things. She believed that a Cardassian ship, they would be home by now, and would have already established power in the Delta quadrant. Seska allied herself with the strongest force she could, the Kazon, in hopes of gaining and using their power for herself. Before Janeway can throw her in the brig, Seska beams off the ship with a voice-activated transporter program .

As a Cardassian, the idea of conquest and domination appealed to Seska. That had been her people's goal in the Alpha Quadrant , and in the Delta Quadrant, she was determined to do the same thing. That was why she allied with the Kazon Nistrim, whose goals were similar: force others to submit to their rule.

Collaboration With The Kazon

After leaving Voyager, Seska became the paramour of Maje Culluh, leader of the Nistrim faction of the Kazon. Though the patriarchal Kazon expected Seska, a woman, to be subservient, she remained an expert manipulator. By influencing Culluh, Seska was thus able to influence the entire Kazon faction, abetting them in their pursuit of dominance over the quadrant. Her plan was to help the Kazon take Voyager, whose technology would make the Nistrim the most powerful Kazon faction.

After she left Voyager, a few of the former Maquis crewmembers expressed some agreement with what Seska had said and done. If giving technology to the Kazon would offer Voyager protection, why not do just that? With this mindset, Crewman Mike Jonas, a former friend of Seska's, contacted the Kazon Nistrim and began feeding them information.

Matters were further complicated by Seska's pregnancy. In the final moments of the episode "State of Flux," the crew receives a video message from Seska, who tells Chakotay that she took his DNA and used it to become pregnant with his child. She used her child to continue to manipulate Chakotay from afar, which came to a head in the Season 2 finale, "Basics Part 1."

Voyager Takeover & Seska's Fate

In "Basics Part 1," Voyager received a message from Seska. In the message, it appeared that when Seska's child had been born and Maj Culluh saw that it was not his, he turned violent towards both Seska and the baby. Though he knew it could be a trap, Chakotay decided that if there were any possibility that his child were in danger, it was his responsibility to rescue the baby. Captain Janeway refused to let him go alone, instead assuring him that Voyager would help him save the child.

Unfortunately, despite the precautions they took, Seska's distress call was indeed bait for Voyager. The Kazon took the ship, stranding the crew on a nearby planet. Only the holographic Doctor appeared to remain onboard. It was the Doctor, though, who managed to surprise Seska with some unexpected news: her child was not in fact Chakotay's. That had been her intention, but she had instead become pregnant with Maj Culluh's child, and the baby was a Kazon-Cardassian hybrid. However, she wasn't about to let it get in the way of her plans.

And yet, Seska's plans crumbled anyway in "Basics Part 2." The Doctor managed to ally with Lon Suder, who had hidden himself in the ship's Jeffries tubes, and Tom Paris , who had escaped in a shuttle. Together, they managed to thwart the Kazon, but the ship sustained heavy damage as a result. The last viewers saw of Seska, she was crawling through the debris in the ship, trying to reach her crying baby. By the time the ship's crew returned, she had died of her injuries. The Kazon were driven off the ship, and Maje Culluh took his and Seska's child with him.

"Basics Part 2" was the last that the starship Voyager saw of the Cardassian traitor and the Kazon that she allied herself with. It marked the end of one of the show's earliest major plot arcs, and the downfall of the first enemy they made in the Delta Quadrant. Despite Seska's intelligence and her talent for manipulation, she ultimately chose the wrong side. Betraying Voyager came back to bite her in the end.

MORE: Star Trek: Why Voyager Deserves More Credit Than It Gets

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• Trivia When auditioning for the part of the holographic doctor, Robert Picardo was asked to say the line "Somebody forgot to turn off my program." He did so, then ad-libbed "I'm a doctor, not a light bulb" and got the part.
• Goofs There is speculation that the way the Ocampa are shown to have offspring is an impossible situation, as a species where the female can only have offspring at one event in her life would half in population every generation, even if every single member had offspring. While Ocampa females can only become pregnant once in their lifetime, if was never stated how many children could be born at one time. Kes mentions having an uncle, implying that multiple births from one pregnancy are possible.

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• Alternate versions Several episodes, such as the show's debut and finale, were originally aired as 2-hour TV-movies. For syndication, these episodes were reedited into two-part episodes to fit one-hour timeslots.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (1999)

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