Ethan Phillips Ethan Phillips is the actor best known to " Star Trek " fans for playing the part of Neelix through all seven seasons of . He also played two different Ferengi characters , one on and another on , and made an uncredited cameo as a holographic " < nowiki > mâitre d ' < / nowiki > " in the film . Early life and career . Ethan Phillips was born and raised in Long Island , New York . Phillips graduated with a degree in English Literature from Boston University and a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from Cornell University . He began his on - screen acting career playing Pete John Downey on the hit television series " Benson " . Although the series began airing in 1979 , Phillips did not join the series until the following year . Also joining the series in that year was Rene Auberjonois , who later starred as Odo on . Phillips and Auberjonois co - starred together on " Benson " until 1985 , when Phillips left the series . While still acting on the show , Phillips made his feature film debut with a small role in the acclaimed 1981 drama " Ragtime " . Starring in this film was Phillips ' future " Voyager " co - star Brad Dourif ( Lon Suder ) . Robert Joy also had a supporting role in the film . After leaving " Benson " , Phillips began to make a major transition towards films . He had a supporting role in the popular 1986 horror movie " Critters " with Scott Grimes , and the following year , he appeared in the comedy " Burglar " , starring Whoopi Goldberg . He appeared in three films in 1989 : the highly - acclaimed " Lean on Me " ( also featuring Tony Todd and Mike Starr ) , the romantic comedy " Bloodhounds of Broadway " ( co - starring Googy Gress , Stephen McHattie and Alan Ruck ) , and the Oscar - winning historical war drama " Glory " ( with Bob Gunton , Cliff DeYoung , Richard Riehle , and Mark Margolis ) . Phillips continued to appear on television , however . In 1987 , he co - starred with Lance LeGault and Raphael Sbarge in the pilot episode of the short - lived series " Werewolf " . He also appeared on a number of other TV shows throughout the late 1980s , including an episode of " The Twilight Zone " with Christopher Carroll . Early 1990s . Phillips ' film and on television credits expanded steadily throughout the early 1990s , prior to his joining the cast of " Star Trek : Voyager " . He played an agent with the department of immigration in the 1990 romantic comedy film " Green Card " , which also starred Bebe Neuwirth . In 1993 , he co - starred in Mel Gibson ' s " The Man Without a Face " ( as did Zach Grenier ) , which was followed by an appearance in the 1994 film " The Shadow " . Phillips had a supporting role in the 1994 Western comedy " Wagons East " , as did Robert Picardo . Both Phillips and Picardo began starring together on " Star Trek : Voyager " later that year . Coincidentally , Picardo originally auditioned for Phillips ' role of Neelix on " Voyager " before being cast as The Doctor . " Wagons East " also featured Ed Lauter and the late Charles Rocket in the cast . Among the television projects Phillips worked on before joining the cast of " Voyager " were the TV movie " Condition : Critical " , co - starring Anne Haney , and guest appearances on such shows as " L . A . Law " ( with Corbin Bernsen , Larry Drake , and Diana Muldaur ) , , " NYPD Blue " ( with Gordon Clapp ) , and " The Good Guys " ( with Ray Wise ) . The " Voyager " years . As " Voyager " continued its journey , Phillips took on other roles . In 1995 , he co - starred with " Next Generation " star Patrick Stewart and " Deep Space Nine " guest actor Steven Weber in the comic drama " Jeffrey " . Two years later , he appeared in the comedy " For Richer or Poorer " , starring Kirstie Alley . In 1998 , he starred in the short film " The Battery " , written and directed by his " Voyager " co - star Robert Duncan McNeill . He also starred in McNeill ' s " 9mm of Love " , another short film which co - starred Liz Vassey and was made in 2000 . That same year , Phillips starred with the aforementioned Alan Ruck in the film " Endsville " . Phillips also appeared in the acclaimed 1998 TV mini - series " From the Earth to the Moon " , as did fellow " Star Trek " alumni David Andrews , David Clennon , Ronny Cox , Clint Howard , Daniel Hugh Kelly , John Carroll Lynch , Deborah May , Andy Milder , Holmes Osborne , Mark Rolston , Stephen Root , and Alan Ruck . Other television series Phillips appeared on during " Voyager " s run include " Maybe This Time " ( with Michael Ensign ) , " Chicago Hope " ( with Gregory Itzin ) , and " Homeboys in Outer Space " ( with David L . Lander and star James Doohan ) . After " Voyager " . Television . Following " Star Trek : Voyager " s end in , Phillips again began making frequent television guest appearances . Among the shows he appeared on were " Providence " ( with Concetta Tomei ) , " Touched by an Angel " ( with Scott Thompson ) , " JAG " ( with Steven Culp ) , and " Las Vegas " ( with Nikki Cox ) . He also appeared in an unsold pilot entitled " The Danny Comden Project " , directed by Robert Duncan McNeill . In October 2006 , Phillips made three guest appearances on " Boston Legal " . On this series , Phillips played the father of the boy accused of killing the wife of a judge played by DS9 ' s Armin Shimerman . Besides series regulars William Shatner and Rene Auberjonois , " Trek " guest actor Ron Canada also appeared in the episode . More recently , Phillips has guest - starred on such series as " Eli Stone " ( with Bill Smitrovich ) , " Bones " ( with Geoff Meed ) , Bryan Fuller ' s acclaimed " Pushing Daisies " ( with Stephen Root ) , and " Chuck " ( which Robert Duncan McNeill produced ) . Film . Phillips played the title character of the 2003 short film " Living in Walter ' s World " , co - starring the aforementioned Armin Shimerman . Phillips played the role of " Mr . Gorn " in the short " Roddenberry on Patrol " . This short film , directed by and co - starring Phillips ' fellow " Voyager " actor Tim Russ ( Tuvok ) , offers a comedic look at how Gene Roddenberry created " Star Trek " and also featured Robert Beltran , Richard Herd , Walter Koenig , Nichelle Nichols , Robert O ' Reilly , Robert Picardo , and George Takei . In 2008 , Phillips was again directed by Tim Russ for the independent comedy " A Night at the Silent Movie Theater " , which also stars Tony Todd . He also appeared in " " , again directed by and co - starring Tim Russ , which also featured Walter Koenig , Nichelle Nichols , Alan Ruck , J . G . Hertzler , Chase Masterson , and Gary Graham . In addition , Phillips ' voice can be heard on the Nickelodeon films " The Wild Thornberrys Movie " ( 2002 , also featuring the voices of Brock Peters , Keith Szarabajka , and Alfre Woodard ) and " Rugrats Go Wild ! " ( 2003 , also with the voice of Tony Jay ) . He has lent his voice to a number of " Star Wars " video games , as well . Phillips also continues to make occasional appearances in films , such as the 2003 black comedy " Bad Santa " and the 2005 science fiction epic " The Island " ( written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman and co - starring Glenn Morshower , Randy Oglesby , and Noa Tishby ) . He recently completed filming an independent drama with Michael Pataki called " Trim " .