Off The Record
Seven Of Nine Ended Up Being One Of The Greatest Characters In The Entire Star Trek Series
Seven of Nine ended up being one of the greatest characters in the entire Star Trek series, even though they may have hired Jeri Ryan for her attractiveness.
Her character was fascinating, but it was also kind of captivating to see her move around Voyager in her body suits.
However, were you aware that she had a covert adversary on the set?
The game behind Jeri Ryan’s success
Star Trek: Voyager was on the verge of collapse when Jeri Ryan joined the set in 1997. The producers understood they needed something, or someone, to turn things around because the numbers were dropping and the stakes were high. Let’s start with Seven of Nine.
Her character, a former Borg drone cut off from the Collective, was a mystery that needed to be answered. She was a combination of hidden humanity and icy precision.
And the impact was instantaneous when she made an appearance in season four. The ratings soared – by an astounding 60%. The network has taken a risk by relying on her charismatic personality to attract viewers. And it was successful.
However, they might not have realized how excellent she really was. She is an actress with extraordinary depth, not merely a captivating body in a tight uniform. Layer by layer, she transformed into Seven, allowing glimmers of weakness to show through the steel.
Particularly noteworthy is an instance in which Seven, shattered by a series of personas, quickly switches between them. She should have won an award for her performance, which was a display of brilliance that went beyond the sci-fi elements of the production.
To save Voyager, they hired her. They received something much better.
Why she turned down the role four times
Born Jeri Lynn Zimmermann in Munich, West Germany, on February 22, 1968, Jeri Ryan relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting full-time after graduating from college.
She was comparatively unknown in 1997 when she was targeted for the Seven of Nine part by the Star Trek: Voyager creators. It was surprising to learn that Ryan declined the role four times.
But, why didn’t she want to join? In a January 2020 interview, Jeri Ryan revealed that when producers first approached her about Star Trek: Voyager, she had never seen the show. Curious, she decided to watch an episode — and quickly regretted it. She described it as “the worst hour of television” she had ever seen.
”They gave me a copy of First Contact, the movie, so I could at least see what a Borg was. They also gave me a copy of the Big Star Trek encyclopaedia, whatever it is, so that I could bone up on my Star Trek knowledge,” Ryan explained.
She eventually decided to play Seven of Nine, a Borg drone who was liberated from the Borg’s collective consciousness, only after executive producer Jeri Taylor persuaded her to do so.
The fight the camera didn’t catch
Even before the cameras started rolling, Jeri Ryan would sense the knot of nervousness tightening in her stomach at the prospect of sharing a scene with co-star Kate Mulgrew. Nerves weren’t the cause. Stage fear was not the cause. Every time they collaborated, there was an underlying tension that was heavier than words.
The majority of the Voyager crew had observed it. Their conflict was genuine and went unresolved for years; it wasn’t merely a gossip. As the unquestionably attractive former Borg drone Seven of Nine, Ryan, the newbie, had been thrown into the spotlight. Mulgrew, the seasoned star of the program, had devoted years to developing Captain Janeway into a strong, self-reliant character, thwarting every effort to force her into a romantic role. Suddenly, Seven was the center of attention.
It wasn’t personal for Mulgrew, at least not first. Her goal was to make Star Trek more about intelligence, leadership, and exploration rather than overt sexualization. The network, however, had other ideas. To boost the show’s ratings, they had introduced Ryan, a stunning and unquestionably sexualized character. And it was successful.
For years, the tension between them persisted, a subterranean storm. Mulgrew struggled with her own frustration as Ryan continued to put on performance after performance.
But eventually, a change occurred. With hindsight, Mulgrew was able to see the wider picture. Later, she took responsibility for her role in their problematic relationship, expressed her frustration, and realized how difficult she had made things for Ryan.
She then took an unexpected step and apologized.
“You did a marvelous job in a very difficult role,” she told Ryan. The past was the past. The tension, the cold looks, the unspoken frustrations—it was over.
Since then, they have performed together at Star Trek gatherings, sharing memories, laughing, and demonstrating that even the most severe divisions can be reconciled. It’s difficult to imagine that these two didn’t get along on set based on today’s photos.
She burned her own catsuit
Although Seven of Nine’s iconic catsuit appeared sleek and futuristic on TV, it was a nightmare behind the scenes. Jeri Ryan found it difficult to breathe while wearing Seven of Nine’s corset since it was so tight. She frequently had to lie down to catch her breath in between takes before resuming her position in front of the camera.
Additionally, Jeri Ryan needed assistance from the costume department to get in and out of the tight, one-piece outfit. Jeri Ryan had to be sewed into the one-piece suit every time she wore it because it didn’t have a zipper, and it wasn’t simple to get out of it.
She had to “hold it” for extended periods of time to prevent postponing filming because even something as basic as taking a bathroom break became a time-consuming chore. She created her own radio code, “Code Jeri-Twenty,” after a straightforward restroom break on set devolved into a 20-minute struggle.
Over the years, Ryan’s dissatisfaction with the ensemble increased, and by the time Voyager concluded, she was left with little choice except to permanently discard it. She made sure she would never have to squeeze into the costume again by burning it without hesitation.
The invisible Wall of Shame
Actors frequently practiced the exquisite art of “force field acting” on the set of Star Trek: Voyager, where the wonder of science fiction meets the ridiculousness of pretending. This technique involves throwing oneself against nothing at all and making it appear realistic.
Consider the notorious scene from The Gift, which was one of the first episodes to use Seven of Nine. The actor had to throw themselves at the brig’s force field with all the gravity of a Starfleet officer facing impending death, but of course, there was no force field. No glimmering barrier of energy. No opposition. Only the emotionless, frigid air of a soundstage.
”You do a lot of acting to nothing, because there is a lot of special effects, so you’re acting on a green screen or a blue screen, which means you’re acting to nothing and reacting to nothing,” Ryan once explained.
The outcome? The crew attempted (and occasionally failed) to contain their laughter behind the camera as they gave a hilariously uncomfortable performance in which they threw themselves forward, only to stop mid-motion, arms flailing, face distorted in faux anguish.
“Force field acting” swiftly turned into a joke among insiders. Selling the illusion was only one aspect of it; another was maintaining a straight face despite the fact that you actually looked completely stupid.
But that is the allure of science fiction. You are facing interstellar threats one day. The next, you’re putting all of your effort into nothing and hope that the CGI team will support you.
What did Seven of Nine stand for in Voyager?
Jeri Ryan has a lot to say about the character she came to adore, if you ask her.
Seven of Nine was a force for change, not just another member of the crew. Voyager had found a comfortable groove before she arrived. There was minimal internal strife as the hostility between Starfleet and the Maquis had subsided. They all got along. Maybe too well.
Then Seven arrived. After being separated from the hive mind, a former Borg drone had to learn to deal with individuality for the first time. She was a challenge as well as a crewmate. A disturbance. And that was just what the program needed, Ryan thought.
Ryan has thought back on what made her role so significant—not only for the show, but also for the larger history of Star Trek.
”Humanity, in general, was one of the things Seven allowed them to explore,” she reflected. “She brought conflict to the show — something that was sadly lacking. Once the Maquis made up with Janeway and company, it was just one big happy family.”
However, her insertion was fascinating for reasons other than conflict. The outsider who compels humanity to consider itself is a classic Star Trek archetype that Seven of Nine embodies. Like Spock, Data, or Odo before her, Seven offered a distinct perspective that let the series to delve into complex philosophical issues about morality, identity, and free will.
Why Seven of Nine wore high heels
Have you ever wondered why Seven of Nine wore high heels while strutting around Voyager? For years, fans have argued about whether it was practical, but Jeri Ryan has a straightforward response: everyone wore heels!
“All the female characters wore boots with heels,” she explained. “And if you’re going to walk around in a body stocking, I want to see you pad around in flats—it’s not happening!”
The heels were a design choice to produce a sleek, extended profile rather than necessarily a choice of character.
Therefore, even if it might not have been the most useful shoes for a former Borg drone, it undoubtedly created a memorable appearance.
The hidden challenge of playing Seven of Nine
We are aware that one of the most difficult aspects of Jeri Ryan’s experience on set was her Star Trek: Voyager wardrobe. However, there was another difficulty, which isn’t as evident when viewing the series but becomes humorously apparent when examining old behind-the-scenes pictures.
keeping one’s face straight.
“The two biggest challenges with Seven were keeping a straight face and working with all those guys who were absolutely nuts,” Ryan once admitted.
Despite her stern manner and Borg accuracy, Seven of Nine was still a human. Like everyone else, she felt feelings, but she was unable to communicate them. She was afraid to do more than that. Each emotion was meticulously concealed under a façade of serene disinterest.
“There’s a fine line between being unemotional and showing too much,” Ryan explained. “That challenge was really fun to play as an actor.”
Nevertheless, she was surrounded by a cast of pranksters despite all of her tact and discipline. Even though Seven was standing still and spoke in her characteristically composed voice, pandemonium was frequently happening just out of sight. Despite everything, maintaining a straight face? Not as easy as it seems.
Despite the difficulty, Ryan has often described Seven as one of the greatest roles of her career. “This character really was a gift as an actor,” she said. “Everything was new to Seven, everything was a discovery.”
Seven of Nine is still regarded by fans as one of Voyager’s most enthralling and adored characters. And whether she was fighting the Borg or simply trying not to lose her cool on set, she was both a challenge and a pleasure for Ryan.
We have finally seen a preview of Jeri Ryan’s outstanding performance in Star Trek: Voyager! She became one of the most recognizable figures in Star Trek history thanks to her depiction as Seven of Nine, which gave the show depth, strength, and a hint of vulnerability.
The AI Illusion of Seven
I take it that the photo prompted you to click on this article? It’s okay; everyone enjoys a visually arresting sight. The catch is that the image isn’t authentic.
Yes, exactly! You’re witnessing the creation of artificial intelligence (AI), a digital illusion created by algorithms instead of magic from Hollywood. And if you look more closely, you can see the warning signs: even if the uniform appears to be nearly correct, something is… off.
The elegant Starfleet designs we are familiar with from Voyager are not quite reflected in the details. The cloth, the fit, or the fact that it resembles Star Trek: Alternate Reality Edition more than anything we’ve seen on screen could be the cause.
In some ways, it’s almost poetic. An AI that is making every effort to mimic reality is reimagining Seven of Nine, a heroine characterized by her conflict between artificial accuracy and human identity. To be honest, it’s like Photoshop meets the Borg. That’s kind of funny.
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