Kate Mulgrew headlined Star Trek: Voyager as Captain Kathryn Janeway but any Trekkie knows that the franchise is built on its supporting characters. Robert Beltran’s Commander Chakotay was a necessary truth bomb for the crew every time something went wrong and the actor, reportedly, was the same off-screen.
Beltran was reportedly vocal about his creative misgivings with the part and would often air his grievances during public appearances. While he maintained that he never directly received flak for it from the makers of the show, producer Kenneth Biller was reportedly tired of his antics and asked him to ‘stop whining and do his job.’
It is a miracle Robert Beltran lasted in Star Trek: Voyager for so long
Robert Beltran’s Commander Chakotay was the first Native American main character in a Star Trek franchise, despite the portrayal not being very accurate (the consultant Jamake Highwater was exposed as posing to be Native American). Still, Chakotay’s inclusion was considered to be monumental in representation much like Uhura’s in Star Trek: TOS.
Beltran was rarely the man who would mince words. Even his character was the necessary realist who would give Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Janeway the situation as is without any sugarcoating. The Star Trek: Voyager star was reportedly not satisfied creatively as an actor while performing the role, however, and he did not keep that feeling hidden.
The actor mentioned in an interview that he saw the work, when it was not creatively engaging, like working in a factory. He said to Star Trek.com,
I didn’t like some of the things that were going towards the last three years, and I risked being fired because I wasn’t happy creatively. But I was happy working and especially with the people I was working with. That was the main thing for me. I still enjoyed the work.
Beltran mentioned that he was up for the seven years that was in his contract in the beginning but sometimes he did feel creatively unfulfilled, making him rebel like that.
Star Trek: Voyager producer told Robert Beltran to stop whining
Despite being extremely vocal about his views of Star Trek: Voyager, Robert Beltran stuck it out till the end of the series in season seven. The actor mentioned that though the makers were aware of his statements, he did not face any hostility from either the producers or his fellow actors regarding what he said. However, he did manage to annoy one producer.
Kenneth Biller, who was an executive producer on Star Trek: Voyager was reportedly tired of the actor’s complaints and stated that he could just do his job. He said to Trek Today,
I think Robert Beltran should stop whining and do his job – print that if you want! He has his opinions, and he`s entitled to his opinions, but he`s getting paid a lot of money, and he`s got a lot of fans, and I`m sorry that he`s not happy doing what he`s doing. But there`s nothing I can do about it.
Biller also mentioned that apart from the writers, who might be a bit tired, no one else in the cast or crew felt creatively disengaged with the series like Beltran.
Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+.
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