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Robert Alphonse Picardo (born October 27, 1953) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager. He also appeared as Richard Woolsey in the Stargate franchise, the Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years, and Captain Dick Richard on the ABC series China Beach. He is a frequent collaborator of Joe Dante and is a member of The Planetary Society's Board of Directors.
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Robert Picardo | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Picardo at GalaxyCon San Jose in 2024 | |
| Born | Robert Alphonse Picardo October 27, 1953 |
| Education | Yale University (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse |
Linda Pawlik
(m. 1984; div. 2014) |
| Children | 2 |
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Picardo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Joe Picardo. Robert is of Italian heritage, with his father's family originating from Montecorvino Rovella, Salerno, and his mother's parents originally from Bomba in Abruzzo. He graduated from William Penn Charter School in 1971 and originally entered Yale University as a pre-medical student, but opted to act instead. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in drama from Yale University.
Picardo is an accomplished singer. While he was at Yale University, he was a member of the Society of Orpheus and Bacchus, the second longest running undergraduate a cappella group in the United States. Also while at Yale, he had a major role in the 1973 European premiere production of Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" in Vienna, conducted by John Mauceri. The production was televised by ORF and broadcast on PBS during the 1970s. His singing was also incorporated into his role in Star Trek: Voyager.
After earning his degree, he enrolled at the Circle in the Square Professional Theater Workshop. He waited tables for a few years until his theatrical work started to take off around 1976. His first breaks were appearing in the David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and with Diane Keaton in The Primary English Class.[1]
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In 1977, Picardo made his Broadway debut. He appeared in Gemini (1977) and Tribute (1978).[2]
On television, Picardo appeared on Kojak in a 1977 episode and Taxi in a 1979 episode. He made his feature film debut as Eddie Quist, the serial killer werewolf in the Joe Dante film The Howling (1981). He also had a recurring role in the sitcom Alice and played a doctor on an episode of The Golden Girls.
He played a number of roles in Dante's family science fiction film Explorers (1985), and later appeared in Dante's Innerspace (1987), The 'Burbs (1989), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Matinee (1993), Small Soldiers (1998) and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). Picardo often plays roles under layers of prosthetic latex, having also played the swamp-dwelling Meg Mucklebones in Ridley Scott's film Legend. He also had a small role as a funeral director in John Landis's Amazon Women on the Moon. Picardo also portrayed the voice and face of the robotic Johnny Cab in Total Recall.
During the 1988–1991 television seasons, Picardo was simultaneously seen on the ABC Vietnam series China Beach in the role of Dr. Dick Richard, and the ABC series The Wonder Years in the role of Coach Cutlip. He is among a small group of television actors to achieve notice on two television series at the same time.
In 1993, Picardo had a brief role as Joe "The Meat Man" Morton, a butcher and neighbor to Tim Allen's character on the sitcom Home Improvement. He also appeared in one episode of ER in 1995 as Abraham Zimble (Season 2 - Episode 6, "Days Like This"). That same year, he voiced Pfish in two Pfish & Chip shorts as seen on Cartoon Network's What-A-Cartoon! Show.
Star Trek
From 1995 to 2001, he played the role of the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Before being accepted for this role, Picardo initially auditioned for the role of Neelix. He later also directed two episodes. In the series, his character finally chose the name "Joe", after both the name of his wife's grandfather and Picardo's own father.
He played additional copies of the role of the EMH in the 1996 film Star Trek: First Contact[3] and the 1997 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" He also played Dr. Lewis Zimmerman, the creator of the EMH, in episodes of Deep Space Nine and Voyager.[citation needed]
In 2002, Picardo authored The Hologram's Handbook, published by Pocket Books.[4]
In 2007 and 2008, Star Trek: The Music was a multi-city tour with John de Lancie.[5] Picardo and de Lancie narrated around the orchestral performance, explaining the history of the music in Star Trek.
In 2015, Picardo reprised the role of Dr. Lewis Zimmerman in the pilot episode of the fan series Star Trek: Renegades.[6]
In 2024, he reprised the role of the EMH in the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy,[7] and will also appear as the Doctor in the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy[8].
Stargate
In 2004, he began playing the recurring role of International Oversight Advisory (IOA) member Richard Woolsey in both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. His first appearance in those series was in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Heroes (Part 2)".
On February 5, 2008, it was announced that Picardo would be joining the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis full-time for the series' fifth and final season. He took over the role of mission commander of the Atlantis Expedition.[9]
Later career
In 2001, Picardo guest starred in the 7 Days episode "Revelation", purporting to be a time traveler from seven years in the future.
In 2007, he played Principal White in Ben 10: Race Against Time, and starred in the independent feature film by director Russ Emanuel, P.J., alongside John Heard and Vincent Pastore.[10] He also starred in Russ Emanuel's Chasing the Green in 2008, with William Devane, Jeremy London and Ryan Hurst.
Picardo appeared on four episodes of E-Ring, as an enraged father in Cold Case, and as a police officer in CSI: NY. He was a recurring guest star in two episodes of Season 7 of Smallville, and appeared on a season 6 episode of Supernatural titled "Clap Your Hands if You Believe", as a leprechaun.
Outside of acting, Picardo was a member of the Board of Directors' Advisory Council of The Planetary Society from 1999 through 2015. Beginning in 2015, he was elected to serve on the Board itself.[11]
Picardo's other career highlights include performing in Leonard Bernstein's Mass during its European debut tour, performing with the Yale University Society of Orpheus & Bacchus a cappella singing group as an undergraduate, and dozens of other television and film roles, including the film Our Last Days as Children.
Picardo provided the voice of Loki in the Xbox 360 video game Too Human. In 2009, he appeared in Pushing Daisies, Chuck and Castle, and had the lead role in the independent psychological thriller film Sensored. In 2010, he had a cameo in the final episode of Persons Unknown, as a member of "the program"'s governing board. He also voiced Robert McNamara in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops. He appeared in four episodes of The Mentalist from 2012 through 2013 as Jason Cooper, a lieutenant of cult leader Bret Styles.
In May 2014, Cartoon Hangover announced Picardo as a guest voice actor in the second season of Bravest Warriors, in the episode "The Parasox Pub".
In 2017, Picardo played Lt. Kitan's father Prof. Ildis Kitan in the first season episode of The Orville titled "Firestorm", and reprised the role in the 2019 episode "Home" together with John Billingsley who played Doctor Phlox in Star Trek: Enterprise.
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Howling | Eddie Quist | |
| 1983 | Star 80 | Interviewer | |
| Get Crazy | O'Connell | ||
| 1984 | Oh, God! You Devil | Joe Ortiz | |
| 1985 | Explorers | Starkiller / Wak / Wak and Neek's Father | |
| Legend | Meg Mucklebones | ||
| 1986 | Back to School | Giorgio | |
| 1987 | Munchies | Bob Marvalle | |
| Innerspace | The Cowboy | ||
| Amazon Women on the Moon | Rick Raddnitz (segment "Roast Your Loved One") | ||
| 1988 | Jack's Back | Dr. Carlos Battera | |
| Dead Heat | Lieutenant Herzog | ||
| 976-EVIL | Mark Dark | ||
| 1989 | The 'Burbs | Garbageman | |
| Loverboy | Dr. Reed Palmer | ||
| 1990 | Total Recall | Johnnycab | Voice and likeness[13] |
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch | Forster | Nominated–Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor | |
| 1991 | L.A. Story | Voicephone | Voice, uncredited |
| Frame Up | Frank Govers | ||
| Samantha | Neil Otto / Mr. Samantha | ||
| Motorama | Jerry | ||
| 1993 | Matinee | Howard | |
| 1994 | Wagons East | Ben Wheeler | |
| The Pagemaster | Pirate | Voice[13] | |
| 1996 | Star Trek: First Contact | Holographic Doctor | |
| 1997 | Menno's Mind | Senator Taylor | |
| 1998 | Small Soldiers | Ralph | |
| 2000 | The Amati Girls | Grace's Doctor | |
| 2002 | Until Morning | Brad Scott | |
| 2003 | Looney Tunes: Back in Action | Acme VP, Rhetorical Questions | |
| 2008 | Universal Signs | Father Joe | |
| 2009 | Chasing the Green | Dave Foxx | |
| 2010 | Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey | Milton | Voice[13] |
| Mega Shark Versus Crocosaurus | Admiral Calvin | Direct-to-video | |
| 2011 | Beethoven's Christmas Adventure | Smirch | |
| 2012 | Camilla Dickinson | Mr. Stephanowski | |
| Atlas Shrugged: Part II | Dr. Robert Stadler | ||
| 2014 | Don't Blink | Man in Black | |
| 2015 | Star Trek: Renegades | Dr. Lewis Zimmerman | |
| The Meddler | Cos | ||
| 2016 | Hail, Caesar! | Rabbi | |
| Unbelievable!!!!! | Boris, Dr. Nontu Soon, Award Show Presenter | ||
| 2018 | Buttons: A Christmas Tale | Mr. Wentworth | |
| 2022 | MEAD[14] | Admiral Gillette | |
| Confess, Fletch | Count Clementi Arbogastes De Grassi | ||
| 2024 | Space Command Redemption | Yusef Sekander | |
| TBA | Werewolf Game | TBA |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Kojak | Thomas Rindone | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Taxi | Philip Polevoy | Episode: "Nardo Loses Her Marbles" |
| 1980 | The Dream Merchants | Mark Kessler | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Silver Spoons | Louis Morgan | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1982–84 | Alice | Freddie, Officer Maxwell | 8 episodes |
| 1983 | Archie Bunker's Place | Larry Burnett | Episode: "Captain Video" |
| It Takes Two | Chad Hunter | Episode: "Looks Bad, Feels Good" | |
| The Other Woman | Chuchi | Television film | |
| 1984 | Steambath | Rod Tandy | 6 episodes |
| 1986 | The Golden Girls | Doctor Revell | Episode: "The Operation" |
| Benson | Richard Alan Tracy | Episode: "Reel Murder: Part 1" | |
| Hardcastle and McCormick | Manny | Episode: "Brother, Can You Spare a Crime?" | |
| Amazing Stories | Tony Sepulveda | Episode: "Boo!" | |
| Scarecrow and Mrs. King | Randall Skylar | Episode: "Three Little Spies" | |
| Throb | Todd | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| 1987 | Roses Are for the Rich | Durant | Television film |
| 21 Jump Street | Ralph Buckley | Episode: "Gotta Finish the Riff" | |
| The Man Who Fell to Earth | Agent Richard Morse | Television film | |
| Bates Motel | Dr. Goodman | ||
| Private Eye | Eddie Rosen | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Mr. President | Reinbeck | Episode: "Armageddon Kinda Sore" | |
| St. Elsewhere | Eli Muzzy | Episode: "Weigh In, Way Out" | |
| 1987, 1991 | L.A. Law | John Dunphy | 2 episodes |
| 1988–91 | The Wonder Years | Coach Cutlip | 15 episodes Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Specialty Player |
| 1988–91 | China Beach | Dr. Dick Richard | 54 episodes Nominated—Viewers for Quality Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Quality Drama Series (1990–91) |
| 1989 | The Cover Girl and the Cop | Denise's Date | Television film |
| Newhart | Terry | Episode: "The Little Match Girl" | |
| 1992 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Paul Lance | Episode: "Two Teens and a Baby" |
| Capitol Critters | Additional voices | Episode: "The KiloWatts Riots" | |
| The Witches of Eastwick | Raymond Gentry | Television film | |
| The Powers That Be | Larry Yablonsky | Episode: "Sophie's Big Decision" | |
| 1992–93 | Dinosaurs | Ted, Muse, Clerk | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1993 | Batman: The Animated Series | Eddie G. | Voice, episode: "The Man Who Killed Batman"[13] |
| The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. | Puel | Episode: "The Orb Scholar" | |
| Home Improvement | Joe Morton | 2 episodes | |
| Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald | David Lifton | Television film | |
| Tales from the Crypt | Frank Bobo | Episode: "Till Death Do We Part" | |
| 1994 | Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love | Chad Penrod | Television film |
| White Mile | Tom Horton | ||
| Rebel Highway | Mr. Ed Cahn | Episode: "Runaway Daughters" | |
| 1995 | ER | Abraham Zimble | Episode: "Days Like This" |
| Dumb and Dumber | Colonel Drab, Control Tower Voice, Chief, Cook | Voice, 2 episodes[13] | |
| 1995, 1997 | What a Cartoon! | Pfish | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 1995–2001 | Star Trek: Voyager | The Doctor, Dr. Lewis Zimmerman | 172 episodes Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor on Television |
| 1996 | The Savage Dragon | Additional voices | 13 episodes |
| 1997 | Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Dr. Lewis Zimmerman | Episode: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" |
| The Second Civil War | Godfrey | Television film | |
| Early Edition | Doctor | Episode: "Faith" | |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits | Emmet Harley | Episode: "Sarcophagus" |
| Cow and Chicken | President, Narrator | Voice, episode: "101 Uses for Cow and Chicken"[13] | |
| 1999 | Ally McBeal | Barry Philbrick | Episode: "Love's Illusions" |
| 2000 | Buzz Lightyear of Star Command | Professor Reddschift | Voice, episode: "First Missions"[13] |
| 2001 | Seven Days | Maj. Michael McGrath | Episode: "Revelation" |
| Frasier | Charlie Koechner | Episode: "Bully for Martin" | |
| 2002 | Crossing Jordan | Father Bruno Casnelli | Episode: "Miracles & Wonders" |
| The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy | Cod Commando | Voice, episode: "The Pie Who Loved Me" | |
| The Practice | Dr. Edmunds | Episode: "Neighboring Species" | |
| 2002–03 | Justice League | Blackhawk, Amazo | Voice, 4 episodes[13] |
| 2003 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Bob Jacobs | 2 episodes |
| The Dead Zone | Mitch McMurty | Episode: "The Storm" | |
| The Lyon's Den | Det. Nick Traub | 7 episodes | |
| 2004 | The West Wing | E. Bradford Shelton | Episode: "The Supremes" |
| Justice League Unlimited | Amazo | Voice, 2 episodes[13] | |
| 2004–07 | Stargate SG-1 | Richard Woolsey | 6 episodes |
| 2005 | The 4400 | Trent Appelbaum | Episode: "Weight of the World" |
| Masters of Horror | Kurt Rand | Episode: "Homecoming" | |
| 2005–06 | E-Ring | Larry Kincaid | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | The O.C. | Bill Merriam | Episode: "The Pot Stirrer" |
| Eve | Professor Dunson | Episode: "To Sir, with Mom" | |
| Ben 10 | Leader Alien | Voice, episode: "The Big Tick"[13] | |
| 2006–09 | Stargate: Atlantis | Richard Woolsey | 20 episodes |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Arthur Lennox | Episode: "Knuckle Up" |
| The Closer | Mr. Sheffield | Episode: "Saving Face" | |
| CSI: NY | Sheriff Benson | Episode "Boo" | |
| Women's Murder Club | Allen Douglas | Episode: "Grannies, Guns and Love Mints" | |
| Ben 10: Race Against Time | Principal White | Television film | |
| 2008 | Smallville | Edward Teague | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Chuck | Dr. Howard Busgang | Episode: "Chuck Versus the Lethal Weapon" |
| Pushing Daisies | Detective Puget | 2 episodes | |
| 2009–10 | Castle | Dr. Clark Murray | |
| 2010 | Justified | Karl Hanselman | Episode: "The Collection" |
| Persons Unknown | Silver-Haired Man | Episode: "Shadows in the Cave" | |
| Monsterwolf | Stark | Television film | |
| Supernatural | Wayne Whittaker Jr. | Episode: "Clap Your Hands If You Believe" | |
| 2011 | No Ordinary Family | Vice Principal Nance | Episode: "No Ordinary Animal" |
| Stargate Universe | Richard Woolsey | Episode: "Seizure" | |
| United States of Tara | Dr. Smolow | Episode: "Bryce Will Play" | |
| NTSF:SD:SUV | Damian | Episode: "Twistin' the Night Away" | |
| 2012 | Harry's Law | Annie's Psychiatrist | Episode: "Gorilla My Dreams" |
| Body of Proof | Henry Pedroni | Episode: "Cold Blooded" | |
| Femme Fatales | Hieronymus Hawks | Episode: "Bad Science" | |
| Austin & Ally | Dr. Grant | Episode: "Successes & Setbacks" | |
| 2012–13 | The Mentalist | Jason Cooper | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | Happy Endings | Mr. Logan | Episode: "The Marry Prankster" |
| The Client List | Judge Hughes | Episode: "My Main Trial Is Yet to Come" | |
| Jessie | Cyril Lipton | Episode: "To Be or Not to Be Me" | |
| Hawaii Five-0 | CIA Agent | Episode: "Olelo Pa'a" | |
| Perception | A.Z. Weyland | Episode: "Alienation" | |
| 2014 | Bones | Dr. Lawrence Rozran | Episode: "The Heiress in the Hill" |
| 2015 | Aquarius | Neil Jacobs | Episode: "A Whiter Shade of Pale" |
| Significant Mother | Dr. Robert Richter | Episode: "Who's Your Daddy?" | |
| 2016 | Suspense | Arnold Keene | Episode: "The Shadow on the Screen" |
| Lucifer | Yuri | Episode: "Lady Parts" | |
| Salem | Mr. Stoughton | Episode: "Night's Black Agents" | |
| 2017 | The Good Fight | Alan Mannheim | Episode: "First Week" |
| Justice League Action | Harvey Dent / Two-Face | Voice, episode: "Double Cross"[13] | |
| The Last Tycoon | Leopold Ferber | Episode: "Eine Kleine Reichmusik" | |
| 2017–18 | Grey's Anatomy | Mr. Nelligan | 2 episodes |
| 2017, 2019 | The Orville | Ildis Kitan | |
| 2019 | Schooled | Himself | Episode: "Money for RENT"[12] |
| Hot Streets | The Concierge | Voice, episode: "The Moon Masters" | |
| The Flash | Dexter Myles | 2 episodes | |
| The Code | Col. Zugler | ||
| 2019–21 | Dickinson | Ithamar Conkey | 10 episodes |
| 2020 | Space Command | Yusef Sekander | 3 episodes |
| Station 19 | Mr. Nelligan | Episode: "Nothing Seems the Same" | |
| The Family Business | Bernie | 2 episodes | |
| 2022 | CSI: Vegas | Carlo Rey | Episode: "Burned"[15] |
| 2023 | NCIS | Dale Harding | Episode: "Too Many Cooks" |
| Quantum Leap | Dr. Edwin Woolsey | Episode: "Leap. Die. Repeat." | |
| A Biltmore Christmas | Harold Balaban | Television film | |
| 2024 | Star Trek: Prodigy | The Doctor | Season 2 |
| Young Sheldon | Professor Salzman | Episode: "A Roulette Wheel and a Piano Playing Dog" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force | Emergency Medical Hologram | — |
| 2007 | Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End | Singapore Townsfolk | — |
| 2008 | Too Human | Loki | — |
| 2010 | Star Trek Online | The Doctor | [13] |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops | Robert McNamara | Also motion capture[13] | |
| 2012 | Call of Duty: Black Ops II | Erik Breighner | |
| 2015 | Call of Duty: Black Ops III | Shadowman, Sebastian Krueger, Robert McNamara | Also motion capture for Sebastian Krueger |
| Fallout 4 | Alan Binet, Vault-Tech Scientist | [13] | |
| 2018 | Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 | Robert McNamara, Shadowman | Appears in Blood of the Dead |
| TBA | Hellraid | Adon |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Untitled Web Series About a Space Traveler Who Can Also Travel Through Time | Bernard | Episode: "Second Season Prequel" |
| 2014–18 | Bravest Warriors | Puddingtown, Eyeball | Voice, 7 episodes |
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