Timothy Darrell Russ (born June 22, 1956) is an American actor, musician, screenwriter, director and amateur astronomer. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Commander Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager; Robert Johnson in Crossroads (1986); Casey in East of Hope Street (1998); Frank on Samantha Who?; Principal Franklin on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly; D. C. Montana on The Highwaymen (1987–1988), and for his brief role in Spaceballs (1987). He appeared in The Rookie: Feds (2022) and reprised his role as Captain Tuvok on Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.
Early life, family and education
Russ was born in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 1956, to a government employee mother and a U.S. Air Force officer father. He graduated from St. Edward's University with a degree in theater arts. He additionally attended graduate school at Illinois State University where he was inducted into its Hall of Fame. With a girlfriend, Jedda Roskilly, he has a daughter.
Career
Acting
In 1985, Russ appeared in The Twilight Zone episodes "Kentucky Rye" as Officer #2 and "Voices in the Earth" as Archer. He made a brief appearance in the comedy film Spaceballs as a trooper who "combs" the desert with a giant comb. Russ had a prominent role in the Charles Bronson film Death Wish 4.
Russ has been involved in the Star Trek franchise as a voice and film actor, writer, director, and producer. He played several minor roles before landing the role as the main character Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager. Russ screentested, in 1987, for the role of Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation before being cast as Tuvok. Russ went into Voyager as a dedicated Trekkie with an extensive knowledge of Vulcan lore, and has played the following roles in the Star Trek universe:
- Devor, a mercenary aboard the Enterprise-D disguised as a service engineer in The Next Generation episode "Starship Mine" (1993)
- T'Kar, a Klingon in the Deep Space Nine episode "Invasive Procedures" (1993)
- A human tactical Lieutenant on the USS Enterprise-B in the film Star Trek Generations (1994).
- Tuvok's Mirror Universe counterpart in the Deep Space Nine episode "Through the Looking Glass" (1995).
- A changeling impersonating Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
In 1995, Russ co-wrote the story for the Malibu Comics Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #29 and 30, with Mark Paniccia. Russ performed voice acting roles as Tuvok for the video games Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force and Star Trek: Elite Force II. Russ is the director and one of the stars of the fan series Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, the first third of which was released in December 2007, with the remaining two-thirds released in 2008.
Russ's character's name D. C. Montana in The Highwayman was a reference to Trek writer D. C. Fontana.
In 1990, he appeared in an episode of Freddy's Nightmares.
Russ directed and co-starred in Star Trek: Renegades, and in both 2013 and 2014 reprised his role as the voice of Tuvok in the massively multiplayer online game Star Trek Online.
Later work
thumb|Russ at the Paradise City Comic Con, December 2016
Russ appeared as Frank, a sarcastic doorman in the sitcom Samantha Who? from 2007 to 2009, and appeared for six seasons as Principal Ted Franklin in Nickelodeon's show iCarly. He also portrayed a doctor on an episode of Hannah Montana, "I Am Hannah, Hear Me Croak".
Russ won an Emmy Award in 2014 for public service ads he did for the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office on intellectual property theft and cyberbullying.
He played Captain Kells in the 2015 Bethesda Game Studios video game Fallout 4.
In June 2025, following Mel Brooks’ announcement of Spaceballs 2, slated for release in 2027, Russ teased on social media that he may appear in the film, along with his more famous co-stars.
Music and astronomy
Russ has been a lifelong musician and a singer. In addition, Russ has been an avid amateur astronomer most of his adult life, and is a member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. In 2021 he was among a small group of citizen astronomers who assisted in detection of the asteroid 617 Patroclus in preparation for NASA's Lucy probe. In February 2022, he stated that he owned a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope, an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, and a Unistellar eVscope.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ <!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION -->
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1986 || Crossroads || Robert Johnson ||
|-
| Fire with Fire || Jerry Washington ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1987 || Spaceballs || Desert-Combing Trooper ||
|-
| Death Wish 4: The Crackdown || Jesse ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1988 || Bird || Harris ||
|-
| Pulse || Policeman ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1991 || Eve of Destruction || Carter ||
|-
| Night Eyes 2 || Jesse Younger ||
|-
|1992
| Mr. Saturday Night || Assistant director ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1994 || Dead Connection || Detective Chuck Roland ||
|-
| Star Trek Generations || Enterprise-B Bridge Officer ||
|-
| 1997 || East of Hope Street || Casey ||
|-
|2003
|Roddenberry on Patrol
|Red-Shirt Bandit
|Also director and producer
|-
| rowspan="2" |2004
|The Borg
|Tuvok
|Short, archive footage
|-
|Geeks
|Self
|Documentary
|-
| 2005 || The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari || Town Clerk ||
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2006 || The Oh in Ohio || Douglas ||
|-
| Unbeatable Harold || Diner Manager ||
|-
|2006
|Borg War
|Tuvok (voice)
|Animated fan film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007 || Live Free or Die Hard|| Chuck Summer || Die Hard 4.0 (outside North America)
|-
| InAlienable || News Anchor ||
|-
|2007
|Star Trek: Of Gods and Men
|Tuvok
|Fan film, also director and writer
|-
|2008
|Star Trek: The Tour
|Tuvok
|Short
|-
|2009
|Chad and the Alien Toupee
|Murray Silverman
|Short
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010
|Reformed Tramp
|The Narrator
|Short
|-
|Hometown Glory
|Narrator (voice)
|Documentary
|-
| 2011 || Rampart || Command Staff Member #1
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2012
|C.A.T.s (Covert Anti-Espionage Team)
|Harry
|Short
|-
|John Derek: Film Genius
|Narrator
|Short faux-documentary
|-
| rowspan="4" | 2014 || Alongside Night || General Jack Guerdon ||
|-
| Asteroid vs. Earth || Captain Rogers ||
|-
| Greyscale || Gavin Calhoun ||
|-
|Cavity
|Star Trac Agent #1
|Short
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2015 || Star Trek: Renegades|| Tuvok || Also director
|-
|Greyscale
|Gavin Calhoun
|
|-
|2016
|Six Gun Savior
|Ezekiel Roak
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2017
|Her Side of the Bed
|Charles Harwell
|
|-
| 5th Passenger || Franklin ||
|-
| rowspan="6" |2018
| A Fairy's Game || Warlock || Voice
|-
| Junkie || Martin Green ||
|-
| Karma || Frank Hudson ||
|-
| Dick Dickster || Sammy Davas Jr. || Also executive producer
|-
|The Killer's Requiem
|Detective Hank Starnes
|
|-
|Well, Maybe There Are Some Small Parts
|Tim Russ
|Also director, short film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2019 || Vitals || The Surgeon ||
|-
|Tenet Noctis
|Iman
|Also director
|-
|Ghost in the Gun
|Ghost in the Gun
|Short film
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2020 || The Midnight Sky || Mason Mosley ||
|-
|Unbelievable!!!!!
|Dr. Robert Schmitt
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2021
|The Emissaries Movie
|Narrator
|
|-
|Vampire Slayer
|News Reporter (voice)
|
|-
|2022
|Nightshade
|Captain Burns
|
|-
| 2023 || Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham|| Lucius Fox || Voice
|-
| rowspan="5" |2024
|The Star City Murders
|Captain Royce Aikman
|
|-
|Surge of Power: Where There's Smoke
|Mortrigard
|
|-
|Rhythm (Make Moves Towards What You Love)
|Announcer
|
|-
|FOAM (Freedom of Adventure in Motion)
|Shop Owner
|Animated
|-
|To the Journey: Looking Back at Star Trek: Voyager
|Self
|Documentary
|-
| rowspan="4" |2025
|One Big Happy Family
|
|
|-
|Left in Space
|Ominous Voice
|Short film
|-
|Emissaries: Into the Ionosphere 2
|Narrator
|
|-
|Renegades: The Making of Star Trek: Gods and Men
|Self
|Documentary
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ <!-- WP:ACCESSIBILITY & MOS:TABLECAPTION -->
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1985
|Hunter
|Sam
|Episode: "Killer in a Halloween Mask"
|-
| 1985, 1987 ||Hill Street Blues || Paramedic / Burton / Ben Childers || 4 episodes
|-
| 1985 || The Twilight Zone || Officer #2 || Episode: "Kentucky Rye"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1986
|Samaritan: The Mike Snyder Story
|
|TV film
|-
|The Magical World of Disney
|Dixon
|Episode: "Casebusters"
|-
| Amazing Stories || Security Guard #1 || Episode: "You Gotta Believe Me"
|-
| Heart of the City || Collins || Episode: "When Push Comes to Shove"
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1987 || Jake and the Fatman || Pete || Episode: "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
|-
| Starman || Tyrone Washington || Episode: "The System"
|-
| Timestalkers || Sergeant Filton || TV film
|-
| The Twilight Zone || Archer || Episode: "Voices in the Earth"
|-
| Vietnam War Story || Sgt. Lemon || Episode: "The Mine"
|-
| Thirtysomething || Salesman || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| Throb || Man #2 || Episode: "Whose Coup Is It Anyway?"
|-
| 1987–1988 || The Highwayman || D.C. Montana || 10 episodes
|-
| rowspan="5" |1988
|Who Gets the Friends?
|Roger Hamel
|TV film
|-
| 21 Jump Street || Ray Davies || Episode: "Slippin' Into Darkness"
|-
| Roots: The Gift || Marcellus the slave doorman || TV film
|-
|Police Story: Cop Killer
|
|TV film
|-
|Miracle at Beekman's Place
|
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1989 || Alien Nation || Ronald Ketnes || TV film
|-
| Beauty and the Beast || Lieutenant Eric Parker || Episode: "Sticks and Stones"
|-
| The People Next Door || Answering Machine Guy || 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1990 || Cop Rock || Juror || 2 episodes
|-
| Family Matters || Jeff || Episode: "Sitting Pretty"
|-
| Freddy's Nightmares || Dr. Henry Picard || Episode: "Dust to Dust"
|-
| Mancuso, FBI || Malcolm Rashad || Episode: "Conspiracy"
|-
|The Bakery
|Billy Franklin
|TV film
|-
|Generations
|Brian Price
|9 episodes
|-
| 1990, 1992 ||The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air || Eugene / Agent Collins || 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1991 || Lifestories || K.C. || Episode: "Darryl Tevis"
|-
| Dead Silence || Deputy Ryan || TV film
|-
|The Heroes of Desert Storm
|
|TV film
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1992 || Tequila and Bonetti || Link || Episode: "The Rose Cadillac"
|-
|The Young and the Restless
|Wendell Baird
|Episode: "Episode #1.4834"
|-
|The Please Watch the Jon Lovitz Special
|Self
|
|-
| rowspan="7" | 1993 || Hangin' with Mr. Cooper || Victor || Episode: "Seoul Shake"
|-
| Living Single || Officer Taylor || Episode: "Burglar in the House"
|-
| Murphy Brown || Agent #1 || Episode: "The Egg & I"
|-
| Star Trek: The Next Generation || Devor || Episode: "Starship Mine"
|-
| Journey to the Center of the Earth|| Joe Briggs || TV film
|-
|Dark Justice
|
|Episode: "Night Games"
|-
|SeaQuest 2032
|Martin Clemens
|Episode: "Photon Bullet"
|-
| 1993-1994 || Hangin' with Mr. Cooper|| Victor || 2 episodes
|-
| 1993, 1995 ||Star Trek: Deep Space Nine || T'Kar /Mirror Universe Tuvok || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" |1994
| Melrose Place || Roger Chambers || Episode: "It's a Bad World After All"
|-
| SeaQuest DSV || Martin 'Mycroft' Clemens || Episode: "Photon Bullet"
|-
|Bitter Vengeance
|Lieutenant James
|TV film
|-
|Monty
|Man #1
|Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1995
|Inside the New Adventure: Star Trek - Voyager
|Self
|TV film
|-
|Launch of Star Trek: Voyager
|Self
|Documentary
|-
| 1995–2001 || Star Trek: Voyager || Lieutenant Tuvok/Tulak || 172 episodes
|-
|1996
|It's Hot in Here: UPN Fall Preview
|Self
|TV special
|-
| rowspan="2" |1997
|Spider-Man: The Animated Series
|Hobie Brown / Prowler (voice)
|Episode: "The Prowler"
|-
|The Ready Room
|Self - guest
|Episode: "Dominion (aftershow)"
|-
|The 7th Rule 2
|Self
|Episode: "Episode #1.112"
|-
| rowspan="4" |2024
| NCIS
|Dr. Erik Harper
|Episode: "Heartless"
|-
|Geeks and Nerds for Harris Live Organizing Call
|Self
|TV special
|-
|2024-2026
|Ted
|ER Doctor
|2 episodes
|-
|2024-
|Pristine and the High Ponies
|Sports Announcer
|Miniseries
|-
|2025
|Unconventional
|Collin Charles
|2 episodes
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Video games
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
|-
| 2000 || Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force|| rowspan="2" | Lieutenant Commander Tuvok||
|-
| 2003 || Star Trek: Elite Force II||
|-
| The Elder Scrolls Online || Additional voices ||
|-
| 2015 || Fallout 4 || Lancer Captain Kells ||