| Jennifer Lien | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 24, 1974 Palos Heights, Illinois, U.S.A. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1991–2003 |
| Spouse(s) | Phil Hwang |
Jennifer Ann Lien (born August 24, 1974) is a retired American actress, best known for playing the alien Kes on the television series Star Trek: Voyager.
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Biography [edit]
Early life [edit]
The youngest of three children, Lien was born in Palos Heights, Illinois. Her mother, Delores Lien, was a college teacher.[1]
Career [edit]
Her first television appearance was in a bubblegum advertisement playing twins. Her first appearance on a series was playing a music academy student in 1990 in an episode of Brewster Place starring Oprah Winfrey. She provided her voice for the dubbed English version of Baby Blood, a French horror film. Lien landed the series regular role of Hannah Moore on the series Another World in 1991.
In 1993, she was cast as Roanne in Phenom, a sitcom starring Judith Light. That year she also participated in the recording of Adam Sandler's comedy album They're All Gonna Laugh At You in which she played the part of the Valedictorian on the track "The Buffoon And The Valedictorian", as well as one of the daughters on the track "Oh, mom...".
In 1994, she was cast as Kes on Star Trek: Voyager. When the crew of the starship Voyager was stranded 70,000 light years from home by a being known as the Caretaker, they meet Kes who helps them rescue several crew members. She then joins the crew with her partner Neelix. Kes was an Ocampa, a species that lives for just 8 or 9 years. They have an ability to learn at great speeds, which allowed her to learn medicine quickly and become the Doctor's assistant.[2]
Lien left the series in 1997. This coincided with the casting of Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine. Lien was featured in the first two episodes of season four, with her character losing control of her mental abilities and ascending to a higher level of existence in her final episode "The Gift", sending the crew 10 years closer to home.
Following her departure from Voyager, Lien appeared in the movies American History X alongside Edward Norton and SLC Punk!, playing the wild girlfriend of Matthew Lillard's character. She also provided her voice for the character of adult Vitani in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, and voiced Agent "L" for the first three seasons of Men in Black: The Series.[3]
Lien was asked to return for a special episode of Star Trek: Voyager in 2000 entitled "Fury." An angry older Kes returned to Voyager and went back in time in an attempt to alter events. Lien had input to the script but has subsequently stated that she was disappointed with her performance in the episode. Despite this, she welcomed the chance to work with the cast of the show again.[4]
Personal life [edit]
She is married to writer and filmmaker Phil Hwang; their first child, Jonah, was born on September 5, 2002.[5] Since the birth of her son, Lien has retired from acting and voiceover work; however, she was credited as executive producer on her husband's comedy 2008 film Geek Mythology.[6]
Following the completion of her studies, she intends to work as a nutritionist.[4]
References [edit]
- ^ "Jennifer Lien Biography (1974-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ "Star Trek Kes". Startrek.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Men in Black: The Animated Series at IMBD.com
- ^ a b "Star Trek Catching Up with Jennifer Lien". Startrek.com. 2010-08-09. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
- ^ "News". Jennifer-lien.com. Retrieved 2010-08-17.
- ^ Geek Mythology at IMDB.com
External links [edit]
- Jennifer Lien at the Internet Movie Database
- Jennifer Lien at AllRovi
- Jennifer Lien at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
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