When Harry Kim came aboard Voyager, he was a fresh face full of enthusiasm, a certain youthful naiveté, and an eagerness to prove himself among his more seasoned peers. Oh, did we say Harry Kim? Strike that — we meant Garrett Wang.

Because after all, Garrett was a natural for the role of Ensign Kim, mirroring everything the character was about: a young man fresh from his training, bright and talented but wet behind the ears and a bit unsure of himself. Likewise, Garrett was a novice to the TV world, having only one credit besides his stage experience before Star Trek: Voyager, but his innate gifts, dedication and easy-going charm quickly established him as a force to reckoned with.

Besides holding his own among a very talented ensemble cast, he proved his chops as a leading man in such moving and powerful episodes as "Non Sequitur," "The Disease," "Nightingale," and what many consider to be the best Voyager episode ever, "Timeless."

If Garrett differs from his character in any major way, it's that he's far less serious and glum than Harry. Anyone who has worked with Garrett on the set or seen him at a convention can attest to his endearing and enduring sense of playfulness. "I've always been a person that's entertained people, whether it be friends or my parents," he said in a 2000 chat. "They'd come over to our house, and I would do impersonations and accents and what-not, just to make them laugh. I've often told people that I'd probably be happy being a lounge singer in Las Vegas, as long as I'm entertaining."

Just ask him to do an impression of any of his castmates. "Chaotica, where are you? I am the Spider Queen," he'll say in a squeaky voice. But he doesn't stop there. Once at a Congressional Asian Conference event, he had an opportunity to take that mischievousness to the highest levels. While former president Bill Clinton was giving a long speech to the conference, "I worked with the Secret Service backstage on getting the voice just right," Garrett recounted. "When I joined him I asked if I could imitate him, so I said a few sentences. As I did it, Clinton began turning red and said 'Well, that's pretty good, thank you!'"

Maybe the ex-prez can pull a few strings and finally get poor Ensign Kim a promotion!

Look for Garrett in the coming year in the independently-produced Internet webisode "Star Trek: Of Gods and Men," where he becomes a character that's completely opposite from Harry Kim. "Garrett does play a badass," said Tim Russ, the director of the project, in Las Vegas last August. "He is really nasty in this thing." Garrett also recently starred in another Russ production, a short film called "Deja'Vu" (no relation to the Denzel Washington feature), which you can get on DVD from www.bobandjimprojects.com.

STARTREK.COM wishes Garrett Wang a very Happy Birthday, and many thanks for the hard work in front of the camera, and all the laughs and good times behind it.

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