Star Trek fans knew the Borg was formidable, frightening and relentless, but when Jeri Ryan joined the cast of Star Trek: Voyager, fans discovered that the Borg could be sexy as well. Ryan's mid-series entrance as Seven of Nine gave Voyager a shot in the arm for the long journey home, becoming one of the show's major characters almost immediately.

The daughter of an army officer, Ryan was born in Munich, Germany and moved all over until settling in Kentucky. She began working in television over ten years prior to Voyager, making appearances on shows such as Murder, She Wrote, Who's The Boss, Matlock, Melrose Place and the short-lived science fiction series Dark Skies before boarding the U.S.S. Voyager.

When the Borg made their first appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation in the episode "Q Who?" no one could have predicted how much the Collective would be explored in the years to come, and Ryan's portrayal of Seven of Nine allowed the producers and writers of Voyager to explore some classic science-fiction themes and ideas.

Seven of Nine was at first an almost malevolent presence on the ship, and in those first episodes, no one could be sure if she would ever become a member of the crew, or if she would jeopardize its very existence. As the show progressed, Seven of Nine grew more and Ryan carried more of an arc than the rest of her crewmates, given the fact that where she began on the show was so much different than where she would end up.

Aside from her pinup looks and imposing presence, Ryan's performance allowed Seven of Nine's harshness to give way to more vulnerable moments, and those moments resonated all the more because of the contrast to Seven's implacable exterior. Thus, when confronted with her past in episodes such as "The Raven" and the two-part "Dark Frontier," fans were able to see a layered, complex character seeking identity, something you don't normally find in the standard, well-rounded and confident Starfleet officers that populate most of Star Trek.

After Voyager, Ryan's career has continued full-throttle, as she joined the cast of David E. Kelley's show Boston Public as the inner-city teacher "Ronnie Cooke" for three years. In September 2005, she moved down to The O.C. for a season-opening seven-episode story arc playing the mysterious "Charlotte Morgan." She has also appeared in such films as "Dracula 2000," and "Down With Love" with Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor.

Jeri went from "Public" to "Legal" last year as she joined the cavalcade of Trek alumni guest-starring on Boston Legal. She was in the two-hour season finale last May as "Courtney Rae," a Hollywood celebrity on trial for the attempted murder of a paparazzo who was stalking her, and William Shatner's "Denny Crane" was naturally captivated by her. Later in the year Jeri turned up at Shatner's Comedy Central Roast — but as a VIP audience member rather than an insult-flinger.

Currently Jeri is experiencing success co-starring with James Woods in Shark, Thursday nights on CBS. She plays "Jessica Devlin," an L.A. district attorney who is the boss and chief nemesis of Woods' lead character. Shark is the most-watched new drama of the season, so it looks like this may be a steady gig for her. (Note: Last month the show had an episode titled "The Wrath of Khan.")

But Shark is not the biggest news of the last year for Jeri. In July she announced that she is engaged. The lucky beau is French chef Christophe Emé, her partner in her West Hollywood restaurant Ortolan. Jeri and Christophe are planning the wedding for next June in the Loire Valley of France. Nothing too fancy...

STARTREK.COM would like to wish Jeri Ryan a very Happy Birthday, thanks for all the wonderful moments, and best of luck in the future!

You can wish Jeri a Happy Birthday on the Star Trek Message Boards!