Robert Picardo's "Doctor" is not only one of the most popular characters in the Trek canon, but the actor himself is one of the most popular guests at conventions and other Star Trek events. He never fails to impress fans with his humor, intelligence and accessibility, whether it's warbling his latest Trek-themed song parodies, getting "Borgified" at the Borg 4D attraction in Las Vegas, or supporting real-life space exploration and science education through The Planetary Society. He truly enjoys being out there with the fans, and embracing his holographic alter ego. He's even written a book on that subject: "The Hologram's Handbook."

Before he became known in Star Trek: Voyager as the Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), Picardo had a long and successful career on Broadway, in feature films and on television. In fact, his previous regular role in a TV series was also as a doctor, in China Beach. It may not be a coincidence, since he was once on track to become one in real life before the acting bug bit him.

In this exclusive interview with STARTREK.COM he talks about how a gregarious high school friend got him started in acting, and how he went from being a pre-med student at Yale to being a holographic doctor on a starship.