Star Trek takes the deliberate approach of using an ensemble cast to convey its stories. However, even with this group dynamic, the captain stands as the central pillar on which everything else rests. It's why Star Trek: Voyager's producers were faced with the gut-wrenching reality when the first person they chose to play Captain Janeway -- Geneviève Bujold -- was anything but mission ready.

Bujold is one of the most accomplished performers in entertainment. For over half a century, she has appeared in a slew of iconic films and series. So casting her as Captain Elizabeth Janeway (later renamed Kathryn Janeway for actor Kate Mulgrew) seemed like a smart move. But the moment Voyager moved into production, alarm bells started ringing the first day on set.

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It was immediately apparent that something wasn’t working. While Bujold was an accomplished performer, most of her experience was in film, not television on a demanding, hour-long episodic sci-fi series. Reports of her unhappiness grew due to the constant demands of rigorous production days. Executive producer Rick Berman confirmed her less-than-ideal performance, and Bujold's own unhappiness led to her abandoning the captain’s chair in early September 1994, after only two days of filming. To make matters worse, Voyager's 23 million dollar pilot had to keep production rolling to meet its premiere date.

Star Trek Voyager

Voyager was going to be one of the crown jewels for the brand new United Paramount Network. The plan was over 20 years in the making. Back in the mid-1970s, Paramount planned to launch its own network on the strength of the new Star Trek series. Its creator, Gene Roddenberry, committed to creating Star Trek II. However, those plans eventually collapsed, and the new network was put on hold until the 1990s.

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As such, Voyager would be used to launch UPN. But with an air date already chosen, the show was without its most important crew member. So producers eventually went back to an earlier option, Kate Mulgrew. After initially being ambivalent about the role on her first audition, Mulgrew was eager to get another shot after Bujold stepped away.

Mulgrew, like Bujold, was a performing powerhouse and had far more experience with episodic television. From Ryan’s Hope to Heartbeat, Mulgrew had the chops to take command and help lead Voyager, both in front and behind the scenes. As exemplified by Orange Is the New Black and Mr. Mercedes, Mulgrew is as bold with her intriguing character choices as her decisions on the bridge of the Starfleet vessel. As such, audiences took notice, and Mulgrew's Captain Janeway became a fan favorite despite a rocky start.

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