Tim Russ facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tim Russ
Russ at the 2022 Phoenix Fan Fusion
Born	Timothy Darrell Russ (1956-06-22) June 22, 1956 (age 69) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Actor musician screenwriter producer director
Years active	1985–present
Children	1

Timothy Darrell Russ (born June 22, 1956) is an American actor, musician, writer, director, and even a stargazing enthusiast! He is most famous for playing Tuvok, a logical Vulcan, on the TV show Star Trek: Voyager. You might also know him as Principal Franklin from the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly, or as Frank on Samantha Who?. He has also appeared in movies like Crossroads and Spaceballs. More recently, he returned as Captain Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard.

Early Life and Education

Tim Russ was born in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 1956. His mom worked for the government, and his dad was an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Because of his dad's job, Tim lived in Turkey for part of his childhood. He finished high school in 1974 at Rome Free Academy. Later, he studied theater arts at St. Edward's University. He also went to graduate school at Illinois State University, where he was even added to their Hall of Fame!

Acting Adventures

Tim Russ started his acting career in 1985. One of his early roles was a small part in the funny movie Spaceballs, where he played a trooper searching the desert with a giant comb. He also appeared in a movie called Death Wish 4.

Exploring the Star Trek Universe

Tim Russ is very well-known in the Star Trek world. He has been an actor, voice actor, writer, director, and producer for the franchise. Before he got his big role as Tuvok, he played a few smaller characters. He even tried out for the role of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation back in 1987.

Tim was already a big Trekkie (a fan of Star Trek) before joining Star Trek: Voyager. He knew a lot about the Vulcan species, which helped him play Tuvok so well. Here are some of the other Star Trek characters he played:

• Devor, a mercenary on the Enterprise-D in The Next Generation episode "Starship Mine" (1993).
• T'Kar, a Klingon in the Deep Space Nine episode "Invasive Procedures" (1993).
• A human officer on the USS Enterprise-B in the movie Star Trek Generations (1994).
• Tuvok's evil twin from the Mirror Universe in the Deep Space Nine episode "Through the Looking Glass" (1995).
• A shapeshifting alien pretending to be Tuvok in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Tim also helped write a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comic book story in 1995. He lent his voice as Tuvok for the video games Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force and Star Trek: Elite Force II. He even directed and starred in a fan-made Star Trek series called Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. He also directed and co-starred in Star Trek: Renegades. In 2013 and 2014, he voiced Tuvok again for the online game Star Trek Online.

Other Famous Roles

Tim Russ at the Paradise City Comic Con in December 2016.

From 2007 to 2009, Tim Russ played Frank, a funny doorman, in the TV show Samantha Who?. He was also Principal Ted Franklin for six seasons on Nickelodeon's popular show iCarly. He even played a doctor in an episode of Hannah Montana.

In 2014, Tim won an Emmy Award! This was for public service announcements he made for the FBI about stopping intellectual property theft and cyberbullying.

He also played Captain Kells in the video game Fallout 4 in 2015.

Future Projects

In June 2025, after Mel Brooks announced Spaceballs 2 for 2027, Tim Russ hinted on social media that he might be in the new movie, possibly with his famous co-stars.

Beyond Acting: Music and Stargazing

Tim Russ has always loved music and is a singer. Besides his acting career, he is also a very enthusiastic amateur astronomer. This means he loves to study stars, planets, and space as a hobby. He is a member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society.

In 2021, he was part of a small group of citizen astronomers who helped find the asteroid 617 Patroclus. This was important for NASA's Lucy probe, which is studying asteroids. In February 2022, he shared that he owns several telescopes, including a 10-inch Dobsonian telescope and an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope, which he uses to explore the night sky.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles

Directing Work

See also

In Spanish: Tim Russ para niños