The Star Trek Character You Likely Didn't Realize Was Played By The Future King Of Jordan

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In the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Investigations" (March 13, 1996), the jolly Neelix (Ethan Phillips), appointed as the U.S.S. Voyager's morale officer, records a video blog called "A Briefing with Neelix." The blog is meant to spread news among the ship's crew and include interviews with various officers, musical performances, updates from the captain, officer commendations from the first officer, and previews of upcoming meals. While this is a fine idea, none of the starship's officers are much interested, as they are a little put off by Neelix's ultra-happy demeanor.

At one point, Neelix approaches Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) about whether or not he had watched the show, interrupting a conversation Kim was having with a junior science officer in the hallway. Kim dismisses the officer, who politely nods and walks away. Neelix and Kim then begin to discuss Neelix's interview program.

The junior officer has no lines, as the actor was not a SAG member. Casual audiences may not have been able to recognize him, but the junior officer was played by then Prince Abdullah of Jordan. In 1999, he would ascend to the throne, becoming King Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, making him the only member of legitimate world royalty to appear in "Star Trek." As it so happens, Prince Abdullah was in the United States as a special gift from his United States advisor. What the Prince didn't know is that his advisor had been talking to Paramount about a possible cameo, and the studio was amenable. The Prince was a massive Trekkie, it seems, and wanted to use his political clout to arrange a mere visit to the set of "Voyager." He was surprised to learn that he would be appearing on the show.

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It should be noted that the Prince wasn't actually part of the line of succession when he filmed his "Voyager" episode in 1996. His father, King Hussein bin Talal, cited political instability in Jordan as the reason, feeling that it would be wiser to name his own brother, the Prince's uncle Hassan, as the heir to the throne. Since 1965, it was assumed that Hassan would become King. It wasn't until two months before King Hussein died in 1999 that he would announce Prince Abdullah, his eldest son, as his heir.

The Prince was educated in schools in Jordan, England, and the United States, so he had a healthy diet of American pop culture throughout his youth. He also served in the Jordanian military and was commissioned as an officer in the British Army. By the early 1990s, when he was only in his early 30s, Prince Abdullah was a brigadier general. Perhaps the formalized military structure of "Star Trek" appealed to a man who worked his way up in the Army. The Prince has said that he loves "Star Trek," but he hasn't commented on the show's pervasive sense of pacifism.

In the 16th issue of Star Trek Monthly, published in June 1996, "Voyager" co-creator Jeri Taylor noted that Prince Abdullah was just another pop TV enthusiast beyond all the formality and royal titles. "Take away the title and the trappings," she said, "and at the core you have a 'Star Trek' fan." The Prince was surprised by his advisor and said that it was "too much." He, of course, was happy to don a science uniform, nod to Harry Kim, and walk off camera. It was the simplest thing in the world.

In exchange for his time on set, Prince Abdullah offered free trips to Jordan for his co-stars Ethan Phillips and Robert Picardo, who played the Doctor on "Voyager." They both took him up on the offer, albeit at separate times.

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When Prince Abdullah became King in 1999, he immediately implemented a robust tourism campaign for Jordan, hoping to attract wealthy travelers. In 2002, King Abdullah hosted a TV special on the Discovery Channel called "Jordan: The Royal Tour," and he encouraged people to take part in his former hobbies of skydiving and motorcycling. When Paramount announced it wanted to shoot its big-budget blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" in Jordan, the King welcomed the studio with open arms and even lent the production a fleet of Jordanian helicopters to help them airlift its gear to the ancient city of Petra.

King Abdullah even once dreamt of building his very own "Star Trek"-themed resort in the city of Aquaba back in 2011. The $1.5 billion resort was to be called the Red Sea Astrarium and it would've featured replicas of the Seven Wonders of the World. The centerpiece was meant to be a "Star Trek" space adventure, presumably boasting rides and interactive exhibits like one might have found at the Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas. Sadly, according to an article in Deadline, the Astrarium stopped construction in 2015 because tourism in Jordan had plummeted and the country couldn't afford such a hefty price tag.

As far as I'm concerned, the more world leaders that watch "Star Trek," the better. Gene Roddenberry advocated a future wherein borders were erased, humanity was united, and technology was used for everyone's benefit. If the majority of Earth's rulers adopted a philosophy of unity and pacifism, ruled by principles rather than dictators or money, then perhaps "Star Trek" would come about for real. It's a dream.