One of the most prolific character actors of the 1980s and beyond had fans doing a double take after stepping out looking almost unrecognizable.
The beloved star, now 71, first rose to fame on the sitcom Benson, where he played Pete Downey, and was spotted braving the chilly St. Patrick’s Day weather in .
Bundled in a dark winter jacket, scarf, and baseball cap, the actor - who has appeared on Broadway alongside the likes of John Malkovich, Patti LuPone, and - seemed in high spirits as he navigated a busy street during the rare outing.
But he looked worlds away from his most recognizable role as the - a character he played from the show’s debut in 1995 - while longtime fans will also he portrayed several other roles across the wider Star Trek universe.
Fans may also remember him from the 1986 cult horror film Critters and its sequel Critters 3, which followed a group of small, carnivorous with a taste for humans.
So, can you guess the familiar face?
One of the most prolific character actors of the 1980s and beyond had fans doing a double take after stepping out looking almost unrecognizable
The beloved star, now 71, first rose to fame on the sitcom Benson, where he played Pete Downey, and was spotted braving the chilly St. Patrick’s Day weather in New York City
Bundled in a dark winter jacket, scarf, and baseball cap, the actor - who has appeared on Broadway alongside the likes of John Malkovich, Patti LuPone, and Peter Dinklage - seemed in high spirits as he navigated a busy street during the rare outing
If you said Ethan Phillips, you'd be absolutely right.
In 2023, Phillips opened up about his role as Neelix in the Star Trek universe, admitting that while the process was demanding, he relished the opportunity.
Ethan Phillips was raised on Long Island - where his father owned the well-known Frankie & Johnnie's Steakhouse - and later pursued acting academically, earning a degree in English literature from Boston University followed by an MFA from Cornell University
Phillips played PR man Pete Downey on Benson, which ran from 1979 to 1986; (Inga Swenson, Didi Conn, Missy Gold, Phillips, Rene Auberjonois, Robert Guillaume, and James Noble)
Fans may also remember him from the 1986 cult horror film Critters and its sequel Critters 3, which followed a group of small, carnivorous aliens with a taste for humans
Phillips played the Talaxian called Neelix on Star Trek: Voyager - a character he played from the show’s debut in 1995 - while longtime fans will also recall he portrayed several other roles across the wider Star Trek universe
'The makeup was extremely tedious because I was in the chair for five hours a day, sometimes two or three days in a row,' Phillips once said
Phillips acted alongside Julie Bowen and Katey Sagal in a 2006 episode of Boston Legal
He went on to hone his craft in off-Broadway productions before transitioning into a steady stream of roles on stage and screen.
