Roxann Dawson
She channeled the fierce duality of a half-Klingon engineer on 'Voyager' before boldly directing some of television's biggest sci-fi and drama series.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actress·Birthday: September 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Roxann Dawson's career is a narrative of reinvention and command. She first captured the imagination of audiences as B'Elanna Torres, the brilliant but temperamental chief engineer on 'Star Trek: Voyager', a role that allowed her to explore themes of identity and belonging through a sci-fi lens. Even during her seven-year run on the starship, her interests were expanding behind the camera. With a sharp eye for story and performance, she transitioned seamlessly into directing, first for 'Star Trek: Enterprise' and then for a staggering array of top-tier television. Her directing roster reads like a primer on 21st-century TV drama, from the forensic mysteries of 'Cold Case' to the superhero chaos of 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' and the epic scale of 'Foundation'. Dawson evolved from an actor solving problems on a fictional bridge to a director solving them on a real-life set, building a formidable second act defined by vision and leadership.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Roxann was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roxann Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Roxann's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played the regular role of Chief Engineer B'Elanna Torres for all seven seasons of 'Star Trek: Voyager'.
- Directed over a dozen episodes for the 'Star Trek' franchise, including the series finale of 'Star Trek: Enterprise'.
- Directed multiple episodes of acclaimed series like 'The Americans', 'The Morning Show', and 'The Deuce'.
- Helmed episodes of major sci-fi series including 'Battlestar Galactica', 'Heroes', and 'Foundation'.
Did You Know?
She is of Mexican and Irish descent.
Before acting, she was a professional dancer and studied at the San Francisco Ballet School.
She made her directorial debut with an episode of 'Star Trek: Voyager' in which she also starred.
“As an actor, you're one piece of the puzzle. As a director, you have to see the whole picture.”
