Jeri Ryan's Star Trek character Seven of Nine is considered by many to be among the best of any series in the franchise's history, likely thanks to her development within the Star Trek: Voyager ensemble. The Borg's fantastic arcs throughout the series' run are what likely led to Ryan reprising the role for CBS All Access' Star Trek: Picard, and while the actress may be thankful for her original show for such longevity, life on the Voyager set wasn't always ideal for her.
In a recent online reunion between Jeri Ryan and the rest of the Star Trek: Voyager cast, everyone was asked about their favorite elements about the show, as well as their least favorite elements. Ryan didn't drag the series when talking about her time on set, of course, but she did mention how difficult it was to make regular trips to the bathroom, thanks to a certain piece of costuming. In her words:
The corset wasn’t a lot of fun. Not being able to go to the bathroom without the entire crew knowing it, and having to make production shut down. That was a bit of a downside.
Not many people make a habit of loudly announcing their bathroom habits at work, so the fact that the whole crew needed to be informed about Jeri Ryan's potty breaks was not ideal for the actress. Of course, the fact that work on her scenes couldn't resume until she was completely done and back on set probably added an extra complexity to that, as some cast and crew members were likely just sitting around waiting for her to wrap up her business.
On top of that, it was no easy process for Jeri Ryan to physically get to and from the bathroom. The actual restroom deed was presumably a one-Borg job, but Ryan needed crew members to help her get into and out of her corset and costume, which added a healthy chunk of time to the whole process.
If I had to go, it was on the radio, ‘Jeri’s going. 10-1. That’s 20.’ Because, you know, I had to have somebody dress me and undress me. It was a 20-minute thing to get me undressed, go to the bathroom, get dressed, go back to set. It was a thing.
Jeri Ryan had two options when it came to working on Star Trek: Voyager. She could go to the bathroom and put the shooting on hold, at the risk of making a long day on set take even longer. Or, alternately, she could simply not go to the bathroom, at the risk of facing any consequences that would arise from that.
Jeri Ryan initially chose option two, and yes, there were consequences. The Star Trek actress (who almost appeared in Star Trek: Nemesis) decided to simply refrain from taking in any liquids during filming, in order to prevent the embarrassing and tedious process. Unsurprisingly, Ryan told her co-stars that during the video reunion that it was ultimately a bad idea.
I actually got so sick my first season on the show because I felt so bad that it was a production shutdown, so I would just not drink all day. And I got really ill. [Laughs.] It’s not a good thing to do.
It certainly was not, and one has to wonder if Jeri Ryan's bathroom issues with her costume in Star Trek: Voyager played a factor in her costume choice for Star Trek: Picard. In the CBS All Access spinoff, she's rocking a jacket, shirt, and pants for most of Season 1, which had to make any bathroom trips for that season (and going forward) much more of a non-issue.
Catch Jeri Ryan on Star Trek: Picard, which has Season 1 currently available on CBS All Access. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest news in regards to Star Trek, and for updates on what’s happening in the world of television and movies.
