She burned her own costume
Seven of Nine’s iconic costume may have looked sleek and futuristic on screen, but behind the scenes it was a real nightmare. Seven of Nine’s corset was so tight that Jeri Ryan could hardly breathe when she wore it. Between shoots, she often had to lie down to regain her breath before getting in front of the camera again.
And because of the tight one-piece suit, Jeri Ryan couldn’t get in or out of it without the help of the costume shop. Because it was a one-piece suit with no zips, Jeri Ryan had to sew it up every time she put it on, and getting out of it wasn’t easy.
Even such a simple trip to the bathroom turned into a time-consuming ordeal, forcing her to ‘endure’ for long periods of time so as not to delay filming. A simple toilet on set turned into a 20-minute ordeal, leading to her own radio code: ‘Code Jeri-twenty.’
Ryan’s frustration with the outfit grew over the years, and by the time the filming of Voyager was over, there was only one thing left for her to do: get rid of it for good. Without a second thought, she burned the costume, never to squeeze into it again.
Invisible wall of shame
On the set of Star Trek: Voyager, where the magic of sci-fi meets the absurdity of pretence, actors often practised the fine art of the ‘force field’ – a skill that required throwing themselves at absolutely nothing and doing so convincingly.
Take, for example, the infamous moment in ‘The Gift,’ one of the early episodes featuring Seven of Nine. With all the seriousness of a Starfleet officer facing imminent doom, the actor was supposed to throw himself into the brig’s force field – only, of course, there was no force field. No shimmering energy barrier. No resistance. Just the cold, emotionless air of the film set.
‘You play a lot on nothing because there’s a lot of special effects, so you’re playing on a green or blue screen, which means you’re playing on nothing and you’re not reacting to anything,’ Ryan once explained.
The result? An impressively awkward performance in which they rushed forward but stopped mid-movement, arms flailing, face contorted in pain – while the film crew tried (and sometimes unsuccessfully) to stifle laughter behind the camera.
‘Force Field’ quickly became an inside joke. It wasn’t just about creating an illusion, it was about doing it with an honest face, knowing that in reality you look completely ridiculous.
But that’s the magic of science fiction. One day you’re fighting intergalactic threats. The next, you’re throwing yourself into the void and hoping the CGI team has your back.
What did Seven of Nine mean in Voyager?
If you ask Jeri Ryan herself, she has a lot to say about the character she fell in love with.
Seven of Nine wasn’t just another addition to the crew – she was a force for change. Before her arrival, Voyager had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Tensions between Starfleet and the Maquis had faded, and internal conflicts were almost non-existent. Everyone got along with each other. Perhaps even a little too well.
But then Seven appeared. A former Borg drone, cut off from the hive mind and for the first time forced to orientate herself to individuality. She wasn’t just a member of the crew, she was a challenge. A destroyer. And that, in Ryan’s opinion, was exactly what the series needed.
Looking back, Ryan reflects on what made her character so important not only to the series, but to the entire Star Trek legacy.
‘Humanity in general was one of the things that Seven allowed them to explore,’ she reflects. ‘She brought conflict to the series – something that was sadly missing. When the Maquis made peace with Janeway and company, it was just one big happy family.’
But it wasn’t just the conflict that made her character so compelling. Seven of Nine fits into the classic Star Trek archetype: the outsider who forces humanity to examine itself. Like Spock, Data, or Odo before her, Seven became a unique lens through which the series could explore deep philosophical questions about identity, morality, and free will.
Why Seven of Nine wore high heels
Have you ever wondered why Seven of Nine walked around Voyager in high heels? Fans have debated the practicality of this for years, but Jeri Ryan has a simple answer: everyone wore heels!
‘All the heroines wore boots with heels,’ she explains. ‘And if you’re going to walk in stockings, I want to see you walk on flat feet – that’s not going to happen!’
The heels weren’t so much a character choice as a design decision to create a sleek, elongated silhouette.
While they weren’t the most practical footwear for the former Borg drone, they certainly created a memorable look.
The hidden complexity of the role of Seven of Nine
We know that Jeri Ryan’s costume for Star Trek: Voyager was one of the most challenging parts of her work on set. But there was another challenge – one that isn’t as obvious when watching the show, but becomes hilarious when looking at behind-the-scenes photos.