The Star Trek franchise has welcomed several notable guest stars over the years, though there was one in Voyager that was so unexpected it narrowly missed my list of WTF moments from the Kate Mulgrew-led series. Comedian Sarah Silverman had a fairly sizable role in the two-part episode "Future's End," and while we knew there was a scripted kiss, the star reported decades later she shared a real-life kiss with an unexpected co-star.
Silverman played an astronomer named Rain Robinson in the episode, and she teamed up with Tim Russ' Tuvok and Robert Duncan McNeill's Tom Paris when the Voyager crew inadvertently found themselves back in time on Earth in 1996. The actress recently recalled the experience during an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, and she talked about filming her kiss with McNeill, and a real-life kiss she shared with a previously unrevealed co-star:
I kissed him [Robert Duncan McNeill] at the end of the episode, and he was standing on an apple box because God forbid you're the same height as the girl. And then, I made out with him [Tim Russ] in real life.
It's a little surprising as a fan to hear the then 26-year-old Sarah Silverman made out with the 40-year-old Tim Russ, but that might be because I'm only familiar with Russ as Tuvok. Of course, I wouldn't expect a married Vulcan who is relatively emotionless throughout the bulk of Star Trek: Voyager to make out with one of the more prominent comedians of the time. Actors are, of course, different than the people they play on television, and this probably wouldn't be that strange in an everyday setting.
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Another moment I found strange from this story that makes me want to rewatch the episode with my Paramount+ subscription is that Robert Duncan McNeill had to stand on an apple box for the kiss so he wouldn't be the same height as Sarah Silverman. The practice, in general, isn't too uncommon in Hollywood, but I'd previously assumed it was typically done when the male actor was shorter than the female actress. One thing that is strange to note is that on Google, McNeill is listed as 6' 1", and Silverman is 5' 7". One would think an apple box wouldn't be necessary for that size difference, but I digress.
Going back to her off-screen kiss with Tim Russ, he hasn't commented since Sarah Silverman's latest story, but he's been pretty busy lately. The actor reprised his role as Tuvok in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, and he is still talking to Voyager fans about that "Tuvix" episode. He might just be one not to kiss and tell, especially considering this was kept a secret from fans for so long.
At the moment, it doesn't appear as though there are immediate plans for Tim Russ or Sarah Silverman to pop up on any upcoming Trek shows. The odds of the latter returning are pretty slim, I'd imagine, considering Silverman's role was a guest spot. As for Russ, his return to the sci-fi franchise is a possibility, especially in a world where fans are still campaigning for Star Trek: Legacy. Also, we're in an era where Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks had a crossover even though it seemed impossible, so an appearance anywhere is not out of the question for his Vulcan character.
Until something like that happens, however, the best place to see Tim Russ as Tuvok is on Paramount+. Stream Star Trek: Voyager now, and maybe rewatch "Future's End" with a different perspective knowing what was happening behind the scenes.
