Robert Duncan McNeill was born on November 9, 1964, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He grew up in Washington, D.C., before his family settled in Atlanta, Georgia. McNeill developed an interest in acting early on and attended the Juilliard School in New York City, where he trained in theater.

     His first major acting role came in the soap opera All My Children, where he played Charlie Brent. He later appeared in Masters of the Universe (1987) and guest-starred in various television series, including The Twilight Zone, L.A. Law, and Quantum Leap. In 1992, he played Nick Locarno, a Starfleet Academy cadet, in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

     In 1995, McNeill was cast as Lieutenant Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager, a role he played for all seven seasons until 2001. He later reprised the role of Nick Locarno in Star Trek: Lower Decks in 2023.

     McNeill transitioned into directing during his time on Voyager, helming several episodes of the series. He went on to direct episodes of Dawson’s Creek, Everwood, Desperate Housewives, Chuck, and Resident Alien. He also served as an executive producer on Chuck and The Gifted.

     McNeill was married to Carol Seder from 1988 to 2015, and they have three children. In 2021, he married Rebecca Jayne McNeill.