Early Life and Education

Jennifer Lien was born on August 24, 1974, in Illinois. The youngest of three children, she showed an early interest in the performing arts. At the age of 13, she joined the Illinois Theatre Center, where she began to develop her acting skills.

Television and Voice Acting Career

Lien’s first professional acting job was in a bubble gum commercial, in which she portrayed twin characters. Her television debut came in 1990, when she appeared as a music school student in an episode of Brewster Place, a series produced by and starring Oprah Winfrey. That same year, she lent her voice to the English-language version of the French horror film Baby Blood.

In 1991, Lien moved to New York City to play the role of Hannah Moore on the daytime soap opera Another World. While working on the show, she attended and graduated from the Professional Children’s School, balancing her education with her acting career.

Star Trek: Voyager

Jennifer Lien gained widespread recognition after being cast as Kes in Star Trek: Voyager, which premiered in 1995. Her role as a compassionate and intellectually curious alien from the Ocampa species became a central character during the show's early seasons. Lien portrayed Kes through three seasons before departing the series in its fourth year. Her performance remains a memorable part of the Star Trek franchise, contributing to the show's dynamic portrayal of interstellar exploration and diverse alien cultures.