<Tr> <Th> Position </Th> <Td> Pathfinder Project (VOY) Engineering Officer (TNG, FCT) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Rank </Th> <Td> Lieutenant Commander (VOY) Lieutenant (VOY) Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Commander on Voyager Endgame (TNG, FCT, VOY) </Td> </Tr> <P> Lieutenant Reginald Endicott "Reg" Barclay III, played by Dwight Schultz, is a fictional character from both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, in the latter of which he plays a vital role in re-establishing regular contact with the starship and Starfleet . Reginald Barclay as played by Dwight Schultz appears in the 1996 feature film Star Trek: First Contact . The character is portrayed as coming up with innovative solutions to technical problems, but struggles with holodeck addiction and some social issues . A common plot theme is that others overlook his science and technology brilliance because they evaluate his abilities based on his conversational and emotional demeanor . </P> <P> University of Rochester professor Sarah Higley created Reginald Barclay in her script for the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Hollow Pursuits". According to Higley, Barclay is a satirical depiction of Trekkies and their excessive obsession with imaginary characters . He has characteristics associated with many negative nerd and geek stereotypes . While possessing great technical skill and sincere enthusiasm, Barclay seems anxiety - ridden, socially awkward, and self - conscious . He also displays stuttering and dysfluent speech behaviors, especially when nervous or anxious, along with some secondary gestures, such as facial grimaces and small head tics, however on the holdeck many of these issues vanish and he acts confident . He has an obsessive interest in fantasy, which seems to serve as an escape from personal interactions, especially those where he is being mistreated by others . Barclay's anxieties extend to idiosyncratic fears (such as fear of being transported) and hypochondriasis . The overcoming of his fears and social anxieties became a running plot point across many seasons in multiple Star Trek series . </P>

Who played lieutenant barclay on star trek the next generation