I’m not sure ‘lined up’ is quite right.

It’s more that Tom Jackson was considered the likely choice and was known to be under final consideration, but there were always others being tested for the role.

But it would have been a huge conflict, even in the 90s.

Jackson would have been leaving a groundbreaking Indigenous-focused show that laid the ground for authentic representation and storytelling to join the cast of Voyager. There is no likelihood he would have avoided questioning the consultant’s credibility.

I’m wondering if Jackson raised some soft concerns in the auditions such that Paramount decided they didn’t want to risk frictions, not realizing that their contract advisor was the issue.