The Indiana Star Trek Actor Who Wrote a Successful Graphic Novel

From piloting the starship Enterprise to writing a popular graphic novel, Anthony Montgomery—grandson of legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery—has done it all.

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As a longtime Star Wars fan, I feel it necessary to reveal another truth about myself: I equally love all things Star Trek. (To be fair, I really don’t discriminate when it comes to watching movies that feature spaceships; I like them all.) While I realize I might be in the minority on this one, my favorite Star Trek series is none other than Star Trek: Enterprise, which featured Indiana-born actor, writer, and producer Anthony Montgomery.

Exploring Anthony Montgomery's Early Career

According to Montgomery's own website, he was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. He even earned a B.S. in Performance Theatre and Drama from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. In a 2021 interview, Montgomery said it was during his college years that he fell in love with acting, noting that he was part of a children’s theater play that toured around Indiana for over three months.

Early in his career, Montgomery guest-starred on television shows like J.A.G., Charmed, Frasier, and the Showtime original series Resurrection Blvd. The Hoosier native got his “big break” with a recurring role as George Austin on the WB television series Popular, which ran from 1999 to 2001. However, it was in 2001 that Montgomery would take on another role—his biggest yet.

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Anthony Montgomery's Role as Ensign Travis Mayweather

Star Trek: Enterprise, originally just named "Enterprise" during its first two seasons, ran from 2001 to 2005 on the United Paramount Network (UPN). The show followed the crew of the starship Enterprise NX-01 and took place in the 2150s. It was essentially a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) and occurred about 100 years before the adventures of Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

Heading up the crew of the NX-01 class Enterprise was Captain Jonathan Archer, portrayed by Quantum Leap alumni Scott Bakula. The show also starred Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, John Billingsley, Linda Park, and, of course, Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather. Montgomery's character was the ship's helmsman, who spent most of his life in space aboard his parents' cargo vessel before joining Starfleet.

In addition to a name change mid-series, the show struggled to find its footing on Paramount's television network, which ceased to exist by 2006. Unfortunately, Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled midway through season four and received perhaps the most hated ending of all the Star Trek series. Luckily, several of the stars went on to other projects, including Montgomery, who traded in his hand phaser for a pen.

'Miles Away' by Anthony Montgomery

Upon the demise of Star Trek: Enterprise, Montgomery took a short break from the camera before returning around 2007 with various TV roles. He eventually landed a role on the daytime television series General Hospital, playing Dr. Andre Maddox, MD. The actor also made a return to sci-fi in 2013, but this time it wasn't on TV. Instead, Montgomery launched his own sci-fi franchise called Miles Away.

Miles Away is an action-adventure graphic novel about Maxwell Miles, a shy teenage orphan with super-photographic reflexes. In the novel, the character encounters alien refugees who involve him in an interstellar war connected to his own family's dark past. Miles Away was co-written by Brandon Easton and has now been licensed to become an animated series.

Anthony Montgomery's Latest Happenings

In recent years, Montgomery has stayed busy with various book tours, Star Trek conventions, and other television shows. In fact, he currently has a recurring role on the B.E.T. series The Family Business, where he portrays Brother Elijah. In 2022, the Hoosier native rejoined fellow Star Trek: Enterprise co-stars Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating on their podcast to discuss his latest work. You can listen to the full episode below:

In August 2024, Montgomery released an autobiography titled LIFETREK: From Naptown to Red Carpets, which describes his life in detail. Anthony is the grandson of Wes Montgomery, who was a Hoosier native and jazz guitarist. The title of the autobiography might even pay tribute to this, as "Naptown" is a nickname for Indianapolis that is believed to have originated with jazz club musicians.

Montgomery currently resides in Los Angeles, California, and has two children. He remains busy with various television roles and, of course, working to get a new animated adventure off the ground. That said, part of me still wants to see the actor return to the screen and portray Travis Mayweather one last time. (Maybe as a Starfleet captain?) My fingers are crossed that he returns to the franchise in some capacity.