Wright began acting professionally in the late 1970s, first appearing in the film “Deadbeat.” He appeared in supporting roles in films such as “Underground USA” and “Brother from Another Planet,” as well as notable genre films such as “Exterminator 2” and “Creepshow 2,” in which he played the increasingly mutilated hitchhiker. He had roles in “Matewan,” “Reversal of Fortune” and “Marked for Death.” He appeared in a 1991 episode of “Tales from the Crypt” and played the role of Mr. Morgan in four episodes of “Seinfeld.” For many years, audiences in the ’80s and ’90s could regard Wright as one of the most ubiquitous “hey, he’s that guy” supporting actors; That is to say: an actor you instantly love and recognize, but who never achieves maximum fame.
Despite a thriving career, Wright saw his appearance in “Star Trek: Voyager” as a step forward. He was grateful for his participation in such a widespread phenomenon as “Star Trek” and was willing to play Tuvix to the best of his ability. However, as he revealed, he also came with an added Roddenberrian acting challenge. There were to be no “shots” or misreadings or forgotten lines. Wright wrote:
“It was my welcome to the time of the BIG LEAGUE. I don’t know about the other shows, but Voyager was filmed following the dictates of The Roddenberry Bible. You probably know it all, but for the sake of clarity, Gene Roddenberry compiled a set of the ‘Star Trek’ guidelines and principles that governed the ‘Star Trek’ universe One of the main principles was that the actors not only had to KNOW their lines, but if they made a mistake, they would not be able to continue the scene.”
Perhaps Roddenberry wanted the “Star Trek” actors to feel involved in live theater.
