Robert Picardo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, where he spent his entire childhood. He graduated from the prestigious William Penn Charter School and later attended Yale University, where he landed a significant role in Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" at the tender age of 19. This marked the beginning of his illustrious career, as he went on to play a leading role in the European premiere of "Mass" and eventually graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Drama from Yale University.
During his time at Yale, Picardo appeared in the David Mamet play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" and, alongside the talented Diane Keaton, in "The Primary English Class". In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in the comedy hit "Gemini", starring alongside Danny Aiello, and also appeared in Bernard Slade's "Tribute", "Beyond Therapy", "Geniuses", and "The Normal Heart", for which he won a Drama-Logue Award.
Picardo's impressive theatrical career was followed by his transition to television, where he quickly gained recognition for his role as Coach Cutlip on the popular series "The Wonder Years" (1988),earning him an Emmy Award nomination. He went on to appear in numerous other series, including "China Beach" (1988),"Frasier" (1993),"Ally McBeal" (1997),"Home Improvement" (1991),"The Outer Limits" (1995),and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (1996).
In 1995, Picardo landed the iconic role of the holographic doctor on the beloved science fiction series "Star Trek: Voyager", where he also directed two episodes. Throughout his career, he has appeared in a wide range of films, including "The Howling" (1981),"Star 80" (1983),"Get Crazy" (1983),"Oh, God! You Devil" (1984),"Innerspace" (1987),"Munchies" (1987),"Samantha" (1991),"White Mile" (1994),"Star Trek: First Contact" (1996),"Small Soldiers" (1998),"Looney Tunes: Back in Action" (2003),and "Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey" (2010),among many others.
Today, Robert Picardo resides in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Linda and their two daughters.