From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Ethan Phillips (born February 8, 1955, height 5' 6" (1,68 m)) is an American actor, playwright and author. He is known for television roles such as Star Trek: Voyager's Neelix and Benson's Pete Downey. Raised in Garden City, New York, Phillips attended Boston University and received a bachelor's degree in English literature and a Master of Fine Arts from Cornell University.