If you spent any formative years in the 1990s mainlining syndicated sci-fi, chances are you remember a certain pint-sized half-Ktarian with a shock of copper hair and a maturity that seemed to outpace most of the adult crew. Naomi Wildman, daughter of Ensign Samantha Wildman, was the perpetual “kid on the ship” and the closest thing Star Trek: Voyager ever had to a designated child actor.
For a while, it seemed like Scarlett Pomers, who played Naomi, was everywhere. She quietly, almost unassumingly, stole scenes and hearts at warp speed.
In the decades since Voyager returned home, Pomers has traveled her own fascinating trajectory. Like her character, she stepped far from the bright glare of the Delta Quadrant and into something messier, braver, and frankly, more interesting than your average Hollywood “Where Are They Now?” story.
Star Trek Voyager’s Youngest Explorer
First, a quick refresh. Scarlett Pomers joined Star Trek: Voyager in 1998, landing the recurring role of Naomi Wildman at just nine years old. Voyager always had a thing for found families, and Naomi, part human and part Ktarian, with all her precocious optimism, fit right in. She became the avatar for everyone who ever grew up watching the show: curious, hopeful, and a little out of place in a world she was still trying to figure out.
If you’re looking for her most memorable episodes, check out “Once Upon a Time” and “Child’s Play.” Both showcase the writers trusting Pomers with big emotional beats, and she delivered. That’s a testament to a kid actor whose subtlety and presence belied her age.
Beyond the Final Frontier
What happens when you “graduate” from Star Trek at age eleven? For Pomers, it meant more screen time, most notably as Kyra, the wisecracking middle child on the long-running sitcom Reba.
Her comedic timing landed, the show was a low-key hit, and Pomers was its dry, slightly acerbic core.
But fame, for all its light, also casts shadows. In her teens, Pomers faced a deeply public struggle with anorexia, one so serious it led her to step away from Reba for treatment.
In classic Voyager fashion, she navigated through her struggle not by retreating, but by confronting her illness directly. She later became a vocal advocate for eating disorder awareness.
When she resurfaced, it was not in the way most people would expect from a former child star. Instead, Pomers picked up a guitar and founded a band called SCARLETT. She has released an EP, played gigs in LA, and discovered a creative life that feels quieter, more grounded, and, as she has admitted, more authentic.
So Where Is Scarlett Pomers Now?
For a while, Scarlett Pomers’ online presence felt like a Starfleet vessel lost in a nebula. There was radio silence, no star logs, and no transmissions. Then, in May 2024, she came back online, reactivating her Instagram and Facebook accounts and letting fans know the journey is not over, just entering a new quadrant.
Since her return, Pomers has remained creatively restless. She has taken up new ground both behind and in front of the camera, starring in a short horror film with the title WHAT IF WE KISSED ON THE OPERATING TABLE. Yes, that is all caps, and it fits the genre perfectly. But acting is not her only pursuit. If you scroll through her Instagram, you’ll find the tagline: Writer. Director. Horror enthusiast. These aren’t just titles—they signal that her creative life is as multifaceted as it is fiercely independent.
She has also been candid about her fandoms. In 2024, Pomers posted photos of herself meeting Ozzy Osbourne. Later, she shared a moving tribute to him after his death. It is a reminder that she is not just a former child star, but someone fully immersed in the worlds that inspire her.
There are countless articles about child stars who flamed out, but far fewer about those who quietly landed in a place of peace. Scarlett Pomers, forever Naomi Wildman but never just Naomi Wildman, reminds us that leaving the bridge can be the boldest act of all.
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