(written from a Production point of view)
Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey (born 17 April 1956; age 64) is the actress who played Luisa Kim in the Star Trek: The Next Generation first season episode "Home Soil". She was born in Oahu, Hawaii.
In 1978, Lindsey was named Miss Hawaii and represented her state at the Miss America pageant. [1] The following year, she made her television debut in an episode of Fantasy Island, the hit series which starred Ricardo Montalban.
In 1982, Lindsey had a brief recurring role as Tiki on the adventure series Tales of the Gold Monkey, which starred Stephen Collins and Marta Dubois. Perhaps Lindsey's best-known acting role was the recurring character of Mai in the drama series China Beach. Star Trek: Voyager alumni Robert Picardo, Megan Gallagher, Jeff Kober, and Concetta Tomei were all regulars on this series. Other Trek actors Lindsey worked with on this series included Carlos Lacamara, Patrick Massett, Marco Rodríguez, Skip Stellrecht, Cameron Thor, Ned Vaughn, Tom Wright, David Youse, and director Michael Ray Rhodes.
Lindsey's other television credits during the 1980s include appearances on Charlie's Angels (in an episode directed by Kim Manners and also featuring Joanna Cassidy and Branscombe Richmond), Magnum, P.I. (with Miguel Ferrer), Dynasty (which starred Lee Bergere and Joan Collins), Mike Hammer (with Anthony De Longis and Marcy Lafferty), Simon & Simon (in an episode written by Alan Brennert and featuring Mary Carver, Michael Keenan, and Vladimir Velasco), and Matt Houston (with Phillip Pine, Davis Roberts, Ted Barba, and directed by Charles Picerni). She also appeared in the TV movies Challenge of a Lifetime (directed by Russ Mayberry and co-starring Keone Young) and Blood & Orchids (with Merritt Butrick, David Clennon, George Coe, George O'Hanlon, Jr., and James Saito).
In 1990, Lindsey was seen in the NBC TV movie Last Flight Out with Dion Anderson, Rosalind Chao, Molly Hagan, and the aforementioned Keone Young. In 1994, Lindsey had a recurring role on the short-lived drama series The Byrds of Paradise. She also appeared on the drama series Life goes On with Robert Pine and series Bill Smitrovich and made an appearance on the 1990s remake of Fantasy Island, starring Malcolm McDowell and Mädchen Amick. In addition, she appeared in Warren Beatty's 1998 film Bulworth (with Deborah Lacey, Sarah Silverman, and Paul Sorvino) and had a supporting role in the 1999 action film The Corruptor. She was also co-writer and director of the 1996 short documentary Then There Were None, which told how modern culture has affected indigenous Hawaiian traditions and populations. Her most recent on-screen acting work was a short film in 2005 called True Love & Mimosa Tea, which also starred fellow TNG guest performer Cary-Hiroyuki.
Lindsey received her PhD in Cultural Anthropology from The Union Institute in 1999. She was also nominated for the institute's prestigious Circle of Scholars Award that same year.[2] Lindsey was the first female National Geographic fellow and the first Polynesian explorer at the National Geographic Society. In 2010, she received the Visionary Award from the United Nations for her contributions in intercultural engagement and understanding including her work with the Dali Lama and with Islands First. [3]
