Robert Picardo was born and raised in Philadelphia. He attended Yale University where he changed his major from pre-med to theatrical arts.
Intially, Picardo tried out for the part of Neelix, but lost it to his friend, Ethan Phillips. He was called on to read for the part of the doctor. He found the part of the doctor to be "colorless and humorless." In fact, when he found out that he had gotten the part, he considered turning it down.
Picardo currently resides in LA with his wife and two children.