During EW’s Women Who Kick Ass panel at San Diego Comic Con 2019, actress Jeri Ryan spoke about how her character Seven of Nine -- who originally appeared on Star Trek: Voyager and will be a part of the upcoming Star Trek: Picard show -- unexpectedly became a relatable character for autistic people.

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Ryan first talked about how freeing it is to be on a sci-fi show where anything can happen, but how the characters are rooted in aspects of the real world that are relatable. Then she shared with the crowd how her part-Borg character has been interpreted through that lens.“I play a character that started out as a person who became a machine and is now a little of both. And that became a whole different opportunity to show different sections of society representation of themselves,” Ryan said. “Personally, with Seven of Nine, I’ve heard from so many people who are on the autism spectrum, that they appreciate seeing a character who has the same struggles that they did. Because she didn’t have social skills. She didn’t know personal space boundaries. She didn’t understand social norms. So she had to learn all of that. And that’s very much the same kind of experience that a lot of those people have. And I know this because my son is on the spectrum. That was so meaningful to me, when these fans reach and say, ‘Thank you for showing me on screen, for letting me see that it’s not just me and that I’m not alone and I’m not the oddball, that I can see that represented and it gives me hope and it makes me feel not so alone.’ And I love that.”Indeed, Seven of Nine frequently struggled with how to interact with her crewmates after they rescued her from the Borg. Having spent her entire adult life cut off from humanity, she was ill-equipped when it came to social mannerisms, even while her high-functioning brain enabled her to frequently save the day on the show. As her journey continued over several seasons, she slowly began to form stronger bonds with those around her.Ryan’s words moved the crowd and earned some hearty applause. Her story goes to show that while Star Trek may feature impossibly advanced technology and exploration of the cosmos, it’s ultimately rooted in the human experience.

Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN