Star Trek, Star Wars, 60’s TV, Music/Reading, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Science, Space. Husband/dad/grandpa. Retired Software Engineer. 🚂 🏒 ⚾️ 🕵️ 📚🚀
![into his voice, "He tried to be involved
with un, but it was very difficult."
The success of Star Trek didn't make
it any easier. Suddenly, Leonard Nimoy
found himself transformed from serious
actor to pointy-eared pop icon. Grateful
as he was, he longed for people to know
that he was capable of other things. He
performed in the theater, wrote poetry,
directed plays, recorded albums. Asked
about Chekov, he was more likely to talk
about The Cherry Orchard than about
Trek costar Walter Koenig. Still, to the
world, he was Spock
So in 1975 he wrote a book about it, an
autobiography called I Am Not Spock, a
title that he says was horribly misunder-
stood. "People saw that title and said,
'What—he hates Star Trek? He doesn't
want anything to do with it?' That wasn't
the case at all. The book was an affirma-
tion of my relationship with Spock.
"But it was my fault," Nimoy adds. "I
totally take responsibility." Which is why,
20 years later, he has written a sequel,
due out this October (Hyperion). The title
this time? I Am Spock.
"I say in the new book that you can
take classes for acting, fencing, speech,
dancing, and dialects. But nobody gives
you classes on how to handle celebrity."
Adam Nimoy handled it by following a
path as different from his father's as he
could find. He became an entertainment
attorney, working for record companies
and finding himself increasingly disillu-
sioned with his chosen profession.
So when he decided to pursue a new
career as a director, his father, reaching
out, volunteered to open any doors he
could. "I could see," Leonard says, "that he
had a passion for [directing] that he'd nev-
er had for the law. And he was suddenly a
different person. He would ask me about
my work. We had passionate exchanges.
We found a way to a common ground."
That was five years ago, the beginning
of the path that led them to this court-
room set in the suburbs of Vancouver
Along the way, Adam gladly accepted his
14
father's favors; the chance to observe the
making of "Star Trek VI" and an entire
season of Star Trek: The Next Genera-
tion. Adam directed two Next Genera-
tion episodes and will soon direct an
episode of Deadly Games, the new UPN
sci-fi series on which his father is co-ex-
ecutive producer.
"He's been so helpful and supportive
to me," Adam Nimoy says, "I feel like I'm
getting back the relationship we didn't
have when I was a child."
"I wouldn't be doing this job if it weren't
for Adam," his father says. "I don't need
the work. For me, this was a personal
trip." He is chasing a career no longer: Not
that he doesn't have plenty of projects to
occupy his time. Besides working on the
autobiography and Deadly Games, Nimoy
is the cocreator of a series of comic books
called "Leonard Nimoy's Primortals,
based on a story he wrote with the late
Isaac Asimov. He is also negotiating with
Paramount to put out a special "Nimoy's
Notes" videotape edition of the 79 original
Star Trek episodes, to be released in 1996.
But he isn't looking to direct any more
films, nor does he expect to be involved
in any future Trek projects. That, he says,
would mean too much work, and work is
no longer what drives him. "I have five
grandkids, and two great homes where I
love to spend time. We have friends and
family, and I don't know how to tell you
how important all that has become to
me. I have no unfulfilled dreams."
T
he final shot of the episode has
just been completed. The crew is
packed up, ready to move on to
another episode. Leonard Nimoy, late for
a plane, poses briefly for photos with his
fellow actors.
"It was nice working with you," the di-
rector says, embracing his lead actor and
holding him tightly in his arms.
"Yes, it was," Nimoy says softly to his
son. "I'll see you when you get home."
Joe Rhodes te a Freelance writer based in
Portland, Ore
TY GUIDE JULY 15, 1995](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreigxfnyh3wmoeqooh5zlfgnstzrnd56jewuws2scqmalugasdk4uay)
![problem," and they'll go, "Absolutely not!"
Other times it's "Yeah, sure, change the
whole damn page if you want."
TVG: OK, so Beltran flubs the most
lines. Does everybody agree?
Everybody at once: Uh-huh (laugh-
ter all around).
Beltran: I wasn't aware of it until the
other day when Garrett says to me (adopts
a dorky, valley-boy accent): "Duuuuude,
c'mon, ya gotta admit you flub more lines
than all of us put together."
TVGi So whos the earliest?
Phillips: Kate is extremely punctual,
well prepared, never flubs a line.
Mulgrew: I do too!
Beltran: I've counted three times this
season.
Picardo: When Kate flubs a line, don't
you all feel just a little better about your-
selves?
McNeill: It even makes me feel better
about bad things that happened years
ago. (Mulgrew, holding her sides, nearly
falls off her chair again.)
I think the Internet is terrifying.
Picardo: Yeah, being made fun
of in fourth grade doesn't hurt as
much when Kate flubs a line.
The fans know everything."
TVG: Do you guys monitor the
chat on the Internet?
-KATE MULGREW
Russ: Garrett does. (Every-
body laughs.)
Mulgrew: I think the Internet
is terrifying. I hate the whole idea.
¿ What does it mean but a total loss
¿ of privacy? [The fans] know ev-
erything
Wang: How do they know this
# stuff?
Mulgrew: Garrett has compiled statis-
tics on everybody.
McNeill: He even knows our uniform
SIZeS.
TVG: So who's the tardiest? (The ac-
tors, looking toward Wang, laugh up-
roariously.)
Phillips: Gee, that's a hard question….
Beltran: Oooooh, that's a really hard
question.
Biggs-Dawson: Yeah, we gotta think
real hard about that one (more laughter).
Beltran (to Wang, in the valley boy ac-
cent): Duuuuude, c'mon, ya gotta admit..
Wang: Oh, great, this is just what 1
need. Let me just clarify. The reason I'm
late is that, uh...I am so overwhelmed by
this fine cast that I find it really hard to
get out of bed in the morning. I'm not wor
thy of being in their presence no I try to
show up late to sabotage myself
McNeill (to Bettran): Is that why you
flub your lines?
10
Mulgrew (cackling): Because you tell
them, Garrett! (Everyone laughs.)
Wang: I do not tell them!
Biggs-Dawson: We're sitting at this
table wondering (who leaks information],
and he's sitting right over there! (She
points at Wang.)
Wang: I cooperate, I don't tell them. I'm
not leaking out any information.
Picardo: No, we're just kidding. But we
do have a leak somewhere a leak in the
[production] office.
TVG: Is there an upside to the Internet?
Like Instant fan reaction to an episode?
Picardo: Yes, and that's a good thing. I
also got the best explanation of holo-
graphic theory in Star Trek from a fan's
four page treatise on the Internet. Before
that, I never quite understood how my
character was supposed to work
TVG: This show has made a huge
splash in the media.
Picardo: Well, when you do four hours
€ 11 7F 16, 1905
of interviews for each hour of shooting,
it's bound to show.
Mulgrew (gritting her teeth): But we
do it with a smile.
TVG: Why is Miss Mulgrew so reluctant
to make personal appearances?
Mulgrew (looking uncomfortable): I
hesitate to say anything about anything
because somebody inevitably gets of-
fended! See, it's a double-edged sword
for me. There are many people who feel I
should attend the conventions because
that's part of the job and I do want to
honor the fans. I in no way want to pa-
tronize them. But I find [conventions] a
bit of a gray area. I went to one yesterday
and I'm on the set today feeling exhaust-
ed. It's just not worth it. Not even to do
two a year. Because something's going to
suffer in my work. And that's what really
drives me nuts.
Picardo: You have to find a balance
between honoring the history of the show
and doing the work itself. You don't want
the fans to think you're purposely mak-
ing yourself unavailable, but, in theory,
what they love the most is what's on-
screen. Compromising that is not doing
the fans justice.
Mulgrew: And it's intensely individu-
al. If you go around this room, you'll find
some of us really enjoy it. (Beltran starts
laughing, and the rest follow suit. Every-
one is looking at Wang again.)
Phillips: There will be plenty of time
for appearances we'll be doing this show
into the next millennium.
Beltran: Unless science discovers that
dilithium crystals cannot run a ship, and
then our whole premise will be out the
window. We'll all be out of a job.
TVG: Then what will you do?
Phillips: I guess we could change the
title of the show to F Troop.
Mulgrew: We could do Voyager Christ-
mas specials.
Picardo: I have my hair replacement
clinic to fall back on.
Russ: And there's always Tuvok's Psy-
chic Hotline. I
It isn't so much that Hallmark has
over 1,000 cards for $1.50 or less.
Hit ape thin outer
TRS
Hallmark
When you care enough to send the very best](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreihjyzco5n6sglljfgfptslzhiq3pkfkdcrnf4wkl7j4fozn3cduaa)
![McNeill: She gave us all confidence
Roxann Biggs-Dawson (B'Elanna):
After we lost Genevieve Bujold, there was
a little bit of terror that this might not
happen at all.
TVG: You mean, that nobody could be
found to play Janeway?
Russ: No, that they might be forced to
cast a man and that would have a [domi-
no] effect on the rest of us.
Garrett Wang (Harry): Some male
roles would switch to female and [vice
'After we loss Genevieve
Bujold, there was a little bit
of terror that this might not
happen at all.'
—ROXANN BIGGS-DAWSON
versa], so some of us might be out of a job.
Kate Mulgrew (Janeway): The mu-
tual support here is extraordinary. In a
cast this size there will invariably be one
bad apple but there isn't.
Ethan Phillips (Neelix): That's be-
cause we can go months without playing a
scene with one another.
Biggs-Dawson: It's true! Here we've
finished our first season and Ethan and I
have only had one or two lines together. I
really haven't had lines with Jennifer at all.
Jennifer Lien (Kes): That's because
Ethan and I are the alien outcasts.
Phillips: But as Neelix and Kes's love
continues to grow, we will discover each
other in ways the others can't. We are the
principal love interest.
Lien: We are the only love interest
TVG: The audience has really taken to
this beauty-and-the-beast pairing
Phillips: What do you mean "beauty
and the beast"" This is the story of an in
credibly handsome Talaxian who has
fallen in love with a weird looking—
Lien: — chick with funny ears
Phillips: Neelix is intensely...how
should I say it?
Lien: Virile! A true hero. A man among
aliens.
TVG: Does most of your individual
character growth happen when an episode
specifically focuses on your character?
Biggs-Dawson: Not necessarily. There
is (potential] for development even if you
just have a few lines in somebody
else's story, because the writing is
very (illuminating]. The lines are
very specific to your character.
You can't just hand them to any-
body.
Robert Picardo (Doc): I hate
to disagree, but in the episode that
just aired, you and I had exactly
the same line: "Wait, it gets worse!"
Biggs-Dawson: No! Seriously?
Picardo: Not that I'm disagree-
ing with what you said about
(leans into tape recorder) OUR
WONDERFUL WRITERS.
Biggs-Dawson: Well, maybe our char-
acters are related
Picardo (patting his bald dome): I've
always wondered about that enormous
forehead we share. (Mulgrew, in hyster-
ics, nearly falls off her chair:)
Biggs-Dawson: Hey, we do have the
same hairline!
TVG: Do you feel free to take your
gripes to the producers?
Beltran: Garrett, why don't you tell us
about your experience?
Wang: What?
Beltran: Well, you went to the office
to [suggest] some storylines. (Everyone
laughs.)
TVG: And?
Wang: Well. let's junt say I'm going to
stay on the bridge for the next 12 years.
Beltran
walict what
chang
powers that
bel w
retimes you
think
shanged. No
HE JULY 15. 1995](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreiencn5f2vqr4ad5kg3pozi4ngkd6aa5ezvijlbfvclvcaorimc4ca)
![ROBERT
O'REILLY
Chancellor Gowron
longtime Star
A Tich tan, O Reilly
relished the chance to
play a Klingon. But he
almost blew the audi-
tion for Gowron, a competitor for the
Klingon throne in ING's "Reunion,"
because his interpretation of the
character was too understated. "At
first, I played him subdued," says
O'Reilly. "To me, he was calculating,
analytical, Machiavellian, really—
but I lost everyone!" Realizing his
mistake, O'Reilly switched to a more
aggressive approach. "In the second
scene, I just went nuts and used my
eyeballs, and I think I scared them,"
he laughs. "Jonathan [Frakes, who
directed the episode] looked at me,
tipped his head, and said, 'Inter-
esting! Would you read that first
scene again?' "
DAVID L. LANDER
A Ferengi Tactician
ander remembers a crowded aud
-tion for the role of the diminutiv
Ferengi officer who would match wits
with Picard in TNG's "Peak Perfor-
mance." "Every actor below five foot
eight must have been there," he says.
Lander, who played Squiggy on Lav-
erne & Shirley, felt somewhat alienat-
ed since the others were so well-
versed in Trek lore. "They knew all the
characters, even the planets they came
from," he says. Lander had only tried
out at his agent's insis-
tence. "That was the
first thing my agent had
ever come along to see
me do. I think he just
wanted me to do it so he
could be there."
SCHULTZ
Lieut. Reginald Barclay
ranted, Barclay
Gi wasn't really
malevolent, but after an
alien space probe imbued
this meek officer with
keen super-intelligence in TNG's "The
Nth Degree," he became distinctly dan-
gerous. "He wasn't really evil," Schultz.
says, "he just didn't have time to deal
with his newfound intelligence." Schultz
owes his appearance on the show to
the intercession of TNG regular Whoopi
Goldberg. "We'd just wrapped up a film
together ("The Long Walk Home"| and
she suggested that I do the show,
calls Schultz, who is best known for
playing "Howling Mad" Murdock on
The A-Team. "Next thing I know the
casting director is on the phone."
LOUISE FLETCHER
he recurring role of Winn. rutl
• less leader of an orthodox rel
gious sect on DS9 (introduced in the
"In the Hands of the Prophets"
episode), allows Fletcher a welcome
opportunity to be flamboyant. "It's
like performing grand opera," she
says. "Because the show is set in
space, you can do things you would
never think of doing sidelong
glances, coy looks. I love playing
Winn; to me she's the Bajoran pope."
Fletcher's favorite line- said with a
straight face-came in a sick-bay
scene as she gazed upon her chief
rival, who was clinging
to life through a series
of transplants. "So tell
me, doctor, as you've
already replaced most
of his organs, can't you
do something with his
JOHN
DE LANCIE
n omnipotent,
mischievous life-
force who puts Picard
and the crew of the
Enterprise on trial for
the crimes of humanity, Q was the
first Next Generation villain, and re-
mains one of the most popular and
complex adversaries in the Trek
canon. "He's a great comic foil to the
ever-serious Picard," explains de
Lancie. "Q is really just a prankster."
When de Lancie's not doing guest
shots as Q on TNG, DS9, or Voy-
ager-he's appeared 10 times, more
than any other villain—he's busy in a
new partnership with Leonard Ni-
moy, a multimedia production com-
pany called Alien Voices. Their first
projects will be adapting the sci-fi
classics Time Machine and Journey
to the Center of the Earth for audio-
cassettes.
DENISE CROSBY
Romulan Commander Sela
or Denise Crosby, who first played Th
- Next Generation's sexy security chie
Tasha Yar, turning bad was the best way to get
a good part. Yar, she felt, had never amounted
to more than window dressing. "Often they
just wanted me to stick my chest out, wear a
tight uniform, and shake my butt!" she says.
"I could do that, but I wanted some substance,
too." She got two opportunities, returning
as an alternate-reality Tasha in "Yesterday's
Enterprise," and as Tasha's evil half-Romulan
daughter, Sela, in "Redemp-
tion." *I had the best roles after
my character died," she says.
Having found a niche being
nasty, she's talking to DS9 pro-
ducers about bringing Sela
back. "They love the idea, but
I haven't seen any scripts yet."
MICHAEL ANSARA
Klingon Commander
Kang
Villains are usually one-
dimensional," says
Ansara, who, as Kang, bat-
tled Kirk in Star Trek's "Day
of the Dove." *Kang is much
more complex. That's what fascinates
people about Klingons. He's also strong
and noble, everything you want in a vil-
lain." Klingons' emotional makeup may
not have changed through the years, but
their facial makeup has. In Ansara's era,
Klingons simply had dusky skin and Fu
Manchu-like facial hair. Today, the war-
rior race is distinguished by their
formidable furrowed brows. Why the
change? "Klingons live many, many more
years than humans," he says. "Their looks
evolve over time."
TV GUIDE AUGUST 24, 1996
RICARDO MONTALBAN
Khan of tessiested Bars dictator he-
first played in Star Trek's "Space Seed" and
reprised in the 1984 film "Star Trek II:
The Wrath of Khan." Montalban, who
ruled over Fantasy Island for years, re-
calls, "In the film, I had to play him much
bigger than before but not excessively
so. [Director] Nicholas
Meyer agreed I had to be
full of passion, but he
never let me go really
over the top where I'd be
ridicutous." And Khan is a
charater that Trek fans
remain passionate about.
The actor, who now uses
of spigal-cord surgery he
underwent three years
ago, says, "People still
come up to me on the
street and ask about](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreid3uxq2dqc7yyutudfqvx2qzi6gtxcitczdcub4bnoy64bvjj5tjy)
![Exclusive Book Excerpt
A Shaky
Launch
A pair of Star Trek staffers describe the often desperate wrangling
that went on behind the scenes of the original series
"bottling up" the action. There
As we celebrate the monumental success that
were few new sets, no expen-
Star Trek has enjoyed over the last 30 years,
sive locations and equipment
it's easy to forget just how precarious the
to rent, no additional union
prospects for the show were back in its infancy.
drivers to pay-and, other than
In 1966, Herbert Solow and Robert Justman
the regular cast, no more than
were production executives at Desilu, the
a few outside actors, which
Hollywood studio owned by Lucille Ball that
guaranteed that the episode
developed the original Trek series. In their new
would be a "cheapie." Our ship
anecdotal memoir, Inside Star Trek: The Real
shows took place entirely on
Story, the authors recall the difficulties they
board the Enterprise and cost
faced trying to create an ambitious,
visionary series on a shoestring
budget with a nervous network
second-guessing every decision. In
the first excerpt, Star Trek coproducer
Justman relates how budget consider-
ations dictated all elements of the
show's creation- even its plots.
tan Robertson [NBC program man-
Sier submited what don cake
were submitted that didn't take
place at least partially on an alien planet.
Part of NBC's continued demand for planet
shows week after week was the basic se
ries concept of exploring "strange new
worlds." Unfortunately, we couldn't afford
to visit a different planet week after week.
So we consciously alternated planet
shows with ship shows. Most other se-
ries called them "bottle shows," but re-
gardless of what they were called, their
purpose was the same: to save money by
DeForest Kelley faces off against a gladiator in
"Bread and Circuses," a pricey "planet show."
much less to produce.
Curiously enough, many Star Trek
bottle shows were enormously com-
pelling, as indicated by both fan reaction
and the ratings.
30
TV GUIDE AUGUST 24, 1996
Star Trek was ordered as a weekly series
No character looms larger in
Star Trek lore than Spock. Yet his
appearance in the show's first
episode was fiercely contested by
factions at the network, as
Solow, Star Trek's executive
in charge of production, re-
lates in this second excerpt.
by NBC and the "anti-ear, anti-Spock
campaign" heated up again. Schlosser
continued in his role as NBC point man.
"Sales says they're having serious problems
selling the show to local sta-
tions in the Bible Belt. You
§gotta help me."
AMI
"Sales is paranoid."
Schlosser understood, but
*he NBC Sales Department
was concerned. it was as if
She had NBC Sales on his
back. "Will you hold off
they believed that, after Satan
shows that really feature
had been cast out of the Garden
Spock until after the first 13
of Eden, he was reincarnated as
weeks?"
actor Leonard Nimoy and cast
I reluctantly agreed and
into Star Trek as Science Officer
met with Gene Roddenberry
Spock, a pointed-eared, arched-
and Bob Justman. "Listen,
evebrowed "satanic" Vulcan
NBC doctored Spock's
we have a balancing act. We
ears and eyebrows in
have to protect the show, and
NBC feared its advertisers and
an early publicity shot.
we have to protect Schloss.
local stations would be targets
We know the Spock charac-
of a religious backlash protesting this
ter will help Star Trek succeed, but NBC
"devil incarnate."
Sales has serious doubts. Can we hold
So shortly after NBC ordered the sec-
back the heavy Spock shows until later?"
ond pilot (the first pilot, with significantly
Bob complained, "We're already scram-
different cast and characters, was rejected
bling for shootable scripts. We can't hold
by the network], NBC v.p. Herb Schlosser
anything back. And the optical effects
called. "The Sales Department wants
just make it more difficult."
Spock to have regular ears and eyebrows."
We agreed to tell NBC what they want-
*NBC Sales is mad. Tell them to kindly
ed to hear, but we also agreed we'd do
butt out! The whole concept of having a
space alien aboard the Enterprise would
It took several weeks for us to learn
be destroyed. No deal."
the extent to which NBC Sales had gone
"Then we might not go ahead with the
to disguise Spock's "satanic" pointed
second pilot. They're really serious.
ears. NBC had sent a very attractive Star
You'd better talk with [series creator
Trek sales brochure to its station affili-
Gene] Roddenberry."
ates and advertisers. Close scrutiny
I met with Gene and called Herb back.
showed, however, that an artist working
"Schloss, listen. Sales is living in fear
for the NBC Sales Department had air-
while we're trying to make a successful
brushed Spock's pointy ears round in all
television show."
the photographs. NBC Sales was selling
"What did Roddenberry say?"
a lie to the Bible Belt.
"He agrees with me. No ears, no pilot."
[Within a month of Star Trek's debut,
Several days later, Schlosser advised
NBC was] deluged with fan mail for
me NBC would approve Spock's ears for
Spock. An ecstatic Schlosser phoned.
the pilot film only if "you agree to keep an
"New York wants all major Mister Spock
open mind if Star Trek goes on the air as
episodes to air as soon as possible." So
a series." I agreed. We'd fight it out later.
much for the Bible Belt.
On the basis of the second pilot film,
Inside Star Trek is published by Pocket Books.
31](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreie454tnhoc64x45eq5xcrptvcweal23rdmwopjom4ly7oabmhm7yq)
![mine on Star Trek only be-
cause of Barbara Eden on
1 Dream of Jeannie. She
paved the way for all of us.
TVG: Some of your outfits
seemed a little makeshift.
BL: On Star Trek they
were very, uh, how shall I
put this...inventive. One of
my outfits didn't work at the
last minute, so they just
grabbed a bunch of material
and made one up.
LS: I simply stood still in
Kirk waltzes with Louise
Sorel's adorned android.
the dressing room and they
ran around me with this huge piece of sil-
ver lamé and wrapped me like it was an
Ace bandage.
TVG: And what about those hairdos!
LS: They gave me an Annette Funicello
bouffant-and a ponytail borrowed from
Ben Cartwright's horse.
NN: People don't realize that Gene
had a lot to do with the styles. As a mat-
ter of fact, he created Uhura's pointed
hairstyle, which became a big craze.
BL: My hair was a scream. It kept get-
ting bigger and bigger as the episode went
on. By my last scene it's piled up to the
ceiling. If I leaned forward, I would fall.
GLW: Mine was so heavy it kept listing
to the left. When the bad Kirk is trying to
rape Rand in "The Enemy Within,"
you
can see me trying to hold my wig in place.
It was gorgeous, indestructible, Max
Factor hair. It cost a lot of money and
somebody stole it. Back then, your un-
derwear would get stolen if you didn't
have it on. But it's much worse now.
When I did Voyager, they wouldn't let me
leave the Paramount lot till they checked
my trunk. I still have visions of that damn
wig turning up. I go down to skid row for
my recovery program-I'm 15 years clean
and sober-and I keep expecting to find
some bag lady wearing it.
TVG: The Kirk/Uhura kiss was very
controversial. Did you have much dis
cussion with Roddenberry or the studio
28
NN: (big laugh) Nobody
discussed anything with
me ever. I didn't even real-
ize we'd have TV's first in-
terracial kiss until the di-
rector told me. I couldn't
believe no one else had
done it! Gene had us shoot
the scene two ways—-with
and without the kiss but
Bill very cleverly messed
up all the takes without it.
So we had to keep it in.
TVG: OK, how was Shat-
KD: He was a very nice kisser. I looked
forward to it very much.
NN: He was great. Lived up to all ex-
pectations. We did about 30 retakes-by
his insistence.
BL: I had strep throat and a 103-degree
fever, so we had to postpone the kissing
scenes for three weeks. But he was a
good kisser. Nice, soft lips.
LS: Ours was sort of a virginal kiss. Af-
ter all, I was an android and it was my
first time with a man.
TVG: So he had no chance to get fresh?
LS: Only in the dressing room.
TVG: What about you, Ms. Whitney?
GLW: Let's see...did we have a kissing
scene? We did! I think. Well, no, I don't
think I ever did kiss him. Oh, I can't
TVG: Well if you did, it couldn't have
been too monumental...
GLW: Well, I can't talk about what ?
did off-screen, and I'm trying to trink
which it was. Did we kiss on or off? Oh,
do I know tales! I'll have to take those se
crets to the grave.
TVG: OK, let's settle this once and for
all: Who's sexier-Kirk or Picard?
KD: Picard-but I wouldn't have said
that 30 years ago.
LS: Who's Picard?
NN: No doubt in my mind. Kirk!
BL: Kirk! But, then, I have to say that.
I am the Captain's Woman. •
TV GUIDE AUGUST 24, 1996
T
hey'll be beaming up some familiar
faces when Deep Space Nine and
Voyager celebrate 30 years of Star
Trek. Through the use of "Gump" tech-
nology, DS9 is now shooting an episode
(scheduled to air the week of
November 4) that will put Cap-
tain Sisko and his crew together
with Kirk and Spock as they ap-
peared in 1967's much-loved
"The Trouble with Tribbles" epi-&
sode. But not everyone is thrilled
to be aboard. William Shatner,
for instance, feels as if he has
been shanghaied.
"I've only heard about [the
episode], but I'm not a party to
it," says Shatner, who insists, "I
don't remember giving my per-
from the script at the 11th hour when the
actress insisted on an expanded role.)
The duo was last seen in 1991's "Star
Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," in
which Sulu was captain of the U.S.S.
On the Voyager set, Tim Russ (left) reviews the script
with Whitney, Louis Ortiz, and Takei.
Special Episodes
Look Who's Trekking
Star Trek's current series will celebrate with "classic" stories
mission. Either I've forgotten, which I
doubt, or they haven't asked." In fact,
Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are report-
edly so miffed about the deal (or non-
deal, as the case may be) that they have
retaliated by demanding a king's ransom
from Paramount's marketing division,
which needs the stars' OK to peddle an-
niversary merchandise bearing their like-
nesses. (Paramount declined to com-
ment.) But if truth be told, Shatner is a
little flattered. "It seems like the era of
the new actor is out and the old actor is
in," he says. "With computer technology,
we won't need new ones anymore. We
can just close down all the acting studios."
Birthday plans are going much more
smoothly at Voyager, where original Trek
cast members George Takei (Sulu) and
Grace Lee Whitney (Rand) will appear in
the September 8 episode, "Flashback."
(Nichelle Nichols' Uhura was dropped
Excelsior and Rand was his communica-
tions officer. And they've been lobbying
for a tandem TV return ever since, first to
The Next Generation, then to DS9. Says
Takei: "After hearing nothing for years, it
was suddenly on the Internet that we
were going to be on Voyager. My agent
knew nothing about it. And I was skepti-
cal because they are lost in space. But it
turned out to be true."
They were more than ready: The 56-
year-old Takei, who does 200 sit-ups
each morning, had to have his Sulu suit
taken in an inch at the waist. Whitney,
who is 66, says, "I must have been in a
time warp since the movie. I had the
same length hair, was still dyeing it the
same color, and the costume still fit.
There was onfy one difference: The Para-
mount wardrobe department now uses a
device they call the Star Trek bra. It
points you toward the stars."
—M.L.
29](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreieacuojjminadvihmizpu7ybmqlvtzq4cbv2ttc56lw4vp7be47be)
!['hey're known to fans as Kirk's
"space babes." Some were sweet,
some were sinful, but they all
stole the starman's heart and
made life in the 23rd century a
truly out-of-this-world experi-
ence. There was Rayna, the perfect
woman android played by Days of Our
Lives star Louise Sorel. And Marlena,
"the Captain's Woman" on the parallel-
universe Enterprise, played by Barbara
Luna. And Miri, the little orphan girl
with big-girt desires, played with true
grit by Kim Darby. But it wasn't just love
with perfect strangers. Kirk flirted on
the job, too-especially with Grace Lee
Whitney's Yeoman Rand. And, of course,
there was the famous kiss with Nichelle
Nichols' Uhura that rocked (and shocked)
the nation. These women are such a vi-
tal part of Trek history, we just had to
get 'em dishing about Kirk, William Shat-
ner, and those what-the-hell-were-we-
thinking fashions of the 1960s!
Romancing the
captain was an
essential Star
Trek duty, as these
women will attest
A
BY MICHAEL LOGAN
Uhura were forced by aliens with kinetic
powers to kiss in this sexual charade, so
it was not a romance. They were two
professional people in a very embarrass-
ing situation.
TVG: Anyone offended by the micro-
skirts? The sausage-casing blouses?
Grace Lee Whitney: Oh, no! Every-
one thinks we got rooked into it, but that's
what we wanted to wear. I was very in-
strumental in getting us those mini-
skirts-which, by the way, were skorts.
We all had shorts underneath. It started
the day they were taking preproduction
publicity shots of me, Shatner, and
[Leonard) Nimoy, all in the same unisex
uniform. I told the costumer, "Hey, I look
just like the men. What a shame to waste
my legs. You know, I've got great legs."
And then I got this image of space babes
with the tight waists, cinched belts, short
skirts, and lots of legs and boots and
boobs, and great big "Barbarella" hair. So
we got that look together and showed it
TV GuIDe: Wasn't Kirk's girl-in-every-
to [creator] Gene [Roddenberry). He just
port behavior pretty damn sexist?
about fell off his chair. After that, the
Louise Sorel: That was episodic tele-
skirts couldn't get too short. Nichelle
vision in the '60s. You had to bring in a
was notorious. You can actually see her
woman every week who was sort of titil-
in some episodes sitting in a chair and
lating pardon the pun—so it never oc-
trying to sneak her hem up.
curred to me to be offended. They really
Kim Darby: I didn't deal with any of
tried to say something on Star Trek.
that. My episode was set in this ruined
There was always a wonderful little
city where only the children survived, so
moral tale. It wasn't just about babes.
all I wore was this odd, loose fabric. I
Nichelle Nichols: I loved the roman-
was never the type who was hired to wear
tic stuff but let's get one thing straight: 1
a bikini, anyway. I was never the sexy
was not the skirt of the week. Kirk and
love interest. I guess I was hired to..
26
On Every Planet
Jeer. and be very complicated. But I'd
Shatner, surrounded by (clockwise from top)
look authe other girls and think, "Gosh, I
Grace Lee Whitney, Kim Darby, Barbara
Luna, Nichelle Nichols, and Louise Sorel.
wish I was pretty like that."
TVG: Mir's thing with Kirk was quite
bold, considering you were playing a
very young teen.
KD: She had a crush on him in a big
way and they really took it pretty far. It
was shot in such a way, with all these
shadows and thoughtful pauses, that
there were tremendous intimations.
TVG: Referring to Marlena Moreau as
"the Captain's Woman" seemed a polite
way of saying "concubine." Did it worry
Barbara Luna: Heavens, no! We
didn't need somebody standing with a
gun to our heads. We just knew what to
do and what not to do-unlike today. It
wouldn't even have occurred to us to
open our mouths while kissing.
concerre was about our navels. I showed
PHOTOGRAPH: MARK HANAUER FOR TV GUIDE, GROOMING: BRIAN MEMANUS, HAIR & MAKEUP: LORI JEAN SWANSON/CLOUTER.
NATALIE MILLER/CLOUTIER, SHAWNA CLARK/CLOUTIER, HELEN JEFFERS, CLOUTER, CYNDRA DUNN/CLOUTIER, STYLIST: LINDA
27
TV GUIDE AUGUST 24, 1996
MEDVEN/CLOUTIER, DARBY'S ORESS: LAUNDRY, SCARF, MACY S. OTHER OUTRITS: ZORAN/SARS FIFTH AVENUE.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreielgmuam2kz3em7chjlq4yhkg4grpt6t6p6n4oodwzpmgvwaxm6ti)
![P
atrick Stewart baldly went
where no man had gone before
and turned Star Trek: The Next
Generation's Captain Jean-Luc
Picard-a finicky, cerebral,
middle-aged Frenchman with
an artificial heart and a penchant for
detective novels and Earl Grey tea-into
the most unconventional sex symbol in
the history of TV. Though he will star this
November in the first all-TNG big-screen
epic, "Star Trek: First Contact," the actor
has long been rumored to be sick of Trek
and eager to put it light-years behind
problems with Shatner. As far as the last
(TNG] episode was concerned, I was just
exhausted, and between the intensity of
my role in the two-hour finale, the 18-
hour days, and a multitude of press on
the set every day—well, it just became
overwhelming. I did my fair quota of
yelling, that's true.
TVG: But the rumors didn't stop there.
PS: There were reports that Patrick
was pulling out of Star Trek altogether.
"He doesn't need it anymore. He's got a
life elsewhere. You'll never see him again."
This is such nonsense. I can understand,
The Captains
Patrick
Stewart
Fed up with Star Trek? No way, says this actor of many moods
him. Here, Stewart—who often refers to
because I have been so busy with other
himself in the third person-talks can-
film and theater projects, that people
didly about his future as a Fedhead.
might think I no longer need this but I
do need this, actually. "First Contact" is
TV GUIDE: You had quite the bad-boy
very satisfying. I have a deep commit-
reputation during the final days of TNG.
ment to seeing this work continue. I want
Patrick Stewart: True. There were
to see us go into the next millennium-
reports that Patrick was becoming too
but I also want to see us getting better
much of a diva, having hysterics on the
and better with every movie we make. I
set, throwing people off the set. And
want the Next Generation cast to be-
then, when we went on to "Star Trek
come the dominant force in Star Trek.
Generations," it was reported that there
TVG: How did the rumors get started?
were problems between him and Bill
PS: I was openly anxious, and had been
Shatner-none of which was true.
for several years, that TNG- great gift as
TVG: None?
it was to me-might end
PS: At least not the By MICHAEL LOGAN
up as something of a
16
TV GUIDE AUGUST 24, 1994
blight. Actors who have too intense an
identification with certain roles can have
difficulty shedding that. But I also wor-
ried that the terrific security and the
comfortable environment of a series
would cause me to lose my nerve. The
outside world can suddenly look like a
hostile place when you're a freelancer.
And so you're tempted to play it safe.
TVG: What must you prove to your-
self as an actor?
PS: I want (long pause)...it's so easy at
this point to sound pompous and preten-
tious...I want to do important work. "Dead
Man" with Johnny Depp- that is a very im-
portant movie. So is "Dead Man Walking."
TVG: Those are intimate, arty films.
Are you disappointed to be making yet
another big-budget popcorn picture?
PS: Oh, no, because I also believe in
entertainment! I have never gotten over
the thrill of being in Hollywood and mak-
ing movies. I was once a 9-year-old sit-
ting enraptured in the cinema in my
small industrial town in the north of Eng-
land-and now here I am where it was
all created. Remarkable! The happiest
moments of my childhood were in cine-
mas. Nothing came close-not scoring a
goal for my team, not bringing home a
good exam paper. I was unbearably hap-
py, even in the most tragic movies. I could
see "A Streetcar Named Desire" and be
awash with joy. I want to do the same for
other people.
TVG: You recently won raves on
Broadway in "The Tempest," yet the entire
production was snubbed by the Tonys.
PS: There was personal disappoint-
ment, but it was quickly superseded by a
real sadness that what critics described
as "a world-class production of Shake-
speare" was overlooked as if it did not
happen. It still irritates me.
TVG: Do you fear there
are roles you cannot play?
PS: Yes, but you can't
let it stop you. For in-
stance, I am advertised to
sing the role of Arthur in
"Camelot" at the Holly-
wood Bowl in September.
When it was offered, I
could not live with the re-
ality of having said no.
But I know that the night
before, I will be in a cold
sweat and go to bed curs-
ing I ever agreed to do it.
TVG: You have had tre-
mendous post-TNG suc-
cess movies, TV, theater.
Is showbiz your oyster?
PS: Not quite. I recent-
ly lost a theater role I passionately want-
ed, and I've not gotten over that. I even
confided in Brent Spiner [TNG's Data] to
help put-it in some kind of perspective. It
hurts far more than the Tonys.
TVG: Still, you are on quite a roll for a
midlife actor. It usually doesn't happen
that way in Hollywood.
PS: True. Im 56 and very lucky. But at
the same time, I wish I'd found the confi-
derice I now have years earlier. I once tend-
ed to distrust everything about myself and
that can be so crippling. But there's little
else I would change if I had the chance.
Though, if I have my druthers, next time
I'm coming back as Johnny Depp.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreigf6njx3drdeqf2wwdgem7rlgc3unp4et44og2bjraage2wd2fefy)
![As he turned onto a road
n the Hollywood Hills, I ask-
-d, "Where are we going?" He
vaded the question, and I got
he distinct impression that
it wasn't a director, producer,
or friend of Gene's we were
about to visit.
"There's something you
haven't been telling me, isn't
here?" I asked bluntly.
"Yes," he replied as we
pulled into a driveway.
Gene rang the doorbell,
and we stood for what felt
Three's company: Nichols, Roddenberry, and Barrett
like an eternity. I didn't know
what to feel. I had grown accustomed to know any other way to tell the women I
Gene's little surprises, but this one threat-
love that I'm in love with two women."
ened to top them all. The door opened,
Gene's bewilderment and pain actually
and it was a woman. A lovely woman. We
touched my heart. At the same time,
stared at each other like owls.
though, he was not off the hook.
"Majel?" I asked
"You've got to do something about it,"
"Nichelle?"
I said. "No. 1, you've got three women—"
After a few more seconds of gaping at
"No," he interjected, "two. The divorce
each other, we both broke up laughing and
is only a matter of time."
hugged.
"You have to decide, Gene. I cannot go
"You know each other?" Gene asked in-
on like this."
credulously. I filled Gene in on how Majel
"I can't make that choice," he said
Barrett and I had met years earlier during
I knew that the last thing Gene wanted
an audition.
was to hurt either of us. But I also knew
"What are you doing here, Nichelle?"
that we might continue in this triangle in-
she asked, ignoring Gene.
definitely. I loved Gene, but the situation
"What are you doing here?"
was untenable. Maybe it was my ego, may-
"I live here! Come on in."
be it was my commitment to my career—
We spent the day talking over drinks
I don't know. What I did know was that
and sizing each other up. Majel was clearly
Gene had placed the decision in my hands,
unnerved by what this might portend, but
and I had no choice but to end our ro-
we each covered our discomfort. We dis-
mance. Out of deference to Majel [who wed
cussed everything except what we most
Roddenberry in 1969 and played Nurse
feared. As we said our goodbyes, I told
Chapel as well as the voice of the computer
Majel it had been great seeing her again. I
in the original Trek], and for my own sal-
suddenly realized the depth of this wom-
vation, I could not be the other woman.
an's feeling for this man. I was furious
So I fled. Typically, however, Gene could
with Gene for creating what might have
not accept my rejection of him.
been a painful, embarrassing situation.
"How can you do this?" he demanded
Back in the car, I lashed out at him.
"How can you just walk away?" It was not
"Gene, why did you do that?"
easy. It broke my heart. But it sure as hell
"I didn't know any other way," he an-
was not the end of the world for me. How
swered. "I couldn't go on behind your
I could and did go on without him is some
backs. I love you both too much. I didn't
thing Gene never quite understood.
TV GUIDE OCTOBER 8, 1904
33](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreib5sbuaf6bymf3pwatbpvs74koxmu3wzgmqisgor3dss5vy2kd43u)
![THES ARS
TAR
SPECIAL
In her new memoir, 'Beyond Uhura: Star Trek
and Other Memories,' Nichelle Nichols chronicles her career, from
her early roles to her most enduring — as Communications Officer on
the original Starship Enterprise. Here, in the book's most anticipated
passage, Nichols finally reveals
sions he remarked: "T've got something in
the details of her love affair with
mind that I think is going to come about.
And if it does, there'll be something impor-
'Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry
tant in it for you." Being somewhat new to
Hollywood and naive to its ways, I sat by
the phone for weeks before I realized what
Gene had referred to was still just a dream.
first met Gene Roddenberry in 1963,
when I was cast in an episode of his TV
series The Lieutenant. That began my
long and fascinating relationship with
the man who would come to be known
as the Great Bird of the Galaxy. He was
more than 6 feet tall, with jagged good
looks and piercing blue eyes. He was un-
predictable, imaginative, possessive, and
thoroughly infuriating. He was also kind,
charming, gentle, generous, and immensely
sensuous. He'd been a B-17 pilot in World
War II, a commercial pilot for Pan Am, and
an LAPD motorcycle policeman. All the
time, though, he dreamed of writing for
television. The Lieutenant was his first se-
ries, the only one he would produce be-
fore Star Trek got the green light in 1966.
At the time we met, Gene was still mar-
ried, although unhappily. Our early rela-
tionship began casually. His offices were
at MGM, and I was often on the lot audi-
tioning or working. We'd have lunch to-
gether, and before long I was seeing him
more often. I have many fond memories:
Gene piloting us on wonderful, crazy last-
minute flights to Palm Springs or Santa
Barbara just for lunch; holding his waist
tightly on hair-raising mad motorcycle
rides through Benedict Canyon.
Clearly, the seeds of Star Trek had al-
ready taken root when I first met Gene.
And though we didn't fully discuss his
ideas for what he would refer to as *a Wag-
on Train to the stars," on several occa-
But what a dream it was.
Gene could catch you up in his dreams.
Before long-and despite our respective
circumstances-we fell in love. Contrary
to what some people now claim, our ro-
mance remained a secret for decades. It
came to be fairly well-known in Trek circles
only in the last years of Gene's life. Until
then, both he and I, out of respect for each
other and the important people in our
lives, were highly discreet. Our relation-
ship was over long before Star Trek, and
few knew we had even met before. During
the period we were together, his divorce
[from first wife Eileen Rexroat Rodden-
berry] wasn't yet final, and while he vocif-
erously denounced any form of racism, we
lived in a time when interracial couples
in the industry were not accepted warmly.
Gene and I discussed that aspect of our
relationship several times. He declared
that what he did and whom he loved was
nobody's damn business.
Then, one day several months into our
relationship, which had become uncom-
fortably intense for both of us, Gene pick-
ed me up for lunch and said with unchar-
acteristic nervousness, "There's somebody
very important I want you to meet."
"OK," I answered, sensing something
strange in his mood.
From the forthcoming book Beyond Uhura: Star
Trek and Other Memories by Nichelle Nichols
to be published by G.P. Putnam's Sons October
1994. Copyright ©1994 by Nichelle Nichols
TV GUIDE OCTOBER 8, 1994
31](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreigdum473rgxajdh3xbor6dbn5t6s3cyowiesyamyeh5y64ktxnxle)
![TVG: Other cast mem-
bers are writing books.
How will you handle it if
they vilify you?
WS: I don't see any
way that could be possi-
ble. The truth is that I
just don't know the oth-
er cast members well—
[James] Doohan and
[Walter] Koenig, and to
a lesser extent, Nichelle
Nichols and George Ta-g
kei. I've had so little tog
do with them. To get to-3
gether for a few weeks
every couple of years-
when our characters
came together, because
most of the time they?
were separated—is not to know anybody.
If they thought that I was cold and formid-
able as an actor, they were misinterpreting
my desire to do other work in my dressing
room. I really don't know what else they
could say.
TVG: In your book you give Gene Rod-
denberry his due as inspiration and cre-
ator of Trek. Yet it's still not a very pretty
picture. He comes off as tyrannical and
aloof. Could Roddenberry have come in
from the cold?
WS: Gene Roddenberry conceived all
of Star Trek. Being angry with him is like
being angry at your mother. But could he
have come in from the cold? With great
difficulty. For him to have been part of the
team would have meant his saying,
, "Well,
maybe your rewrite is better than mine."
That's tough for anybody to do.
TVG: His ashes reportedly took a ride
in a space shuttle. Does that interest you?
WS: I hesitate to believe that. Nonethe
less, I want my ashes firmly planted in a
loved spot.
TVG: You've had a varied and success-
ful career—in addition to the Trek TV se-
ries and movies, your résumé includes
T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, plays, radio work,
and now TekWar. Yet, there's a common
Captains courageous: Patrick Stewart and
William Shatner on location for "Generations."
- ven by Star Trek standards, the
meeting of Capts. James T. Kirk
- (William Shatner) and Jean-Luc
Picard (Patrick Stewart) is a
cosmic event, one that fans have
• waited years to witness. And on
Nov. 18, when "Star Trek: Generations"
—the seventh "Trek" movie opens, the
wait will finally be over. Does *Genera-
tions" live up to expectations? Here's
Patrick Stewart on the long-anticipated
team-up, as well as his other plans:
• On meeting William Shatner:
I spent some time alone with him on a
private jet on the way back from a movie
impression that you've basically been
stuck on the bridge of the Enterprise. Do
you somehow feel unrealized?
WS: On the contrary. These last few
years-and the coming few years, as it
looks are the most creative, productive,
enthralling years I've ever spent in my
life. TekWar is going weekly. I wrote the
first-line concept, I directed what essen-
tially was the pilot, I helped sell the series.
And I've been writing books and stretch-
TV GUIDE OCTOBER 8, 1994
GEN RATONS RAP
Patrick Stewart talks about the
Picard that runs parallel to the action
story—I was hooked. I always felt that
big-screen 'Trek-tacular that
the biggest challenge was making the
best film first and the best "Star Trek"
finally pairs Picard with Kirk
movie second. The film is done more
slowly and carefully than the television
show. What director David Carson and
exhibitors' convention in Las Vegas.
I found him to be sensitive, intelligent,
and gentle. We came up with an idea to
do a "Captains' Kitchen" cooking show.
We were joking, of course, but you
must remember that [Trek creator]
Gene Roddenberry cast both Shatner and
myself. I hope he would have been satis-
lied to see us both sharing the screen.
> On the rest of the "Generations"
cast: The original script had all the
[classic) cast members in it, but only
Shatner, James Doohan, and Walter
Koenig remain. I miss Leonard [Nimoy]
and DeForest [Kelley]. As for the
choice of Malcolm McDowell to play
Dr. Soran, the movie's villain—I worked
with him in 1966 with the Royal Shake-
speare Company, so I was all for it.
• On the movie vs. the Next Genera-
tion TV series: Actually, I had some mis-
givings about doing the movie. I felt we
had done many excellent TV episodes,
but once the writers gave the movie an
"epic adventure" quality rather than a
"television" feel-and a story for Capt.
cinematographer John Alonzo did was
to make us aware that the dimensions
are framed differently on the massive,
wide screen. That sounds simple, but
the help they gave us made it an easy
and smooth transition to acting on the
big screen after acting on the small one.
> On directing: Thope to direct more TV,
including the new Star Trek spinoff series,
Voyager. I also hope to return to TV to
star in and perhaps direct "A Christmas
Carol," as well as a special I've adapted
on Pontius Pilate and one on the play
I'm going to be doing soon in London,
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
• On his most unusual Star Trek
experience: l appeared at a convention
where a 9-year-old kid sitting next to a
pretty woman stood up, pointed to her,
and asked me if I would marry his mom!
• On future "Trek" movies: The one
thing you must always remember about
any Star Trek pairing is it doesn't matter
if they lived or died in the last film, it's
what their agent wants them to do.
—Craig Modderno
ing the envelope in other areas. I'm get-
ting involved in the electronic media with
TekWar games. And there are, potentially,
TekWar CD-ROMs.
TVG: What vision of the future does
Tek War propose?
WS: That, contrary to educated opin-
ion, mankind gradually comes to its sens-
es within the next 50 years and begins to
solve many of its problems-at the same
time incurring others. We are still at war
with the evil forces that have besieged
man from the beginning of time.
TVG: Are things now getting better or
worse?
WS: Our main problem is overpopula-
tior: Until that is checked, the problems
of starvation and toxicity will exist.
TVG: So now, with your own series and
vision of a future, do you feel a little like
Gene Roddenberry yourself?
WS: 1 hadn't thought of that [laughs).
29](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreifixo5lervkc3el35n5xn26dufplyotv2j5z73e5aevt2fdeyb244)
![in the film!" and he says, "Why in heaven's
name did you do that?" On the other hand,
I've got a second 'Star Trek' book coming
out in November in which I spend the last
chapter discussing how I did, in fact, pre-
pare [for it).
TVG: How did you want Kirk to go out?
WS: I believe you die the way you live.
Capt. Kirk lived pretty much the way I
wanted him to live. He was a distillation
of all that I would like to be: heroic and ro-
mantic, forceful in battle and gentle in
love, wise and profound. The ideal soldier/
philosopher.
TVG: Now that it's over, are you going
to miss all this?
WS: Sure. Star Trek is family to me.
TVG: You finally met Patrick Stewart
on the set of "Generations." After years of
rumors about one or both "captains" dis-
liking the other, did that contaminate the
moment?
WS: I'm sure he never said he didn't like
me. Actually, our first meeting was at Sho-
West, the movie exhibitors' convention,
this year. When we finally met, instant lik- unexpectedly good on a horse. Then he
ing and respect transpired. Also, Patrick
told me about a wonderful old house that
told me that he felt very lost among all
he bought in England. And that the Air
these people neither one of us knew, so
Force flew high-speed sorties directly over
we held hands and kind of clung together
his house. I urged him to march into the
like two howler monkeys might (laughs].
commandant's office and say, "I am an ac-
Neither of us ever brought up the rumors.
tor who has returned home. I am Capt. Pi-
That night, just the two of us shared the
card. And I request that, with all due speed,
Paramount corporate jet from Las Vegas
you change the sorties to 2 or 3 miles
back to Los Angeles.
down the road, not over my house." He
TVG: There were reports that you
looked at me and said, "Do you think I
fought on the set.
could do that?" I said, "Absolutely, Pat-
WS: That's absolutely false. It was quite
rick! You go get it!" And he marched forth,
the opposite. We became very friendly. If
determined to do what I told him.
the opportunity were there, in terms of
TVG: Why do you like Stewart?
time and space, I feel that we would be
WS: He's got great inner dignity. He has
very good friends indeed. Frankly, until the
had to make things happen for himself.
movie came up, I hadn't given the idea of
He is talented. He has a good heart, great
meeting Patrick much thought. I hadn't
soul, great generosity. He's steadfast and
even watched his show because it was on
loyal. All the things you want in a friend.
at hours when I was busy. But when we
TVG: Is it true that you wore panty
met, it was excellent. We discovered many
hose together?
mutual interests.
WS: [laughs] During the filming, some
TVG: For instance?
scenes required us to spend all day on
WS: Horses. He turned out to be
horseback. I did a 25-mile ride in the San-
ta Monica mountains some years ago.
When I got off the horse, my boots were
filled with blood from the constant chaf-
ing on the inside of my legs. Somebody
said to me, "Didn't you know that you
should wear panty hose?" I hadn't heard
about that. When it came time to play this
scene, I had the wardrobe people go out
and get panty hose. I presented them to
Patrick: "Patrick, I'd like you to hear about
something very important—I wear panty
hose a lot, and I was hoping you would."
TVG: Did he break into a smile?
WS: A cold sweat, actually.
TVG: What type of panty hose do you
recommend?
WS: Sheer, with the seam in the mid-
dle. It's a rather pleasant feeling, akin to
scratching yourself all the time.
TVG: Didn't you ever feel you'd gotten
too old to be gallivanting around in space?
WS: Leonard Nimoy and I would talk
about getting too old for this, just in gen-
eral terms. But I don't think either one of
us meant it.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreif2hsg27urtirliwx7acdv7n6pbhaoq4wkqsv57iohsddfvwvgmuq)
![EX SPEMAL
SHATNER
+ Farewell to
KIRK
The incredibly
enduring actor
bids adieu to
his out-of-this-
world alter ego
for now, at
least), shares
panty-hose secrets
with Patrick
Stewart, and
admits that he
never really got
to know his
fellow "Trek'
stars very well
By DAVID RENSIN
fter more than 25 years commanding the U.S.S.
Enterprise, saving the universe more times than
we know, and becoming a fixture of popular cul-
ture, Capt. James Tiberius Kirk is finally retir-
ing. Of course, as widely reported, it takes death
to do him in. (What did you expect?) Kirk's fade-
out comes in November when the movie "Star Trek: Genera-
tions" opens on the big screen. The same cannot be said for
William Shatner, the hardy actor who has portrayed Kirk
from debut to demise. In fact, Shatner is experiencing some-
thing of a professional renaissance. His book, "Star Trek Mem-
ories," was a bestseller. A sequel, "Star Trek Movie Memories,"
is due in November. His "TekWar" novels-which served as
the basis for four TV-movies eartier this year-make the jump
to weekly series on the USA Network in January, and, in the
process, open the gates to a host of potential multimedia proj-
ects. Clearly, no one has had to call 911 to rescue his career.
TV GUDE: Capt. Kirk finally dies in "Generations." How did
you prepare for your final moment?
WILLIAM SHATNER: [long pause]
TVG: What's the problem?
WS: I'm torn about being the one to say straight out what ev-
eryone knows. I don't want to forfeit a pfennig of box-office po-
tential to somebody who says; "Oh, I know how this one ends."
TVG: Do you not want to say that Kirk dies and this is it
because he might actually be back?
WS: [smiles] As you know, with "Star Trek," there are end-
less possibilities.
TVG: No matter what, no one will want to miss Kirk dying.
WS: I understand. But my instinct is that I see an executive
from Paramount reading my saying, "And here's what happens](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreiau3jppmta22ku3wt4r3ivmfpmybq7efzmxkgi4rajmqpnth3qoiy)
![B'ELANNA TORRES
and "Terminator" star Lin-
Paramount did veto certain
da Hamilton.
Chief Engineer
actresses: "Early on in the
Bujold's walkout trigger-
talent hunt], we had two fe-
Played by Roxann Biggs-Dawson
ed even more adverse hype,
male candidates that we felt
as well as buzz that her footage (in which | quite good about but the studio didn't."
the dainty, birdlike beauty is reportedly
Adds Jeri Taylor: "It's been hard casting
seen issuing battle commands in a down-
the captain regardless of gender- because
right ethereal manner) will soon turn up
whoever we picked would be in the bright,
on the Trek black market. It's a testament
blinding light of Patrick Stewart."
to how sharp the double-edged sword of
They insist the show will be delivered on
success can be, but Berman and company
time. "People don't realize we had a big
would like to separate fact from (science)
buffer zone in our production schedule,
fiction.
which allowed us to take our sweet time to
"The studio never insisted that the
find the right captain," says Berman. "We
captain be a man. It just insisted that we
were and remain-completely within
keep our minds open," explains Berman,
our time and budgetary parameters." But is
who says he tested several guys as well
he overextended? "I am spread no thinner
as "hundreds of women in their late 30s
than I have been for the last three years,"
to early 50s." According to Michael Piller,
responds Berman, somewhat testily. "Next
Generation wrapped
six months ago. For
the last three months,
my involvement with
the movie has been
minimal. [The insin-
uations] are just not
valid."
KES
Neelix's Ocampa companion
Played by Jennifer Lien
TV GUIDE OCTOBER 8, 1994
What's going right
with Voyager? Plenty,
Starfleet Lieutenant
at least on paper. Set in
the same time frame as
Played by Robert Duncan McNeill
the first two spinoffs
and combining the best aspects of each
namely, the smart, space-cowboy gusto
of Next Generation and the textured psy-
chodrama of DS9— the new series will
also borrow from another intergalactic
classic, Lost in Space. The premise: The
crew of the U.S.S. Voyager (led by Mulgrew
as Capt. Kathryn Janeway) and a ship of
resistance fighters known as the Maquis
are accidentally hurled into the distant
reaches of the galaxy and must join forces
to find a way home. With the exception of
DS9's feisty Ferengi, Quark (Armin
Shimerman)-who will be seen briefly in
Voyager's two-hour premiere crossovers
simply aren't practical. So Berman and
his dream team have stacked the decks
with several characters reminiscent of
past Trek favorites. They include:
> Tuvok: The first Vulcan to be seen on
a weekly basis since Leonard Nimoy's
Spock, this Tactical/Security Officer was
originally scripted as 60 years old and
fair of skin. When no "logical" character
actor could be found, the role went to Tim
Russ, a 38-year-old African-American.
> Doc Zimmerman: The ship's doctor is
killed in episode 1, so Voyager's crew will
turn to this holographic equivalent for all
its medical needs. Zimmerman (Robert
Picardo of China Beach) is programmed
with up-to-the-minute knowledge, but
he's a zero in the personality department.
Think Data. As for his hairdo, think Picard.
> Neelix: Played by Ethan Phillips of
Benson, this alien from a species Trekkers
have never seen before will serve as com-
mentator on the human condition, just like
DSY's Odo. Just like Quark, he's a med-
dling scavenger predicted to be Voya-
ger's breakout character.
The rest of the crew is equally bizarre
—and about as PC as they come: Chief En-
ginger B'Elanna Torres (played by Rox-
ann Biggs-Dawson) is
a half-human, half-Kling-
Ops/Communication Officer
Played by Garrett Wang
- on who's embarrassed
by her hairier side. Nee-
lix's girlfriend, Kes (An-](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreifcsxl355effzfsy35qae6ubnhapiq3hiv44glhu4knp332lgb3t4)
![cellation but they're not screaming mad
or threatening the studio or anything like
that. They know it's inevitable. Don't for-
get, they fought hard against The Next
Generation seven years ago and they lost
that battle, too."
Winning them over wasn't easy. Recalls
Barrett: "I was the only little voice from
the original series going around the coun
try saying, 'Give The Next Generation a
chance! It's gonna be marvelous!' The
other seven [original cast members] were
saying, They can't replace us! We know
you fans aren't going to tolerate this!' Well,
the fans are now willing to admit they made
-so they're tolerant and willing
to see what this Voyager thing is."
And what would the maestro have
thought? "Gene reached the point where
he felt he'd done enough. He was retired
and was resigned to the fact [Berman]
would go on without him. When Rick talk-
ed about the possibility of] doing a third
series, Gene just said, 'Go with God, I wish
Barrett has not, as yet, been asked to
take part (even as the computer) in ei-
ther the new series or the upcoming film.
But she's not sitting home waiting for the
phone to ring, either. In a partnership sure
to make loyal Trekkers drool, Barrett has
joined forces with Dorothy "D.C." Fon-
tana (story editor on the original series
30
Spanning the "Star Trek" generations:
Majel Barrett with DeForest Kelley
in the original "Star Trek" (above),
and with husband Gene Roddenberry
on the set in 1987 (left).
and co-writer of the TNG premiere) to
create a universe around the character of
Ranger, a heroic DNA clone whom Rod-
denberry created in the early '70s but
never thoroughly developed.
"And we're not huntin' for money," as-
sures Barrett, who has sold the comic-
book rights to BIG Entertainment (it, in
turn, licensed CD-ROM rights to IBM).
Borrowing from "The Magnificent Seven"
formula, Barrett and Fontana have placed
Ranger on a dinosaur-filled planet in the
Andromeda Galaxy and given him some
pretty odd traveling companions, includ-
ing an asexual test-tube child and an 18-
inch-tall troublemaker who, Barrett says,
"is a cross between a Crip and a Blood."
And just to make sure she gets her two
cents in. Mrs. R is negotiating with Simon
& Schuster to pen her own Trek memoirs.
"Unlike a few other people," says Barrett,
"I was there for every minute of it." o
TV GUIDE MAY 14. 1994
My Appointment
With the
Enterprise
or years now I've had an appointment with
the crew of the Enterprise, two nights a
week. It's hard to remember that at first I
AN APPRECIATION
didn't like the program. I said things like,
"If Q knows everything, how can he be so stupid?
BY URSULA K. LE GUIN
And if Wesley is 15, how can he know everything?"
But then I caught a rerun of "The Offspring," in
which Data builds a daughter, and I was hooked.
It's been fascinating to watch Brent Spiner de
velop the physical and psychological subtleties of a
role that might have been just
another jerky android. The cast-
ing of the show was superb
from the start. Gates McFadden,
Marina Sirtis, and Majel Barrett
brought depth and complexity
to the conventionally feminine
roles of Dr. Crusher, Counselor
Troi, and Lwaxana Troi. Many of
us wish that Tasha Yar (Denise
Crosby) and Ens. Ro (Michelle
Forbes) had stayed on board to
shake things up, but at least we
got Whoopi Goldberg wearing
those great hats. The lead male
actors, all impressive separate-
ly, were also great team play-
ers. their characters changing
and deepening in relation to
one another.
Worf (Michael Dorn) was my
first love. That voice, Richter
6.5 - that forehead those dark,
worried eyes-those ethical
problems! The glimpses of Kling-
JEFF KATZ](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreiax4fr3bz2yavogdfq62abxqfrte7f4vxqxqb6hziiervwu4fjm2u)
![o doubt about it, Majel Bar-
I berry's original pilot for Star Trek, Bar-
rett is a pistol-and she's got
rett was recast as Nurse Christine Chap-
all cartridges loaded.
el, the role she played throughout the se-
"I'm very disappointed
ries. She continued as Chapel in "Star
that I'm not part of the finale
Trek: The Motion Picture" and "Star Trek
—of all people, I should have been there,"
IV: The Voyage Home," and later became
says Barrett, the widow of Gene Rodden-
madcap mama Lwaxana Troi on both Star
berry and the only performer to have
Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek:
spanned all Star Trek incarnations. After
Deep Space Nine. And, as hard-core Trek-
appearing as the first officer in Rodden-
kers know, she's also the voice of the En-
28
Mrs. Ko denbeny
Serling) "one of those people
who'd accuse Santa Claus of
abusing children." The tone of
his book disturbs her almost
as much as the details. "Even if
Speakster Mind
some things in the book are
true even if everything in the
book is true—it should never
have [been written]," she in-
sists. "Gene instilled a hope and
a brightness in people. He gave
us reason to look forward to
The First Lady of 'Star Trek' defends
the future and he did it with a
her husband's memory and tries
great deal of love and energy—
so leave it alone! People like
to unravel the show's cancellation
[Engel] absolutely disgust me.
What he's done reflects more
on his own attitude and self-
BY MICHAEL LOGAN
image than that of his subject."
And speaking of hidden
agendas, La Barrett has some
terprise computer. As a result, Barrett is
more than just the "First Lady of Star
Trek," as fans have proclaimed her — she is
also keeper of the flame. Now she's burn-
ing about some recent Trek stories that
cast her husband in an unfavorable light.
"Apparently the best way for inade-
quate talent to achieve recognition is by
being negative," huffs Barrett, referring to
author Joel Engel's new-and very unau-
thorized —tell-all biography, Gene Rodden-
berry: The Myth and the Man Behind Star
Trek. In it, Engel paints Roddenberry as a
sexually insatiable, widely disliked glory
hog who overhyped his "vision" while
burying the contributions of those who
made it a reality. Worse yet, the author
got a few of Roddenberry's former setside
cronies to back this up on record.
"I was rather shocked to see some of
them (quoted in the book] because all dur-
ing Gene's lifetime they were calling him
'friend, friend, friend.' And then to hear the
venom that comes after he's gone! It just
shows you who the ___-kissers were."
When Gene Roddenberry is attacked,
Barrett fights back. She calls Engel (who
penned a similarly dark biography on Rod
thoughts on the bizarre cancellation of
her husband's final brainchild-Star Trek:
The Next Generation:
"Paramount has come up with a whole
bunch of excuses and reasons
none of them holds water. One [exec] will
point in one direction, one will point in the
other. I have a feeling it has to do with what
goes on behind that little door marked 'Ac-
counting.' Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't
think we've heard the truth yet."
Hmmmm…..then again…
"Maybe it's Rick Berman," says Barrett.
"Maybe he just wants to go on to some-
thing that has no more of Gene Rodden-
berry in it." Berman, the executive produc-
er who inherited the Roddenberry scepter
(and, with it, an overwhelming responsi-
bility to the fans) has been left, she says,
"with the [burden] of the whole thing. If
nothing is out there with Gene's name on
it, it might make Rick's role a little easier.
I could [understand] it."
But Barrett, a big hit on the sci-fi con-
vention circuit, says Trekkers are keep-
ing an open mind about TNG's spinoff se-
ries Star Trek: Voyager.
"They're disappointed about the can-
29](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreigbu5zsmfh2hkojbtrcnngr727hepso67rlwdbnotksgvhizaptxu)
![PREVIEWS
+ THE NEXT GENERATION FINALE +
eordi without his visor?! Data a pro-
fessor at Cambridge??!! Dr. Crusher
the captain of her own Starship???!!!
All this and more await when The
Next Generation goes back to the
future for "All Good Things...,
" the two-
hour series finale airing the week of May
23 (check local listings).
"We wanted to end with a sweeping
story that embodies the themes that have
made Star Trek important to us," says
exec producer Rick Berman. "The episode
will bookend the series
by once again exploring
the concept of mankind
being put on trial-the
theme of our premiere
show, 'Encounter at Far-
point.'" In that episode,
the Enterprise was hi-
jacked and its command
crew sentenced to death
in a kangaroo court by
Q, a member of an all-
knowing super-race that
considered humanity
too barbaric to "boldly go" further into the
universe. Returning as Q is John de Lancie,
who sends Picard leapfrogging between
past, present, and future (in the latter se-
quences, we'll discover that the Captain,
after marrying and divorcing Crusher, has
happily retired to his vineyards in France).
Also featured are two more blasts from the
past: Colm Meaney as Transporter Chief
Miles O'Brien (now the chief operations
officer of Deep Space Nine) and Denise
Crosby as Security Chief Tasha Yar (who
was killed by an alien near the end of sea-
son one).
"We don't tie up every loose thread be-
cause, hopefully, there will be a series of
movies,"
notes Berman. "But there is a
very strong sense of finality—we owe that
to the audience. Riker will not wake up in
the shower and say it's all been a dream."
Future shock: Stewart is
"aged" for the "TNG" finale.
+ THE NEXT GENERATION MOVIE +
hough the film "Star Trek: Generations" - due in
November-brings together the 23rd century's Capt.
Picard, producer Berman insists the flick features
"no time travel whatsoever." Berman isn't saying how
this celestial convergence occurs. Nor will he discuss
rampant rumors that Kirk (William Shatner) is going to die
(Too late! Actor Malcolm McDowell, cast as the villain, Dr.
Soran, has already been quoted in Daily Variety as saying,
"I get to kill Kirk"). Berman is also under gag order not
to discuss Whoopi Goldberg's involvement, but rest assur-
ed that Goldberg, as Guinan, will definitely be on board
("Whoopi has a great role but does not want to be men-
tioned in publicity, ads, or credits," says a studio insider).
Confirmed are all seven TNG leads (though Brent Spiner
and Marina Sirtis came close to saying no) and, from the
original cast, Walter Koenig (Chekov) and James Doohan
(Scotty). Berman says there was no room for Nichelle
Nichols (Uhura) or George Takei (Sulu), but DeForrest
Kelley (Bones) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock) were offered
roles and refused (Nimoy, who also declined an offer to
direct, was miffed that his part was so much shrimpier
than Shatner's). Trekkers desperate for more details
should start haunting those sci-fi gatherings. Harrumphs
Berman: "A week after the movie was written, we found
a copy of it for sale at a Star Trek convention."
—M.L.
20
TV GUIDE MAY 14, 1994
Criests
Celebrities from many worlds
have appeared on 'TNG.'
Here, a few fond memories
By TY HOLLAND AND JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ
JAMES WORTHY For the LA. Laker
forward, being a Klingon for a day
fulfilled a Trek fan's lifelong dream. "I
was really proud. I was a strong repre-
sentative for the Klingon race. It was
actually a touching moment for me."
The tallest Klingon on record (at 6-9, he
had to duck to get through the Enter-
prise portals), Worthy believes in what
the show stands for: "I like the fact that
it has a lot of different races, and is all
about solving problems and peace." And
he especially relates to Klingons. "They
kind of have some of my characteris-
tics: They believe in their work, they
are warriors, they fight till the end, they
stick together. The Lakers have been
known to do that, in my 12 years."
RAY WALSTON Being a TV veter am
whose work ranges from the '60s (My
Favorite Martian) to the '90s (Picket
Fences) didn't prepare Walston for the
notoriety he got from just one appearance
as Picard's Starfleet Academy mentor,
Boothby. "I really was amazed and flab-
MIcK FLEETWOOD
bergasted at the popularity of that show.
It was a joy to do. But I have to say I
The drummer for Fleet-
was very disappointed they didn't bring
wood Mac played hard-
Boothby back in another episode." So,
ball rather than rock
with only two scenes, what did Walston
'n' roll to land the role
base the character on? "On one of the
of an Antedian dignitary,
first lines Boothby said to Picard when
an alien with a fish head
they met: 'What happened to your hair?'"
and webbed fingers.
"I went down to see the casting director and said, 'Look, let's make
a deal here. I'll shave my beard off if you guarantee you'll beam me
down.' Just once in my life I wanted to be on-camera being beamed
down. And, true to our words, off came the beard and there I was,
beamed down as the Antedian." But Fleetwood was decidedly less
enthusiastic about what the aliens had for lunch: "My role was
playing this creature slurping 'vermicula' [a slimy Antedian delicacy].
¿ It was gelatin with sawdust and food coloring. Pretty vile."
21](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreif6yu66e7xt7itx3yxi2e2f5264lmdnep4jtnas3h2twvffyqlmg4)
![• When Star Trek: The
TREK STAR MEMORIES
Le Var Burton
Next Generation hit the
air in 1987, Roots star
LeVar Burton-who was
hired to play the blind,
visor-wearing Geordi
La Forge-was easily the best-known member
of the company. And maybe that's why he's
so unruffled by TNG's cancellation.
"I actually feel great about it," grins Burton.
"This has been a very fulfilling seven-year cycle
in my life, but I feel in my very being that it's
time to move on. Time to do what I've been
preparing to do tell stories that are near and
dear to my heart." Long associated with educa-
tional programming (now in his 11th year as
host of PBS's Reading Rainbow, he has also
been named exec producer), Burton squirreled
away his dough, and in 1991 established his
own production company, Eagle Nation Films.
His favorite TNG episodes? "Any opportunity
to get onto the Holodeck and out of uniform,"
laughs Burton, who believes he never really
got a chance to rock 'n' roll with his character
until Geordi was promoted to chief engineer
in season two. "He started out as navigator,
but we really needed to find something for the
poor guy to do. After all, Gene Roddenberry
always maintained that the Enterprise was so
sophisticated, it could fly itself."
16
manic (he snippily refused to be in-
terviewed for this farewell issue,
only to reconsider at the 11th hour).
It comes as no surprise that Stew-
art has won international success
and various awards for his one-
man stage version of "A Christ-
mas Carol"; he's Ebenezer Scrooge
and Tiny Tim all rolled into one.
And the cast adores him for it.
But with Stewart self-cast as
the enfant terrible, the role of
company father figure falls quite
SUPPORTING PLAYERS
John de Lancie
• In sizing up his perfor-
mance as Q, the most-
beloved villain in Star
Trek history, actor John
de Lancie likens himself
to the Marx Brothers-
but it's in all modesty.
"The Marx Brothers
only did two films that
are actually terrific, but
because they made so
few, people love them all,"
says de Lancie, whose
appearance in the finale
marks his ninth outing
as the Enterprise hell-
raiser. "Their fans are
just a little too generous
-I think I enjoy a bit of
the same phenomenon."
naturally to Frakes. One is instantly struck
by the guy's age-of-innocence decency.
"This is all very bittersweet...very bitter-
sweet," he says, grasping at his heart. "It's
a very revealing time for us all. I've been
very lucky with Riker-he's a good and
honorable man. I've always begged for a
little more irony, but irony's tough to write.
All things being equal, it's been a good lick,
as they say."
The days tick by. Spiner-who doesn't
want to move seven years' worth of junk
out of his trailer-is begging Paramount
not to force him into plusher digs when the
movie starts. Dorn, looking zonked, says
he wants "to go to Hawaii and get mas-
saged within an inch of my life."
(without any tutoring from Spiner) has
gone on her first audition in seven years.
"And I could hardly speak," she says.
"Maybe the rest [of the cast) are so sure of
themselves that they have no doubts about
their next jobs. But I'm really scared of
what's out there."
By the time the septet's last scene rolls
around, tension is so thick it can only be
Wil Wheaton
Wesley Crusher
• As space teen Wesley
Crusher, Wil Wheaton
proved a smash hit with
the Clearasil set. But the
actor defected during
TNG's fourth season to
"go out and experience
my life." Wheaton, now
21, returned to TNG
earlier this season to
wrap up his role. He calls
the reunion "awesome"
but as a sci-fi collector
—he's mad as hell about
the "franchise." "Up until
recently, you couldn't
go into a drugstore and
find stupid Star Trek
figurines that look like
junk," he grumps.
Colm Meaney
Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien
• Though an original
member of The Next Gen-
eration, Colm Meaney
jumped ship when his
alter ego, Transporter
Chief Miles O'Brien, was
made operations chief of
Deep Space Nine. But he
rejoined his cronies for
the "past" sequences of
the finale. "They hauled
everything out of storage
- including our first-sea-
son space suits. We had
great laughs remembering
the day we learned how
to shake our bodies
to make it look like the
Enterprise was on the
verge of being destroyed."
Denise Crosby
Security Chief Tasha Yar
• "If Gene Roddenberry
hadn't been alive and in
complete control of the
show, there's no way I
would have gotten out.
Paramount certainly
wouldn't have let me go,"
says Denise Crosby, who
was so disgruntled with
her back-burner status as
Security Chief Tasha Yar
that she begged out
during the first season
(though killed by an alien,
Tasha, like Miles, returns
for "past" sequences).
"[Roddenberry] told me if
he was hungry and in his
20s, he probably would
have done the same thing."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:q6w524go73n3lvcfpp3sfqaz/bafkreibimt5oggnq2mbbfb72lm4csddcg4tmfvxrylmpy4yavdzbhjcqlq)
Star Trek, Star Wars, 60’s TV, Music/Reading, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Science, Space. Husband/dad/grandpa. Retired Software Engineer. 🚂 🏒 ⚾️ 🕵️ 📚🚀