/With director JJ. Abrams’ cinematic reboot of the Star Trek motion picture franchise a confirmed success, Trekkies, Trekkers and even mere mortals may want to refamiliarize themselves with the Treks of old. To help in that ongoing mission, Earl Dittman spoke to bothLeonard Nimoy and Patrick Stewart about their respective Trektenures.
You’ll find those chats after the jump, along with the lowdown on several new Star Trek collections out on DVD and Blu-Ray — some comprehensive, some selective — chronicling the intergalactic missions of the crews from the Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the first six motion pictures.
“Star Trek has quite a vast and exciting history,” says Leonard Nimoy, who played the iconic Mr. Spock for over four decades (from the first pilot episode of the Original Series in 1966 to the new Star Trek prequel). “I’m just glad that people are getting the chance to see all of it. In a lot of ways, having the movies and the series on DVDs and Blu-Rays allows people a chance to own a piece of history. It’s work I’ll always be proud of.”
In retrospect, Leonard Nimoy was surprised when the pilot episode (which featured Jeffrey Hunter in the lead role, as Captain Pike) was picked up and turned into a prime time series — a series that would struggle in the ratings for three years. “When we first filmed the episodes, I don’t think any of us thought the episodes from the Original Series would even be remembered, much less be considered ‘the best,’” Nimoy explains. “As actors, we put everything into each episode, but at the end of every season we never knew if we’d even be back the next year.”
From the moment he shared the deck of the U.S.S. Enterprise in the Original Series to his final film with Shatner (The Undiscovered Country), Nimoy has had more than just Star Trek in common with the actor who has gone onto to success in T.J. Hooker, Boston Legaland immensely-popular commercials for an online travel agency.
“I admire Bill (Shatner) a lot,” Nimoy admits. “He’s done a great job with his career. He was a handsome leading man and became a very good character actor; a very successful character actor. We have a great friendship and it continues to be a great friendship.”
The release of these various Blu-Ray and DVD collections, in addition to his starring role in the new Star Trek prequel, has put Nimoy in touch with a major, important part of his life. “Doing the new movie re-awakened in me the passion I had when we made the Original Series and the films,” Nimoy confesses. “I was put back in touch with what I cared about; what I like about Star Trek and why I enjoyed being involved in it. So, it was an easy way to come home.”
LEONARD NIMOY ON…
Joining the cast of Fringe…
“I have just done one scene in what was the final episode of Fringefor this season. I was introduced as the character named William Bell (the creator of the hi-tech company, Massive Dynamic), who was talked about in earlier episodes. I have agreed to do two more in the next season, so we’ll see where it goes from there. It’s a wonderful opportunity, because it’s a blank canvas. The characters are still being developed and discovered, so I’m looking forward to that. But, I have no plans to do a series, maybe just an occasional episode of Fringe.”
The reasons why William Shatner didn’t co-star alongside him in the new Star Trek movie and if he missed him…
“Bill and I are very, very close friends, and we have been for a very, very long time. Did I miss him? I can’t honestly say that’s the right word to describe my feelings about this process and have him not be in the movie. I was aware that he wanted to be in the movie. I was aware, I think, that the filmmakers, J.J. Abrams, and the writers spent time with him to try to find a process where he could be involved. But it didn’t work out, I don’t know exactly why … I pointed out to him that we are totally even now, because he acted in one of the Star Trek movies that I was not in, and he had to admit that that was true.”
Working with Zachary Quinto, who plays a young Spock in the new film…
“Zachary made some choices that I thought were wonderful surprises to me, playing the Spock that he played in this film.We did not talk about specifics, like, ‘Do this,’ or ‘Don’t do that.’ We had very general conversations about the philosophy of the character, the psychology of the character, the philosophy of Star Trek, the fans’ reactions to various aspects of Star Trek. But, there were no specific instructions; there was no need for that, there was no call for that. But watching him in the film, I was very proud of what he did. I loved the idea that he is doing the character, that he did it so well. And I think we have book-ended the character; he has created a Spock that comes before the Spock that I portrayed in the series, and I’m playing a Spock that comes much, much later and much more resolved, and is, I think, much closer to who I actually am today. I think it works extremely well, and I admire his talent.”
The extent of his collaboration with J.J. Abrams and the screenwriters on his role in the Star Trek prequel…
“I had no input on writing the character or the script — none. My first meeting with Mr. Abrams and (screenwriters) Orci and Kurtzman was about, ‘Would I be interested, based on their feelings about Star Trek and their feelings about the Spock character, and I was interested enough that I would read the script and be ready.’ I read the script and I agreed to do the film. As I mentioned, I thought Zachary’s choices in his performance often surprised me, in a very positive way. I often thought, ‘I would never have thought to do that! That’s a wonderful idea.’ I was, frankly, extremely jealous of his scenes with Zoe Saldana (as Uhura), and I think it’s totally unfair that I never got to do that kind of stuff. [Laughs] I will never forgive the writers and the director for having put me in this position: that I have to be watching them instead of participating. Let me take the opportunity to say this: everyone involved with making the new film is very, very talented and intelligent, especially the actors. They found their own way to bring that talent and intelligence to this movie, and I think it shows. If Chris Pine (Kirk) could do anything other than joining Starfleet after Bruce Greenwood (Pike) told him what his life should be about, I would be shocked. I mean, the guy just had to what Bruce Greenwood told him to! When Karl Urban (Dr. McCoy) introduced himself as Leonard McCoy and shook hands with Chris Pine, I burst into tears. That performance was so moving, so touching, so powerful — I think DeForest Kelly (the original McCoy, R.I.P.) would be smiling, and maybe in tears as well. And those two, I think, were wonderful together and this is such a passionate performance by Zoe, that I was so pleased to be a part of this movie, with all these good people.”
Patrick Stewart
Surprisingly, the British-born, classically-trained Patrick Stewart almost turned down the role of Captain Picard in The Next Generation — a role that would turn him into a pop culture icon. “I hadn’t wanted to come and do Star Trek in the first place, I had other things to do,” he says, “I only did it because I was assured that it would only last one season, two or three at the absolute most, and then, I could just back to getting on with my life. But it was going to make some decent money for the first time in my career, and that’s all it meant to me then. I had a very busy 27-year old career before I ever put on my space suit. But from the moment I put that suit on, my life changed. And, it’s been a fantastic ride ever since.”
Even after playing Picard for seven seasons and in five motion pictures, Stewart said he never grew tired of portraying the enigmatic starship commander. “I’m one of the luckiest actors in the world, because I was able to play a character that was constantly evolving and was always interesting to watch,” he says. “It was always my ambition with every episode, and certainly every film, that we would try and find some novelty, new insights or surprise with Picard. I was excited to show up every day to the sets.
“I learned so much from playing Picard,” Stewart continues. “I have, at times, consciously tried to develop his tolerance and patience, because I’ve been an impatient and intolerant person a lot in my life, and I will probably regret saying this, but there have been times when I’ve literally said, ‘What would Jean-Luc do in this situation?’”
THE COLLECTIONS:
The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series — Witness Kirk and Spock’s most exciting and memorable adventures on this single-disc DVD. Culled from three seasons of The Original Series, this exclusive collection contains four of very best episodes (chosen by both fans and producers) that focus on the loyal friendship between Kirk and Spock. Fans can journey with the two intergalactic comrades as they visit Spock’s home planet of Vulcan and as they take a startling trip through space and time; laugh as the Starfleet commanders try to figure out how to deal with a group of furry, constantly multiplying aliens and watch as the two are forced to fight each other in a life and death showdown. EPISODES INCLUDED: “The City on the Edge of Forever,” “The Trouble with Tribbles,” “Balance of Terror” and “Amok Time.”
The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation — The search for strange new worlds and lifeforms continues a full century after Kirk and Spock roamed the galaxy, with a whole new crew and adventures chronicled on a single-disc DVD. The new commander of Enterprise D, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Stewart), his right-hand android Data (Brent Spiner) and the entire multi-species crew continue to explore the uncharted, outer reaches of the galaxy for the Federation. The missions of The Next Generation find Picard and his crew battling both very real enemies (The Borg) and many they never expected. EPISODES INCLUDED: “The Best of Both Worlds (Part I),” “The Best of Both Worlds (Part II),” “Yesterday’s Enterprise” and “The Measure of a Man.”
Star Trek: Motion Picture Trilogy — This three-disc Blu-Ray collection contains the interlinked trio of what also constitute the best-known installments from the Star Trek film franchise. The Enterprise crew puts its lives on the line, in an attempt to save the universe from total annihilation — and the life of one friend. This package includes three motion pictures: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek: IV The Voyage Home. The series is arguably the pinnacle of Kirk and Spock’s steadfast sense of duty, the strength of their close friendships and their selfless acts of true heroism. Each film is digitally remastered in high definition with new 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio for the Blu-Ray release. In addition to the digital overhaul, the trilogy features over 90 minutes of all-new Special Features plus six hours of previously-released content. Each disc includes interactive BD-Live capability.
Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection — This multi-disc Blu-Ray set includes the first six Star Trek movies —Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country — each of which have been digitally remastered in high definition (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khanhas been fully restored) with new 7.1 Dolby TrueHD audio. The collection contains over 14 hours of special features including countless featurettes, deleted scenes, documentaries, commentaries with each filmmaker as well as Shatner and Nimoy and a total of two-and-a-half hours of all-new material. The collection also includes a bonus disc, “Star Trek: The Captains’ Summit,” which features a 70-minute exclusive round table discussion hosted by Whoopi Goldberg in which Shatner, Nimoy, Stewart and Jonathan Frakes share candid moments and intimate details about life on the set.
Star Trek: The Original Series: Season One — Here is your chance to boldly go back to where it all began — but be prepared to experience each 1966 episode of the revolutionary Season One in ways you could have never imagined them before. This Season One Blu-Ray set features state-of-the-art technology that gives viewers the best of both worlds by offering up the choice to see each of Season One’s 29 episodes with either newly enhanced special effects and soundtrack, or with the original visuals and sound. What makes this seven-disc Blu-ray set even more special is that it allows viewers the ability to watch either the new or older version or — with the aid of a groundbreaking special function — to toggle back and forth between the newly enhanced visual effects found on the just-remastered episodes and the original ’66 broadcast episodes. The “Starfleet Access” feature gives you the option to view selected episodes with special pop-up trivia and picture-in-picture video commentaries. The package also contains an interactive tour of the Enterprise, rare on-set home movies, trailers, profiles and 24 hours of exclusive content.
http://www.drivenmag.com/2009/05/19/interviews-leonard-nimoy-and-patrick-stewart-on-star-treks/
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