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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Terilynn's Trek: Is 'Star Trek XI' Cast Too Good For Cons?

I’m back again! This time I have decided to just jump right in and tackle my chosen subject matter. My target this time?

The entire cast of the latest movie installment “Star Trek.”

Recently, Creation Entertainment was forced to cancel its “Grand Slam” event originally scheduled for November. You see, the reasons Creation said it had to cancel was because they were unable to contract a single "Star Trek XI" cast member to attend the Los Angeles function.

What cracks me up is that somehow, somewhere there’s a group of people who are actually surprised by this. I’m not sure why really –- the cast has made it bloody obvious since they were first given their roles that they would rather bleed from their eyes than be in the same room as fans wearing Vulcan ear tips or a Klingon forehead.

I will make a couple of caveats here however: While "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams and the "young" cast were busy ignoring the majority of Trek fans in the United States by premiering the movie in Sydney, Australia, Leonard Nimoy and the two writers/producers of the movie, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman surprised the most loyal of loyal Trek fans in Texas by giving them the real-life world premiere of the movie. (I still find it funny that several fans who attended the surprise event were more disappointed that they didn’t actually get to see “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” the movie used as bait to secretly fill the theater …)

I once said I saw this as a nice gesture by Mr. Nimoy to thank the Trek fans, but I also saw it as a move by Abrams to assure that the “old Trek” wouldn’t infect his sterilized Apple Store vision of Gene Roddenberry’s creation. It also gave him a great excuse to avoid having to shake a Trekkie’s hand at a function that wasn’t serving caviar.

Then again, Leonard Nimoy has never been one to snub Trek fans. He’s never been afraid to show up and talk about the role that for a while appeared to have typecast him for life.

I will also acknowledge Zachary Quinto’s recent foray into convention attendance by his well-received appearance at the Creation Convention in Las Vegas earlier this year, but to my knowledge, other than Quinto, there hasn’t been one "Star Trek" cast member at any Trek-related fan function.

As I’ve stated before on my previous blog, the cast of the new movie has worked extraordinarily hard to distance themselves from the Trekkiedom. Yet more revealing is how they seem to not just avoid the conventions, but how they go out of their way to make sure everyone knows they’re avoiding them. It’s as if they want the world to know they won’t be seen within actual driving distance of a Trek fan -- like somehow they’re assuring their “other” fans by saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t let those Trekkies give me the nerd cooties.”

I once blogged about an interview Jonathan Crocker conducted with Zoë Saldana. In that interview, even though Saldana stated that she grew up as a geek and in a sci-fi household, when asked about being offered the amazing role of Nyota Uhura, Saldana had no compunction in revealing her feeling a bit guarded about taking on the part. She felt that undertaking the Trek role might actually ruin her career instead of -– oh, you know -– actually creating a career for her. But since Abrams was “brave” enough to put Uhura in a mini-skirt, she felt that the role was strong enough for her.

Also, I discussed the Associated Press coverage presented on the Sydney Morning Herald’s Web site of the infamous Sydney premiere. What really got me about the interviews in that video was seeing the look of pure hesitation present in some of the cast members’ faces. Several appeared thoroughly uncomfortable and annoyed with what had to be anticipated questions comparing them to those who portrayed their characters for the decades before their young butts were tossed into the iconic roles.

Do yourself a favor and just listen, really listen to Zachary Quinto’s voice when he says the words, “I don’t know the degree which it will involve conventions … ” It’s the emphasis and disdain he places on the word “conventions” itself that makes it utterly obvious he feels that conventions are the most revolting things ever.

Even John Cho appears wholly annoyed that he’s even asked to compare his acting choices versus George Takei’s regarding the Sulu character.

Speaking of John Cho … he was recently interviewed by Airlock Alpha’s own fearless leader, Michael Hinman, about his role in the new television show “FlashForward.” This interview reflects what a personable guy he really seems to be, but of interest Cho is asked about his professional relationship with Star Trek alum Brannon Braga, who also is working on "FlashForward." Cho admitted that there is very little contact between him and Braga on the set, but then oddly stated that Braga once told him that he should “do a Star Trek convention.”

Thing is? He adds his own panicked little escape clause by using the term “No joke!” He also stated that Braga said that conventions were actually fun -- like somehow this idea is unfathomable to him.

The day before I began typing this, I got e-mails from Creation Entertainment that announced the dates of the new Star Trek convention in San Francisco. Imagine my grin when I saw that the headliners would be William Shatner and Patrick Stewart.

So now, as is my style, I once again I focus my attention directly at my target.

To the cast of the iEnterprise:

Do yourselves a big favor and review Mr. Stewart’s curriculum vitae. He is unarguably one of the most extraordinarily talented actors in the world. He never had to worry about being typecast as a Trek icon. Why?

Because his talent transcends the role.

He also understands that Trekkies are much smarter than what the majority of the ignorant public believes us to be. He knows full well that the fandom will support his work outside of Trek, especially since he acknowledges the fandom’s existence.

The same goes for Mr. Shatner. I don’t know of many Trekkies who haven’t supported him in all of his post-Trek roles – from TJ Hooker to Denny Crane.

Frankly the same goes for all Trek alumnae – from Jonathan Frakes’ directorial career to Marina Sirtis’ roles in “Oranges” and “Three Rivers”; from Connor Trinneer’s work on “Stargate: Atlantis” and “Lincoln Heights” to John Billingsley’s always incredible character studies most recently in “24” and “True Blood.” Trek fans go out of their way to support anyone affiliated with Trek – especially those people who have shown interest in us.

By refusing to affiliate yourself with Trek fandom you accomplish several things:

First, you insult Trekkies by saying we’re not good enough to like you, even in your non-Trek roles.

Secondly, by saying Trek is more of a potential detriment to your career, it insults not just Trek fans, but the genre itself. It gives us the impression that you took the role not because you wanted to be associated with perhaps the single-most successful sci-fi franchise in history, but because you were so desperate for a job you’d even take a “risky” Trek one over nothing.

Finally, you give people like me the impression that you’re actually worried you may not have the talent to transcend your Trek roles.

Just get over yourselves, OK? Don’t let J.J. Abrams or your agents or anyone else tell you that convention attendance is a career killer. Those people don’t know us like Mr. Stewart, Mr. Shatner and the others do. Your career advisers apparently don’t comprehend the power contained in our wallets. They don’t believe that we actually understand that you’re actors playing roles and they don’t understand that if you treat us well, we have an amazing ability to actually help give you a lifelong career instead of just a stab at one.

Well, I’m going to buy my ticket for the San Francisco con in the near future. I’m pretty sure I won’t be meeting any of the "Star Trek XI" cast there, but I hope I do.

It would be a very nice surprise।


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