Comments on: Meaney To Star In US Version Of ‘Life On Mars’

By: Jamie

Jamie — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 01:27:33 +0000

Meaney is a great actor. I remember his performance in “Crossover” was really moving and I found his speech near the end really emotional.

The only thing I don’t understand is why have they case two Irish men to star in the “American version” of Life on Mars? How can they represent their respective time periods of American society, when they’re not even American.

I don’t get that.

To me, this is just going to be like having a new British version of Life on Mars!

By: MichaelJohn

MichaelJohn — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 05:25:11 +0000

Colm Meany is a fine actor and one of the few Trek actors with real film credentials.

He has been in scores of films in the last twenty years, with a standout performances in the recent movie “Layer Cake”, starring along side Daniel Craig. As good as he was in that role, I think his best performance to date was in the movie “The Committments” released in the early nineties.

It’s nice to see that his film and TV career have not been diminished or marginalized by his involvement in Star Trek.

Mike :o

By: Demode

Demode — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:14:51 +0000

No one remember hearing about that IMAX film??

By: Demode

Demode — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:47:23 +0000

I remember years ago their was alot of talk of a short Star Trek IMAX film being made, and that Colm Meaney was going to be the star of it. Wonder what ever happened to that project?

By: Mr Regular

Mr Regular — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 05:17:20 +0000

Colm Meaney is a highly talented actor who deserves this new opportunity. His character’s run through DS9 was richly entertaining.
Can’t wait to see “Life on Mars”…take me back to the 70’s, please, at least for an hour!!

By: Buckaroohawk

Buckaroohawk — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:57:00 +0000

This is great news. Meaney is a wonderful actor, Life on Mars is a great series, and with Kelley at the helm the US version should be in very good hands.

Chief O’Brien was always a favorite character of mine. He was good on TNG, but he really came into his own on DS9. The friendship that developed between O’Brien and Dr. Bashir was one of the most deeply layered and honest in Trek. In my opinion it’s second only to the Kirk/Spock friendship.

I actually really liked the DS9 episode where Molly is lost in (yet another) temporal anomaly and the O’Brien’s have to deal with an older, more feral version of her. It had me right up until the end, when the older Molly sends her younger self back to her parents. I was really hoping that wouldn’t happen. Not because I didn’t like Molly, but because it would have been such a dramatic and tragic moment for the O’Briens to lose their child like that. She didn’t die, but she’s alone some place where they can’t get to her. It would have been gut wrenching, but very powerful, and it would have knocked the wind right out of the audience.

Anyway, it will be good to see Colm Meaney on TV again, and this time as a lead character. Awesome!

By: trektacular

trektacular — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 02:41:08 +0000

Wow Meaney as the lead in a series sounds awesome! Hope it lasts more than 4 episodes

By: Ed

Ed — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:03:18 +0000

Love Colm Meaney weather he’s a bad guy, a good guy but a bit of a prick, or the mayor of a town in Alaska (I think that was his character in Mystery, Alaska). Have not seen the UK version and I hope the US version gets more than a half a season.

By: Viking

Viking — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:42:34 +0000

Hey, give Meaney his props. I enjoy the guy’s work.

By: Douglas Kastle

Douglas Kastle — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:21:28 +0000

The original Life on Mars has only recently started in Oz, it’s great so far (haven’t got to the second season yet). However, right from the start it jumped out at me how Philip Glenister looks so similar to Meaney it doesn’t make the todays casting announcement that much of a surprise. Glenister’s portrayal of Hunt resides some where between Meaney’s roles in Intermission and Layer cake, both movies are great well worth watching.

I can’t wait to see Meaney in this role though, in my opinion one of the best moments in Star Trek has to be in the Deep Space Nine episode Visionary where present O’Brian is talking to the future O’Brien and they try to understand how the present O’Brien can die so the future O’Brien can live. Instead of getting caught up in some technobabble explanation the two O’Brien’s look off into middle distance and say in unison “I hate temporal mechanics”. Great moment, and Meaney pulled it off (both of him). Meaney’s acting is good but so is his comedic timing I hope they use it to good effect. While we are waiting check out the unofficial sequel to The Commitments, The Snapper some classic pearls in there:

Dessie Curley: I haven’t cried since I was a kid.
Sharon Curley: You cried during the World Cup.
Dessie Curley: Sober, Sharon! Sober!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108170/

The only remaining question is will they make something out of the fact that the two lead actors are both Irish (and from Dublin on top of that)…