CelebWatch: Stardate 06.20.08

In this special, late edition of CelebWatch (special because it’s late), we bring you news on what Patrick Stewart is doing now that he lost that Tony Award, an update on Meaney’s Life on Mars, Shatner declaring he is not a hustler, Chris Doohan in concert, plus the Holodoc and Q hosting a concert, and several interviews, so check it all out below.

Patrick Stewart’s moving on
We all know Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) should have won that Tony Award, but he didn’t, so now he’s doing all he can do – moving on. For one, he’ll be attending the London Film and Comic Con next month (see story below for more). Also, according to The Shield Gazette, Stewart will give this year’s prestigious South Shield Lecture in November, although where the lecture will be given has yet to be revealed. In other Stewart news, the actor was one of 70 celebrities who donated their hand prints to be auctioned in an a charity event to raise money to get a pair of myoelectric prosthetic hands to young meningitis victim Tilly Lockey. See ChronicleLive for more info on that. In the meantime, here are some pics of Stewart hanging out with the stars at the Tony Awards on Sunday.

Stewart with Kate Fleetwood, John Lithgow, Glenn Close, and ‘guest’
(click to enlarge)

Shatner on hustling and rehearsing in bathrooms
In a new interview with the Dallas News, William Shatner tries to explain how he will say yes to just about anything…but just don’t say he is a hustler:

The way I see it, from my point of view, it isn’t hustling. It’s, the opportunity is there. And why not avail oneself of it? Like a guy says, ‘Would you like to write a book?’ And I say, ‘OK, I’ll write the book.’ A guy says, ‘I’d like to give you a lot of money if you’ll stand with me and have a picture taken.’ Click, it’s over. A lot of money goes to some kids who could use it. Well, I’m not hustling for that. But if I’m passing a kidney stone, and the guy’s going to throw it out, and someone wants to buy it, I’ll bargain with him for how much it’s worth, and give the money to charity. I’m not hustling.”

In other Shat news, there is a new audio interview conducted at the his appearance at the 92nd St. Y last month, where Shat talks about his appearance in Henry V  for which he had to rehearse in a bathroom. Lastly TV Guide visited with the Shat at the recent LA Book Expo and he tried to explain to them everything he is doing.

Doohan’s Band + Picardo & de Lancie – in concert TONIGHT
Chris Doohan (son of James Doohan and actor in the new Star Trek movie) has a rock band called Muddflaps. They are playing TONIGHT June 20 at 8PM at the Ultra Blue Lounge in Agora Hills, CA. The show is a sort of birthday bash for Chris (whose bday is next week). And if you are in Toronto, then check out Star Trek actors Robert Picardo (The Doctor) and John de Lancie (Q) hosting the Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert entitled Star Trek: The Music. The concert will feature music from TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, and the Star Trek films. (What, no Enterprise?) The event starts at 8pm tonight at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto; if you can’t make that performance, though, there’s another one tomorrow, same time, same place, same hosts. See the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for info and tickets.

Doohan (in hat) with band (click to see full flyer)

Picardo Atlantis images + compares SGA to Trek
The first official images of Robert Picardo (The Doctor) from Stargate Atlantis are now available at Gateworld. Bob has joined the Sci-Fi Channel show for the upcoming seasons as a series regular, with his recurring character Woolsey taking over the Atlantis Expedition. In a new interview with Newsorama, Picardo compares Trek and Stargate, saying

There’s a kind of freewheeling humorous, we’re winking a little at the genre thing, that they do on Stargate very well. Star Trek tends to take itself a little too seriously. They were either very dramatic shows, or if we did a humorous show, it was always a little like ‘Oh, we’re doing humor on Star Trek,’ especially on the original series. I shouldn’t say this in print but it was always a little painful when they were funny on Star Trek. My character on Voyager, because of the way he was presented, I could go either way. I could be a real buffoon, a windbag, be self-involved, and we could get a lot of comic mileage from him. However, the audience accepted me with gravity when I was in a dire situation so they would follow me in comic or dramatic stories. What I like about this show is they do both at the same time.

Looking sharp Bob (click to see more photos)

McGillion talks Trek & Stargate
Picardo isn’t the only SGA-Trek crossover.
In an interview with Pop Culture Zoo, actor Paul McGillion described, in great detail, his role in the upcoming Star Trek film. Oh, wait… (reads interview again) uh, strike that, my bad. He actually didn’t reveal a thing. From the interview:

I signed a confidentiality agreement so I can’t talk about it, but I will say I am looking forward to seeing it in the theater myself. It would have been great to have been able to play Scotty, especially with my Scottish background, but Simon Pegg’s a great actor and will do a terrific job in the role. It was an honor to get to work with J.J. Abrams and this film lives up to the legacy of Star Trek.

McGillion also talked a bit about the Stargate: Atlantis episode he was filming at the time, explaining:

The episode I’m filming right now is called “Outsiders” and it’s my third episode this season of the five that I’m doing, or the minimum of five. It’s a lot of Wraiths and a lot of conflict. David Hewlett and I have a ton of stuff, there’s a lot of Beckett and McKay stuff in it. We’re having some really good laughs doing it. It’s been great. David and I are pretty much throughout the episode and we have a lot of stuff together. So it’s a big Beckett and McKay episode.

Cattrall: Valeris is Che Guevera
In an interview over at TV Squad, Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall briefly discussed her portrayal of Vulcan traitor Valeris in 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. From the interview:

[Valeris] was not part of the Enterprise. She was a Che Guevera; she was going to shake things up. [Director/co-writer] Nicholas Meyer and [co-star/co-writer/exec producer] Leonard Nimoy were both so supportive, like when I wanted her to have a Hugenot hairdo and for her to have this very close relationship with Spock but also see that he had clay feet.

  
Cattral at the premiere for "Sex in the City" (click to enlarge)

Dukat speaks!
Holy crap, how long has it been since we heard anything about anything from actor Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat)? Last I heard, he was shopping at a Lowe’s somewhere. Anyway, SciFi Reporter scored an interview with Alaimo which has been reprinted at SciFi Pulse. It’s a brief interview, but an interview nonetheless. Alaimo tells us what he finds to be the most rewarding thing about being part of Trek:

Having a steady job and having a great character to develop. Meeting up with the people, who actually watch the show.

And on his reaction to the cancellation of Star Trek: Enterprise, included here mainly because he talks about Jeffrey Combs!

Well, I was pretty surprised actually, my first thought was of my friend Jeff Combs who played one of the characters on that show (Shran). It is hard when your show gets cancelled. It makes you wonder where the Star Trek franchise is going to go from here.

Sid and uncle attending LFCC
It has been announced that DS9 star Alexander Siddig will join his uncle and fellow Trek alum Malcolm McDowell (Generations‘ Dr. Soran) as well as Patrick Stewart and VOY guest star Brad Dourif (Lon Suder) at this year’s London Film and Comic Com. The event takes place at Earls Court 2 on Saturday and Sunday, July 19th and July 20th. It is not yet known which day Sid or Malcolm will attend the event, though Stewart and Dourif will be there on Sunday. For more information, check out LFCC’s official site.

Colm Meaney to live on ‘Mars’
Two weeks ago, we reported that the American version of Life on Mars starring TNG/DS9’s Colm Meaney (Miles O’Brien) was hitting some stumbling blocks which could result in a re-shoot of the pilot and even some re-casting. This week, ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson tells us that the show is on track, that they are ahead of schedule with scripts, and that production is ready to go. Also, the production was moved from Los Angeles to New York. However, there is still no word on whether or not Meaney or any of the other principal cast will be replaced. According to SyFy Portal, however, it is believed that Meaney is still on board. See MediaWeek for more.

Chris Pine is bottle shocked
The trailer for Bottle Shock, the upcoming film starring Chris Pine (James T. Kirk in 2009’s Star Trek), is now available online; you can check it out below, via YouTube. The movie, which chronicles the events leading up to the famous Paris Tastings of 1976, will open in limited release on August 1st.

TrekBits

• A movie about the Underground Railroad starring LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge) and entitled Follow the Drinking Gourd will be screened at Silver Spring Library’s African American Film Circle on June 19th. (Washington Post)
• Also according to The Washington Post, DS9 star Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisko) attended Tuesday’s performance of Antony and Cleopatra at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, followed a dinner with the director and the American Theatre Critics Association conference.
• DS9’s Armin Shimerman (Quark) describes the trailer reuse option seen on SAG’s day-player TV contracts in his latest The Fine Print column.
• Production has wrapped on the Friday the 13th remake starring DS9’s Nana Visitor (Kira Nerys) as the mother of Jason Vorhees. (Bloody Digusting)
• The Man from Earth, written by Trek writherJerome Bixby and starring ENT regular John Billingsley (Phlox), will be released on DVD on July 7th (DVD Times)
• Trek movie stars James Cromwell (Zefram Cochrane, ST:FC) and Stephen Collins have voted in support of AFTRA’s tentative primetime TV contract; other actors feel differently. (The Hollywood Reporter)