Star Trek The Next Generation’s Jonathan Frakes will be appearing at the Boston SuperMegaFest this weekend and in a new interview to promote the event he talked about various things Trek from his auditions, to his beard, to his future as Riker. We also have pics of Frakes and some TNG co-stars from the wrap party from Frakes’ third Librarian TV movie.
The Bearded one speaks
excerpts from the WorcesterTelegram & Gazette
Frakes on his his level of Trekdom
I was not much of a sci-fi fan. I had certainly heard of ‘Star Trek’ but I didn’t know anything about the place it had in the popular culture. I know (Michael) Dorn (who played Lt. Commander Worf) was a big trekkie, and Wil Wheaton, (who played Wesley Crusher), obviously. But, for the rest of us, it was a gig. As it became successful, we realized that we really stepped into something, and it was a privilege to be part of the legacy and the family.
…on auditioning for TNG:
There were a lot of auditions for the show. I auditioned seven times. Patrick (Stewart who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard), I think, auditioned both with and without a wig. I’ve often said getting the job was harder than doing the job.
…on the beard (introduced in Season 2)
The beard was my idea. After, it was approved by Gene (Roddenberry) And, of course, in the great tradition of producers it became their idea.
….
Between the Klingon and the android and the bald English captain and the beautiful empath and the red-headed doctor and black guy with this little visor, you had to chisel out your own little territory yourself,” Frakes said.
…and when asked if he would play Riker again, he said:
I just need to be asked.
Librarian & Leverage wrap party
Frakes who directed many Trek episodes and two Trek feature films continues to direct, recently completing the third of the Librarian TV movie series for TNT. The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice, starring Noah Wyle airs Dec. 7 on TNT. Frakes has also directed two episodes of Leverage, a modern day Insurance guy turned Robin Hood show, for TNT.
On Wednesday TNT held a wrap part for both the Librarian and Leverage, and Frakes was there along with a couple of his TNG co-stars.
Frakes
Marina Sirtis (Troi)
Michael Dorn (Worf)
Dorn and Sirtis
Hmm… a Titan movie….
I can see this.
First? Can’t wait for the new Librarian movie…
nice to see Dorn and Marina again :) Frakes is class all the way. He should produce a Star Trek Animated show!
Just call him. The TNG cast minus Picard and Data would work for me. Stwart and Spiner had their chances with 4 Trek movies. Those were never ensemble films, sadly. Now give this man a chance already…
Boy I really miss these characters…..
Riker has a bear?!
And what’s with Troi’s face? Did she get a vacuum hose stuck on her nose?
They just need to find a *good* script for a new TNG-based movie… and I admit it would be very nice to have at least a proper send off for TNG.
I always liked Frakes. He was always genuine and was never a Trek fan until teh show. I saw the Making of First Contact and he was a great Director. Would be great to do some Star Trek: Titan TV movies in the same vein as the Stargate movies.
I wonder if some up and coming TV producer turned movie director some 20 years from now will recast TNG folks and NON-Reboot the franchise.
I miss them too.
Something is amiss with Marina. She usually is a very beautiful person, but something is definately off..
It’s funny how I like Jonathan Frakes more than I liked his character, Will Riker. Not that I didn’t like Riker, but Frakes just seems like a really cool guy. He’s probably a great dad.
By the way, Frakes and Dorn are really nice guys. They’re a few of the real deal in Hollywood.
Yeah it is sad, that the only two people always being “over Trek” or “not feeling it anymore” were Spiner an Stewart. The rest of the TNG cast always loved coming back, although being the ones left out of the major storylines, resembling walking talking props, rather than the capable bunch of people they are. Given the chance, and a script to show that off would’ve shown that.
“Star Trek The Next Generation’s Jonathan Frakes will be appearing at the Boston SuperMegaFest this weekend and in a new interview to promote the event he talked about various things Trek from his auditions, to his bear to his future as Riker.”
Yeah, I’m seing nothing here at all about his pet bear.
I remember being like 6 or 7 years old and meeting Michael Dorn when he was doing ChiPs. I had an Uncle who was with the CHP and was an extra. Took me on set and I met the cast. Michael Dorn was a class guy.
10. mntrekfan –
“Something is amiss with Marina. She usually is a very beautiful person, but something is definately off..”
Hm, let’s see. It’s been twenty years (twenty!) since TNG debuted. She lives in southern California (along with the other B’aku and S’ona). Hm, I wonder why she doesn’t look the same…
Man, Sirtis is getting old.
:(
I remember reading that he wanted a beard in the second season because he didn’t like the anology to him looking like Potsy Webber from Happy Days in his first season as Riker. I always liked his Riker character though.
1. That One Guy –
“Hmm… a Titan movie….
I can see this.”
Ugh. Let it go already! These guys are too old — real people their age in the 24th (or 25th) century wouldn’t look as old as the actors who portrayed them look now! Did you see Frakes and Sirtis in the ENT finale? Yikes! Those spandex uniforms are unforgiving! I’m forty years old myself and I don’t wanna look at that!
Yeah, aging sucks. Until you compare it to the alternative. Then it doesn’t look quite so bad!
;-)
18. Richard Daystrom –
“I remember reading that he wanted a beard in the second season because he didn’t like the anology to him looking like Potsy Webber from Happy Days in his first season as Riker. I always liked his Riker character though.”
That’s funny, Potsy Webber (Anson Williams) directed some Trek episodes later. And Ralph Malph was on VOY! And Lenny from Laverne & Shirley was on VOY, too! And Squiggy was on TNG as a Ferengi!! And even Mork wanted to be on TNG but it never happened…
Think he could be in the new movie in the Post Nemesis era?? He did go and visit the stage once….
A Titan TV show would be great and if this film is a success then they should seriously consider it.
Paramount would be stupid not to do this, the guy is crying out to be called, but then again, so was Shatner…
Anthony (and staff), it’s the “Worcester” Telegram & Gazette. Sorry, that typo just stood out to me since I’m from Massachusetts. Thanks for the posting.
I could totally see a Next Gen animated series, either focused on the USS Titan, or the Enterprise-E under Riker’s command, since Patrick Stewart would never do it. (They might entice him back for the occasional guest star role, though.)
However, Frakes, Sirtis and Dorn would totally do it and even Spiner might be willing to do it, since makeup and the “aging” of the character wouldn’t be an issue for him anymore. But no B-9… please!
I’d totally watch it.
No more animated Trek, please. This ain’t Star Wars.
Howabout spending some of that “Librarian” dough on made for sci-fi Titan T-V- movies? Riker-Troi, Ambassador Worf, etc. surely have some miles left on them when the burden of bringing in 100 million is taken off of them.
As fate has it this reminds me of the mid 90’s when all the classic cast was aging(now they are honored icons) going around waiting for the call(that never came) to get the band together for another adventure. Maybe its time they started righting their autobiographies.
Any body catch Dorn on cold case recently? Classy guy. I saw him at a con when TNG was still on, he showed up in a flight suit! Having left his F-86 Sabrejet on the runway at San Diego Airport! I got my autograph and asked him what he thought about his recently released Playmates action figure to which he grimaced at the thought of his grimacing figure, he basically seemed dissapointed his figure was in a perpetual growl, the later figures had him with a more dignified expression.
Time is the fire in which we burn…
# 21
Yeah, I don’t remember where I read that, but know I read it somewhere. I admit that my first impression of him was that it was Potsy. And no intended offense to the actor who played Potsy, I just can’t remember his name. Happy Days was a Paramount Product.
#25:
Why should Star Wars corner the market on sci-fi animation? Besides, ST:TAS was extremely well written, even though it’s crudely animated by today’s standards.
WB has shown how to do comic-book animation right with Batman… why shouldn’t Star Trek benefit from a culture that’s much more open to various forms of storytelling in the animation medium?
Open your mind.
27. Richard Daystrom – November 21, 2008
“# 21
Yeah, I don’t remember where I read that, but know I read it somewhere. I admit that my first impression of him was that it was Potsy. And no intended offense to the actor who played Potsy, I just can’t remember his name. Happy Days was a Paramount Product.”
Anson Williams played Potsy. He also directed four episodes of Voyager and two of DS9.
Jonathan Frakes is still a hottie after all these years! *MUAH!* :-)
I loved TNG…
it was my first Trek…
To me TNG was the 7 seasons and Generations and First Contact….too bad they focused so much on Picard and Data and ignored pretty much everyone else.
They could have made some great movies on par with the TOS crew.
http://www.lightyearmodels.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/caprica75/GenerationsDio#
28. Marvin the Martian – November 21, 2008
“#25:
Why should Star Wars corner the market on sci-fi animation? Besides, ST:TAS was extremely well written, even though it’s crudely animated by today’s standards.
WB has shown how to do comic-book animation right with Batman… why shouldn’t Star Trek benefit from a culture that’s much more open to various forms of storytelling in the animation medium?
Open your mind.”
Didn’t mean to come across as some old fart. I love animation (would’ve gone into it if there had been an existing field in the mid-80s when I started college but there wasn’t). I dunno why I’m against the idea, really. I guess I’d rather see some live action Trek and I’m tired of all the old-timers runnin’-and-huffin’-and-puffin’ their way through movies (think STV). *Maybe* Titan would work as an animated series. I dunno. You (and others here) are right, Frakes, Sirtis, Dorn and others would likely be up for some Trek voice work. Hell, Stewart does voice work regularly on American Dad. But an animated series? I’m just not sure. I think about that travesty “Beowulf” and just shudder. That was some pretty repulsive shite — animation-wise.
Found a nice interview with Frakes talking about a (then possible) 11th TNG movie
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=30Coklq_pA0
Enjoy!
I think if CBS was smart they would make a Titan movie direct to DVD if that worked a trilogy would be perfect, kind of like what they are doing with Stargate. If that worked they have a whole Universe they could do that with, and different time periods as well. Let’s make some noise and get it done.
TOS TNG and DS9 are the three best Trek series ever. Frakes is awesome.
Riker was a great Trek character. I loved his sense of humor and leadership skills. And Jonathon Frakes has been nothing but respectful and genuine when he reflects about his time on TNG.
I don’t know about some of you, but I enjoy his directing, too. I thought Clockstoppers was a fun movie.
A Captain-Riker-on-the-Titan TV/film/DVD project is the TNG fan equivilent of the Captain-Sulu-on-the-Excelsior movement. Neither one was ever gonna happen. Which is kind of a shame. At best I tolerate TNG but I would like to see Frakes put the suit on again.
“Riker, so Stolid, you weren’t like that before the beard!”
The best ever
Ewwww! Marina looks tragic!
33 – LOL! I must have seen that a million times, and I still laugh at it.
Also, if you click on the photos of Michael Dorn and Dorn with Marina Sirtis, you end up going to a large-size view of the Spock Theatrical Teaser poster for the new movie. Is this an easter-egg, or a big oops?
God bless!
Jonathan Frakes definitley is a nice man in person. I used to work on the Paramount lot back in the 90’s when they were filming Start Trek: First Contact. There was a fund raising auction that contained various Trek items and when the cast members were asked if they would autograph any of them, he was the first in line.
I also vividly remember a time early one morning when I had a meeting with a man named Gary Hasson of Lightspeed Fine Arts concerning a new print that his company was working on. As I was leaving the room, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and almost ran smack into the person that was entering the room. I apologized and as I looked up, I realized that it was Jonathan that I had almost bowled over in my haste, making me feel even more uncomfortable! (It’s never good for one’s job to take down the talent!) Instead of getting angry or bitchy as some actors are known to be, he simply put his hand on my shoulder and said “It’s okay, I haven’t had my coffee yet either.” and smiled. He’s definitely a class act all the way and I really hope that he does get a chance to be the main star in a future Trek film.
Thank you 33 lol
my headphone’s volume was really loud rofl
Marina Sirtis is gorgeous, as always! :)
I know it’s probably not going to happen, but TITAN straight to DVD movies? That’d be incredible!
if harrison ford could do a action/adventure/sci fi well
the TNG cast could do the same, harrison and karen did a comeback indy. why not the TNG cast with Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis do a comeback Trek movie?
i think marina looks beautiful.
Nice hyperlink! Clicking on Michael and Michael/Marina gets you Spock’s teaser poster.
Anthony, are you trying to tell us something?!!
How ’bout a Titan TV mini-series? Come on, Paramount, if some dorky ST geek from podunk Oregon can think of these things, certainly the Paramount people could come up with something.
When the economy takes a dive, entertainment business usually goes up (or at least doesn’t go down too badly) as people turn even more to entertainment during hard times. So I’d think a Titan mini-series could make some money…