NYCC VIDEO: Watch Star Trek: TNG Stars Talk 2016 Movie Cameos + Trek After Roddenberry’s Death + More

tngreunion

This weekend New York Comic Con has returned to The Big Apple with another Star Trek: TNG reunion as part of the festivities for Friday night. TrekMovie was there to bring you video highlights from the event, including the stars talking about cameos for the 2016 Star Trek movie, discussing Trek pre and post-death of creator Gene Roddenberry and Patrick Stewart even demonstrated his (bad) French accent. Get the details and watch the video clips below.

TNG Reunion at NYCC

LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Patrick Stewart, along with John de Lancie, took part in an event reuniting cast members from Star Trek: The Next Generation at the Hammerstein Ballroom on Friday, October 10th. William Shatner emceed the event before an audience of New York Comic Con goers and after quick intro, Bill invited questions from the audience, mostly eliciting testimonials from fans (one person thanked the cast for helping him get out of parking tickets because he and the ticketing police officer shared a love of the show).

TNG Stars (mostly) not interested in ST2016 Cameos, except Sirtis who wants to be Nurse Chapel

In the early part of the proceedings, I was able to ask the cast if they were interested in making a cameo in the forthcoming Star Trek film (specifically, playing a different role from their original character). Several cast members expressed skepticism towards the idea, except for Marina Sirtis and to a more humorous degree, Brent Spiner and Denise Crosby. Here is a summary of their reactions:

Levar Burton: "Playing a character that isn’t Geordi LaForge?…That would be a no." 

Brent Spiner (joked): "I would certainly be honored to be in the third Star Trek film, playing all of the characters. And all of their families.

Gates McFadden: "I’m gonna have to pass on that."

Patrick Stewart: "I think it would smack of kind of ‘cute’ casting to have any of us in the Star Trek movie…I just think it would be a little awkward…For me, Levar said it in one word, ‘no.’"

Michael Dorn: "No…I agree with Patrick. At a certain point it just gets to be a little too much."

Marina Sirtis: "Yes! And I would be nurse Chapel."

John DeLancie: "It would put a lie to the notion that I am immortal, I’m afraid. It’s somebody else’s dinner party and if they are going to invite me, I’ll think about it then, but I don’t even think about it."

Denise Crosby: "I would probably want to play Karl Urban’s lover – I’m sorry, mother! I’m so sorry."

You can watch their responses in the video below

Sirtis: Gene Roddenberry would never let Star Trek: Deep Space Nine happen

Another audience member asked the cast to respond to idea that the show veered away from Gene Roddenberry’s hopeful vision of humanity’s future in the time following his death in 1991. While the actors were mindful to qualify their answers with the utmost respect for their show’s creator, the group sentiment was that storytelling improved through Rick Berman’s guidance towards exploring the interpersonal dynamics among the crew. During this discussion, Marina Sirtis recalled that Gene Roddenberry "hated" the concept of the forthcoming "Deep Space Nine" series and openly expressed his opposition before his death- thus conflicting with the long-standing claim by that show’s producers who said Roddenberry had given them his blessing.

Watch the discussion below:

Stewart demonstrates bad French accent

One lighthearted moment came when a fan asked why the Jean Luc Picard spoke with a British accent and not a French accent. Stewart said that deep in the vaults of Paramount was test footage of him as Picard with a French accent. He then demonstrated his ‘Clouseau-like’ Picard.

Overall, the reunion focused on the impact of the series (now 20 years removed from its first run) and how it will continue to reside in homes around the world for many generations to come.

 

Adam Cohen is a member of PreOrder66.com, a toy collecting podcast, who also writes obsessively about Star Trek and his cat on his Twitter feed @TheJackSack

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Stewart said it best. It would smack of “cute” casting. Like having will aim Shatner play Uncle Alan or some other ridiculous idea.

They seem to be making the rounds on these comic cons but its nice to see them out there, every where. However, they must have a real hectic pace to be at all these things,

Although it was, of course, tragic, Roddenberry’s death was probably the best thing that ever happened to Star Trek. It would be cool, but unnecessary, to see the TNG cast cameo as other characters in Trek XIII. It would be even cooler to see De Lancie appearing as Q, like in the comics.

I Wouldnt Mind See Picard and Data, together again!

I would love see these guys & the cast of DS9 in a 50th anniversary TV movie/miniseries in 2016.

These guys deserve their own reality show! Lifestyles of the Trek and Famous. I love these convention appearances!

#3. Legate Damar – October 11, 2014

Well, Q does seem obsessed with Picard so it wouldn’t be that big a leap to have him in his infinite curiosity about all things Picard follow him into the Nexus.

Once there, I suppose he could become interested in Kirk and his friendship with Spock. Make a Faustian deal with Kirk to save his friend. Put provisos on the deal:

1. Can’t tell anyone in the alt universe that he’s f.rom any other one.
2. Have to enter the alt universe aged 20 years.

Why? He’s Q, maybe it’s his cockamamie way of preserving MWI?

This way Kirk can tell altKirk he is his future self, but it’s a red herring, and now Prime Kirk has to keep an eye in young Kirk who thinks he can’t die?

Just mulling it around.

I’d love to see these guys working on Trek… but, not in the next movie. Perhaps games or — PLEASE — an animated series.

Can TrekMovie post “Chaos on the Bridge,” since it still hasn’t shown up in the US (that I know of.)

Other than Stewart, the others would be lucky to get to cameo.

yeah agreed with Patrick it would be cute and pointless,now if they was away for them to play their characters in the film yeah if it logical and feels right,the first part of the q comic is out and picard is in it and yeah it feels right and plays out right

I am delighted that most of this cast of poor bit actors declined being in the next Star Wrek film.

Marina Sirtis should seek employemnet as a waitress at Deny’s…a position I cansee her being awsome at. (Not personnelly, i don’t go to Deny’s LOL)

it’s the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, 1966. it’s a TOS party, the TNG cast need not attend.

I can tell you one thing : the french version of all Star Trel movies or series (except TOS which was canadian) are so awful that it wouldn’t be worse if the original cast had spoken in french :)

One thing also for your curiosity : the opening speech of Star Trek TOS in french begins not with “Espace, la dernière frontière” (=”space, the final frontier”) but with “Espace, frontière de l’infini” (=”space, the infinity frontier”)

Et voilà.

Sad. Every month they meet at a con to tell the same old stories.

@14 French Trekker

I found it strange that the actors hat different dubbing voices in the series and the movies in the french version. Why did they change the voices several times?

I remember johnathan frakes and marina sirtis were joking around on the insurrection DVD behind the scenes saying, there would be a new series called”the Rikers”
It would involve them, their whacky uncle data and dog Worf

I Khan Believe…
Take a good look. This is a resume any actor would be proud of (excuse me, they’re actors; make that envious of) — and that includes before, during, and after Trek. She’s got several in the pipeline right now. Even if you corrected your crappy spelling, I don’t think Marina would be caught dead working at Denny’s.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000642/?ref_=nv_sr_1

#12 problem was Patrick. The guy is such a fine actor the others just never measured up. Though I will spare a comment for just how exceptionally poor and inconsistent Mr Frakes was. I like the guy and his Directorial work is very good (I may be the only person on the planet that enjoyed Thunderbirds!) but boy, he isn’t the strongest actor.
Ever see his guest appearance on Third Rock From The Sun? Cringeworthy.

And Levar Burton too. Now he had the credentials and experience but I hadn’t seen acting as hammy since Burt Ward donned the Robin costume.

‘Holy warp injectors, Captain (smacks fist into palm) we have a leak in the reactor’
At least Burt Ward seemed to realise he was in a pantomime but played it seriously. Burton, on the other hand, must have known he was in a serious sci-fi show but seemed to think it was a panto!

Nah, they aren’t needed in 2016 and its nice that they know it.

I LOVED Thunderbirds! And can’t WAIT for next years new show and the 50th celebration.

I was at NYCC this weekend but didn’t attend this as it was kinda pricey. I wanted to spend my money on stuff,lol!

J-R!

I love the movie “Thunderbirds” as well.

“Nah, they aren’t needed in 2016 and its nice that they know it.”

What does that mean?
None of the TNG cast need be in the next Star Trek film, nor, for that matter, are any of the original cast needed in the film.
As far as being part of the great Star Trek franchise that is, Yes, they can share in the 50th anniversary celebrations in 2016, just as everybody else can.

Frakes was easily the second best actor on TNG… I can’t believe what i’m reading.

I agree with Patrick Stewart. The next movie is a TOS-centered film, just like the last two were. The TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT characters don’t belong in it.

However, I would support a direct-to-dvd/blu ray TNG animated movie along the lines of the DCUniverse series that’s done very well.

BTW, I agree with Marina Sirtis’ assertion that DS9 would not have happened as it did had Gene Roddenberry been alive and well and in charge at that point. Roddenberry was fixated on the notion of a conflictless utopia where no one had any flaws.

DS9 had one episode — “In The Pale Moonlight”– that had Captain Sisko being complicit in the assassination of a Romulan senator by Garak. There were also episodes dealing with war and torture — things that Roddenberry eschewed in his later years.

And I think a lot of the writers at that point were glad he was no longer around, even though they would never admit it publicly.

Frakes was a decent actor — not bad, but not great, either. He’s a better director. “First Contact” was great, and “Insurrection”s problems were more to do with the script.

He’s been directing episodes of numerous shows for years now.

Yes to TNG cast making a exploration mystery video game on the Enterprise D

Q borg lore time travel with lots of puzzles like myst and resident evil

I wish star trek online did that

I am afraid the ship has ready sailed for TNG. When Star Trek: TMP premiered, it was only ten and one half years after the last new TOS was broadcast. The six OG Trek films were made in a space of 12 years, and were, with the exception of Generations, a grand last hurrah for TOS. TNG has been gone 20 years, and their last film was 12 years gone…. They already had their last hurrah. The last two TNG films were clear evidence that that team had overstayed their welcome, and further TNG was unsustainable.

Trek has moved on. One or two more JJ-Verse films, and a new TV series will be pretty much a done deal.

I do love the idea of an animated TNG series with as many of tbe original cast as are willing, to provide a point of entry that children and their families could enjoy together. Who would have believed tbe SW: Clone Wars series would have been so much fun?

The Marvel, DC, and Star Wars have guaranteed demand by diversifying their products that dovetail within each universe. When CBS gets that, they will prosper.

I love it when the original cast reads for an audiobook. William Shatner in Ashes to Eden and his other books or Leonard Nimoy in Spock, Yesterday’s Son, Entropy Effect and the Vulcan’s Forge series. Jonathan Frakes was AWESOME in Imzadi. I wish they would keep doing these at a faster rate. It is a fun way to hear your favorite characters again!! And I vote YES! for some sort animated story/movie with Next Gen / Voyager and DS9 characters. THAT WOULD BE EPIC! Make it so….

@16 William

I suppose it’s because Trek is not very popular here in France. Paramount France (for the movies) and the networks that aired TNG, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise must have not contracted with the same dubbing company, meaning different voice cast, meaning different quality etc …

Anyway, real Trek fans here watch only in original version. The french version was too… disconnected from what the original voices are. They even didn’t try to find some approaching voice.

That’s neverthless a shame provided that it won’t contribute in my opinion to make Trek a bit more appealing to the french public.

But, the last two J.J. movies were correctly voice casted with for example the french voice for Quinto (used also in Heroes) so that people can identify the actor. Old Spock voice is also fine (it’s the french voice of Ian Holm’s Bilbo Baggins). And the better voice in my opinion is Captain Pike (the french voice for actor Dennis Quaid) it’s really close to the original. A mention also to Zoe Saldana who’s voiced by the same french actress for a long time.

@28 French Trekker

“Captain Pike (the french voice for actor Dennis Quaid)”

Interesting. In Germany Captain Pike was dubbed by the standard voice of Philip Seymour Hoffman.

I think one reason why Star Trek isn’t as successful in other countries as in the USA, UK, etc., (although it is quite successful in France, Germany and Italy) is the quality of dubbing. Not the translation which is quite o.k. but the changing voices for the actors. In most countries the voices of the main actors change during the show or they use different voices for the series and the movies. I wonder why Paramount/CBS don’t take care of that. It is very strange when voices of characters are changing. Sometimes you can not avoid that, for example in case of death of a dubbing voice.

@15
Its a different audience. Same stories, yes. Different fans. I think the cast of TNG and the other series should be applauded for going out to all of these cons to meet with the fans.

For those who tire of it – just stop reading the story.

Nice – they used my old Enterprise rendering as background. Would have been nice to be asked, of course…

I was there, and the most touching story was that from Denice about going to Serbia to film Trekkies2…it is humbling to know that Star Trek, in any carnation, can be the hope for humanity in some dark hours….

Bravo to all involved with Gene Rodenberries legacy!

sorry Rodenberry’s Legacy

I actually don’t know what people are complaining about. These actors are in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. Some are in their seventh decade of life. We are lucky to see them interact with one another in joy and happiness.

No one truly believes that lightning will strike twice and that there will be another TNG, let alone TOS. But it’s really a great honor, not to mention source of entertainment, to see our Trek friends get up and stage and be humorous and light-hearted. What else could you hope for?

Thank you, cast and crew of all the Treks, for being such great guys and gals. I am delighted to see you at the conventions and hope to see you many times in the decades to come.

Live long, as they say. And prosper!

What, couldn’t provide the entire panel video? Not fair!

Tobias Richter: The Gold Standard for Trek CG excellence. And quite right. :)

I guess Marina just said that because she alsways points out that she was very very close to Majel Barrett.

Sorry, Roddenberry’s creation extends beyond Roddenberry. Thankfully. He had tunnel vision. His disdain for human imperfection as a theme, and for conflict between the idealized core characters was ludicrous.

The initial vision of the TNG universe was extremely antiseptic.

Seriously, why do some fans treat him like a God whose opinions were sacred?

Loons.

You GR sycophants needs to breathe some fresh air. Get out of the basement.

The dolt who said MS should get a waitressing job… what did she say that was inaccurate? We have a pretty clear record of what he said regarding storytelling, and MS’s assertion that he would have disapproved of DS9 is perfectly logical and consistent.

Wake up to truth.

Someone actually said Frakes was the second best actor in TNG? Uhhh, come on, Brent Spiner is easily number 2 behind Stewart.

I like Frakes. He played a wooden commander well and as the series progressed, he added some warmth.

The problem with the films as far as the acting goes is, because it was treated as an ensemble, they tried to shoehorn the actors into unfamiliar roles, giving them lines and parts that their characters otherwise wouldnt have, particularly Troi and Crusher. Or they got goofy lines like Laforge in First Contact gushing over Cochrane.

The people who love GR, I think, are original TOS’ers. Im right in the middle. I grew up on TOS re-runs and loved TNG. but I was young enough to not see a distinction between the two. It was all Star Trek to me. It’s okay to accept that GR was a hinderence to Trek by the time TNG rolled around and not be forced to turn in your TOS fan club card.

I don’t begrudge these actors for doing convention circuits -they are all still working steadily but it’s a nice steady supplemental income and the fans around the world appreciate it.

Adam, after all these years chatting to you on this forum, going back to almost day one, I’m thrilled to see you’re now writing here! Good on you mate!! :)

Wow, what does that tell you when ACTORS say that it’s not a good idea? With the exception of Stewart, these careers are colder than Klingon revenge and yet they don’t want to impugn the dignity of the proceedings with hammy cameos.

I can see Shatner wanting to do it; after all, it was his performance as Kirk that launched and sustained the whole thing. It would nice bow on the 50th anniversary package.

I heard that this panel got cut short cause audience members were asking inappropriate questions.