CelebWatch: Stardate 05.30.08

This week in the Watch, we have news on Patrick Stewart wrapping up his Macbeth gig, Wikipedia giving Wil Wheaton trouble, Brent Spiner meeting his Italian dubber, an update on Simon Pegg’s next movie, Blalock talking T’Pol, Russ back directing, new work for some Trek villains, and more.

Stewart’s Macbeth ends Broadway run
Out, damned spot! And take the bald guy with you! Rupert Goold’s acclaimed production of Macbeth starring Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) ended its run at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre with its May 24th performance. Up next for Stewart is a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet in which he plays King Claudius opposite Doctor Who‘s David Tennant in the title role. This play opens August 5th at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Courtyard Theatre (following previews which begin on July 24th), according to Playbill. Before he went off, Stewart did a couple of video interviews online: One with WCBS and one with Broadway.com (below).

Wil ready to Trek again + not a valid source on himself
Actor/writer Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) was interviewed by Geeks of Doom and talked various geek things like videogames, and such. He was also asked if he would be interested in coming back to Trek in a potential sequel to JJ Abrams Star Trek, and it said it would depend:

It would really depend on the role. I’m a huge science fiction fan and I am enormous Star Trek fan as well. LeVar Burton and I were the two cast members on Next Generation who were kind of proud of our love of the original Star Trek and we kind of talked about it, y’know, in a lot in interviews. There was a time when I was a teenager where I kind of pretended that I didn’t like it because we had sibling rivalry with the original series, but the truth is my entire life I’ve been all about Star Trek. So, the opportunity to be in Star Trek like the new one is absolutely tantalizing, but I honestly wouldn’t be interested in going back and playing the same character.

Wheaton also seems to be having Wikitroubles, telling Film Stew about one of the few online locations on which he has little influence: his own Wikipedia page:

I would change the information on my Wikipedia page and then Wikipedia editors would go back in and revert it. They would say that I wasn’t a good source about myself. I think the only other person who has had more annoying and amusing Wikipedia wars on his own page would be [author] John Scalzi.

I would like to remind everyone that Wil will be appearing on this Friday’s episode of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show, which premieres at 5:30pm. Sounds interesting, and it’s sure to beat going to see Sex and the City with your wife or girlfriend, so don’t miss it!

Spiner does Italian
As we reported last week, Brent Spiner was among the guests at the Star Trek Italian Club Convention which took place from May 22nd through the 25th. While there Spiner met Marco Mete, the man who dubs his voice for the Italian version of TNG. It made for a pretty interesting (and humorous) exchange (see below).

Italian Data meets American Data

Russ directing ‘Divas’
Tim Russ (Tuvok) is currently directing a film project called The Divas of Novella, which is described as a “campy, Barbarella– type story” and a “sexy and adventurous space epic,” according to TimRussTribute.com. Russ also co-scripted the picture. The cast of this film includes Trek veterans Gary Graham (whose Trek roles include Soval on Enterprise) and Crystal Allen (D’Nesh in ENT’s “Bound”), both of whom worked with Russ on Of Gods and Men. According to the project web site, a sneak peak is coming soon, so stay tuned.

Tim Russ is either directing a scene from his new movie or he’s about to grab something he shouldn’t.

Blalock: ‘Troopers’ a big change from ‘Enterprise
The ultra-sexy Jolene Blalock (T’Pol) was at the New York Comic Con along with her Starship Troopers 3 castmates to promote their film, which comes to DVD and Blu-ray on August 5th (see DVD details at Shock Till You Drop). Jolene was asked by AMC TV if her Troopers character, Lola Beck, was a big change from her role as T’Pol on Star Trek: Enterprise. The actress replied:

It was, because T’Pol was so reserved and didn’t really show a lot of emotion. When you lay out your career and the types of roles you want to do, this is right in the meat of what you love, because you’re going to have fun. These are the type of movies that are just a blast to do.

Jolene Blalock being her sexy self at the New York Comic Con.

Pegg’s ‘Paul’ update
While promoting his new flick How to Lose Friends and Alienate People at the Cannes Film Festival, Simon Pegg (Scotty in the new Trek flick) gave IGN an update on his next film, simply titled Paul.

I just finished a script with my writing partner Nick Frost…we’re going to shoot it later this year or early next year. It’s a road movie set in America about two British comic book geeks that get into an adventure across America. Write what you know as they say.

Pegg says he has a director for the film in mind, but would only say “It’s someone really cool.” Betcha it’s him. Pegg also confirmed that he, Frost, and Edgar Wright (the team from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) will be collaborating on a third movie provisionally titled World’s End. In more Pegg news, the actors talked about Gwyneth Paltrow, the failed US adaptation of Spaced, and (a little) Trek in an interview at Metro.

McDowell returning to ‘Heroes’ + talks about being the villain
Star Trek Generations baddie Malcolm McDowell (Dr. Tolian “Oh my God! You killed Kirk! You bastard!” Soran) says that he’s coming back for more Heroes. From The Guardian:

I’m going back on Heroes … although I’m not sure I should let that out of the bag because they killed me last time I was in it!

On Heroes, McDowell played Mr. Linderman, a villainous businessman with the ironic ability to heal others. He appeared in three episodes, the last of which left the character with a gaping hole in his head. We’ll see how Linderman is worked back into the show when Heroes returns this fall. In the meantime, McDowell says he couldn’t be more different than the villainous characters he’s known for playing:

…people like to see me as a villain. Whenever you play such a seminal role as Alex in A Clockwork Orange, you’re always
labeled with that. ‘m not a violent person. But playing those types of roles has caused problems in how people perceive me. Princess Margaret turned to me once at a private dinner party and said, “My husband tells me you did a film about rape.”

F. Murray Abraham stuff
Star Trek: Insurrection villain F. Murray Abraham (Ru’afo) had a few things going on this week. He will be narrating Biblical texts for performances of the Genesis Suite as part of Seattle Symphony’s Coming to America Festival on May 29th and 31st; see SeattleSymphony.com for more information on that. In addition, his TV movie Shark Swarm premiere on the Hallmark Channel on May 25th; see LA Times for more. Lastly, the Seattle Times has an interview with Abraham, which you can read here. Enjoy!

Foxworth joins ‘August’ in June
Actor Robert Foxworth, who played a bad Starfleet admiral in DS9’s “Homefront” and “Paradise Lost” and a bad Vulcan in ENT’s “The Forge,” “The Awakening,” and “Kir’Shara,” is joining the cast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play August: Osage County. Playbill reports that Foxworth will step into the role of Charlie on June 17th, replacing two-time VOY and one-time ENT guest star Francis Guinan. The play is being performed at Broadway’s Music Box Theatre.

Underage Yelchin helps launch new booze
Two weeks ago Anton Yelchin (Chekov in the new Trek film) attended a launch party for Right Gin in Hollywood, California. The legal age to drink in California is 21 and Yelchin just recently turned 19…but you’re never too early to practice.

Anton Yelchin (left) helping launch a beverage he can’t drink for two years,
with Josh Richman (head of ‘The Alliance’ party promotion company)

TrekBits

• The four-hour Canadian mini-series Everest, which stars William Shatner (Denny Cr… er, James T. Kirk), will premiere on CBC Television on August 31st at 8pm. (Channel Canada)
• Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand) mingled with Boy Scouts and astronauts as a guest at the Scout Con 2008 at the Tampa Convention Center in Tampa Bay, Florida, on May 24th. (St. Petersburg Times)
• Jonathan Frakes (Will Riker, Thomas Riker, director) hosted the Riley School’s 20th annual fundraising auction in Knox County, Maine, on May 23rd. (Village Soup)
• Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway) narrates a show called “The Planets” will will premiere at the Rauch Planetarium at the University of Louisville on May 31st. (University of Louisville)
• Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan) will host The Fire Island Dance Festival in Fire Island Pines, New York, on July 19th. (Broadway World)
• Actor Stephen Collins (TMP’s Will Decker) did a program on poet Robert Frost at the North Hampton Public Library in New Hampshire on May 28th. Seacoast Online
• Laurence Luckinbill (Sybok) will participate in a panel discussion of the play The Boys in the Band at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on June 16th. (Playbill)
• The Summit, a mini-series starring Bruce Greenwood (ST09’s Christopher Pike), Christopher Plummer (STVI’s General Chang), and Stephen McHattie (“It’s a FAAAAAKE!”) will premiere on ION Network Television on Sunday, June 15th. (Business Wire via Earth Times)
• Coming off the cancellation of his sitcom Back to You, TNG cameo-maker Kelsey Grammer (Capt. Morgan Bateson) has been cast in an ABC pilot called Roman’s Empire, shooting on which began this past weekend. (Variety)
• Jimmy Bennett, who plays young Jim Kirk in the upcoming Trek flick, will star with James Spader (William Shatner’s Boston Legal co-star) in a family adventure film from Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) entitled Shorts. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Actor Clint Howard (Balok, Grady & Muk) talks a little Trek in a new interview over at UGO.
• DS9/VOY writer Bryan Fuller compares writing for DS9 and writing for his series Pushing Daisies in a report from Variety.
• Here’s a friendly reminder (following our initial report here) that Rene Auberjonois (Odo) stars in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of The Imaginary Invalid at the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington, DC from June 10th through July 27th. (Playbill)

Rene Auberjonois and his secret stash in a publicity photo for The Imaginary Invalid

Happy birthday, Colm!
Today (Friday, May 30th) marks the 55th birthday of actor Colm Meaney, known to us Trekkies for his role as Chief Miles O’Brien on TNG & DS9. Other Trek luminaries who celebrated birthdays these week include:

• Martin Chomsky (79) – director of three TOS episodes
• Julie Cobb (61) – Yeoman Leslie Thompson in TOS: “By Any Other Name”
• Joan Collins (75) – Edith Keeler in TOS: “The City on the Edge of Forever”
• Kevin Conway (66) – Kahless in TNG’s “Reighful Heir”
• Ethan Dampf (14) – Lorillan child in ENT’s “Broken Bow”
• Susan Diol (44) – Carmen Davila in TNG’s “Silicon Avatar” and Dr. Denara Pel on VOY
• David Dozoretz (37) – senior previsualization supervisor on 2009’s Star Trek
• Harlan Ellison (74) – colorful writer of TOS: “The City on the Edge of Forever”
• John Gabriel (77) – some unnamed and likely unimportant crewman in TOS: “The Corbomite Maneuver”
• Cynthia Gouw (45) – Caithlin Dar in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
• Alex Henteloff (66) – Dr. Nichols in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Patrick Horgan (79) – Eneg in TOS: “Patterns of Force”
• Richard Lee Jackson (29) – Danny Webb in DS9’s “Past Tense, Part I” & “Part II”
• Werner Keppler (79) – make-up artist on Star Trek II and TNG’s first season
• Jeffrey L. Kimball (65) – Director of Photography on Star Trek Nemesis
• Jacob Kogan (13) – Spock as a child in 2009’s Star Trek
• Hal Landon, Jr. (67) – Miral in DS9’s “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”
• Paul Robert Langdon (20) – Dean Torres in VOY’s “Lineage”
• Beverly Leech (49) – Dayla in VOY’s “Nightingale”
• Scott Leva (50) – stuntman and stunt actor on all Trek spin-off series and Star Trek VI
• Lee Meriwether (73) – Losira in TOS: “That Which Survives”
• Tom Morello (44) – Rage Against the Machine guitarist who cameoed in Star Trek: Insurrection and in VOY’s “Good Shepherd”
• Michael J. Pollard (69) – Jahn in TOS: “Miri”
• Kelly Port (41) – Digital Domain’s Associate Visual Effects Supervisor on Star Trek Nemesis
• Mark A. Sheppard (44) – Leucon in VOY’s “Child’s Play”
• Michelan Sisti (59) – Tol in TNG’s “Bloodlines”
• Clement von Franckenstein (64) – gentleman in TNG’s “Ship in a Bottle”
• Darlene Williams (??) – stunt performer on Star Trek: Insurrection
• Melissa Young (41) – Caprice in DS9’s “Our Man Bashir”

To everyone listed here (and those who, for whatever reason, are not), happy birthday from TrekMovie.com!