CelebWatch: New Interviews With Stewart, Yelchin, Keating and Ryan [Update]

A number of interviews with Star Trek actors, both past and present, have cropped up online over the last few weeks. We have Sir Patrick Stewart discussing X-Men, Anton Yelchin talking Star Trek 2012, and Dominic Keating on… The Hobbit? Also, Jeri Ryan is confirmed for the Mortal Kombat web series. Click “more” for, well… more. [Update]: New video added.

[Update]: Pixar writer-director Brad Bird, who is currently directing Simon Pegg (the new “Scotty”) in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, delivered a taped acceptance speech for receiving a career achievement award at the Annie Awards this weekend. Is it us, or does his speech seem a little… forced?” (jump to 4:30 [SPOILER–highlight to view: for a cameo appearance by Simon Pegg and Tom Cruise])

Dominic Keating talks Enterprise, Star Trek 2009, and waiting for a Hobbit
In an interview with LotsOfInterviews.com, Dominic Keating (Malcolm Reed) discusses his reasons for becoming an actor, his early career in the UK, and his approach to his character on Enterprise. He also talked about auditioning for J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek, which, as we all know now, didn’t pan out:

I don’t think they knew who I was [laughter] I think I went back a couple of times and I’ve got a feeling they did a bit of diligence and they went “oh sorry we didn’t know that” [laughter] The part got cut down to a voice over when I finally got to see it but before they got cut there were a couple of scenes where Kirk’s abusive father caused him to make a dash to the border as it were.

For those who don’t recall, the character to which Keating is referring is that of Jim Kirk’s Uncle Frank. The role ultimately went to Brad William Henke, but his scene was cut from the film and the character reduced to a voice-over provided by Greg Grunberg and credited as “Stepdad.”


Brad William Henke as Uncle Frank, the role Keating auditioned for (and was ultimately cut)

Keating also revealed that he has auditioned for a little film (well, two little films) called The Hobbit and is currently waiting for a callback:

And I’m still waiting to hear on the Hobbit. They’ve been in production a long time to get this going but they lost their director which is maybe why I haven’t heard anything yet so fingers crossed. There’s a couple of parts which I read for and they were pretty good auditions.

TrekMovie.com will let you know if Keating does end up cast in The Hobbit. Like he said, fingers crossed! The full interview, in which Keating discusses other upcoming projects and his shorter-than-expected run on both Heroes and Sons of Anarchy, can be found here.

Sir Patrick talks X-Men and James McAvoy
Speaking with Los Angeles Times‘ Hero Complex, Sir Patrick Stewart (Jean-Luc Picard) says he is pleased with the casting of James McAvoy as Professor Xavier in the upcoming X-Men: First Class. Stewart, who played Xavier in the first three X-Men films and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, praised McAvoy’s talent, saying “it is nice to see a role that you created go forward with someone you admire.” Stewart also claimed that “the best thing” he ever did was a scene for one of the X-Men movies which got cut from the film:

I had to get Xavier’s wheelchair into this elevator and it was just an inch wider than the chair. I worked on it and worked on it; I got to the point that I could zoom right — whoosh – and spin on that wheel and be facing the camera. It was brilliant. It was probably the best scene of my career. It didn’t make it in.

Check out the full interview at Hero Complex. By the way, you’ll be able to hear Stewart in the new CG-animated film Gnomeo and Juliet, which opens this Friday.


The two Xaviers: Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy at the premiere of Gnomeo and Juliet

Anton Yelchin talks Star Trek 2012
In an interview with Cinema Blend, Anton Yelchin (the new Chekov) discussed his new film, Like Crazy, which screened at Sundance and was purchased by Paramount for $4 million. During the discussion, he briefly touched on the prospect of returning for the Star Trek sequel. Asked if he liked knowing another big movie was on the way, he replied:

I guess. It’s mostly the fact that I”ll get to work with these people again. It’s just those people, come together and maybe make another cool movie.


Anton Yelchin in Like Crazy

Check out the full interview at Cinema Blend.

Jeri Ryan returning as Sonya for Mortal Kombat webseries
Star Trek: Voyager’s Seven of Nine, Jery Ryan has confirmed via her Twitter feed that she will be reprising the role of Sonya Blade in the upcoming “Mortal Kombat” web series. Ryan starreed in Kevin Tancharoen’s short film “Rebirth” last year. Tancharoen will also be returning to direct the official digital web series:

“This evening I head to Vancouver to shoot Mortal Kombat! (NOW it’s official)”

Ryan will soon be seen in the ABC midseason series Body of Proof.


Jeri Ryan as “Seven of Nine” in Star Trek: Voyager.

Follow Charles on Twitter at www.twitter.com/charlestrotter.

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Thank you, trekmovie.com! Glad to read these interviews and especially always happy to hear from Sir Patrick. Hope Keating gets in the Hobbit too.

That is all…

Keatings come a long way since “Desmonds”….

James MacAvoy should be much bigger than he is.

Thank you Charles! Good to see Celebwatch back for all of us Trekmovie, erm, Stalkers. ;)

Good luck, Dominic. Got my fingers crossed and you may end up sharing the screen with Doctor Who’s Sylvester McCoy, who’s playing Radaghast!

@ #3 Gingerly, he’s hardly a midget. ;)

I hope Keating gets the job, while Enterprise wasn’t the best series I don’t think the cast deserved to be treated as they were.

I can’t tell you how much I’m glad the whole “Kirk’s abusive Uncle” plot got dropped!

@8… but I dislike that the brother Sam aspect got muddied. That had potential for future storylines that will be a bit harder to work in now. I would tend to think Spock Prime would be sure to prevent at least Jim Kirk’s brother and family from going to Deneva without knowledge of the parasites and how they were stopped….

Hey. Some great stuff here. I hope Keating can get into the Hobbit. Also am Glad that Sir Patrick is happy with X Men 1st Class. As far as Kirks Uncle. Glad they dropped that Idea. I just don’t see Kirk ever having an abussive Uncle. Weather it be the Tos Kirk or Pines Kirk.

Good stuff.

Dominic is a good person, we sat next to him at the counter in the Paradise Cafe for breakfast at the LV Hilton during the 2006 ST Con. We only chatted briefly to thank him, he was there to eat after all. I should have offered to pick up his tab but you only think of these thing afterwards.

I am glad the photo of Seven of 9 was last otherwise I would never have gotten past it to read the entire article. She melts my butter….

Hey I just noticed that Charles Trotter posted this article! I never knew the P2 Scotty was a staffmember here.

Yes, I hope Dominic Keating gets the part in the Hobbit. If so, I guess he will getting aboard a big bird and coming downunder to these parts…Hobbits’ world and Middle Earth…All good.

great article!

Every time I see a picture of Dominic Keating, I just want to punch him in the face. He has one of those annoying faces you know?

@16
his horrible acting compounds the issue too!

i have very itchy knuckles…..

#16

Your statement reminds me of the scene from “The Mummy”:

Evelyn is talking to Rick O’Connell, who is behind bars and Jonathan walks up and butts into the conversation:

Rick O’Connell: “I’m sorry……do I know you?”

Jonathan: Leans toward Rick: “Noooo……heh….I just have one of those faces!”

POW!! Rick punches him in the face; Evelyn, who only cares about finding Humanaptra, almost trips over her fallen brother. :-)

That Brad Bird video is awesome!!

Good luck, Dominic Keating!