Phoenix Comicon kicked into gear on Friday, including panels with three Star Trek: The Next Generation stars: LeVar Burton, Marina Sirits, and Michael Dorn (also of DS9). All three talked about their time with Trek and after. We have photos, highlights and full video. So check that all out below.
PHOENIX COMICON – TNG STARS ON FRIDAY
LeVar Burton
Highlights:
- Announces details on new Reading Rainbow App
- Discussed new TV series Perception with Eric McCormack
- Favorite TNG episodes were the ones "where we didn’t have to wear the space suits" – like playing Holmes and Watson with Spiner as Data
- Hated wearing his VISOR on TNG, it was "screwed" to his head, he couldn’t see and made acting without his eyes very challenging – thinks challenge made him better actor
- Favorite Star Trek memory actually from real life with Brent Spiner being the best man at his wedding with Sirtis, Dorn and others in the wedding party…."my wedding photos are awesome"
- Says that he wanted Geordi to "be the kind of guy people wanted to have a beer with" and he believes he succeeded in doing that with the role
Photos
Levar explains how VISOR was “literally screwed on” to his head
Video
Michael Dorn
Highlights:
- As a fan, actively persued role on Star Trek: The Next Generation…manager asked him "what’s a Klingon?"
- With all the other characters on the show so "happy" he decided to make Worf angry – he was pissed at everyone and everything"
- Hard to say which show he preferred, TNG or DS9, but had more fun working on TNG yet more proud of his work on DS9
- He was especially proud of Worf’s love story arc with Jadzia – noted he loved the YouTube series on the Worf/Jadzia "best Star Trek love story"
- Said compared to the relaxed set of TNG, DS9 was more "like the Vatican," but he got them to loosen up within a few months
- Doesn’t speak Klingon, can’t remember many words/phrases
- Would love to see Paramount do a Worf movie [more details in TrekMovie.com exclusive interview]
- Written a romantic film and hopes to produce, will include TNG friends in cast [more details in TrekMovie.com exclusive interview]
- Got a casting call about the Star Trek sequel, but nothing came of it [more details in TrekMovie.com exclusive interview]
Photos
Video
Marina Sirtis
Highlights:
- Says her nickname for friend Michael Dorn is "Dorny" – implores others to call him that
- Jokes that "Sir Patrick" wouldn’t do press for the feature films until he screened them personally
- Thought that the men on Star Trek: TNG were "hunky" but the big fight scenes from Insurrection were with "three old geezers"
- Feels Troi on TNG was the only "nice" character she has ever played
- Described set of TNG to be like "kindergarten at recess" compared to their Paramount studio "too serious" neighbors on the DS9 set
- Sirtis feels the post Roddenberry shows (DS9, Voyager, Enterprise) "lacked Gene’s humanity"…calls DS9 "third best sci-fi show on at the time" (behind TNG, Babylon 5)
- Sirtis turned down a role in Men in Black (1997) because she didn’t want to do more sci-fi at the time
Photos
Video
check back for update this weekend
TrekMovie.com panel was also held on Friday morning with an (almost) capacity crowd. The fans were very enthusiastic about the upcoming projects in Trek. After a quick summary on the state of Trek, the talk highlighted what Anthony considered the three biggest projects currently in development: Star Trek: The Next Generation in HD/Blu-ray, the upcoming "Star Trek" movie universe console game and (of course) the Star Trek movie sequel. One surprise was how little awareness there was for both the Blu-ray project and the videogame, although the fans were impressed with the preview videos and highlights.
Fans were up to speed on some but not all the news and spoilers for the latest Star Trek movie. It’s noteworthy that after going over the spoilers (including the big ones), fans were polled and with only the exception of about three or four, all said they were excited and optimistic about what they learned. This was a marked difference from last year’s TrekMoive.com panel where fans were closer to evenly split on some of the rumors, especially villain rumors.
More to come + live coverage
TrekMovie will also be covering William Shatner and Wil Wheaton panels on Saturday, plus the Sunday TNG mega-panel with Dorn, Sirtis, Burton, Wheaton and Brent Spiner (who isn’t doing his own solo panel). Stay tuned for reports on those
For live coverage:
- Follow @trekmovie and @startrekcon on Twitter
- Listen to live stream from the main ballroom (w/ Shatner at 1:30 Saturday and TNG mega panel on Sunday at 1:30 Pacific Time) at vtwproductions.com.
Photos by Anthony Pascale, video by Nai Wang, highlights by Erica Anderson
Have to admit that’s some great footage. Just like being there. Technology is amazing
#1 they tried that, it didn’t work.
Will you be posting the panel to Marina like you did for LeVar and Michael? I would love to see it!! Many Thanks!
I think tv movies are a great idea for trek. Dorn’s non-sci-fi movies for Trek fans I’m less certain about. Worf is a great character, and I’d love to see this Worf movie.
I see Levar Burton still refuses to age like a normal human being.
PHXCC2012?
I’ve never heard of that Gate Address before. ;)
Exhausting and fun. At the end of the day, you have to smile. It’s sad to think that we have only one day left to go and it’s all over! It flies by too quickly.
Marina is a lovely person and still one of the hottest women around… but I have to wonder if she’s even SEEN Deep Space Nine. It’s probably the most human Trek series there is.
Thank you for uploading it!
This was my first every “convention.” It was really cool meeting them all. I was a little surprised at Michael Dorn and Levar Burton, they seemed a little put off and rushed you. Marina on the other hand got up from behind her autograph table, held my three year old daughter and asked for two kisses on the cheek from her (as well as posing for some free pictures)! Brent was awesome. He was giving my daughter a hard time about their “date” last night. He was a blast. Jon Bernthal (Shane from the Walking Dead TV Series) was without a doubt the nicest person at the entire event. He spent well over five minutes talking and getting to know every single person that got an autograph. He even took a free picture with me. He seemed like a very genuine and nice man.
Although I can’t stand Marina Sirtis as an actress, (she is terrible) let alone all the roles she’s played (especially Troi), she is entitled to her opinion, just like everybody else. I can see why she praises TNG, she was a part of the show and it was an excellent one in its own right, but she has obviously never really seen DS9 in its entirely, therefore, it is not her place to put down the show, in fact, DS9 was a far more “human” drama than TNG ever was.
Michael Dorn is a fan of ‘Doc Martin’?! Who knew? :D
I’m surprised that people were largely unaware of the TNG Blu-ray project. Either there’s not enough advertising, or people just don’t care about HD yumminess. For shame! :-)
@12. Who can afford it in this economy?
I love these actors. Best cast in any TV series! LeVar Burton is great, Michael Dorn seems really sweet and I agree with him about Worf and Jadzia’ relationship being one of the best storylines in DS9. Marina Sirtis looks wonderful and I believe what she means when she says that the post Roddenberry Trek lacked Gene’s humanity is that they lacked GR’s faith in humanity! The Next Genaration and TOS were by far the most optimistic Trek series.
I just watched the jadzia and Worf’s videos Michael Dorn mentions. They’re wonderful. Worf’s love story with Jadzia is beautiful and one of the greatest in star trek. Why did the writers have to kill her? I’ll never forgive them for that. Perhaps if Mr Dorn gets to make his film about Worf as a captain he can find a way to bring her back, especially since he’s a big fan of their relationship too. After all it’s a science fiction program, Spock died too and he return, there are many ways: parallel realities, the prophets, Q, time travel, cloning etc.