STLV 2015 Day One: Kicking it off with DS9 and Enterprise Panels

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And, we’re off! It’s officially Day One of the Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas! This year’s con started strong with two big panels: Enterprise (feat. Connor Trineer, Dominic Keating, John Billinglsey, Linda Park, and Anthony Montgomery) and Deep Space Nine (feat. Armin Shimerman, James Darren, and Nicole de Boer — plus a surprise cameo by our favorite “mute”). Plus, get a look around the con floor and see today’s best cosplay.

Enterprise Panel
It was great to see so many members of the Enterprise cast on stage talking about their time on the show. Noting the absence of Scott Bakula and Jolene Blalock, the panel’s moderator presented the group with action figures of Captain Archer and T’Pol as stand ins.

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Anthony stressed how much of a family the cast were during shooting, noting that it was actually pretty weird to kiss Linda Park. “We’re family, so…” he said. “I cannot tell you how many times, someone’s said to me: ‘OMG, how hot are Jolene and Linda!’ Those are my sisters, man. Yeah, it’d be like you kissing your sister or kissing your aunt, seriously.”

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They also talked a lot about season four of Enterprise and what could have been if a fifth season was ever realized. “By season four we had finally gelled as a cast,” said Montgomery. “All of that fun that was season four came a little too late.”

Linda Park mentioned how she for one loved playing her role in the mirror universe, saying “I could just completely just let my hair down, you know, wear a midriff, be evil, make out with people

One fan asked if any of the cast members could say that working on Star Trek changed their world view. Linda Park was quick to answer, citing her love of science and how Star Trek tapped into that part of her. “I think [Star Trek] tapped into a passion of mine, which is science,” she said. “Where we come from, what this planet is made of. When I look up into the skies: is there more to this universe than just this planet? That’s what Star Trek does; taking the macrocosm of space, we’re looking into the microcosm of our own selves. I think that’s really why it has resonated through so many generations.”

Trio of Deep Space 9 alum share memories: Shimerman on appearance-ism, Darren’s Jack Daniels and Rat Pack shoes, de Boer’s garbage bags full of fan mail
A trio of alumni from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine took a wormhole to the center stage in Las Vegas Thursday to share memories, tell jokes, and talk to fans: Nicole de Boer (Ezri Dax), Armin Shimerman (Quark), and James Darren (Vic Fontaine).

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Quark speaks out on hew-mon prejudices
As is frequently the case, Shimerman was asked about the ordeal of the wearing so much makeup. He talked about the frequently heard challenges of sitting in the makeup chair for so long, but noted the real challenge was the way his prosthetics ears made it so hard to hear.

“The irony for all Ferengi is that we’re deaf,” he said.

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Moving beyond that to the more philosophical realm, he spoke to the way that the prejudices of physical appearance affect people – both in real life and Star Trek.

“There was a caste system and of course the most high-up were the hew-mons,” Shimerman said. “The Ferengi were the ugliest race, so we got no respect. The four of us [himself, Rom, Nog, and Ishka] were at the bottom of the ladder and we bonded over that.”

De Boer was welcomed with open arms
De Boer was asked about the challenges of assuming the mantle, or rather spots, of the Dax character. Cast and fans welcomed her. When she first got on set, before having even filmed a single scene, she had two huge garbage bags full of fan mail.

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“I was really impressed by that and really touched by that,” she said.

De Boer confessed that she hadn’t watched DS9 before being cast, since a boyfriend of hers had read for the part of Bashir and not gotten it.

“But then we broke up so I could move on,” she joked.

In terms of de Boer’s current love life, it was pointed out to her that Patrick Stewart would be on stage on Sunday.

“I think I’m too old for him,” she joked.

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Darren’s Rat Pack
Darren, Mr. Las Vegas himself, shared his ritual for getting in character as the 1960s lounge singer Vic Fontaine. Every morning he would open up a bottle of Jack Daniels and smell it while looking at pictures of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. Every day on set, he wore a pair of vintage shoes that had once belonged to Martin, who has his own road named after him in Las Vegas.

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Beyond that, he said he was as warmly received as de Boer.

“The cast made me feel liked I’d been on the show since day one,” he said.

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In the end, the three actors were joined by Mark Allen Shepherd, in costume as Morn, who finally broke his decades of silence to sing “Morn to be wild.”

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Cosplay on the Con Floor
Costumers are already displaying some absolutely amazing stuff! Check out these ladies from the TAS episode “The Lorelei Signal” and this Guardians of the Galaxy/Trek crossover!

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Nicole is still lookin’ good!

The two blondes in the yellow dresses?

I’ll take the one on the left, and hold the mustard!

meowwrr!

So, has Mark Allan Shephard actually taken off the Morn makeup since the 90s?

I used to watch James Darren in The Time Tunnel with my dad in reruns. A kind of ‘Rosebud’ moment with him but good memory nonetheless.

@2 And I miss you Harry.

I’d like to borrow the keys to James Darren’s Time Tunnel, at 79 years old, he looks great!

I don’t know what word or phrase that caused my earlier comment to be filtered out but – @4…… I basically said the same thing. Good memories of watching James Darren in Time Tunnel with my dad. I kind of compare it to a ‘Rosebud’ moment of my childhood. My earliest exposure to John Williams too. He did a cool theme song for it. It’s also fun to watch them now with my kids.

Woah, no video of Morn singing? Video or it didn’t happen!!!

“Mac” guy — simple costume, great in-joke; very creative! And I like the GoG crossover with its sprinkling of irony (Paramount wanting GoG-type Trek). That Groot costume, wow! Must have taken months to make.

Everyone looks bright and cheerful! Yes, even Morn.

And James Darren is virtually ageless. Somewhere there must be a portrait of him aging slowly. ;)

Morn hasn’t aged a single day!!

Uh, what’s happened to this site? That’s three of my posts that have been removed. I can’t think of any comment I’ve made, any forum that have language of subject matter of questionable merit? I’m talking about Star Trek here.

Bakula is shooting the current season of NCIS:NOLO so he’s got a good reason not to be there – he’s on the other side of the country :)

Cosplaying as Bob Briggs from Star Trek IV is brilliant. I love when people do things like that.

Excuse me, not Bob. Mixed up my characters.

I still can’t get over how young James Darren looks. Clean living, it must be. Also, didn’t he play an officer on TJ Hooker with our favorite starship captain? And The Shat is also young for his age.

Good stuff!