It’s day four of Creation Entertainment’s Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas with a jam packed Saturday schedule. Main ballroom appearances today included William “The Shat” Shatner, Walter Koenig, Kate Mulgrew, and the Women of Trek featuring Kate Mulgrew, TrekMovie.com’s own Kayla Iacovino, and more.
Treksperts Share the Stage with Kate Mulgrew to Talk Women in Trek
The sixth annual ‘Women in Star Trek’ panel made its first ever appearance on Creation’s main stage today, to a packed house in the 6,000 seat ballroom. The panel included a group of lady Treksperts, including Mary Czerwinski (Glue Guns and Phasers, Star Trek Continues), Amy Imhoff (Shoes and Starships), Jarrah Hodge (Women at Warp podcast), and TrekMovie.com’s own Kayla Iacovino. The Women were joined by Bjo Trimble, the woman who, along with her husband, saved Star Trek with her famous letter writing campaign in the 60s and the lovely and insightful Kate Mulgrew (Kathryn Janeway, VOY).
The women discussed a number of issues surrounding women in Trek, including the history of women both behind the scenes and on screen. Kate, Amy, and Kayla all spoke about how their upbringing has influenced their beliefs about what feminism means.
“I have never called myself a feminist,” said Kate. “I have just assumed my own independence from the time that I was born. You don’t complain, don’t explain, and you don’t worry about being a boy or a girl. You just worry about developing your character and making a mark.”
TrekMovie’s Kayla Iacovino said that Kate’s point of view really resonated with her citing an example of when comments on one of her articles on this website convinced her to have a change of heart about using the “feminist” label. “I changed my mind,” said Kayla. “I’m happy to call myself a feminist because that’s what I am.”
Walter Koenig talks the 50th Anniversary, Anton Yelchin, William Shatner, and his favorite Trek movie
Escorted by a coterie of lovely ladies, Walter Koenig arrived onstage with a big smile on his face. The original Pavel Chekov looked back on the last 50 years and shared some thoughts about Anton Yelchin, his favorite Star Trek film, an encounter with William Shatner, and more.
When asked if he thought he’d be talking about Star Trek 50 years later, “Who did? No one. We all thought it was over.”
He spoke about the untimely death of Anton Yelchin and JJ Abrams’ decision not to recast him in future films:
“This was an extraordinary person. Anton was a really, really good human being. We only spent a couple of hours on set, but he was special…it was very painful for that to have happened…I applaud JJ Abrams and his group’s decision not to recast Chekov for new movies.”
The Wrath of Khan is widely regarded as the best of the Star Trek films, but Walter has his own personal favorite:
“I thoroughly enjoyed making [The Wrath of Khan], but the movie that taught me that we had something special was Star Trek IV. I read that script and knew we had a winner.”
The public friction between William Shatner and the supporting cast has been well documented, but a brief exchange backstage between Koenig and Shatner suggests that, while things aren’t thawing, there at least appears to be more of an understanding:
“After talking to him [Shatner], I do regret that he feels so badly about how we’ve felt about him.”
Shatner Celebrates the 50th Anniversary in an Amusing and Sometimes Poignant Way
“6,000 people 50 years later is a phenomenon! Thank you for coming!”
The ageless William Shatner stepped onstage before a crowd of 6,000 cheering fans Saturday afternoon, and shared his thoughts on Star Trek’s 50th Anniversary, his friendship with Leonard Nimoy, the great Star Trek/Star Wars debate, and more.
The original James T. Kirk was in a jubilant mood throughout, telling the audience that he’s been lucky in life and that he’s “filled with love, I’m giving love. I have the juices of a young man. I’m anxious about my work. I’m so lucky in this life. Maybe at the 100 year anniversary this little guy will come out on stage and tell you the story about the bike.”
“The bike”, of course, refers to the practical joke he played on Leonard Nimoy during TOS, when he went to great lengths to hide Leonard’s bicycle. It’s a story he’s told many times and told again today, and it never fails to bring the house down. To learn the story of “The Bike”, have a look here.
He reminisced about his old friend Leonard Nimoy and said his memories are fond ones:
“When I’m asked most about what I remember about Leonard, it’s the laughter. He was so funny. We’d get on stage and I’d double over with laughter. I’ve got so many pictures of me hysterical with laughter.”
When asked about the possibility of appearing in the potential sequel to Star Trek Beyond, he said, perhaps facetiously, “No one’s asked me to be in a movie. And I’m severely hurt.”
He spoke about how the success of Star Wars pushed Paramount to make Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and in a poignant way spoke of the differences between that two and what makes Star Trek special and marked the perfect end to his talk:
“Star Trek at its best tells human stories that are philosophical. There’s humanity, there’s something under the story, there’s a principle involved, and it’s well done. It’s about people. Star Wars was grand, like opera, and it was huge, and it had great special effects, and was a marvelously entertaining film, but wasn’t specifically about people the way most Star Treks were.”
MAC Cosmetics Gives Cosplay Tips With A Data and Vina Makeup Demo
The MAC Cosmetics team took the stage again today to do a different kind of makeup demo: cosplay makeup, including body paint, how to make your makeup last, and how to get it off at the end of the day.
The demo consisted of a look for Data and one for Vina the Orion slave girl.
“How do you make a makeup last all day when you’re talking, eating, drinking, having autographs signed, and all that?” asks MAC host Ashley Rudder. They started off by wiping down the skin with a 70% isopropyl alcohol to remove natural oils that are on the skin. When the makeup is completely finished, they used a Final Seal spray that sets the makeup and keeps it looking great all day long, even on places where makeup easily rubs off like the palms of the hands.
For Data’s skin, which, as Ashley pointed out, contains a lot of different colors, they started with a white chromacake base and then build on that with a MAC acrylic paint. “We’re going to build on top of that to create the luminescent gold and green look.”
Vina’s look is also multifaceted. Seven different shades of green were used on Vina’s skin. To get a sparkly look, the MAC artists mix products that have a natural sheen with those that have actual suspended glitter particles.
When cosplaying with body makeup, especially for darker colors, it can be difficult (and painful!) to scrub all that color off of your body after the con. Ashley recommends olive oil and a loofa in the shower for getting paint off of the more sensitive skin.
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The Fabulous Kate Mulgrew Entertains A Packed House
“Do you want to hear about the last year of my life?” Kate asked the audience after she took the stage. “Only the sex!” yelled someone in the crowd. “Only the sex?” asked Kate, slyly.
And, then she quickly got serious and spoke about what she has learned about life.
“Mine has been a crooked path,” Kate began. “My life is complicated. For every joy, it’s been juxtaposed with sadness.” She spoke about losing her baby sister when she was a child and how it shaped her love and support of her mother.
Shortly after, Kate began taking questions. A man approached the mic and told Kate that he was asking a question for his daughter because she is “too shy to talk to you”.
“She’s not too shy! Come on up here,” said Kate as she beckoned the girl, named Ezri, onto the stage. “You don’t come with her, you stay there, Dad.” Kate told the audience that kids who say they are too shy are able to do it themselves, “Let her walk to the mic, Dad.”
Kate also spoke about her second book, which she has just begun writing, and how working on Orange Is The New Black is so different from working on Voyager. “[Playing] Red is a walk in a middle aged actress’s park,” she said of her OINTB character. One thing Kate misses from Voyager? The uniforms! “I loved Captain Janeway’s uniform!”
Star Trek Makeup Artist Michael Westmore Makes a Borg On Stage
Oscar Award winning makeup artist Michael Westmore who started his Star Trek tenure on Star Trek: The Next Generation took to the stage today to put the finishing touches on a Borg. The total process takes about four hours, and so we got to see the final bits and pieces that go into creating those eerie bionic drones.
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Gallery images courtesy Nick Duguid
Shatner looks great for 85!
Agreed!
Yeah man, compare the Shat’s convention photos from this year to those from 10, 15 and 20 years ago. While it’s only fair to acknowledge that he has put on some weight, he sure hasn’t changed a lot otherwise.
Very much agreed. Looks like he’s slimmed down a bit, too.
Shatner looks great for 55! Its criminal that the studio hasnt utilized him and they are paying for it. So f them.
And Walter…you regret that Shatner feels bad? Give me a break. Who the hell is Walter Koenig if not for William Shatner? Walter should be sending Shatner a cut of any royalty cheque he ever receives. TOS was not an ensemble. It was Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley and the others who couldnt accept that should get over it. And if they dont, who cares. Shatner is still here and doing better than the rest of them anyway.
Dude, like William said, get a life and stop being hus little fanboy, he isnt going to take you out anytime soon, sheesh
Thanks for the reports!
Who is the woman in the black bikini supposed to be?
@Nachum
The Cat [then] Person [shape shifter]from Assignment: Earth, final act [scene].
At least I think so…I’d have to see her from top to bottom to be sure.
Maybe, but Isis had a very nice diamond collar and very long eyelashes, and I don’t remember any sort of headdress. Will go seek.
Thanks!
Here’s Isis as cat and as human.
http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Isis
Woah, women and gender talk – that’s a quick way to send 90% of the room to sleep! Count me out thanks.
Actually the auditorium was packed…
@Merritt Why even take the time to write that?
Aren’t you dead?
To think you were born from a woman, or at least we think you were…😞
A space chick on each arm… THAT’s my captain!
(And the womenz are certainly welcome to lust over the Khan, Apollo, & Kang look-a-likes while they celebrate Cap’n Kate.)
I’ll take Spock, thanks
That’s awesome, Kayla.
Sigh – maybe somebody asked Koenig about Shatner – but I wish these guys would just let the Shatner stuff go already, publicly at least.
@Jack – I agree. But any excuse to talk is an excuse they embrace. Walter’s canned response should be something along the lines of how wonderful Shatner was as Captain Kirk and paved the way for 50 years of success. Be gracious.
OMG I loved someone named their daughter Ezri. That is the power of Star Trek when you are naming your kids after characters you love. Such a pretty name anyway. She’s going to be a Trek fan lifer. Get them while their young. ;)
I’d love to have a daughter and name her Jadzia. She could go by Zia although I do like the name Ezri. It’s quirky and beautiful.
Yeah, I’d vote for Jadzia. Not only did I like Terry Farrell’s Dax more, Jadzia — and the possible nicknames “Zia” or “Jadz” sound really cool, as opposed to “Ezzy” ….
I just hope lil’ Ezri doesn’t grow up to dislike Trek. Playground talk … not always cool
What, no Lee Meriwether? :)
Now THAT is an Orion slave girl! She looks exotic and chiseled like Yvonne Craig.. The JJ movie versions were a warm yellowy green and looked like average people. :)
I agree. The movie Orion coloring was not particularly flattering. That Mac color is practically emerald. Very nice,