Star Trek Host: Welcome to STARTREK.COM's live chat with Enterprise's Connor Trinneer!

Question: Hello Mr. Trinneer. First of all I want to say that you are a great addition to the Star Trek universe and have been doing a great job on Enterprise. I was wondering if you had ever wanted to go into space yourself as a child?
Sarlacc22

Connor Trinneer: Well, thanks for the compliment and hell yeah, everybody wants to go into space, I think! Was it anything I thought I could achieve? No, I was terrible in math and science but now that I get the opportunity to do it on TV, — that's a pretty good compromise.

Q: I hope you enjoyed your convention appearance in Portland as much as my husband and I did. Your great sense of humor is what makes your characterization of Trip so appealing. Do you plan to throw yourself wholeheartedly into the convention circuit?
bjspring1

CT: Yes, BJ, I have — there are about four or five more that I'll be doing: Philly, Kansas City, Pasadena, Tulsa. I think that's it for now, probably something in Europe during the hiatus.

Q: How does it feel to know that now, no matter what you do, you will always be a part of Star Trek history?
sbishop

CT: (laughs) I think it's great to be a part of any kind of history that's as long as that one is and as positive as that one has been. It's a little of a daunting thought to think of yourself as part of the lineage of a show like this, so it's a big idea for me to get my mind around. I try to do my job, day in and day out, and let the chips fall where they may.

Q: I was wondering if you have always liked Star Trek? Did you watch it as a kid?
spock

CT: I watched the original one growing up and I really didn't watch any of the other ones ... a couple episodes here and there of Next Generation and Voyager. I don't know that I ever saw Deep Space Nine. I like it now though.

Q: I know it's incredibly early in the run of Enterprise to be asking this, but I know that (in the theater) when an actor plays a character for an extended period of time, they 'discover' something new about their character every time they step on stage. Have you 'discovered' anything about Trip?
cincishannon

CT: You're right, that's a continuing process. During this first season we're all still sort of fussing out who Trip is and I was surprised that Trip's as funny as he is. I didn't know that was going to be part of the character when I got the job.

Q: Howdy, I have a southern Texas accent. I was wondering, what kind of accent does "Trip" have in Enterprise? Where does the accent derive from?
nicoledeboerfan

CT: Trip's accent is like Northern Arkansas, that sort of Northern part of the South. The accent I picked up from my family; my grandparents on my mother's side are all from southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas. We messed around with how deep we wanted the accent and decided we wanted it to be fairly light in terms of its drawl. So that's where I sort of picked the region that I could get an accent from, that I thought would be workable for everybody ... but it's not mine! (laughs)

Q: In "Shuttlepod One" Trip and Malcolm are really getting on each other's nerves. I was wondering how well you get along with the rest of the cast?
kingofborg

CT: Famously. Everybody's great. We all work together as a group and y'know we have that sensibility that we're all doing the show and integral to it so you know...everybody pulling their own weight makes it easier for everyone to get along and just as people. Everybody is really cool.

Q: Is it hard to get used to all the technical terms you have to say?
mb52

CT: Yep. (laughs) Yeah...

Q: In last night's episode, did they really make it cold or was that just acting?
Priscilla

CT: In last night's episode they'd built a structure inside the sound stage where the shuttlepod was and they had five industrial air conditioners going full blast the whole time. We had dry ice packed under the flooring of the shuttlepods and before each take they'd blast the shuttle pod with Nitrogen so it was exactly that cold all week. It was hot as hell outside! (laughs)

QWhat did you like best about filming "Unexpected"?
i_luv_trip

CT: Just the idea — I thought when they told me that I was going to be pregnant ... I thought well that's awesome! I mean how often do you get the opportunity as an actor to tackle things like this, so I jumped in with both feet and had a great time with it. I think they wrote a great episode for that topic ? I am glad they got to take it back! (laughs)

Q: So are you doing other stuff besides Enterprise?
madam

CT: Well, right now my plate's pretty full with Enterprise. It's about the time of the year when movies start being cast. They shoot most of the films in the summer, so that will start about now to see what, if any, projects will be going on during hiatus.

Q: Connor, you definitely would fit under the category of "Best Looking Men of Trek." So, what are you doing on this Feb. 14th, besides chatting with us Trekkies?
jcrules00

CT: Well, since I'm at work my Valentine's is a little limited. My girl and I are going to have our own little Valentine on the weekend and make a day of it and enjoy each other on that day.

Q:How long does it take to shoot an average-length episode?
Achu

CT: We go in seven and eight day cycles so it takes three weeks to shoot two.

Q: Do you think that Trip will ever "warm" up to T'Pol?
andrew_2000ca

CT: Well, we got seven years don't we?

Q: What is your favorite episode so far?
cassandrian

CT: "Shuttlepod One."

Q: Did you always want to be a Actor?
ayanna

CT: No. I didn't even think about it until I had been playing football in college for a couple years and had gotten bored with that and y'know, sort of the same old story ... there was a cute girl in the theatre department and said, Why don't you audition for a play? And I said, Why not? From that audition I knew what I wanted to do and quit ball the next day. I was about twenty-one. It happened to me late but it happened to me fast.

Star Trek Host: What football position did you play?

CT: Cornerback.

Q: What was the best Christmas present you ever got when you were a kid?
draderman

CT: (laughs) A football!

Q: I wanted to say I loved "Shuttlepod One." If you were running out of oxygen and faced with death, how do you think you'd react?
eva.chan

CT: If I could save somebody else, that's what I'd do.

CT: I think I'd be relatively calm.

Q: I have heard that you practice martial arts. Are there any plans for your character to make use of your own knowledge of this? It would be great to see Trip take down a Klingon using good, old fashioned martial arts."
michael

CT: Well, I think you're mistaking me for Anthony Montgomery who does martial arts. I'd probably just open up a good ol' can of American whoop-ass on 'em.

Q: Do you really like panfried catfish? :)
landslide

CT: Who doesn't?

Q: Would you like to direct an episode someday?
Fairhaven

CT: Yeah, most definitely.

CT: They're really good here about [that]. If there's an interest from an actor to direct, if they follow the proper channels they'll have that opportunity. In fact Roxann Dawson is directing an episode right now.

Q: Do they have you "pushing buttons" in a consistent way, so the really picky viewers will have less to nitpick about?
springster1

CT: I don't really worry about nitpicky viewers.

Q: Who is the clown of the cast for Enterprise?
vulcankid1

CT: You're talking to him.

Q: How do you feel about Porthos being on the spaceship?
shuttlepod1

CT: (laughs) Well, he's a cute dog, why not?

Star Trek Host: Is it true there are two Porthos?

CT: (laughs) Yes, and where did you get this information??

Q: Do you have any pets?
penny

CT: My girlfriend's got a cat. I don't have a house yet but when I do I want to get a couple dogs. I'm more of a dog person than a cat person. Cats and I generally come to an understanding with each other.

Q: How did you get the job as Trip?
ford_prefect

CT: I auditioned for it. It was one of many auditions for many shows I had during pilot season.

Q: Have you met Patrick Stewart, or William Shatner?
lightly

CT: I met Patrick Stewart. It was a real thrill for me because I knew who he was well before he got Next Generation because he's just an amazing classical actor along with what else he does. We looked at some of the things he did with Shakespeare while I was in drama school and it was a thrill to meet him. I was talking to an acting hero of mine as a contemporary and inside I was like, "Damn, I'm talking to Patrick Stewart!"

Q: Do you think that our world will ever see Star Trek technologies come to life in the future?
atl0945

CT: Gosh, I don't know ...

Q: What model of Porsche did you buy?
springster1

CT: (laughs) Yes, I do have a Porsche. I have a Boxster.

Star Trek Host: What color?

CT: It's silver.

Q: What's it like to work with Scott Bakula?
jessica_archer_tucker

CT: He's a great guy, he really is. He's a regular person and y'know, next to me he might be the biggest goof-off or the biggest clown. But I think we're blessed to have him as the captain.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
rchahal

CT: I like to be outside as much as possible. Hiking, mountain biking...I just went snowboarding yesterday ... y'know exercise ... I like to get out of town as much as possible, travel ...

Q:I saw you at the convention in Portland and you were awesome. I just wanted to know, what it is like to have fans want your autograph?
Flamingo58

CT: It's such a high compliment to have someone ask for that. I'm very flattered and take it as a definite compliment. It's also a little weird because I'm just me, and before I did this no one asked for my autograph and now that they are you kind of sit back and go this is crazy!

Q:How did you feel to be a part of Billy Crystal's movie "61*"?
franko

CT: Well, I'm a baseball fanatic. It's by far my favorite sport and as a child I studied the history of it. When I found out that both Roger Maris and Micky Mantle's characters had been cast I had my agent call up the casting director. I wanted to be a part of it and I didn't care how little. I wanted to be a part of it because of how much I love the game.

Q: What was the last book you read and what CD is in the player of your car right now?
Lisa

CT: The last book I read was — it's right here ..."Nothing Like It in the World" by Steven Ambrose. In my car I've got a little Neil Young, a little Jane's Addiction ... What else is in there? ... I've got Travis and a CD of Gershwin tunes.

Q: Well, I have no brilliant question to ask. Just wanted to make a simple comment. I think you are doing a great job and Trip is a riot. Keep up the good work. You have given my husband and I something to look forward to each week since the events of Sept.11. We appreciate the gift of laughter. Thank you :)
donnam410

CT: Well, it is absolutely my pleasure. I've really enjoyed doing the show and I take a great deal of pride in it and to have somebody say something like that is about as high a compliment as I could get.

CT: I gotta go to the looping stage, thanks!

Star Trek Host: Thank you Connor for joining us today! We really appreciate it!