Post and read "Viewing Party" comments here!

Question: How long does it take to do your makeup? Is ST:DS9 or ST:TNG more fun to work with?
Allilaw

Robert O'Reilly: The makeup takes 3 hours. ST:DS9 and ST:TNG are both fun as long as the temperature doesn't go over 100!

Q: Has anyone else on the High Council been replaced by shapeshifters or just Gowron?
EricTLewis

ROR: Yes. We suspect George. The hairy one. <LOL>

Q: Is it hard to talk with all that make up on---AND---Did you have to learn Klingon or just a few phrases?
Kerick

ROR: No, the makeup is ingenious and doesn't interfere at all with the talking, but the teeth take a little getting used to at first. I'm not very good at Klingon. I must call Marc Okrand constantly. Phone bill huge. Please help.

Q: R O'R do you put in long hours at work?
Allilaw

ROR: Good question. Yes. 12 hours is a normal day. Have gone as much as 19.

Q: Is it true that there will be a 10 episode span of the Klingon war with the Federation next season? Thanks.

ROR: From your computer to Rick Berman's ear.

Q: Question - I am not familiar with your other film & tv work, would you mention some other roles you have had?
badbob

ROR: The mad bomber in Hill Street Blues, The Copycat Killer. I've done over 200 TV shows and about 12 films. I played the role of the shadow figure in "The Mask."

Q: You said "up to 19 hrs a day". Any time off (for good behavior)?
Makhoy

ROR: Not for Klingons! Ha ha!

Q: Do you have a personal favorite in regards to ST (i.e. TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY, etc.) ?
pknapp

ROR: Original Star Trek - "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," with Frank Gorshin. And any of the Star Treks that (John) de Lancie is in. And obviously, ALL the Klingon episodes!

Q: Was it fun working with Jim Carrey?
am1701d

ROR: I actually did not work with Jim Carrey although we did meet on the set although he wasn't that rich yet!

Q: Will you be in the new ST:TNG movie that is being made?
EricTLewis

ROR: No. From what I've heard, it's Borg, Borg, Borg!

Q: I take it you've been watching Trek for awhile. Did you originally want to be a Klingon? Any other favorite aliens, and why?
Makhoy

ROR: Yes, I ALWAYS wanted to play a Klingon. If you had asked me back in 1970 what I had wanted to be...I would have said a Klingon. It's sort of a dream come true to have the role of Gowron. Usually I am not nervous for auditions, but because it was a Klingon, I was very nervous. I think my bug-eyes got me the role.

Q: What did you do to get started in Star Trek Industry?
Allilaw

ROR: I originally went up for a role in the 2nd season of ST:TNG, in the Holodeck: a character named "Scarface." When we got to the set, the other actor and myself, our roles had been reduced drastically cut to about one or two lines apiece. I believe I additionally auditioned about 4 times before the role of Gowron.

Q: Any wacky or zany bloopers from the set you're willing to share? Like losing your teeth during a particularly solemn scene, for example.
gleknar

ROR: The only time I've ever lost my teeth is when I'm yelling and screaming. Some of the actors have been known to duck. I'm also well known for tripping going down steps. Not very graceful for a Klingon leader, eh?

Q: How do you feel about being a changeling instead of a Klingon?
I_am_Klingon

ROR: WHAT? Moi?

Q: Is the real Klingon Gowron still alive???
I_am_Klingon

ROR: Who knows? Or was he ever real?

Q: Didn't Frakes give you your first ST:TNG break, and What do you think of him as a director?
capstan

ROR: Yes. Jonathan hired me to do Gowron. My opinion of him as a director is that he's very brilliant. He does his homework and really helps the actors and takes time with us. I am a stage director myself, so I really appreciate the directors on Star Trek because they are unusually good.

Q: Mr. Reilly--are you a "Trekker" yourself? Do you collect any Trek stuff? What? Do you have your action figures?
I_am_Klingon

ROR: Yes, I have my action figures? signed by me personally! I'm not sure whether I am a Trekker or a Trekkie but I am an original series fan. And in Ohio in the 70's I never had a date Friday nights because that was when Star Trek was on!

Q: You mentioned being a stage director. What have you directed recently, and where, if I may ask?
Meribor

ROR: I've directed extensively. I direct usually at the Colony Studio Theatre Playhouse, 1944 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. I've won or been nominated for every major award that a director can be nominated for in LA. Some of my favorite plays are "Getting Out," "Mornings at Seven," and "Generations" which was also nominated nationally as one of the best plays in the U.S. by Dennis Clontz.

Q: When is the next Star Trek movie coming out?
WieWie

ROR: November 22, 1996.

Q: Can you move around easily in the Klingon outfit in a fight scene?
Allilaw

ROR: I can move around fairly easily in the fight sequences, but not with the robe on. The robe is very heavy.

Q: Mr. O'Reilly--You said you did not learn Klingon--but how did you do the introduction sequence on Star Trek Klingon?
I_am_Klingon

ROR: Believe it or not, they flew Marc Okrand in to be about 2 feet from me, not ONLY to hold my hand, but to mouth the words so that I would say it correctly. Some were more difficult than others and I had to do quite a few takes on some of them.

Q: Do you consider yourself a regular cast member?
jefflitman

ROR: I don't consider myself a regular cast member. I consider myself a regular guest. I believe I am going into the 9th season on ST:TNG and ST:DS9.

Q: Mr. O'Reilly let me rephrase that--how do you feel about your character, Gowron, being a Changeling??? I_am_Klingon

ROR: Am I? How do you know?

Q: Do you know any Klingon curses?
Kerick

ROR: My mother would never allow me to say such things, which is why I became leader of the Klingons!

Q: Are you doing any conventions in or around Ohio
CDRDaily

ROR: I just came back from Dayton, Ohio. Where I was in an airshow, and I flew in a 1942 fighter jet, and I did loop-de-loops. Not a jet of course, a plane. I had to remember not to touch the stick shift.

SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM

Q: Does the makeup ever run when it gets hot?
Allilaw

ROR: When it gets hot, it doesn't <quite> melt, it becomes a mess, but the makeup department is always right there to fix, fix, fix.

Q: How long have you been an actor and why did you choose this role?
TM322

ROR: I've been an actor for 20 years. Of course, my parents would say a lot longer! I didn't choose this role? This role chose me, so to speak. And Jonathan.

Q: In how many episodes have you played the role of Gowron?
badbob

ROR: I would guess about 10, plus CD ROMs, Hallmark commercials, Decipher mystery game, and various and sundry other roles.

Q: Gowron, is it difficult sharing power with Kahless The Unforgettable?
rothster

ROR: SHARE?! I don't stinking SHARE! <LOL>

Q: Robert, you mentioned growing up in Ohio. What part? I'm from Columbus.
mikeeickhoff

ROR: I did not grow up in Ohio. I went to college there, at Ohio university from 1967 to 1971.

Of course, I was a child prodigy going in at the age of 6! :-)

Q: What other shows (sans make-up) can we see you in?
capstan

ROR: Max Headroom, Hill Street Blues, Fall Guy? I just did so many through the years. More recently I was on The Client.

Q: You mentioned not having stuff to do Fri. nights in the 70's. How old are you? Also, Mr. Okrand lives about 10 minutes away from me.
Makhoy

ROR: Pay attention! I was a child prodigy at OU at age 6! (Only kidding!)

Q: Do you actually socialize with other actors off-set, or only during production?

ROR: On the set, we wait a lot, and that's normal in filming. Henry Fonda used to say: "The don't pay me to act, they pay me to wait." And while we wait, we talk. Many of us do conventions all over the world, as you know, and sometimes on a long convention, either on a ship, or at one of the long European conventions which last up to 5 days, we can really get to know each other.Some of my favorite people I've met are:

Jimmy Doohan, who always makes me laugh all the time. John de Lancie, who has a wonderful sense of humor, and Dwight Shultz, who is hilarious! Of course, I am the quietest of the group, sitting and listening to all their raucous behavior! HA ha!

Q: How do you psych yourself up to play Gowron so well?
Allilaw

ROR: My makeup calls are usually 4 AM. That's enough to make anyone mean for the rest of the day. Also, when I look in the mirror, I see a Klingon, which also makes you mean. But where I get my sense of humor for Gowron, I have no idea.

Q: Mr. O'Reilly, have you ever experienced a sense, when filming a piece for Trek, that you're part of more than a TV show, but a cultural phenomenon? If so, does that change the acting experience in any way?
gleknar

ROR: That is a great, great question. Yes, I have always felt that I am part of a cultural phenomenon. It really is an honor to be a part of it (and I'm not kidding about that).

Roddenberry was a unique man and had a unique vision, and we're all very lucky to have experienced it in our lifetimes.

Q: Mr. O'Reilly you are a great actor--I have a pain in my gut towards you for breaking the Khitomer Accords and doing all that stuff to the house of Mogh (very much Worf)
I_am_Klingon

ROR: Me too.

Q: Did Playmates consult you when making your action figure and will there be a ST:DS9 version?
Veers

ROR: If they did, Gowron would have bigger eyes! :-)

Q: You mentioned the robe you wear being very heavy. How hot does it get when you're in costume, and does it interfere with your ability to act?
mikeeickhoff

ROR: The robe IS very heavy. I believe it was first made for Charles Cooper, who is about 6'5" and heavier. He must have been in shape? I'm not. There have been some days when it gets extremely hot and the temperatures in my uniform have probably gone over 100 degrees. I now train for it, losing 8 to 10 pounds in liquids on a given day.

Q: ROR: any places where we can see you next, outside of ST: Deep Space Nine? Do you make personal appearances?
gleknar

ROR: Yes, I do make personal appearances. This weekend I will be at Fantasticon in California. It's near LAX, at the Airport Hilton (5711 W. Century Blvd. call (310) 410-4000. I will also be doing conventions in Hamburg, Germany; Amsterdam; Idaho; and lots of other places throughout the country this year? Oh yes, and Houston.

Q: Question - Do you ever access any of the net Star Trek sites to see what the fans are talking about?
badbob

ROR: I am the great Dodo bird of the universe when it comes to computers! I may have my eyes set on the Klingon Empire, however, computers really send me spinning.

Need help.

Q: Assuming the worst, and something terrible has happened to Gowron, is there any other role you would like to play in the Trek universe?
capstan

ROR: Yes. It's been said that Gowron has a child, called Gowron Jr., and they look VERY similar! <LOL>

Q: would you say all the hardship is worth it? (make-up and costume?)
sleepy_floyd

ROR: I wouldn't call it hardship. It's part of the job of an actor to do what we have to do. There are all sorts of difficult things we go through as actors, but one of the nice things is that we don't have to sit at a desk every day, but sometimes that costs in other ways. I have been in the desert doing films in 140 degrees and no shade anywhere. I have also been in New York in 10 below weather and the camera froze. We were in summer clothing. It was hard to stop shivering when the director called action with an icicle coming off his nose!

We love to complain! It gets us through, and we know nobody listens anyway!

Q: Who are your favorite actor/actresses to work with on STTNG.
Allilaw

ROR: Patrick Stewart and Michael Dorn. I love working with both of them... and still love working with Michael. However, Klingons never seem to get to work with the ladies on the shows. I have to lodge a complaint.

Klingons might make great ...

Q: You have worked on many episodes of Star Trek. Is there one which you particularly liked doing?
JT7951

ROR: I loved "House of Quark," and particularly this last DS9 I just finished. Maybe?!-.?

Q: Question---You said that you were the great dodo bird of the universe when it comes to computers, did you have any trouble getting in here?
Kerick

ROR: Am I? Am I? Am I? Am I? Great!

Q: what do you do if you cannot stop laughing while doing a scene if you can't help it and has this ever occurred?
aircondit

ROR: Yes, this has happened to me. I was doing a scene with Billy Crystal and Brian Dennehy. We were going into our 20th hour of work, and we all got the giggles. And because of it, we went into our 22nd our of work!

Q: Question: Have you any particular actors that you idolize -- who are special to you?
Meribor

ROR: I can't say that I idolize any actor, but I have deep respect for a lot.

Spencer Tracy, Henry Fonda, Jimmy Stewart... The list could go on forever, and Patrick Stewart is certainly on it too!

ROR: Q'apla! and NuQ neh! Y'all!

That's Southern Klingon!