LAS VEGAS — Saturday was graced by some of
Trek's top stars including Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner, and other fan favorites.
Saturday, August 11
9:25 a.m. Nana Visitor / Rene Auberjonois
Taking a very early Saturday stage time were the star-crossed lovers of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor. This fact was not lost on Rene. "What are you all doing up this early?!"
As is customary, the guests tell a bit about what they have been up to recently before taking audience questions. Auberjonois provided some background for both of them.
"Nana lives in New Mexico and I split my time between L.A. and Mendocino in Northern California," he offered.
"I cannot believe it, but I now live in a tiny little village in New Mexico! I'm there because I film a television show called Wildfire. My whole family's there. It's very cool," Nana added.
Also, a bit of news for Nana and sci-fi fans: "I did a guest star on a wonderful show, Battlestar Galactica. It was really, really fun." We can't wait to see that!
"Every time I see Nana her hair is a different color. She's also more beautiful," said Rene complimenting his co-star.
Rene talked a bit about Boston Legal and the controversial downgrading of his role on that show from principal cast member to recurring player. "I spent three years on Boston Legal, a fabulous show. In the last season, I was not as thrilled with what I was given to do. I was brought in to serve a kind of purpose and I really wasn't serving much of a purpose anymore," he explained. "So, we came to an agreement: I'm going to do some of the shows, not all of them."
But like many other actors, Rene keeps the creative juices flowing. "I'm focusing more on my photography and art."
Although he directed several Deep Space Nine episodes, Rene feels this side of his career has little future. "I found the pressure of directing on TV too much to bear. I don't really have a lot of interest in it. I'm transitioning to my artwork."
As for family, Rene was overjoyed with affection for the latest addition to the family. "We have our first grandson. We are doting and adoring grandparents. I'm gaga with love!"
Later, the subject of Odo's shapeshifting was brought up. "That was one of the fascinating things about the character, but it was more fascinating for the audience than the actor," Auberjonois observed.
As most of the questions were directed at Rene, one obvious one came up and that is the "What about Bill?" question. Rene had nothing but good things to say about his Boston Legal co-star and his iconic stature, even offering some insight into how he's reinvigorated his career in recent years.
"Bill is the kind of guy who all he does is ask you questions about yourself. I think that is the key to how he has reinvented himself over the years. He's a man fascinated by everything in the world around him."
Then, an amazing thing happened. Nana got a question! An audience member asked Visitor to recite a story she once told at a convention about Alexander Siddig, her former co-star and husband. When she could not recall the story, she mentioned how there may be a reason for it: she got kicked in the head by a horse on the set of Wildfire, the now Shawn Piller produced, Michael Piller created show that she has been starring in for the last two years on the ABC Family Channel.
When asked about acting and the process she uses to find her characters, Nana revealed an interesting psychological side to her technique, as well as an interesting by-product. "I was having Kira dreams, rather than Nana dreams." And while maybe she doesn't become her characters, she finds a very deep place within that character's soul. "I can't act — I go there and sit in it."
10:05
Kristine M. Smith, Author
Author Kris Smith ("DeForest Kelley – A Harvest of Memories") spent early Saturday morning reminiscing about DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy), her close friend and mentor. What particularly struck Smith about Kelley was his closeness to the fans. "He was an amazing human being; he was in touch with his fans. He was enamored of his fans."
Smith, a devout Christian, feels that De quite naturally channeled a lot of what her beliefs represent. "About three months after De passed away, I was born again, and it was then that I figured out what it was about De, and that's that he truly did reflect the love, grace and peace to everyone he met."
Smith then read some passages from her book, including a story on her first meeting of De, and also about her parents meeting him. The published book was pared down from over 700 pages of her own memoir, written at the instigation of De's biographer, Terry Lee Rioux ("From Sawdust to Stardust").
Smith also pointed out some of her good friends in the audience who had traveled from afar, including the U.K.
10:45
Marc Alaimo / Casey Biggs / Andrew Robinson
"The Cardassians of DS9" observed after they were introduced that this is the first time these three guys have all shared the stage. Casey and Marc have been together, but never with Andy. "Here's to you, Mr. Robinson," toasted Biggs.
But they have something very unique in common: They all stepped into Deep Space Nine thinking they would only be in one episode or for a short time, and they all lasted — in two of the three cases, the entire run of the series. "A lot of actors were on 'probation' for Star Trek," observed Alaimo. "It seems to me a lot of people went through that probationary period where you have one or two shows — they wanted to find out if you could do it."
"You're probably right," Biggs concurred, "because a lot of times you can't act or do anything through two pounds of rubber on your face. So when they found people that could, I think they really liked that. And these writers were very, very interested in intricate storylines."
Robinson asked the crowd if any of them came to be fans of DS9 after it went off the air initially, and a big contingent yelled affirmatively. "That's truly amazing. Because otherwise I'm thinking, what the hell are we doing here, we're fossils for Christ's sake!" And don't count on any DS9 movie because, "We were the evil stepchild of the franchise!"
"Which actually is good," Biggs elucidated, "because they left us alone. That's what Ira Behr told me. He said they were the bastard child of the show so everybody left them alone, so they could go in their little rooms and really write cool stuff."
"I know with me, they sort of saw what I did and started writing for it," Biggs continued. "I had a scene with Armin in the bar, and they said, 'Man, he looks good sitting in that bar.' I ended up an alcoholic for two years!"
Except Biggs didn't think so highly of "that one episode where Kira beat the sh** out of me — who the hell believes that?!" Nana Visitor happened to be backstage signing autographs, so she marched out front and faced him down, ready to demonstrate it could happen and it's perfectly believable! "You're on your own!" Robinson told Biggs, ready to announce the boxing match. After many compliments on her hair from Biggs, she relented and kissed him, along with the other two.
Not to be left out, while the three guys were telling stories Rene Auberjonois also came out from backstage and jogged back and forth in front of the stage, just to mix it up.
Page 2: David Reddick, Brannon Braga, Larry Nemecek
Page 3: Jonathan Frakes & Brent Spiner, Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, Penny Johnson-Jerald & Cirroc Lofton
