For some time, I've imagined Final Frontier/Best Destiny's April as being played by David Warner. He's usually known for his villain roles, but I think he can pull off the more avuncular type too. I admit that might not be the ideal choice, though.
Interesting choice. Robert Shaw's played a lot of villains, too, so I don't see why that should disqualify him. He is a little old, though. Despite his almost grandfatherly quality, I picture April as being in his forties or early fifties. I think I've only seen Warner in ST6 (and Klingon Academy), but I think he could pull off a captain that's both avuncular and forceful when necessary.
Have you watched the TNG two parter Chain of Command or Star Trek V yet? Because he was in both of those.
^^David Warner's character in TFF was rather forgettable, which may be why they gave him the meatier role of Gorkon in the very next movie. He was St. John Talbot, the Federation ambassador to Nimbus III, who was taken hostage by Sybok along with the Klingon General Korrd and the Romulan Caithlin Dar.
The man that springs to my mind for April as portrayed in those books is Peter O'Toole. He's a bit old to play the part these days (except maybe as the old ambassador), but O'Toole had the sort of soft-spoken intensity and commanding presence that the books portray.
Off-topic, but wouldn't you think it would have made more sense to have Warner play Sybok in TFF? Luckinbill was okay, but Warner would have been much more commanding and charismatic - not to mention sinister - IMHO.
^^Yeah, that was one of the few really good choices made in TFF. Sybok had to be a charismatic, appealing figure rather than a moustache-twirling villain; after all, he was a cult leader, someone who was able to win people over to his cause and make them believe it was right and noble. Also he was Spock's brother, and it was more poignant if he was sympathetic and misguided. For all the film's faults, Sybok was handled well and cast effectively.
Strangely enough, I've always envisioned Michael Palin as playing April. (as for Sybok: Sean Connery was originally to play the role. I wonder how different THAT would have been...)
^^Hey yeah, Palin would make a good April! Not the young goofy Palin from Monty Python, but the older, seasoned Palin from all those BBC world-travel miniseries he's done. In those, he's charming, avuncular, good-humored and unfailingly amiable -- a good match for Carey's April. Connery as Sybok? Was that really going to happen or just something that Shatner or Bennett or whoever was hoping to pull off? Anyway, I can't see that. Although I've always wished that it could've been Connery rather than Jeremy Kemp who'd been cast as Robert Picard. Not that I have anything against Kemp -- it's just that Connery looks and sounds more like Patrick Stewart's older brother might.
Yes, but that's still consistent with the filmmakers simply wanting Connery involved, which is not the same as saying that he "was to play the role."
^ I think Connery may have been approached, but that's as far as it got. I don't think it was ever that close to a deal. Certainly, when you consider that he turned down THe Matrix and LOTR, it's unlikely that he would do ST. I frequently see people on the BBS stating as fact that Connery was originally cast as Luther Sloan in DS9 but had to drop out. I'm sure that must be utter rubbish, as he hasn't done tv in years and is unlikely to agree to star in what was not one of the better known shows on tv at the time.
I've been looking through this whole massive thread, and I can't find any casting suggestions for the new characters in the Voyager Relaunch, such as Dr. Kaz, Lyssa Campbell, Commander Ellis, etc. Anybody have any thoughts? (And let's avoid editorial comments on the Relaunch, please -- keep it to casting suggestions.) I've had trouble envisioning someone for Dr. Kaz -- tall, blue-eyed, dark-haired, around middle age -- but I finally figured maybe Tim Matheson could fit the bill. For Ellis I kinda stuck a moustache onto Alexis Denisof in his Buffy days.
I've never heard that rumor, but I do know that Martin Sheen was up for the role of Sloan at one point.
^ That one is a little more likely, given that he did appear in one of the B5 telemovies. Must stop hijacking thread!
Hasn't Christie Golden said that Lyssa was the blonde extra at the transporter console in "Eye of the Needle"? That works.
She said that after she created the character in her first novel, she saw a blonde transporter operator in that episode and wondered if it was a tribute (which it probably wasn't, given that the shows' makers were too busy making the shows to pay much attention to the books). Also, I think she may have been misremembering which episode it was, because "Needle" aired a full year before her first novel was published, and the transporter-operator extra in that episode is dark-haired: http://voy.trekcore.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=19&pos=220