Cast the Characters of Trek Literature

[Rush Limborg]

Haysbert...well, maybe, but I think his voice is too "booming" for a Vulcan.

Perhaps...Dennis Haysbert as Mogh, Worf's father? Mogh was in KRAD's The Art Of The Impossible, I recall....

[Sci]

St. William of Levittown wrote:

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Did she? I don't recall that, in those books. I recall she had black hair, but I don't recall reading anything about her skin color. And Memory Beta notes her hair color...but is otherwise silent about her features (except that she's quite attractive for her age...).

Direct quote, please?

I'm in the process of moving, and my copy of Kill is lent out, so I'm afraid I don't have access to my copies of either one. But I distinctly remember L'Haan being described as black. I encourage you to re-read the "Undisclosed Location" chapters and see for yourself.

[Christopher]

Sci wrote:

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I'm in the process of moving, and my copy of Kill is lent out, so I'm afraid I don't have access to my copies of either one. But I distinctly remember L'Haan being described as black. I encourage you to re-read the "Undisclosed Location" chapters and see for yourself.

I'm afraid you're getting a little mixed up. From A Time to Kill p. 87-8:

...he turned and looked over his shoulder to see his supervisor L'Haan walk in. Even though the Vulcan woman appeared to be younger than he, he knew that she was at least a hundred years his senior. Her raven black hair was straight and shoulder-length, and the lines of her own all-black uniform flattered her lithe body. Except for her faintly greenish complexion and sharply pointed ears, Dietz had long been of the opinion that she reminded him of artists' depictions of the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra.

Now, some works of fiction in recent years have cast black actresses as Cleopatra out of a misconception that she was "African" and an even greater misconception that there is only one ethnic group on the entire African continent (for instance, Gina Torres played her on Xena), but of course Cleopatra was the last of the highly inbred Ptolemaic dynasty and was pure Macedonian Greek. Most "artists' depictions" over the ages have probably tended to portray her with Mediterranean looks or else have modeled her on the artists' own cultural standards of beauty (even though history suggests that the real Cleopatra VII wasn't actually that good-looking but compensated for it with her keen seductive skills).

Or maybe what's confusing you is that her hair and costume were both described as black, so that word might stand out in your memory of her description.

[Sci]

Christopher wrote:

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I'm afraid you're getting a little mixed up. From A Time to Kill p. 87-8:

Now, some works of fiction in recent years have cast black actresses as Cleopatra out of a misconception that she was "African" and an even greater misconception that there is only one ethnic group on the entire African continent (for instance, Gina Torres played her on Xena), but of course Cleopatra was the last of the highly inbred Ptolemaic dynasty and was pure Macedonian Greek. Most "artists' depictions" over the ages have probably tended to portray her with Mediterranean looks or else have modeled her on the artists' own cultural standards of beauty (even though history suggests that the real Cleopatra VII wasn't actually that good-looking but compensated for it with her keen seductive skills).

Or maybe what's confusing you is that her hair and costume were both described as black, so that word might stand out in your memory of her description.

I stand corrected! Though it was probably the Cleopatra reference that caused me to misremember her as being described as a black Vulcan.

ETA:

Ironically enough, Gina Torres is who I've always pictured as L'Haan. I don't know if it's because I was influenced by her sometimes stoic performances as Zoe and Jasmine in Firefly and Angel or if I was remembering her performance as Cleopatra in Xena.

[Captaindemotion]

^ Probably because picturing her is rather pleasant.

[Rush Limborg]

^Well at any rate...I suppose I stand by my casting, of Alberta Watson.

BTW...here's a pic of her, from 24. Her demeanor resembles "Vulcan amusement" here, I think:
http://remote.lohudblogs.com/files/2007/11/24_pre_5.jpg

Give her the Vulcan eyebrows, she could be given a slight "Cleopatra" look. The "age" thing could be accounted for with...well, L'Haan's over 100 years old.


Still with Hugo Weaving as Zeitsev--and I'm liking Danny Huston more and more as Cole.

Don't know about Dietz. His part wasn't too "big" (i.e., interesting) to stick in my mind enough for a role....

[JD]

Enterprise1981 wrote:

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^ Interesting that you should suggest Alberta Watson for the role of L'Haan for two reasons. First, I suggested Melinda Clarke, also on the current edition of Nikita. Second, I started to imagine Watson in the role of the heroine in my Lambda Paz series, having a similarly schizophrenic (pun intended?) personality-- frowning on Jack Bauer's methods of torture, but sanctioning different torture methods against one of her own people-- or in the case of my stories, condemning what Section 31 represents while still willing accept help from them.

After seeing her on Nikita this past season I really like Melinda Clarke as L'Haan. Alberta Watson was ok in 24, but I find Melinda Clarke alot more intimidating and honestly... kinda scary.

[PKS8304]

After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

[Bob Karo]

PKS8304 wrote:

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After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

I never considered it, but I like it.

[JD]

Hmmm, I think I could see that.

[Sci]

PKS8304 wrote:

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After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

Eh, I dunno. I feel like his vibe is too overtly macho.

[lvsxy808]

PKS8304 wrote:

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After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

The physical image fits in that lower left hand picture.

But I've only seen him as the bad guy in Avatar, where he looked like an actual cartoon character brought to life.

.

[Rush Limborg]

JD wrote:

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After seeing her on Nikita this past season I really like Melinda Clarke as L'Haan. Alberta Watson was ok in 24, but I find Melinda Clarke alot more intimidating and honestly... kinda scary.

Well...here's a scene from Nikita with both of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YypoOMrgQog

Somehow...I think Alberta (sitting on the couch) seems more "Vulcan-like" here, as well as intimidating, and a little scary. TBH, her portrayal in this scene is almost exactly how I imagined L'Haan: her presence, her "I'm in command in this room" demeanor, and even her lines....

Melinda, in this scene, strikes me as more of an agent--her speaking style is more fast-paced, if you will. She seems less of a "director", more of a trusted subordinate, who carries out the Bureau's decisions.

[JWolf]

PKS8304 wrote:

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After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

I'll have to disagree. My choice for Vaugh is Bruce Boxleitner. Lang is too much a Rambo type.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000310/

[Cybersnark]

PKS8304 wrote:

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After reading Mission Gamma: Twilight and watching season 1 of Terra Nova I really think Stephen Lang: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002332/
could play an excellent Elias Vaughn.

Hmm. I like it. He's got the voice, and Terra Nova proves he can go from Special-Ops-veteran hardcase to kind father-figure to honourable idealist.