How well-known was the cast during the show's run?

[indycar]

Recently, I saw a video of the cast (minus Patrick Stewart) on Good Morning America. The episode was even set on the Enterprise set. It seems that several of the cast members in addition to Stewart (the lead) showed up on talk shows on types of programs along those lines (it seems that the one, based on what's on YouTube, who seemed to make rounds on talk shows was Marina Sirtis). I'm just curious, what would be a good comparison between TNG and a current and/or recent for how well-known the cast was to the general public?

 

[Not Herbert]

Levar Burton was famous for "Roots", and Will Wheaton had just been in "Stand By Me". Perhaps only Burton would be considered "famous". No one else was particularly well known at that time. I remember watching the premier broadcast of "Encounter at Farpoint" and I did recognise some of the cast. Spiner from "Night Court", Stewart from "Dune" and "I Claudius", Colm Meaney from something-or-other, and John deLancie.

 

[indycar]

Levar Burton was famous for "Roots", and Will Wheaton had just been in "Stand By Me". Perhaps only Burton would be considered "famous". No one else was particularly well known at that time. I remember watching the premier broadcast of "Encounter at Farpoint" and I did recognise some of the cast. Spiner from "Night Court", Stewart from "Dune" and "I Claudius", Colm Meaney from something-or-other, and John deLancie.

But what meant was during the show's run.

 

[Not Herbert]

Levar Burton was famous for "Roots", and Will Wheaton had just been in "Stand By Me". Perhaps only Burton would be considered "famous". No one else was particularly well known at that time. I remember watching the premier broadcast of "Encounter at Farpoint" and I did recognise some of the cast. Spiner from "Night Court", Stewart from "Dune" and "I Claudius", Colm Meaney from something-or-other, and John deLancie.

But what meant was during the show's run.

Well, most of what I posted would probably hold true for a while until the cast began making appearances elsewhere. Even then, aside from Stewart, I don't believe that any of the cast where household names during the run of the show. I mean, if you went up to someone on the street and asked if they knew who Gates McFadden or Jonathan Frakes where, you'd probably get a shrug. Most non-Trek fans to this day probably wouldn't know most of the TNG cast. Naturally, this is just my assumption, I could be completely out-of-touch.

 

[Mojochi]

The show itself had begun making them famous by the time of the 2nd or 3rd season, at least publically recognizable, but generally, people still didn't consider them famous for anything other than TNG, except maaaybe Burton & Wheaton. Frankly, I don't even think they'd have their current level of notoriety, had the series not gone 7 years & had a film franchise. When I tuned into the pilot, I only recognized Burton from Roots, & Wheaton from Stand By Me. At some point during season 1, I figured out that Spiner had been on Night Court

 

[indycar]

Levar Burton was famous for "Roots", and Will Wheaton had just been in "Stand By Me". Perhaps only Burton would be considered "famous". No one else was particularly well known at that time. I remember watching the premier broadcast of "Encounter at Farpoint" and I did recognise some of the cast. Spiner from "Night Court", Stewart from "Dune" and "I Claudius", Colm Meaney from something-or-other, and John deLancie.

But what meant was during the show's run.

Well, most of what I posted would probably hold true for a while until the cast began making appearances elsewhere. Even then, aside from Stewart, I don't believe that any of the cast where household names during the run of the show. I mean, if you went up to someone on the street and asked if they knew who Gates McFadden or Jonathan Frakes where, you'd probably get a shrug. Most non-Trek fans to this day probably wouldn't know most of the TNG cast. Naturally, this is just my assumption, I could be completely out-of-touch.

I think you're fairly accurate. However, I would ask how many cast members from recent (as the past 15-20 years) shows are truly household names. With the exception of Friends and Seinfeld, I can't think of any. I mean if you would go up to anyone, would they be able to tell you the main of 30 Rock? What about Modern Family? Or how about NCIS (the highest rated drama)?

 

[Finn]

LeVar Burton were well known to us who were growing up during TNG's run as he also did Reading Rainbow concurrently not to mention being known for his role in Roots.

 

[Christopher]

Levar Burton was famous for "Roots", and Will Wheaton had just been in "Stand By Me". Perhaps only Burton would be considered "famous". No one else was particularly well known at that time.

Not in the United States, anyway. Patrick Stewart was a 20-year veteran of the Royal Shakespeare Company at the time he was cast in TNG, so he was certainly well-known in the UK.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Burton certainly was to any parents and most kids during TNG's time, because before, during and after the show, he was the host of "Reading Rainbow".

RR even did a TNG episode where he went to the set, editing, etc.

 

[Karzak]

Burton and Wheaton were the only "household" names when the show premiered. The rest were ralative up and comers. How well they were known during the show's run is not something I'm too well-informed on, but clearly Stewart was recognized well enough to be cast in major motion pictures and to be invited to host Saturday Night Live.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Burton and Wheaton were the only "household" names when the show premiered. The rest were ralative up and comers. How well they were known during the show's run is not something I'm too well-informed on, but clearly Stewart was recognized well enough to be cast in major motion pictures and to be invited to host Saturday Night Live.

And Stewart was voted as sexist man on TV in a TV Guide Poll during the show's run.

 

[indycar]

Burton and Wheaton were the only "household" names when the show premiered. The rest were ralative up and comers. How well they were known during the show's run is not something I'm too well-informed on, but clearly Stewart was recognized well enough to be cast in major motion pictures and to be invited to host Saturday Night Live.

And Stewart was voted as sexist man on TV in a TV Guide Poll during the show's run.

I'd read someplace that he was voted this, but I forgot about it until now.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

As far as international (ie: American) movies, Patrick had been in Excalibur and Dune before TNG. I had seen both movies, but I didn't make the connection till later in TNG's run.

Lots of other appearances, but probably mostly British.

I guess it depends how American-centric your idea of "well known" is.

 

[Christopher]

As far as international (ie: American) movies, Patrick had been in Excalibur and Dune before TNG. I had seen both movies, but I didn't make the connection till later in TNG's run.

And Tobe Hooper's space-vampire movie Lifeforce, but the only part of that most people remember is Mathida May walking around naked for a large part of the film.

 

[inflatabledalek]

I love Stewart's face on that magazine cover, he's cleairly thinking "What do you mean, "Surprise"?!?!?!?"

 

[Greg Cox]

As far as international (ie: American) movies, Patrick had been in Excalibur and Dune before TNG. I had seen both movies, but I didn't make the connection till later in TNG's run.

To be fair, he played relatively small supporting parts in both movies. I'm not sure anyone, in the UK or the USA, thought of him as the "Right! That guy who played Guenevere's father in EXCALIBUR and had a couple of scenes in DUNE!"

 

[timtonruben359]

At the start of the show, Burton and Wheaton were the most known.

During the show I think Stewart, Spiner and maybe Frakes were the best known.

Post-TNG really Stewart is the only who has had big successes in terms of movies and such.

 

[Finn]

I don't think Spiner and Frakes were really that well known. Stewart maybe.

 

[Marc]

Burton and Wheaton were the only "household" names when the show premiered. The rest were ralative up and comers. How well they were known during the show's run is not something I'm too well-informed on, but clearly Stewart was recognized well enough to be cast in major motion pictures and to be invited to host Saturday Night Live.

And Stewart was voted as sexist man on TV in a TV Guide Poll during the show's run.

Given the comments about Stewart's looks over the years really made his casting in Dune a tad ironic given the character (Gurney Halleck) is described in the book as an "ugly lump of a man"

 

[Triskelion]

Lets not forget Whoopi, an A-lister.
And I bet they knew who guest stars like David Ogden Stiers were.

And many who were "well-known" on sight, if not by name, just from their appearances in numerous roles. Guests like Capt. Jellico or the Uxbridges, for example. "Oh, that guy!"