Could Ro Laren Have Been Recast?

[2takesfrakes]

Michelle Forbes was a standout and completely memorable in the part of Ro Laren. When it became clear that she had no interest in committing to TNG, could the part have not been recast, as Ro had only appeared onscreen a handful of times - sometimes in a, somewhat, reduced capacity? It seems like a wasted opportunity to not try to retain the character, some way, when it could've been most easily achieved.

 

[xvicente]

Star Trek producers dont recast. Actually they do the opposite, they re-character actors. Example: Locarno/Tom Paris

 

[Kilana2]

They do recast. The actor who played Captain Braxton in Voyager for instance. And it was quite obvious.

As to Ro: I can't imagine anyone else in that role. I really enjoy reading about her and her career track in the novels, that's why I started a thread about it in the lit forum.

 

[Terok Nor]

Forbes didn't have a problem committing to a recurring role on TNG. It was when they asked her to commit to DS9 as a regular for 6 years that she objected. Hence the character of Major Kira was created to replace Ro in that show. I always wondered if that's the reason Forbes only appeared in a cameo in Season 6. By the time she made her final appearance the Kira character had proven to be a success and TNG was ending anyway. I doubt anyone was holding a grudge at that point.

 

[T'Girl]

It probably would have been possible to replace Ro with a "Ro-like" character. Not automatically another Bajorian, but a young woman with a different mind set and a different point of view. Ro wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she felt she was correct, and would challenge her superior officers if need be.

Retaining the Ro character with a different actress (example Saavik) I don't think would have been successful.

 

[Terok Nor]

It probably would have been possible to replace Ro with a "Ro-like" character. Not automatically another Bajorian, but a young woman with a different mind set and a different point of view. Ro wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she felt she was correct, and would challenge her superior officers if need be.

Retaining the Ro character with a different actress (example Saavik) I don't think would have been successful.

I agree. Michelle Forbes was the main reason that character was so good. Kira was similar to Ro but Nana Visitor likewise made Kira the great character she was. Had she played a recast of Ro I don't think it would have worked quite as well. Saavik is a great example of that.

 

[tomalak301]

Why would they? Her arc was pretty much finished and when she didn't want to commit to Trek anymore, they got Visitor to play Kira. I'd like to think Kira was the way Ro would have developed had she stayed on.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Star Trek producers dont recast. Actually they do the opposite, they re-character actors. Example: Locarno/Tom Paris

There have been:

Two "DaiMon Boks"

Two "Kols"

Two "Saaviks"

Two "Owen Parises"

Three "Tora Ziyals"

Four "Alexander Rozhenkos"

There might be others I don't recall.

So, yeah they recast

IIRC, they didn't originally want to cast McNeill as Paris but after being unable to find an actor with the right quailities they gave him a shot.

 

[T'Girl]

And there were actors who played multiple characters through the years, Diana Muldaur played three.

I'd like to think Kira was the way Ro would have developed had she stayed on.

Kira's backstory wouldn't have worked with Ro's established backstory, the whole multiple years as a resistance fighter would of had to of been dropped.

 

[Paul Weaver]

And there were actors who played multiple characters through the years, Diana Muldaur played three.

Gul Madred of course comes to mind, but I think that Jeffrey Combs gets the "most number of significant characters", including Brunt and Weyoun in the same episode.

 

[Relayer1]

I don't think she was so memorable that she couldn't be recast. She wasn't as distinctive as say, Kirstie Alley...

 

[Terok Nor]

Star Trek producers dont recast. Actually they do the opposite, they re-character actors. Example: Locarno/Tom Paris

There have been:

Two "DaiMon Boks"

Two "Kols"

Two "Saaviks"

Two "Owen Parises"

Three "Tora Ziyals"

Four "Alexander Rozhenkos"

There might be others I don't recall.

So, yeah they recast

IIRC, they didn't originally want to cast McNeill as Paris but after being unable to find an actor with the right quailities they gave him a shot.

Two Zefram Cochranes.

Two Borg Queens.

Two Moogies.

Not to mention the recasts of the entire original Enterprise crew, Sarek, Carol Marcus, Captain Pike and Khan in the alternate universe

 

[2takesfrakes]

I don't think she was so memorable that she couldn't be recast. She wasn't as distinctive as say, Kirstie Alley...

Wow ... there's a thought, actually: What if Michelle Forbes had played Saavik after Kirstie Alley, instead of Robin Curtis! And then to have her play Ro Laren would've been a coup de grâce! As a matter of fact, it may have been her next job, or one of the earlier jobs she had after TNG, where she was cast because the producers loved her so much as Ro.

 

[Turbo]

And there were actors who played multiple characters through the years, Diana Muldaur played three.

Gul Madred of course comes to mind, but I think that Jeffrey Combs gets the "most number of significant characters", including Brunt and Weyoun in the same episode.

J.G. Hertzler and Vaughn Armstrong also played a large number of recurring characters.

As to Ro, I don't think that recasting her for DS9 would have been a great idea - I think that changing the character entirely was a much better move. We already had the TNG tie-in with Chief O'Brien, and Kira being a Bajoran Milita officer, outside of Starfleet's command structure, made the conflict between her and Sisko much more believable.

Plus, then we wouldn't have gotten the excellent Preemptive Strike.

 

[Relayer1]

I don't think she was so memorable that she couldn't be recast. She wasn't as distinctive as say, Kirstie Alley...

Wow ... there's a thought, actually: What if Michelle Forbes had played Saavik after Kirstie Alley, instead of Robin Curtis! And then to have her play Ro Laren would've been a coup de grâce! As a matter of fact, it may have been her next job, or one of the earlier jobs she had after TNG, where she was cast because the producers loved her so much as Ro.

She'd certainly have been a less jarring recast than Robin Curtis !

 

[FormerLurker]

Other than her being about 17 at the time SFS was shot.

 

[2takesfrakes]

Oh, dear ... hadn't been aware of Michelle being that much younger than Kirstie.

Well, then again, when Robin Curtis, as Saavik, informed Kirk of David's fate, she still managed to deliver the line very effectively. On one hand, it was spoken as a dispassionate Vulcan and on the other, it was still expressed in such a way that it seemed like she was tapping her mental disciplines to shield herself from the pain and mental anguish, as well. As Ro, though, Michelle Forbes definitely had that edginess that Kirstie Alley had and was definitely of the same caliber, talent-wise. TNG really lucked out in casting Michelle, the way they did. As I recall, she actually first appeared on a throw-away episode centering around Deanna Troi's annoying mother. It was a bit part, but you could tell that this actress was something very special. In fact, TNG marked the start for a lot of great actresses careers, of the day ...

 

[RoJoHen]

Even if she didn't want to commit to being a main character on DS9, it's still a bummer that she didn't show up in an episode or two, especially when DS9 was dealing so heavily with the Maquis.

And then she could have joined Chakotay's crew and gotten stuck on Voyager!

Also, she's Future Guy.

 

[Terok Nor]

I totally forgot Michelle was on the show as a different character before Ro. I haven't seen that Lwaxana episode in a long time. I'd have loved Ro to be a regular in the last 3 seasons. She brought so much to the cast. I still love the actress. Her storyline in True Blood was the show at its best.

 

[Lynx]

I like Ro Laren and I would have liked to see more episodes with her and that she had been a regular character in the last tree seasons.

But I would have find it weird to see any other actress in that role than Michelle Forbes. She really gave life to the character.