3 Days' Notice for David Warner [Chain of Command] = He Read from Cue Cards

[MonoLake82]

I've been going through Memory Alpha, interested to learn some new things about TNG. This one really surprised me. First, he did an amazing job, especially in light of these facts.

For the purposes of this thread though, does anyone know why Warner got such short notice? What kind of notice did most guest actors get on TNG?

 

[Tosk]

I have no actual info regarding Warner, but according to a recent interview with Andrew Robinson, even as a recurring character he often got less than a week's notice that he'd be needed ("A week if you're lucky.") and it was only quite late in the series that anyone bothered to give him a good roadmap of how much they'd need him.

So Warner may have stepped in to replace someone else (Like Saul Rubinek did) or his may have simply gotten and accepted the offer close to filming. Perhaps production wanted him very much and the deal took a little long to long down. I have nothing but guesses.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

David Warner reading from cue cards is a damn sight more awesome than most other actors NOT reading from cue cards.

 

[Tallguy]

Put another way: We'd be OK watching David Warner read the phone book.

 

[Amaris]

David Warner reading from cue cards is a damn sight more awesome than most other actors NOT reading from cue cards.

This. I'm a huge fan of David Warner, and was always delighted to see him show up in any film. To me, learning he only had a few days notice and read from cue cards, and yet completely pulled me into his performance, just confirms for me how talented he really was.

 

[shapeshifter]

Not unusual for Hollywood, or Trek.

Hired after Geneviève Bujold quit/was fired from VOYAGER after a couple days of shooting, Kate Mulgrew only had a couple days to get ready to replace her on a very already very delayed production.

 

[Amaris]

Not unusual for Hollywood, or Trek.

Hired after Geneviève Bujold quit/was fired from VOYAGER after a couple days of shooting, Kate Mulgrew only had a couple days to get ready to replace her on a very already very delayed production.

Well, she did a fantastic job. VOY isn't my favorite Trek series, but Janeway's one of my favorite captains. Kate brought real strength to the role.

 

[Mojochi]

Pretty sure David Warner could've played a villain character like that, with his brand of mastery, in his bloody sleep anyhow

 

[shapeshifter]

Finding he was reading cue-cards proves that. I had noooo idea. He was just brilliant.

Well, she did a fantastic job.

She remains a bright spot in the series for me, and beyond.

 

[Oddish]

She remains a bright spot in the series for me, and beyond.

Same here. It is a tribute to her and the rest of the cast that Voyager is as good as it was, despite questionable decisions by TPTB.

Regarding the cue cards, I'll go along with what the others said... Picard's experience with David Warner's character might be hard to watch at times because of the sheer brutality of his character's actions, but he seriously sold it.

 

[Tupperfan]

Same here. It is a tribute to her and the rest of the cast that Voyager is as good as it was, despite questionable decisions by TPTB.

Apologies for staying a bit longer off-topic, but the whole Voyager cast was indeed never the issue with that series. The actors were pretty much all extremely solid and provided charisma to their characters when the scripts wouldn't. Their portrayals elevated the series and made me like the characters, even when they were set to be the equivalent of cardboard stand-ins, or when their actions were irrational or nonsensical.

As for David Warner, he always made it work (even as St. John Talbot), as he was a great actor. Acting that way while reading off cue cards just highlight his talent and professionalism.

 

[Iamnotspock]

Not unusual for Hollywood, or Trek.

Hired after Geneviève Bujold quit/was fired from VOYAGER after a couple days of shooting, Kate Mulgrew only had a couple days to get ready to replace her on a very already very delayed production.

I recall an interview Kate gave the BBC in which she said, "The technobabble was overwhelming. It was as if you'd given me three pages of Japanese and said, "you've got till tomorrow." Thank God I'm a quick study!"