The other side of the coin is that if you set out to dislike someone, you can always find reasons even if those reasons are basically trivial.
Agreed on all counts.I thought she was fine - she's hardly my favourite Captain, but that has nothing to do with the actress, and as such the occasional bursts of vehemence directed her way are extremely unfair.
Big truth here. For all our grandstanding, there are some people that are still uncomfortable with strong, opinionated female leader (insert standard Hilary Clinton joke here... but seriously, I think that the situation is not really different). That's not to say that all people that dislike Janeway are sexist (I'm not a fan myself of how her character was inconsistently written), but there are some undercurrents of that in all the flake she gets.To be honest I think so much debate is garnered around Mulgre and the Janeway character simply because she was a woman.
I have a feeling if they kept Genevieve Bujold, people would have liked Janeway even less.
Most people I've talked to seem to either love her or think she was wrong for the role. What about her do you think causes these reactions?
Most people I've talked to seem to either love her or think she was wrong for the role. What about her do you think causes these reactions?
considering she's on record as not liking Star Trek or the character anymore, I think it's pretty telling that the problems didn't really lie with her acting.
She seemed appreciative and gracious on the feature on Janeway on the season 1 DVD. Sorry you had a bad experience with her.
I suspect, though I have no proof, that it isn't Mulgrew who has that polarizing effect so much as the Janeway character.
I think there's a great deal of truth in that. Of course, in a long-running series like VOY an actor inevitably shapes the character over the long run, but even so I (who am not always particularly generous when it comes to the subject of VOY) never had a problem with Mulgrew's performance so much as the things her character was made to do.
As far as the actress itself goes, I suspect that unfortunately her voice grated on some people, and the fact she isn't a conventionally attractive actress didn't help much either. My feeling has always been it's superficial issues such as these, together with the writing of Janeway's character, that have attracted the ire of those who dislike her.
Check On Erratic, K. Janeway Champion of the WorldI have a feeling if they kept Genevieve Bujold, people would have liked Janeway even less.
I think Mulgrew was good in the role. My own theory: Strong women with strong voices tend to provoke strong reactions. I'm a Kate Mulgrew fan, though, from her days in Mrs. Columbo, to her villainous turn in Throw Momma From the Train as the ex-wife who was every man's nightmare.
Also, it didn't help that sometimes the writers made her seem like she was erratic by having her make wildly different decisions in similar situations.
My mother once remarked that she found Janeway to be like a female Captain Kirk, which was an interesting observation. Just once, I would've liked to see Janeway just punch someone out -- wish she could've belted Seska, and said, a la Kirk to Kang, "Here's a little something I owe you!"
Red Ranger
Most people I've talked to seem to either love her or think she was wrong for the role. What about her do you think causes these reactions?
considering she's on record as not liking Star Trek or the character anymore, I think it's pretty telling that the problems didn't really lie with her acting.
hmmm but she doesn't mind making money off the trek crowd at cons and such does she....please give me a break! These actors who say..."oh, I am so tired of that role etc...." that role made her famous...beyond any soap opera she did or bad Mrs Columbo....she should be damn glad she had that opportunity!
She seemed appreciative and gracious on the feature on Janeway on the season 1 DVD. Sorry you had a bad experience with her.
Yeah. I saw her at a Trek convention in Bonn, and of all the SF stars there, she was the one who sat at the signing desk and gave (free) autographs until every single one of the (literally) thousands of people there had one. I was impressed with the effort and consideration.
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.