[FAN FILM RELATED] older actors reprising parts

[Danlav05]

I wasn't sure whether to put this here or in General but I spend way more time here - this conversation is not limited to Fan Productions so if it needs moving please do.

Since the show ended in 2005 we have had trickles here and there of some of our favourite actors reprising their Trek TV/film parts in fan films and more:

- Leonard Nimoy in Trek 09 and STID
- Walter Koenig, George Takei and friends in New Voyages/Of Gods and Men/Renegades etc
- Tim Russ & Wil Wheaton in that Titan tour thing
- The 'Legacy' video game
- A few people in Star Trek Online
- William Shatner at the Oscars 2013
- John Savage & Gary Lockwood are 'doing' Equinox
- Gary Graham is Soval again in Star Trek Axanar
- At various conventions alien actors in particular dress up for photo ops and live stage entertainment

How do people feel about it? I notice some complaints about Renegades are how they are dragging older actors out once more as a gimmick - but I enjoy seeing old faces again and adding something new to their characters' story.

This isn't to say I don't enjoy the likes of Farragut and Hidden Frontier who have done a wonderful job creating and developing a plethora of new and exciting characters.

But what about the future, officially and in fan works? William Shatner seems like he MAY do a fan film like Continues/P2 someday, but I doubt any of the TNG cast nor other Captains will work outside the CBS/Paramount license bar maybe Michael Dorn if he does 'Captain Worf' as an indie movie.

It would be nice to see Picard played by Stewart again (though after The Stone Unturned I'm happy to see Giles Aston take the mantle) and after TNG ended Frakes was never too far away from Riker.

It's nice to see the original universe continue in fan films, games and the like for us while Paramount pushes JJ's universe.

 

[Tom]

Well speaking on behalf of Renegades there are many more new actors than previous trek characters. There are 5, dialogue wise, Walter has the biggest role, then Manu, Tim, Picardo and Herd having pretty small roles. Picardo had a much bigger role but do to scheduling could only be on the set one day so most of what he would have done was transitioned over to a new character called Dr. Lucien played by Sean Young.

BTW, Nichelle Nichols, and many other trek alumni were in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. As a film designed to celebrated the 40th anniversary of Star Trek we wanted to have a lot of familiar faces.

We were going to have Frakes reprise his role as Riker in the first iteration of Star Trek: Renegades back in 2010 but that original version of STR was shelved that year.

Many guest actors from TOS have appeared in PhaseII (William Windom, etc..) and Continues (Robert Forrest, etc..).

 

[Danlav05]

Well speaking on behalf of Renegades there are many more new actors than previous trek characters. There are 5, dialogue wise, Walter has the biggest role, then Manu, Tim, Picardo and Herd having pretty small roles. Picardo had a much bigger role but do to scheduling could only be on the set one day so most of what he would have done was transitioned over to a new character called Dr. Lucien played by Sean Young.

BTW, Nichelle Nichols, and many other trek alumni were in Star Trek: Of Gods and Men. As a film designed to celebrated the 40th anniversary of Star Trek we wanted to have a lot of familiar faces.

We were going to have Frakes reprise his role as Riker in the first iteration of Star Trek: Renegades back in 2010 but that original version of STR was shelved that year.

Many guest actors from TOS have appeared in PhaseII (William Windom, etc..) and Continues (Robert Forrest, etc..).

I covered the bold in "Walter Koenig, George Takei and friends in New Voyages/Of Gods and Men/Renegades etc" above but it's good to have a fuller summary!

May I ask (PM me if you wish?) what was the original STR an what was Riker's role? What other veterans were invisioned to be in it?

 

[Tom]

It was to have Tom Riker, Troi, Tuvok and Kim. I will PM you the concept and sample of the script I proposed at the time.

 

[Danlav05]

It was to have Tom Riker, Troi, Tuvok and Kim. I will PM you the concept and sample of the script I proposed at the time.

Thanks

 

[Barbreader]

I have always wanted to see more of Tom Riker.

 

[mos6507]

I'm pretty forgiving about aging actors, as there was a lot of nasty ageist things said of the TOS actors even in the early 80s, but I think in some cases the actors just become so old that they are unrecognizable, and visibly so frail that you almost feel sorry for them that they're doing this. Gary Lockwood falls into that category. Gary Lockwood at his current age in a TOS uniform just looks absurd. Walter portraying a prematurely aged Checkov in a TOS uniform I could buy. But the Equinox premise is so far-fetched that it just seems embarrassing across the board.

William Windom's appearance was OK because he looked grizzled even on TOS, but recording it at his house or whatever it was (in Los Angeles) just strained all credulity.

 

[Maurice]

As always, it's about the script, which is usually the Achilles Heel of fanfilms, and the jumping through narrative hoops to justify the return of so-and-so doesn't usually yield great results. Sometimes, as in casting Barbara Luna in "Enemy Starfleet" it just becomes laughable, as when they try to make her seduce the Captain and make her more alluring by slapping a bad wig on her head.

 

[Danlav05]

I'm pretty forgiving about aging actors, as there was a lot of nasty ageist things said of the TOS actors even in the early 80s, but I think in some cases the actors just become so old that they are unrecognizable, and visibly so frail that you almost feel sorry for them that they're doing this. Gary Lockwood falls into that category. Gary Lockwood at his current age in a TOS uniform just looks absurd. Walter portraying a prematurely aged Checkov in a TOS uniform I could buy. But the Equinox premise is so far-fetched that it just seems embarrassing across the board.

William Windom's appearance was OK because he looked grizzled even on TOS, but recording it at his house or whatever it was (in Los Angeles) just strained all credulity.

I'm a bit skeptical of Equinox as it's meant to be after Voyager but they're all wearing TOS uniforms

 

[Captain Atkin]

I'm a bit skeptical of Equinox as it's meant to be after Voyager but they're all wearing TOS uniforms

I don't know much about the Equinox film. Maybe the story involves time-travel?

 

[USS Intrepid]

It's on their page. But according to what they've posted Ransom didn't die, he was beamed away and imprisoned for fifteen years. He then escapes and finds himself transported to the past where he must work with the Starfleet of Kirk's time to defeat some sort of Delta Quadrant threat.

Again, I'm just reporting what they've put out there, I have no inside knowledge or any connection to the project.

As far as Lockwood reprising Mitchell, I think they'd be better casting him as a new character, rather than jumping through whatever plot convolutions they need for Mitchell. But it's their story, so ultimately it's their call.

 

[Mudd]

It's been interesting about twice. Generally it's tedious.

 

[Melakon]

I'd rather see the unsung day players like John Winston and Eddie Paskey getting the spotlight in fan films, instead of the big name guests. And it doesn't have to be as their original characters.

 

[Maurice]

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQXMJRUzzlo[/yt]
I would NEVER release something like this. Are they trying to embarrass the actors? Rehearsals and runthroughs should not be publicly screened.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTI7_IXaZ9Y[/yt]
Poor Gary. Drowned out by too much music.

 

[Melakon]

^ This is the type of thing that upset Nimoy about Gene carrying the blooper reel everywhere.

 

[Maurice]

On a film set you actually don't usually even have the whole crew on hand while running lines and doing initial blocking. Usually it's just the director, and then the DP comes in and figures how how to cover it, then everyone comes over and sets up.

 

[Melakon]

I've only had the luxury of watching a film shoot once, on a visit to LA. I had about 6 hours to kill before seeing someone in a play, and noticed a bunch of big white trailers on a side street near the theatre. Wandered over, sat on a dirt mound outside their perimeter, and watched Lou Gossett Jr. and Rae Dawn Chong shooting a tv movie for about 4 hours.

 

[RCAM]

Everything about this project is embarrassing and makes me sad.