Kate Mulgrew on Janeway

[Prax]

I dunno if this relates, but I have heard Mulgrew in multiple interviews heap high praises on Voyager's writing team; more than any other actor from the show. She usually says something like "The writing is soooo incredible/sophisticated/compelling/et al" or statements similar. Mulgrew often uses rare adjectives in her interviews that are difficult to remember. Maybe I'll look for some clips on Youtube and post them.

And most of the actors have described a great deal of involvement in the writing process and interaction with writers, producers, and story editors.

Even Beltran has said recently that Jeri Taylor and Michael Piller often sought his input for Chakotay's characterization, and even Garret Wang talks about always begging the writers to do his weird concepts.

 

[Bad Atom]

I always thought she was massively underrated as an actress both in skill and work ethic. Despite the inconsistent material she had to work with and friction between her and Jeri Ryan, she always gave 100% and was very diplomatic in interviews at the time.

 

[Jayson1]

My take on Janeway is that she started out as a kind of traditional starfleet captain but as time moved on she become more about doing what was right by her crew and the stress of her situation started to make her become erratic in her command decesions. I think she was breaking down much like Ransom did only it was less advanced because they didn't endure the same amount of struggle that he and his crew had to deal with. Also we got to consider the fact that she might not simply be a great captain but only a competent one. Not every Captain in Starfleet is going to be the next Kirk but it also doesn't mean they will fall on their face like Harriman did in "Generations." Maybe she is somewhere in the middle and was placed in a situation that she could handle but maybe not as well as someone like Picard which means she will make more mistakes along the way.

Jason

 

[Prax]

Janeway was a great captain. That's why she's Admiral Janeway.

Picard made some of the most idiotic decisions. Janeway has more in common with Kirk. She was quick on her feet, and had gall, something Picard often lacked. She was confident in her abilities and confident in her morality, which is essential for a good leader. She was also more grounded, as was her team.

And if she had been the captain of the Enterprise, she wouldn't have constantly dismissed Worf's good advice.

She also had better taste in literature.

(And we still haven't seen how she was inconsistent)

 

[Mage]

And if she had been the captain of the Enterprise, she wouldn't have constantly dismissed Worf's good advice.

Which was 'Weapons, captain?' most of the time. :P

 

[Jayson1]

Janeway was a great captain. That's why she's Admiral Janeway.

Picard made some of the most idiotic decisions. Janeway has more in common with Kirk. She was quick on her feet, and had gall, something Picard often lacked. She was confident in her abilities and confident in her morality, which is essential for a good leader. She was also more grounded, as was her team.

And if she had been the captain of the Enterprise, she wouldn't have constantly dismissed Worf's good advice.

She also had better taste in literature.

(And we still haven't seen how she was inconsistent)

She doesn't have to be seen as a great captain to be seen as a great character. I see her inconsistency more along the lines of how she was sometimes by the books and sometimes she was more of a rebel and they didn't always have a in universe reason for those changes. So I sort of like giving myself a head canon reason for those changes. I see her as someone who is strong but barely holding it together and has had trouble adapting to the fact she is in situation were Federation values might not always work so she is having to adjust her command style for this new enviroment and that means your going to make mistakes. Choosing when Federation values are important and when you need to change is something that you have no playbook to follow. You basically having to make it up as you go and that will lead to mistakes.

Jason

 

[Prax]

I see her as someone who is strong but barely holding it together and has had trouble adapting to the fact she is in situation were Federation values might not always work

That describes Sisko much better. He's very often shown stressed and struggling with his morality.

Janeway does what is right, whether it breaks the "Prime Guideline" or not.

When she carts those telepaths in that Devore episode. She was violating the laws of local space, and breaking the prime directive by interfering in an alien conflict, but she was doing the right thing by protecting the innocent. She didn't ask to be involved. She just ran across some refugees trying to escape persecution.
Even in Equinox, she did what was right- protect the innocent. She was angry, but understandably so.

Janeway didn't really compromise her morality until Endgame, and 25 years have passed. Her values had changed, and I think even this is very consistent with her character. It comes up in many episodes that Janeway holds a burden of guilt and feels responsible for those who die under her command, and for getting them stuck out in the DQ.

I will try to find inconsistencies in Janeway's character as written. I'll report my findings

 

[Jayson1]

That describes Sisko much better. He's very often shown stressed and struggling with his morality.

Janeway does what is right, whether it breaks the "Prime Guideline" or not.

When she carts those telepaths in that Devore episode. She was violating the laws of local space, and breaking the prime directive by interfering in an alien conflict, but she was doing the right thing by protecting the innocent. She didn't ask to be involved. She just ran across some refugees trying to escape persecution.
Even in Equinox, she did what was right- protect the innocent. She was angry, but understandably so.

Janeway didn't really compromise her morality until Endgame, and 25 years have passed. Her values had changed, and I think even this is very consistent with her character. It comes up in many episodes that Janeway holds a burden of guilt and feels responsible for those who die under her command, and for getting them stuck out in the DQ.

I will try to find inconsistencies in Janeway's character as written. I'll report my findings

I think it describes, early Sisko but once he got adjusted to DS9 he became more adapt at playing by a different playbook. He became more of a solider in later years when he needed to be because of the Dominion threat. He even came to accept his role as emisary Granted he also had the advantage of always being able on relay on Starfleet if he needed help. It's almost a reverse with Janeway. He came to the station a emotional mess and turned his life around and became a great leader. Janeway was already a strong leader but while her heart was always in the right place, her command decessions I felt started to become more questionable in terms of logic. I think not having to answer to anyone allowed her ego to sometimes get out of hand. I suspect that is always a issue to some degree with starfleet captains, because it was the same with KIrk, but it's one thing to go from some oversight to zero oversight and never having to answer to anyone, other than yourself.

Jason

 

[Voth commando1]

I dunno if this relates, but I have heard Mulgrew in multiple interviews heap high praises on Voyager's writing team; more than any other actor from the show. She usually says something like "The writing is soooo incredible/sophisticated/compelling/et al" or statements similar. Mulgrew often uses rare adjectives in her interviews that are difficult to remember. Maybe I'll look for some clips on Youtube and post them.

And most of the actors have described a great deal of involvement in the writing process and interaction with writers, producers, and story editors.

Even Beltran has said recently that Jeri Taylor and Michael Piller often sought his input for Chakotay's characterization, and even Garret Wang talks about always begging the writers to do his weird concepts.

That seems odd, actors do criticize the writers all the time.

Maybe I'm a cynic but I find it so hard to believe an actor would lavish such extensive praise on the writers even 20 years later.

I mean is there any possibility she is just being diplomatic here?

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

Janeway didn't really compromise her morality until Endgame, and 25 years have passed. Her values had changed, and I think even this is very consistent with her character. It comes up in many episodes that Janeway holds a burden of guilt and feels responsible for those who die under her command, and for getting them stuck out in the DQ.

In multiple occasions, we saw how ready Captain Janeway was able to sacrifice her life to save her people if she felt it was necessary but you're right, she has always refused to compromise her soul... unitl Endgame, where, her older doppelhänger, Admiral Janewat, decided to sacrifice body and soul to not only bring back Voyager at home AND to save Chakotay, Seven, Tuvok and twenty other members of her crew, whose she thought the sacrifice was useless.That was just crazy and in the same time, so courageous because, the Admiral knew that she wouldn't come back to be and share their joys, sorrows and anxiety...

 

[Prax]

That seems odd, actors do criticize the writers all the time.

Maybe I'm a cynic but I find it so hard to believe an actor would lavish such extensive praise on the writers even 20 years later.

I mean is there any possibility she is just being diplomatic here?

It's possible, she could be. I'll try to post a few in a little bit. Mulgrew is very generous in her praise of many things.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

She is not only generous in her praises but thankful too, whatever the defects repeatedly underlined in the press and/or by fans (and which she was/is perfectly aware), because she knows ‎what she owes to the show, even 16 years after the end.
Note that Kate Mulgrew is as thankful with Orange is the New Black as she is with ST: Voyager.

That's nice.

 

[Sophie74656]

She is not only generous in her praises but thankful too, whatever the defects repeatedly underlined in the press and/or by fans (and which she was/is perfectly aware), because she knows ‎what she owes to the show, even 16 years after the end.
Note that Kate Mulgrew is as thankful with Orange is the New Black as she is with ST: Voyager.

That's nice.

I just posted a video of her most recent convention appearance. She talked about her long career and...maybe because it was a Star Trek convention...but she did say that Voyager was her defining most important role.

 

[Voth commando1]

I'd say for every main Trek character(or the captains excepting Bakula) Trek was their most important role-I mean think of Shatner-he's synonymous wit Captain Kirk, Stewart-no one can imagine Picard as anyone else, Brooks was Sisko, and Mulgrew defined Janeway.

Bakula I don't think was defined as much by Trek-he had that time travel show, and shows up on NCIS or something I think had Enterprise lasted the full seven seasons it would have been a more defining part of his career.

I mean if your a main character and you get a seven year contract on Star Trek your guaranteed to be remembered as an actor at least for that role.

 

[Six of Twelve]

Bipolar disorder is something that will be curable in the 24th century, and not simply something managed as today, so I don't think she was being literal with the term bipolar.

She was rather inconsistent with the doctor at times, especially in that episode where she compares him to a replicator.

 

[Voth commando1]

Bipolar disorder is something that will be curable in the 24th century, and not simply something managed as today, so I don't think she was being literal with the term bipolar.

She was rather inconsistent with the doctor at times, especially in that episode where she compares him to a replicator.

Eh I think at some level she still didn't full accept him as sentient.

 

[Ghislaine H. B. BRAEME]

I just posted a video of her most recent convention appearance. She talked about her long career and...maybe because it was a Star Trek convention...but she did say that Voyager was her defining most important role.

Well, I think she was sincere in her declaration and besides, ‎either during filming or since 2001, she never hid that the role of Kathryn Janeway has marked her career as an actress, ‎like no other role, to the point of regretting sometimes that no matter what would be her future professional commitments, people will expect to see her acting like she was Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation of Planets, even if the roles are totally opposite, like for ex the one of Galina Reznikov in OITNB..., although if you look at it twice, you can notice that even in a kitchen, Mulgrew acts as a boss! ;-)

If I had to resume Mulgrew's carrier, I'd quote 3 roles : Mary Ryan, Kathryn Janeway and Galina Reznikov. 3 characters having a genuine character, individuality, courage and a fighting spirit.
Finally, she doesn't need to play a role, she just need to be herself through her characters!

 

[rfmcdpei]

I just hope Mulgrew might have the chance to revisit her character.