Mulgrew was well cast

[Docbrown777]

As much as we bash Janeway (or voyager in general) I think we have to agree that Mulgrew did the best job possible.

Yes?

I say yes.

Better then that French lady that they first gave the role to.

 

[Jaespol]

Yeah she is a watchable Janeway but I quite often find her acting to be unnatural.

 

[Zeppster]

I'll agree the writing was the biggest issue with here and most of the characters of Voyager. But I think she was the worst main commanding officer in Trek.

 

[Frazzled]

Bujold just looks odd in the footage of her - but I think that's because she's just sooooo so different from Mulgrew and by the time I saw the footage I'd been watching Mulgrew as Janeway for years.

Loads of things would've been different, Mulgrew definitely put her stamp on the role, I think she said she was given a free rein after 'Death Wish'? The touchy-feely Janeway with the voice that turns to a whisper when she gets emotional wouldn't've existed. The J/C tension probably wouldn't've either in my opinion, Bujold was probaly a bit too old. Mulgrew had the advantage of being just about old enough to feasibly be a captain but still young enough to play the attractive female when out of uniform, especially earlier on with the long hair.

I think things turned out for the best. But then I don't ever agree with the Janeway or Voyager bashing anyway, so I would say that! Interesting to hear the opinions of people who are less adoring, carry on ....

 

[Guy Gardener]

Though the Bun? I think I would have preferred even a faux hawk.

They were hiding a beautiful woman with granny hair.

Then when they finally take the bun down in Eye of the needle they saddle her with a ten pound wig that has he look like Rupunzel, which kicks her hair style back into the middle ages from the Victoria's England.

"The gods, like wanton schoolboys, play with us for sport."

 

[Frazzled]

They take it down earlier than that in 'Time and Again' and I remember thinking 'Wow! the School- Ma'am Captain's Gorgeous!'

 

[Similitude]

I had zero problem with her. I thought she was a good character and a good captain (Albeit the worst of all the Trek Captains).

 

[Anwar]

Superb actress, and managed to shine despite moments of rather poor writing.

 

[kimc]

As much as we bash Janeway (or voyager in general)

Speak for yourself!

 

[JustKate]

Superb actress, and managed to shine despite moments of rather poor writing.

I agree. (And I agree about the Bun of Steel, Guy.)

I think Janeway is an excellent captain, too. I wouldn't call her my favorite - some days she is, but usually Picard is - but I really like her a lot. I wouldn't mind having her as my captain, if I were part of a crew.

 

[Tachyon]

As much as we bash Janeway (or voyager in general)

Be different and unique - love Voyager.

Don't hate - appreciate.

Hmm... I guess I am done with poor dictums for now. But what comes to Mulgrew - I cannot imagine anyone else as Janeway. Ever.

What comes to casting of Voyager - there was nothing wrong with it. Voyager crew is brilliant.

 

[Frazzled]

I cannot imagine anyone else as Janeway. Ever.

What comes to casting of Voyager - there was nothing wrong with it. Voyager crew is brilliant.

Agreed. They're all fantastic IMHO

JustKate - I love Picard too, most days I love Janeway more though! Both of them are better than Sisko (though I do like him) and I can't stand Kirk.

I'd probably have loved her more again if her character hadn't gone a bit wobbly towards the end (the writers' problem not Mulgrew's). Even that in a way though could be used to make her seem more human which to me would make her more likeable - a result of inevitable stress or something. If it had been portrayed as such, which unfortunately it wasn't.

The Janeway of earlier episodes is magnificent - Q sums it up perfectly, can't remember if it's in Death Wish or Q and the Grey, when he says something about asserting her authority while maintaining her femininity.

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

Kate has always thrown herself into her roles, and Kathryn Janeway was no different. I have little doubt that Kate put a great deal of herself into the Captain, and it showed.

There has always been some who say Kate played Janeway a bit over the top. But, Kate herself is very... theatrical. If you've ever watched a Kate Mulgrew interview, you'll see what I mean here.

Kate is quite charming, very strongly opinionated, and a very touchy-feely person, and you can see that reflected in Kathryn. But, that is one of many reason why I really loved the character of Janeway.

I think Kate did an oustanding job, and I don't think many actresses could have done better and many more would have done a lot worse.

Plus... I always found Kate rather sexy...

 

[Guy Gardener]

Sisko is a muppet who can't help but ape the coolest captain on the block? We all agree that when he took the razor to his scalp that he was trying to be Picard? So I'm almost glad he "died" in What you leave behind that his hero worshipping of kathy didn't play out with emulated folicles.

Worf has enough hair to has a bun but he does not.

The XO from Equinox was on Lost the other night, and I was thinking to myself how often I see guest stars from voyager on the boobtube, but I hardly ever see the stars.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Sisko is a muppet who can't help but ape the coolest captain on the block? We all agree that when he took the razor to his scalp that he was trying to be Picard?

Um, no.

Avery Brooks wanted to shave his head because that's how he really prefers it in real life. He grew hair for DS9's early seasons. He wore it bald on Spenser For Hire and A Man Called Hawk too--long before DS9 was on the air...

But back to the original topic, IMO, Kate Mulgrew wasn't playing Kathryn Janeway as much as she was playing herself. She gave the character her own voice and mannerisms.

But I also think if another actress had indeed been cast as Janeway, most of us couldn't see anyone else playing that role either...

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

But back to the original topic, IMO, Kate Mulgrew wasn't playing Kathryn Janeway as much as she was playing herself. She gave the character her own voice and mannerisms.

But I also think if another actress had indeed been cast as Janeway, most of us couldn't see anyone else playing that role either...

Well, that pretty much should go without saying.

Never-the-less, I think Mulgrew was a great pick... even if she was second choice.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Sisko is a muppet who can't help but ape the coolest captain on the block? We all agree that when he took the razor to his scalp that he was trying to be Picard?

Um, no.

Avery Brooks wanted to shave his head because that's how he really prefers it in real life. He grew hair for DS9's early seasons. He wore it bald on Spenser For Hire and A Man Called Hawk too--long before DS9 was on the air...

But back to the original topic, IMO, Kate Mulgrew wasn't playing Kathryn Janeway as much as she was playing herself. She gave the character her own voice and mannerisms.

But I also think if another actress had indeed been cast as Janeway, most of us couldn't see anyone else playing that role either...

Real Life had nothing to do what I was blathering on loonlike about. The choices Avery makes which impacts on these stories is like you or I might claim how angels and demons are invisibly pushing and pulling our immortal souls forcing our moral compass this way or that. Hells one might push this question in the other direction away from reality and ask how a deeperly ficticious character like Benjamin Russel impacted more or Less on Sisko's hair cut than Avery brooks?

I have to wonder how gender enlightened Benny was to write about a lady Captain and who he thought he was sticking it to with those stories and how much worse more than a sanitorium his detractors were going to fuck his life life time to insist that women in space are meant fro enything other than pincushions for male ego and other attributes... The 50s were grand, no?

Where did Darren on Bewitched get the balls to say half the things he prattled on about in the company of magic users who were thousands of years old just because they wore their reproductive systems on the inside?

I used to like plesantville, but now I have to watch it with a paintball gun because i know who Tobey mcGuire is.

 

[Wicca who Wonta]

I think Mulgrew brought qualities like compassion and empathy to the role that I think gave the character more depth.

I'm happy that Geneviève Bujold didn't work out - my impression is that she would have been an unfeeling and hardened Janeway. That's perhaps why they chose to go with Bujold's absolute opposite after she left. Janeway had to take care of her crew and she needed compassion to accomplish that. That's what I think anyway.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Sisko is a muppet who can't help but ape the coolest captain on the block? We all agree that when he took the razor to his scalp that he was trying to be Picard?

Um, no.

Avery Brooks wanted to shave his head because that's how he really prefers it in real life. He grew hair for DS9's early seasons. He wore it bald on Spenser For Hire and A Man Called Hawk too--long before DS9 was on the air...

Real Life had nothing to do what I was blathering on loonlike about.

Quite correct.

 

[TariAdama]

I am grateful that Kate mulgrew was cast as Janeway,,, she Rocked and yes at times her character seemed a little wooden and constrained due to the writing.