Outspoken Marina Sirtis Interview

[HaplessCrewman]

The guys over at Mission Log Podcast (as part of their overview of TNG) have posted a new audio interview (conducted at Rod Roddenberry's house) with Marina Sirtis.

I haven't read that many interviews with her over the years but this one is a real standout. As TNG recedes farther and farther into the past, the actors (and writers) can speak much more frankly about what went on back then. Really amazing how a little perspective can change how one looks at things. Amazing to think that the TNG crew is now where TOS was in 1994 or so.

Her comments on social media, sexism and Rick Berman (and I'm not a hater) are particularly revealing.

http://www.missionlogpodcast.com/the-one-with-marina-sirtis/

 

[WillsBabe]

Thanks for the link. Ill listen when I have more time!

 

[jimbotron]

Of the TNG cast, Marina is my favorite to listen to. She doesn't pull punches.

 

[Unicron]

That was interesting. I've always felt Denise Crosby had some very legitimate reasons for leaving the show when she did, but I also think Marina has some good perspective in disagreeing with that.

 

[Sybok Was Wrong]

I find her comments in regard to DEEP SPACE NINE interesting.

We were always led to believe Paramount intended to end TNG after 7 seasons due to syndication package numbers, cost, intent to move TNG into Features to replace the aging TOS cast, with their diminishing Box Office appeal.

Sirtis thinks DS9's original Nielsen Ratings gave the motive to end TNG, and removing TNG would only improve DS9's ratings? Interesting notion.

I agree with Sirtis that DS9 was not the success Paramount hoped, and you can't just slap the STAR TREK logo on a show and the nerds will watch.

Tho Sirtis thinks TNG should have gone 2 more seasons, I think they would have lost Patrick Stewart, and the show was getting creaky in Season 7.

Thanks for posting the link!

 

[HaplessCrewman]

^You're welcome.

The Rick Berman anecdote she related during the press tour for 'First Contact' was pretty eye-opening.

Telling an actress (years later) that there was a time when she could have asked for anything and got it seems like kind of a dick move.

On the other hand, Berman did represent the studio and his job was to keep costs down.

That's showbiz, I guess.

 

[Juju Zombie]

Is there a transcript of the interview anywhere?

 

[Amaris]

I adore Marina Sirtis. It's always fun to listen to her chat about the series. I find that her points about narcissism in our Twitter generation are brilliant, too.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

^Her comments on social media are particularly telling.

She says she has to be more guarded about what she says now than in the old days due to the speed of social media. A comment to a roomful of convention goers could almost be considered a 'private' conversation by today's standards.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

Is there a transcript of the interview anywhere?

Why would you want to deprive yourself of her lovely voice?

 

[Amaris]

True, and I get why she's so guarded. People like to make something from nothing, and I'm sure the last thing Marina needs is someone twisting her words and jeopardizing her career.

 

[Triskelion]

Very enjoyable, and interesting insights.

I never knew she was close to the Roddenberrys (Roddenberries?) in real life. Intriguing was her notion that had she been cast as Tasha Yar, and Denise Cosby Troi, that "the Security Officer role would have lasted seven years." I wonder about how that would have affected the series - particularly Worf, who took the security job all the way to DS9. What would his role have been?

I get that they were willing to portray women in powerful roles - something Roddenberry had intended from the pilot of the Cage with Majel as Number One - but I wonder what they would have done with Worf had Sirtis played the security officer, or had Crosby never left.

Also worth noting was that although Crosby had a legitimate complaint they underused her character - we learned more about her character's history in two minutes than we ever did of Deanna's throughout the series! Deanna stuck it out and it paid off.

Also - very gracious response to Whoopee Goldberg's Guinan "stealing" Troi's counseling thunder.

I love Sirtis' voice as the computer on Star Trek Continues and hope she continues to voice that role - and yes, with Troi's beautiful lilting accent. What a lovely homage to Majel - and a real valentine to the fans.

 

[Orphalesion]

Is there a transcript of the interview anywhere?

Why would you want to deprive yourself of her lovely voice?

Because some people prefer to read at their own pace instead of having to listen to somebody talking too fast/too slow?

Because in an audio interview you have to rewind if you don't understand something and that can get annoying?

Because some people find it unnerving to listen to somebody without seeing them? (yup its a real thing)

I'd prefer a transcript as well.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

Is there a transcript of the interview anywhere?

Why would you want to deprive yourself of her lovely voice?

Because some people prefer to read at their own pace instead of having to listen to somebody talking too fast/too slow?

Because in an audio interview you have to rewind if you don't understand something and that can get annoying?

Because some people find it unnerving to listen to somebody without seeing them? (yup its a real thing)

I'd prefer a transcript as well.

Let me put the word out for you. Would any fellow BBS member be willing to oblige Orphalesion with a transcript so that he/she may join in on this discusssion?

 

[Orphalesion]

Let me put the word out for you. Would any fellow BBS member be willing to oblige Orphalesion with a transcript so that he/she may join in on this discusssion?

Thanks for the help, but I listened to the interview in the meantime (I never said I would not, I just gave reasons why someone might prefer a transcript ) However it still might be true to Juju Zombie.

I loved the part where she "chewed out" the interviewer for saying that Denise Crosby had nothing to do. And I agree with Marina that we should have known more about Troi's past and I actually didn't know some of the information like the Troi/Guinan thing.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Totally agree with her on Social Media. It will be the downfall of humanity.

I'd loved to have seen her as Security Chief, especially a whole seven year run of her!

Never listened to any interview with her, she sounds like such a lovely genuine person, someone I'd love to have round for lunch and have a good natter with.

 

[Long Syntax]

Yes, Marina is a lovely, genuine woman. Although listing to the interview hit a sore spot with me when she defended her cast as the predominate one after TOS, saying people won't watch just anything with star trek in it - "Enterprise proved that!". I guess I could have done without hearing that. She's certainly entitled to her opinion though, even if I disagree.

 

[jimbotron]

This isn't the first time she recounted her story about being the ugly girl who would laugh at the idea of growing up to be a 'sex symbol'. I think she mentioned it in the BD bonus features. Michael Dorn's comment on a childhood picture of her "who's the monkey?" ouch!

Great anecdote too where she expresses regrets not suggesting ideas to the writers for better stories for her character.

 

[Amaris]

Yes, Marina is a lovely, genuine woman. Although listing to the interview hit a sore spot with me when she defended her cast as the predominate one after TOS, saying people won't watch just anything with star trek in it - "Enterprise proved that!". I guess I could have done without hearing that. She's certainly entitled to her opinion though, even if I disagree.

In fairness, she has the ratings to back her statement up. I like Enterprise, but it doesn't hold a candle to TNG when it comes to ratings, popularity, or revenue generation.

 

[Long Syntax]

Yes, Marina is a lovely, genuine woman. Although listing to the interview hit a sore spot with me when she defended her cast as the predominate one after TOS, saying people won't watch just anything with star trek in it - "Enterprise proved that!". I guess I could have done without hearing that. She's certainly entitled to her opinion though, even if I disagree.

In fairness, she has the ratings to back her statement up. I like Enterprise, but it doesn't hold a candle to TNG when it comes to ratings, popularity, or revenue generation.

The ratings certainly are in TNG's favor, and I am certainly a fan of TNG as well, however her passing remark in no way actually analyzes the complexities of the show's failing ratings. I would argue that ENT was not a ratings failure because it was ST in name only - there were a lot of reasons, including the oversaturation of ST and the continued drop in ratings for ST series after TNG.

Regardless, I don't think I was being unfair to Marina, it just hit a sore spot.