Shoutout to Nana Visitor
- Thread starter JeffinOakland
- Start date
Wow, I didn't know that. You know, I think that may have actually helped the episode for me. Brian Keith's character was crotchety. And if he was that way in real life and toward Nana, it seemed to work well for the episode. I really liked the episode and Kira's sympathy for the old man and her loyalty to all things Bajor, but also her coming to a realization that things must change. It was a piece of Kira's very personal 7 year arc and I'm grateful we had an opportunity to get a bird's eye view of this turning point in her journey. I'm sure I've mentioned this in another thread at some point along the way, but I remember this episode fading to black and the end and thinking to myself, "this is a damn good show." That episode was actually what cemented it for me. I was hooked on DS9 after that. While it's not one of the top ten episodes or anything, I just loved the character focus/interaction and the unsettled ending. There was a lot of that in DS9, especially as the series moved along. I dig it.
I also love Ro, but honestly I have no memory of the episode that's being compared to this one. It's quite possible I haven't seen it in years, probably since it originally aired. I'll have to go back and rewatch it.
I love Nana Visitor's eyes there is something memorizing about them, they have such a unique shape they're sort of....cat like? Also she pulls of the tough but feminine thing off really well too. (Kate Mulgrew being the 'too' in my last sentence)
I wonder who got the idea for the nose thing.
Yep, she's got the most incredibly expressive eyes. She doesn't even have to have any dialogue, you just know (and more importantly feel) exactly what her character is going through just by her eyes. Quite incredible.
Here's a nice pic taken a few years ago when she signed my DS9 script!
Yep, she's got the most incredibly expressive eyes. She doesn't even have to have any dialogue, you just know (and more importantly feel) exactly what her character is going through just by her eyes. Quite incredible.
Here's a nice pic taken a few years ago when she signed my DS9 script!
...
Wow! there is a lot of handwriting on that script? Who else signed it?
Nana, Avery Brooks, Andrew Robinson, Alexander Siddig, Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois, Max Grodenchik. And since that photo was taken Terry Farrell's scribbled on it too. 
Nana, Avery Brooks, Andrew Robinson, Alexander Siddig, Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois, Max Grodenchik. And since that photo was taken Terry Farrell's scribbled on it too.
That's quite a line-up! Congratulations! It must have required a lot of effort.
I just rewatched Duet as part of my ongoing massive multimedia Trek marathon, and I am officially decided that Kira is my favorite DS9 character. She really goes thru some amazing growth thru the series, she's such a complicated deep character with prejudices, angst, spirit and so much potential, all brought beautifully to life by Nana Visitor.
And I totally agree about how expressive her eyes are. She really brought so much to the role. She could really bring more emotional context to the scene.
And I totally agree about how expressive her eyes are. She really brought so much to the role. She could really bring more emotional context to the scene.
I have to admit I very much disliked Mayor Kira when I first watched re-runs of DS9 as a kid/pre-teen I thik she was just to agressive for my tastes back then.
However now re-watching DS9 for the first time I have to say I love the character and the actress. She brings so much to the role, plays her with so much conviction and energy... and the character herself is so mulch-faceted and rich! Nana visitor is definitely one of the best actresses and Kira is one of the best characters in Trek.
However now re-watching DS9 for the first time I have to say I love the character and the actress. She brings so much to the role, plays her with so much conviction and energy... and the character herself is so mulch-faceted and rich! Nana visitor is definitely one of the best actresses and Kira is one of the best characters in Trek.
Hopefully, this isn't caused by some variation of the Stockholm syndrome.
(I am of course joking)
I found Kira to be my favorite character initially, but, I don't know, somehow Kira became "weaker" as the character went along- maybe with the introduction of Worf? She was very good in Seasons 1&2...her look was best too. Her costume was best then, too, up until the Starfleet uniform.
Nana Visitor walks a fine line between very passionate acting, and sometimes embarrassing herself; that's not an insult necessarily- Just like Tom Jones or James Brown- performers who walk that fine line- but are memorable. (Although her fake laughing...I can't believe directors didnt have a word with her to tone that down)
Nana Visitor walks a fine line between very passionate acting, and sometimes embarrassing herself; that's not an insult necessarily- Just like Tom Jones or James Brown- performers who walk that fine line- but are memorable. (Although her fake laughing...I can't believe directors didnt have a word with her to tone that down)
I love it when Kyra gets sort of embarrassed (like when she denies that she was lae for her and Dax's appointment in the holosuite on purpose) Nana goes into this really adorkable "No no!" overacting routine (she does it on multiple occasions) and it's awesome, all she needs is doing some sort of involuntary noise with her nose.
One small critique I have so far with DS9 however is that Kyra recovered very quickly from Bareil's death. The peace treaty remained a plot point but the death of a ain character's lover not? Of course I'm only at Destiny, so it's possible we get some emotional fallout later.
One small critique I have so far with DS9 however is that Kyra recovered very quickly from Bareil's death. The peace treaty remained a plot point but the death of a ain character's lover not? Of course I'm only at Destiny, so it's possible we get some emotional fallout later.
I know the original plan was to have Ro Laren be the Bajoran first officer on DS9 but (no disrespect to Michelle Forbes) I'm glad this didn't work out. Kira was much better for that role than Ro.
Kira was of course a formidable fighter and a very strong person but I was also struck by how warm and affectionate she could be. And she had a wicked sense of humor.
Although it all worked out in the end, because as of the current point in the novelverse, Ro herself is the *captain* of the new DS9 station.
Kira was of course a formidable fighter and a very strong person but I was also struck by how warm and affectionate she could be. And she had a wicked sense of humor.
On the subject of the captaincy of DS9, it just occurred to me that it would've made sense for Starfleet to have assigned a Bajoran Starfleet officer to command the station.
Is that racist? There were so many conflicts between the Federation and the Bajorans which were a great part of the series, but in a real life scenerio, surely a Bajoran Starfleet officer in charge would've been able to bridge a lot of the gaps that Sisko ran into.
Perhaps there were no suitable Bajoran senior officers available?
Kira was very good with warmth and affection, which makes a nice contrast to her aggression and drive. She's very well rounded. Just before I read the last few posts I was thinking of how much Jadzia changed over the years, such as how she became this skilled warrior with all this vast interest in Klingon culture. That doesn't seem anything like the Jadzia from the early seasons, and is an example of how Worf's presence really changed both Jadzia and Kira, and not all for the better in terms of how they were used on the show.
Is that racist? There were so many conflicts between the Federation and the Bajorans which were a great part of the series, but in a real life scenerio, surely a Bajoran Starfleet officer in charge would've been able to bridge a lot of the gaps that Sisko ran into.
Perhaps there were no suitable Bajoran senior officers available?
Kira was very good with warmth and affection, which makes a nice contrast to her aggression and drive. She's very well rounded. Just before I read the last few posts I was thinking of how much Jadzia changed over the years, such as how she became this skilled warrior with all this vast interest in Klingon culture. That doesn't seem anything like the Jadzia from the early seasons, and is an example of how Worf's presence really changed both Jadzia and Kira, and not all for the better in terms of how they were used on the show.
Racist? No. The person you want for the a job like that should be able to communicate with the people s/he will deal with on daily basis, know the culture, know the ins and outs of the social structure,etc. Often that person grew up in the culture. Accroding to TNG, the only Bajoran in SF was Ro. Of course, Forbes rejected the role of the XO, and I doubt the character could be the CO. I think things turned out for the best. Being outside SF, Kira had to be convinced that Federation society would be beneficial, something that would not be as satisfying if Ro were in the same position. I also think that Visitor worked out better than Forbes would have. Forbes is better at playing an intense character, but Visitor has more range, offering more opportunities to introduce subtleties to the character. I could see Forbes interrogating Marritza more effectively, but I don't see her relinquishing the rage the way Visitor did.
Made this back in 2011. She said it's beautifully edited.
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE4VeeYOuRE[/yt]
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE4VeeYOuRE[/yt]
For me, Kira went from in the beginning as one of the stiffest, annoying DS9 characters (the cardboard cut out uniform didn't help, either), to one of the more well-rounded, likeable characters who had the most growth as a character.
But Kira at her worst was ten fold better than Ro at her best. I never understood the hype about Ro. I couldn't stand her.
But Kira at her worst was ten fold better than Ro at her best. I never understood the hype about Ro. I couldn't stand her.
