TNG Actors Were Cast Incorrectly

[DevilEyes]

Yeah, you are right. I should only post where I agree with a majority view.

Well, this is a pretty unproductive topic.

I don't think so, it's an opinion I hold and one I'm willing to discuss. I'm not the one saying I won't discuss it simply because the majority don't agree.

It's just that it's pretty hard to discuss your opinion that Patrick Stewart has no gravitas and presence as a leader, when the discussion boils down to you saying that he hasn't, and others saying he has. What is there to discuss? It's like one person saying that chocolate tastes terrible and others saying that it tastes wonderful... what kind of discussion can that spark? People can just say that they do like or don't like the taste, but it is hard to explain why. Just like you simply see someone as commanding and charismatic, or you don't. There's very little to explain about it.

 

[ThePlumsofWrath]

Well, this is a pretty unproductive topic.

I don't think so, it's an opinion I hold and one I'm willing to discuss. I'm not the one saying I won't discuss it simply because the majority don't agree.

It's just that it's pretty hard to discuss your opinion that Patrick Stewart has no gravitas and presence as a leader, when the discussion boils down to you saying that he hasn't, and others saying he has. What is there to discuss? It's like one person saying that chocolate tastes terrible and others saying that it tastes wonderful... what kind of discussion can that spark? People can just say that they do like or don't like the taste, but it is hard to explain why. Just like you simply see someone as commanding and charismatic, or you don't. There's very little to explain about it.

I agree, I came here foolishly in the belief that a discussion could then go on around the merits of Stewart in the role, the merits of the other cast members in their respective roles and who might have been better where agreement existed that someone else could do better in whatever role.

Alas no, all we got was a black and white discussion around right and wrong.

Bored now, thread ended.

 

[Danny99]

Getting us back on topic:

Stewart is not my favorite captain, but I disagree with the comment that he didn't have the command presence as a commander.

I'd really like to say that the writing is what made me dislike Burton, Sirtis, McFadden, and Wheaton, but is it saying something when the last three haven't done much else in their careers, while in addition both Burton and Sirtis seemed to stick with the franchise through the end of ENT in directing and guest starring respectively?

Thank you.

So are you saying then that you think the cast was mis cast because several of them haven't gone onto do anything else????? Many actors do shows and get typecast or realize that they have had enough of being in front of the camera.

While I do congratulate Burton for finding a niche in directing, good actors can find a way to break through type casting and not milk a franchise for years as Sirtis and to a lesser extent Wheaton has done.

 

[Keith1701]

Couldn't disagree more. I think the TNG cast were just perfect.

I agree, I think the TNG's cast was the BEST of all the television series.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

I think Stewart generally shines as Picard. The only time I have found him lacking is when he plays against a far superior actor, e.g. Ian McKellan.

How is he compared to David Tennant? Has anyone seen Hamlet?

 

[Tomalak]

I'm not sure what makes McKellan "far superior". I'd rate Stewart higher than Tennant, who is certainly talented, but not quite in his league. Stewart has, and always did have, presence that Tennant lacks. Look at the silent menace he exudes as Karla in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' for example. He was quite brilliant in 'Antony and Cleopatra' opposite the equally superb Harriet Walter a couple of years ago too.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I agree, I came here foolishly in the belief that a discussion could then go on around the merits of Stewart in the role, the merits of the other cast members in their respective roles and who might have been better where agreement existed that someone else could do better in whatever role.

Alas no, all we got was a black and white discussion around right and wrong.

Bored now, thread ended.

So that is how you respond to a post that amounted to "there is no accounting for taste"?

 

[ThePlumsofWrath]

I agree, I came here foolishly in the belief that a discussion could then go on around the merits of Stewart in the role, the merits of the other cast members in their respective roles and who might have been better where agreement existed that someone else could do better in whatever role.

Alas no, all we got was a black and white discussion around right and wrong.

Bored now, thread ended.

So that is how you respond to a post that amounted to "there is no accounting for taste"?

No, line 1 of my post says I agree.

 

[HaplessCrewman]

Seems to me this is one of those post-a-contrary-opinion-and-sit-back-and-watch-people-argue-about-it-but-give-them-nothing-to-go-on-type posts.

I say "success!" You got more than 15 replies.

Let me try one. I think David Tennant was mis-cast as Dr. Who. People, please can you now disagree with me for my entertainment? (BTW, I'm not secretly laughing at you.)

 

[LaBarre]

I think Stewart generally shines as Picard. The only time I have found him lacking is when he plays against a far superior actor, e.g. Ian McKellan.

How is he compared to David Tennant? Has anyone seen Hamlet?

I'm intrigued by your statement. I take from what you've written that you saw Waiting for Godot and have based your view on that. Feel free to correct but if that is the case, one should always remember that the role of Estragon (McKellen) offers so much, much, more to an actor in terms of exposition than that of Vladimir (Stewart).

I was lucky enough to see Stewart as the title character in the Scottish play three times in New York.

Reading the play, Macbeth is clearly mad, bad and dangerous to know. Watching Stewart play him, an audience member is still provided with all the monstrous horror of power gone bad, yet still retains a deep sadness as we witness his loss of humanity.

It was a very moving performance.

As far as Tennant is concerned (and granted that HIS poor Hamlet was out of play for some time given his bad back), it is Patrick who was given numerous acting awards for his role as Claudius.

Once again, he manages to lift from what on paper reads as a woeful, horrible excuse for a man, into something that audiences can sympathise with and in many instances agree with - that he makes a better king than his brother and that he loves Gertrude more than his brother ever could.

He did a similar job in Jacobi's Hamlet 25 years ago, again playing Claudius. It's available on DVD (as is this current version soon - it'll be fun to compare).

From the audience perspective, Stewart makes you FEEL for Claudius. And the fact that he makes you feel for him when you shouldn't, given all that you know about the play on paper, is - at least to me - a thing of wonder.

 

[iguana_tonante]

So that is how you respond to a post that amounted to "there is no accounting for taste"?

No, line 1 of my post says I agree.

Yeah, you said that, and then proceeded to tell us that we did this thread wrong and now you don't want to play anymore. Ok.

 

[GalaxyClass1701]

I have slowly come to the conclusion over many years that Stewart was horribly miscast in TNG. The more I watch TNG, the less convincing the man becomes to my eyes. Leader of men? I think not. Engaging personality? I think not? Dominant and persuasive? No.

He is horribly over-qualified within TNG cast, this has the effect of making him stick out like a sore thumb to the point where it just looks 'hammy', the other casting choices for the main players, with the exception of Spiner were also poor. Frakes was just dreadful, wooden and stilted in his delivery. McFadden was horrible. Burton?> Anyone notice him really? Dorn, a variation on a theme.

I think TNG could have been so much better than it was if it had been cast correctly, I can't deny it was a success but I believe that this was despite the casting.

The more I see these days, the stronger the conviction grows.

Couldnt diagree more Stewart is a great captain. The only person I fekst was weak was Crusher.

You want to see bad casting try ENT Mayweater, Sotto, Reed!

 

[Admiral Shran]

I don't think so, it's an opinion I hold and one I'm willing to discuss. I'm not the one saying I won't discuss it simply because the majority don't agree.

It's just that it's pretty hard to discuss your opinion that Patrick Stewart has no gravitas and presence as a leader, when the discussion boils down to you saying that he hasn't, and others saying he has. What is there to discuss? It's like one person saying that chocolate tastes terrible and others saying that it tastes wonderful... what kind of discussion can that spark? People can just say that they do like or don't like the taste, but it is hard to explain why. Just like you simply see someone as commanding and charismatic, or you don't. There's very little to explain about it.

I agree, I came here foolishly in the belief that a discussion could then go on around the merits of Stewart in the role, the merits of the other cast members in their respective roles and who might have been better where agreement existed that someone else could do better in whatever role.

Alas no, all we got was a black and white discussion around right and wrong.

Bored now, thread ended.

Ok, I'll give it a try.

Who do you think would have done a better job as the captain of the Enterprise (I don't say Picard because I still think that you don't like the character either)?

I personally found both Stewart, as an actor, and Picard, as a character, to be superb choices. I like that Stewart played the part as a sort of non-Kirk.

Picard doesn't lead by example, like Kirk, but he doesn't have to. His authority comes from what he says, and how he says it, not by his actions. He doesn't have to lead the away teams personally, like Kirk always did. However, those teams know that he is up there on the ship looking out for them.

For another good portrayal of a ship captain, IMO, look at Scott Glenn's performance as the captain of the USS Dallas in "The Hunt for Red October." He played the role as a quite man, an intellectual man, who doesn't need to shout all the time to command authority and respect. Glenn based that portrayal on his own observations of real-life submarine captains.

 

[GalaxyX]

Thank you.

So are you saying then that you think the cast was mis cast because several of them haven't gone onto do anything else????? Many actors do shows and get typecast or realize that they have had enough of being in front of the camera.

While I do congratulate Burton for finding a niche in directing, good actors can find a way to break through type casting and not milk a franchise for years as Sirtis and to a lesser extent Wheaton has done.

I used to hate Counselor Troi, she was my least favorite character. But now I realize that Marina Sirtis is simply doing what she needs to survive. I don't think she was a big star even before Trek, and I seriously doubt that she would have even become one without the help of Trek. As an actress, she is simply going along with what will give her a steady paycheck (I would say the same for Jonathan Frakes and possibly Michael Dorn). Is that wrong? About as wrong as wanting to have food on your table.

So anyway, my whole point was that I hated Counselor Troi, and now I realize that a lot of it was the actress (she didnt' really know how to portray a Counselor, particularly an empathic one), but I forgive her because she needs to put food on the table and if Trek is the only thing that will do it, then that's what she does.

 

[cardinal biggles]

^While Sirtis will never be in anyone's top tier of thespians, in her defense, her performance as Troi got better when the writing got better. When they moved away from that godawful "Pain... terrible pain..." crap... by the end of the first season, she's already doing a lot better. (two examples I can think of off the top of my head: her scene with Geordi in the Ready Room in "Arsenal of Freedom"; her scenes with Claire Raymond in "The Neutral Zone.")

 

[Red Ranger]

Folks, let's remember Plums has a personal and political ax to grind against Stewart -- see the thread about Stewart being knighted for more evidence. Of course, I vehemently disagree with the statement -- Stewart's acting style and the character of Picard helped define TNG in many good ways. -- RR

 

[Red Ranger]

I'm not sure what makes McKellan "far superior". I'd rate Stewart higher than Tennant, who is certainly talented, but not quite in his league. Stewart has, and always did have, presence that Tennant lacks. Look at the silent menace he exudes as Karla in 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' for example. He was quite brilliant in 'Antony and Cleopatra' opposite the equally superb Harriet Walter a couple of years ago too.

Don't forget Stewart's turn as Leondegrance in Excalibur, or his performance as Professor X in the X-Men movies. -- RR

 

[Grant]

On a show that featured Denise Crosby---you pick on the casting/acting of Picard?

They had a larger cast than TOS and gave more emphasis to the 'minor' characters than TOS ever did so yes, Burton was underused and the Dr. was simply not as important because she wasn't the Captain's trusted advisor as McCoy was. I don't think too many folks would argue that Nichols, Whitney, Takei & Koenig were better actors than the TNG supporting crew.

Stewart, Dorn & Spiner were perfect the rest very good---except Crosby.

And the other fella was right----NO actor could have made Wesley's lines sound good.

 

[Red Ranger]

^Bless Wheaton's heart!

 

[trevanian]

Patrick Stewart IS Star Trek for people my age.

And for people my age, THAT is the problem.

Stewart is at best Timothy Dalton-lite, and at worst ... well, look at second season, pretty much any show except Q WHO, because DeLancie brings out the best in him.

Or when he has to get emotional ... ogod, SAREK, GENERATIONS, FC ... practically ShatLevel stuff.

I think Steven Macht (Steven King's GRAVEYARD SHIFT), who was in the running, would have been very good.