I read somewhere that at any given moment, 90% of actors aren't working. Most actors, especially ones starting out, would kill for a series gig. Steady paycheck, little to no travel, greater industry exposure, the chance to direct, etc. Compare that to most actors who go to countless auditions and struggle just to get bit parts and pay rent. So to see people like Garrett Wang and Robert Beltran, who aren't very good actors to begin with, badmouth Voyager is pretty disappointing.
On the one hand, I'm glad they're speaking out. Much of what they've said is what I and a lot of other fans think, that the writing was formulaic, that Seven of Nine got too much attention, that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were incompetent. But you'd think they'd be more appreciative of the opportunity they were given.
Take Wang. Had barely any acting experience when he auditioned for Voyager, was hired over 100 other people, and in the early seasons he had a reputation for tardiness. If it hadn't been for People Magazine naming him to their 50 Most Beautiful Persons list, I'm sure he would've been let go instead of Jennifer Lien. But instead of being grateful that he didn't get the ax, instead of being grateful that he gets paid a lot of money to just stand there, he whines about not being allowed to direct. Give me a break. I'm no fan of Rick Berman. I think he's made some really bad decisions. But not letting Wang direct was one of the best things he ever did. From the sound of it, he didn't earn that privilege.
And then there's Beltran who complained about not having enough to do. Well maybe if you showed more interest in your job, your bosses would've listened. Kate Mulgrew, Robert Picardo, and Roxann Dawson all went to the writers and offered ideas to help shape their characters. But Beltran couldn't even bother reading entire scripts. Why would anyone want to write material for an actor with his attitude?
I think Kate Mulgrew had the right mindset. I'm sure she didn't always care for the way the writers wrote her character. And I know it had to be difficult to see them bring in Borg Barbie and give her all the good material. But she also seemed to appreciate what she had. A steady job on a hit show, a loyal fan base, and a cast who, for the most part, was fun to be around.
People like Wang and Beltran are just overprivileged, ungrateful children who don't deserve any sympathy. But I look forward to hearing them spill more dirt about Voyager.
