Voyager Actors Deliberately Unemotional?

[LOKAI of CHERON]

Garrett Wang has spoken to the official Star Trek Web Site and recounted a conversation with the newly cast VOY crew in which Rick Berman suggested they underplay their human characters to make aliens seem "more real".

Garrett Wang:

When casting ended on Voyager, all the actors were invited by executive producer Rick Berman to attend a congratulatory luncheon. It was during this lunch that Berman informed us that he expected all actors portraying human roles to follow his decree. He told us that we were to underplay our human characters. He wanted our line delivery to be as military — and subsequently devoid of emotion — as possible, since this, in his opinion, was the only way to make the aliens look real.
My first thought was, “That’s not right! What the heck was Berman talking about? Was he pulling our legs? The human characters shouldn’t be forced to muffle their emotions. We were human, not androids!”

LINK

If true, this directive would seem to be at best misguided. Thoughts?

 

[Finn]

In other words, better than Humans born in the 20th Century.

 

[Deckerd]

If that was his direction it didn't last very long. It's a poor idea anyway. Two crews lumped together in one ship as far away from Earth as the galaxy allows; yes they're going to obey orders because their lives depend on it but automatons? The series wouldn't have lasted a season.

 

[exodus]

The fact that Garrett doesn't understand why the human characters have to be underplayed to make the alien ones appear more colorful, therefore more bolder adversaries only cements what a poor training and skills as an actor Garrett has.
Actors like Mulgrew & McNeil still managed to make their characters stand out against many of the alien ones. I'll even wager more viewers remember Tom's wise cracks over anything Harry said in 7 years. Garrett didn't even have enough acting chops to stand out in an ep. surrounded by humans. (Non Sequitur)

 

[Shatnertage]

I'd like to hear Berman's version of this.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I'd like to hear Berman's version of this.

I'd like to hear a version of this by any reliable witness without a dirty little axe to grind.

Gee, what next - maybe Beltran trashing his erstwhile bosses in exchange for a modest speaker's fee and some salted peanuts?

 

[Anwar]

With Wang's acting ability, who'd know the difference?

 

[exodus]

With Wang's acting ability, who'd know the difference?

 

[froot]

I'd like to hear Berman's version of this.

I'd like to hear a version of this by any reliable witness without a dirty little axe to grind.

This. I swear this guy makes everything sound like a Days of Our Lives episode.

Plus this direction obviously didn't pan out even if it was true.

 

[Galekarens]

Garrett did say that in the 1st season some stuff was reshot because the actors were too "emotional," so I wonder what the scenes would have been like if there hadn't been reshoots, just curious.

 

[BillJ]

I'll wait to see if anyone corroborates his story before commenting on it.

 

[Yevetha]

With Wang's acting ability, who'd know the difference?

My first tought too.

He is certainly no Pacino.

 

[Tiberius]

The fact that Garrett doesn't understand why the human characters have to be underplayed to make the alien ones appear more colorful, therefore more bolder adversaries only cements what a poor training and skills as an actor Garrett has.

Yeah, make the humans more unemotional so they contrast more with the vulcan.

 

[Dream]

It is kind of funny that the EMH hologram was the best character on the show.

 

[Yevetha]

I agree Picardo stole it.

 

[LOKAI of CHERON]

With Wang's acting ability, who'd know the difference?

My first tought too.

He is certainly no Pacino.

It's weird, I never had a problem with Garrett's performance at all - there's certainly been worse on Trek IMO. It was only after coming here I became aware of others disappointment in his abilities.

 

[Yevetha]

Who was worst who had a major role?

 

[Gary7]

Who was worst who had a major role?

Garrett was the least talented, for me.

But you have to hand it to him... he knows his limitations. According to his Wikipedia entry,

Wang has repeatedly stated that he intends to pursue other projects outside of acting because, as he said in a 2005 interview with Esquire, "sometimes talent does not measure up to ambition, so you have to seek alternative options."

He had 7 years of steady pay. Wouldn't you think that given this amazingly fortuitous opportunity with a regular role on a Star Trek series as his very first acting credit, he'd have taken acting lessons on the side to improve during that job. I suspect he did... his talent did seem to get better as the series progressed. But not enough, so that even Garrett realized he should consider changing his professional direction.

Curious enough, the last acting job he had was in 2009, entitled "Why Am I Doing This?"

 

[Yevetha]

Curious enough, the last acting job he had was in 2009, entitled "Why Am I Doing This?"

 

[F. King Daniel]

Who was worst who had a major role?

Robert Beltran. But, in fairness, his character was written to be dull and crap, too.

Acoochie moyuk!