I think it was Marina Sirtis herself that requested to get back to the regular uniform.
Was there ever an explanation for Troi's change of accent later in the show?
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I think it was Marina Sirtis herself that requested to get back to the regular uniform.
Star Trek and it's history of actresses in cat suits. It all came to a head in Into Darkness with a barely in underwear Carol Marcus for "reasons." All to put butts in seats because sex sells.
Since she was essentially supposed to be a version of Ilia from TMP, I always figured that was her take on Persis Khambatta's Deltan accent. It pretty much came down to converting Decker and Ilia to Riker and Deanna. Sirtis is lucky Roddenberry didn't force her to shave her head too!
Marina said in an on-camera interview, from over a decade ago, that she based Troi's accent on that of an Israeli girlfriend of hers. I don't recall her being more specific than that, but it definitely wasn't a Greek-based accent.
Interesting considering she played an Israeli character on NCIS.
So to put butts in seats, it helps to put them on screen.
Sorry if it's blindingly obvious, but why not?
Is it because she simply can't do any?
^ I have no idea. I've never heard her do any voice other than her own natural one.
My point was that Majel, by the time TNG rolled around, had enough clout in the Trek industry that if she didn't want to clutter up her performance of Lwaxana with a fake accent, no one would dare make her do so, and I think we can all be glad for that. I think she did an awesome job - Lwaxana was a wonderful and funny and engaging character, and all the better because they just let Majel run with it and do whatever she wanted.
My point was that Majel, by the time TNG rolled around, had enough clout in the Trek industry that if she didn't want to clutter up her performance of Lwaxana with a fake accent, no one would dare make her do so, and I think we can all be glad for that. I think she did an awesome job - Lwaxana was a wonderful and funny and engaging character, and all the better because they just let Majel run with it and do whatever she wanted.
They dropped the ball with not casting an Israeli as her father.
I like to think it's a Universal Translator issue. That her first language was a Betazoid one, and we hear her speaking Federation Standard without the UT's assistance. She got better at it as she got older.
Lwaxana either is speaking Betazoid and the UT is translating for her, or, being a born ambassador, she mastered multiple languages/dialects/accents. Perhaps with the help of her beloved human husband.
Did anyone else also notice Stewart's characterization of Picard also changed over the years? He seemed more easy going and American to me by the end. And I don't mean just in comparison to his work in the first couple years -- that I don't know if it was him trying to be more French or from being terrified as Stewart said he was of the role at first.
I like to think it's a Universal Translator issue. That her first language was a Betazoid one, and we hear her speaking Federation Standard without the UT's assistance. She got better at it as she got older.
Lwaxana either is speaking Betazoid and the UT is translating for her, or, being a born ambassador, she mastered multiple languages/dialects/accents. Perhaps with the help of her beloved human husband.
Did anyone else also notice Stewart's characterization of Picard also changed over the years? He seemed more easy going and American to me by the end. And I don't mean just in comparison to his work in the first couple years -- that I don't know if it was him trying to be more French or from being terrified as Stewart said he was of the role at first.
As I understand it, Majel Barrett said she just doesn't do accents. I never heard about a more thorough explanation being offered, elsewhere. Maybe she just knew her limits? Sometimes ... I wish other actors did! But it was grossly unfair to Marina to be burdened with an accent, when Majel was cast as her mother AND Sir Patrick Stewart never gave Picard a French one. Considering how TNG was an American product and mostly - though, not entirely - aimed at that market, Marina's Cockney accent more than sufficed, to help sell her foreign vibe.
The whole thing was idiotic, really. But it's so easy to forget how nervous everyone was, in creating TNG, in the first place. It was probably going to fail, because how can you do STAR TREK without Kirk/Spock/Bones? So, everything and everyone had to be oversold and Marina suffered from this, the worst, because she was the Babe. And those contacts did not flatter her, either. Her natural eyes are much more beautiful and I can't believe they forced those on her, too. AND the whole time, she felt her job was threatened, until the 2nd Season, when it kicked off with a "Deanna" show. She really should've just started talking in her regular accent, from then on, anyway ...
The whole thing was idiotic, really. But it's so easy to forget how nervous everyone was, in creating TNG, in the first place. It was probably going to fail, because how can you do STAR TREK without Kirk/Spock/Bones? So, everything and everyone had to be oversold and Marina suffered from this, the worst, because she was the Babe. And those contacts did not flatter her, either. Her natural eyes are much more beautiful and I can't believe they forced those on her, too. AND the whole time, she felt her job was threatened, until the 2nd Season, when it kicked off with a "Deanna" show. She really should've just started talking in her regular accent, from then on, anyway ...
If you watch the Plinkett review of NEM he says "Marina Sirtis has forgotten how to play Deanna Troi." I suppose it might be that she had gone a long time without playing the character (even in the films she doesn't really get much to do other than crash the Enterprise and kiss Riker) so she was a bit out of practice. Actually I think all the actors, to varying extents, were showing that by their final appearance.
I even remember that when Billie Piper returned to Doctor Who in 2008 ("Turn Left") she mentioned in the Confidential that she had to go back and watch the DVDs of her own performances in 2005-6 to remember what her character was like.
I even remember that when Billie Piper returned to Doctor Who in 2008 ("Turn Left") she mentioned in the Confidential that she had to go back and watch the DVDs of her own performances in 2005-6 to remember what her character was like.
When it came time to do the TNG movies, it was clear that the actors who felt buried by their parts wanted a break. Geordi loses his VISOR because LaVar just hated wearing it. Troi gets to lose her accent, completely. Data gets emotional, but - unfortunately, for Brent - can't lose the makeup (except, somewhat, in First Contact, he's given a break on that). Also, ever since STAR TREK II: The Wrath of Khan, especially, the STAR TREK movies have all been an excuse to break away from STAR TREK television and just do whatever, almost, with the characters.
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Sirtis couldn't be bothered/forgot. It happens.
