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What are the actors like in real life?

JRoss

Commodore
Commodore
That's what I'm asking. Also, how do each of them view Trek? I've only met a few and only been to one true convention, back in 2001 (date was actually 1/7/01!).
 
Connor is smart and well read. He's also hilarious when he's drunk.
He was asked at a Creation event about the interesting people he has met. I expected him to name a couple astronauts or some other celebrity. Instead he referred the questioner to the woman standing behind her in the line, and also cited a veterinarian in England (she's a member of this board). I think that speaks well of Connor that he isn't a name dropper.

Dominic is a wise ass. He likes to tease.

Anthony has a great personality. A pity Bermaga didn't put it to better use.

Scott is very accommodating with fans. Friends and I attended a performance of "Shenandoah" at Ford's Theater. Scott came out the main entrance and was met by probably 100 people. He signed autographs and posed for pictures with everybody. Must have been there for nearly 2 hours.
At Creation Vegas (2008, I believe) a fan got up at his forum and told him that she really loved his singing. Then she told him that she had picked up one of his CDs at a dollar store. He was so "flattered." :lol:

JG Hertzler and Robert Reilly are a hoot. Suzie Plakson loves chatting with fans. I met her at her autograph table. She chatted with me for about 15. Great personality.

Robin Curtis is also really nice to talk to.

Leonard Nimoy is also very friendly. When I had my photo op with him, he held my hand. Apparently he does that with everyone.

Nichelle is wonderful. Very friendly especially in the photo ops.

George Takei is also great in the photo ops. I just love the guy.
 
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Sir Patrick Stewart is very different to Picard, he's funny and the life of party. All of the TNG cast seem like genuniely funny people, Frakes, Dorn, Sirtis, Spiner, McFadden, all witty and comical.

Avery Brooks I've seen in a few interviews, and his real voice is somewhat different to his Sisko voice. Even still, he comes across as a very intellectual and well-spoken man. Alexander Siddig doesn't speak in an RP accent like Bashir does, more of a more colloquial UK accent.
 
So far I've only met George Takei, Robert Duncan MacNeill and Armin Shimerman.

George is wonderfully self-centered, or at least he projects that persona. Very funny, very quick.

RDM is cool to the fans. Soft-spoken. Invited a baby on stage.

Armin was just signing at a comic show, not speaking, but there was nobody in line so we got to talk for a while. Nice fellow.
 
George Takei was one of the friendliest folks I've met.
Walter Keonig was nice, but kinda quiet.
Jonathan Frakes is outgoing and friendly.
LeVar Burton was very thoughtful.
Brent Spiner kind of seems hes putting up with it all.
JG Hertzler was extremely nice. Chatted it up with my daughters.
Armin Shimmerman was one of the nicest folks I've met.
Dr. Phlox ( I forgot his name) was a very nice guy, too.

Actually, I don't think I've ever had a negative experience yet with Star Trek cast members.
 
The only one I've ever actually met and spoken with was Jon Colicos who played Kor in TOS. He was very gracious and very much a gentlemen. Sadly he passed away only a year or so later. :(
 
I "met" Brent Spiner for the 2nd time yesterday (my first being about 5 years ago).

And that guy is an absolute hoot. He is a true entertainer, not even when on stage, but as we were waiting in line for his autographs. He'd pretend to recognize someone as a stalker, then run around asking for security, baffled as to why they weren't showing up. At one point, he stood on his chair (which didn't look THAT sturdy), looked across the aisle to where Olivia D'abo was signing, and tried to get her attention, asking him to call him, they should go out some time... and then we finally got to him and he just had us laughing the whole time. I can't speak more highly of him!

My second favourite was JG Hertzler, who acted in character of Martok when I told him how honoured I was too meet the leader of the Klingon empire (he wasn't in costume, but he didn't need to be!) He stood up, slapped my shoulder and told me the honour was his.

I also have high praise for Avery Brooks. We were a group of about 9, it was the beginning of the day, and he took the time to learn all of our names. THEN, as we were leaving at the end of the day, he was randomly passing by us and stopped to individually tell us all good-bye... stumbling on only 1 of the names!!!!

I've met most of the TNG cast now (just have Sir Patrick Stewart to meet) and have no complaints about any of them, they're all genuinely friendly people.

Shatner was a blink and you miss him encounter, understandably, they had a huge lineup for him.

I think the closest I have to a negative experience was with Robert Picardo. It was the end of the day, also the end of a 3 day convention, and I went up for an autograph, almost literally last minute before the convention was over. His disposition was pretty neutral, but he specifically asked "You don't want me to write any of my phrases or anything I hope?" I said nah, that's cool (I generally let the actors sign what they want to sign), and went on my way. BUT I attribute that to a tiring or off day, or even my last minute autograph grab, because I've heard too many good things about him otherwise. :techman:
 
George used to organize group joggings on the mornings of the conventions. I personally never manage to wake for it, but a friend of mine did.
 
I've not yet met any of the Trek cast, but from what I can tell, among the friendliest, past and present include

Leonard Nimoy
George Takei
Nichelle Nichols
James Doohan
Patrick Stewart
Levar Burton
Michael Dorn
Suzie Plakston
John De Lancie
Gates McFadden
Avery Brooks
JG Hertzler
Robert O'Reilly
Nana Visitor
Chase Masterson
Colm Meaney
Robert Duncan McNeill
Ethan Phillips
Robert Picardo
Scott Bakula
Connor Trineer
Anthony Montgomery
 
I think its difficult because you even if you meet one of the actors a few times its only a snapshot.
I've seen a lot of them but my favourites tend to be the less famous ones, they really try to impress! Max Grodenchik, Jeffrey Coombes and Casey Biggs are great on stage.
 
George Takei is very friendly and well read. You can talk just about any subject with him.
 
:techman:J.G. Hertzler is great!!! He goes out into the audience in full Kilingon costume and interacts with folks. He even sat on one guy's lap once and when he heard a baby crying, he had remembered that he had spoken to the parents' and acknowledged both children by name. I loved how he said the little baby boy's name - "Gage" in that Klingon baritone! Vaughn Armstrong is wonderful- very friendly and accomodating, and so is Casey Biggs...Marc Alaimo is also very nice and a little bit flirty... Those are the only actors I have ever spoken or had drinks with... Next up, I hope to meet Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating.
 
All these assessments are pretty spot on in my experience. Shatner does tend to be moody - can be great sometimes and a bit of a dick others - but a lot of people are like that. As a whole they all seem to be pretty tolerant and good humored about the crazy Trek nonsense. My favorites are Sir Patrick - always just a consumate gentleman, patient, funny, self-depricating, and, as someone said, likes to be the life of the party. I also love Avery Brooks, who comes across as a kind, thoughtful guy, super intelligent with a great sense of humor. And Casey Biggs is also a hoot.
 
I have met a lot of the actors over the years.

I won't go into all of them, but a few of highlights:

Nana Visitor is hilarious. A self-described "space cadet", totally different than her character. Funny, sweet, gregarious. She sat down at our breakfast table once and told her Creation staff escort to "buzz off".

One of my all-time favorites was Marina Sirtis. She is a fantastic convention guest. She doesn't hold anything back. She and I had a long conversation about filming Nemesis (she disliked Baird intensely). She was a "tongue-in-cheek diva". She held court while everyone hung on every word.

Gates McFadden...when my daughter was 9, we went to a convention with her and we had photo op tickets. My daughter was first. When they went to take the picture the camera malfunctioned, and instead of sending her away, Gates sat there and talked to her for about 10 minutes. Incredibly sweet and generous with her time. Later at her stage appearance, my daughter had a question, and gates told the crowd "Everyone be quiet! My friend 1001001.1 has a question." It was a real special moment.

Dominic Keating is a drunken bastard. In a good way! :lol: He was hysterical.

Kate Mulgrew has an energy coming off of her that is palpable. Intense, in control, larger than life. A great convention guest. A real star.

I have met a few non-Trek actors too. Katee Sackhoff is a living doll. Michael Shanks is very funny.
 
Sounds terrific, hearing these testimonies. I'm not a convention kind of person (hate huge crowds). But I did manage to attend one convention (it was mostly TNG cast), and what everyone has said about them fits with my experience. I just wish I'd had one of those multi-minute conversation opportunities with them.

What I'd really like to hear about is the long term experiences people have had... the production crew kind. But I doubt many of them are on this forum. :(
 
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