The funny thing is that except for Levar Burton, I have never seen any of these actors in any other roles. I know Patrick Stewart has been out there, in films like Dune and I, Claudius, but as a supporting player. The other actors I have never seen before.
That's kind of the thing about Star Trek since the beginning of TOS, it took "B" and "C" list actors, often with obscure credits and made them stars. I read that Marina Sirits' American working visa was about to expire and she was about to quit the business and return to England when she found out she was hired.
Unfortunately, by and large it had the obverse effect of typecasting them. Then the actor usually has to accept that persona and make money from it, or retire. Star Trek is a kind of an unescapable vortex in which there is no escape, Nimoy said it best in his two books "I am not Spock" and "I am Spock." William Shatner famously on SNL told trekkers to get a life and for Jon Lovitz to take off the ears and get laid, but was trying to get a role in Star Trek 11.
I don't think that there is anything wrong to say that you did a job because it paid well. Michael Caine is a great actor, but he'll take any shite role that rolled down the pike. He did Jaws IV with no regrets because it paid for his summer house. I have read that Michael Dorn is more or less retired and flies airplanes, plays golf and lives a free life. God bless him.
That's kind of the thing about Star Trek since the beginning of TOS, it took "B" and "C" list actors, often with obscure credits and made them stars. I read that Marina Sirits' American working visa was about to expire and she was about to quit the business and return to England when she found out she was hired.
Unfortunately, by and large it had the obverse effect of typecasting them. Then the actor usually has to accept that persona and make money from it, or retire. Star Trek is a kind of an unescapable vortex in which there is no escape, Nimoy said it best in his two books "I am not Spock" and "I am Spock." William Shatner famously on SNL told trekkers to get a life and for Jon Lovitz to take off the ears and get laid, but was trying to get a role in Star Trek 11.
I don't think that there is anything wrong to say that you did a job because it paid well. Michael Caine is a great actor, but he'll take any shite role that rolled down the pike. He did Jaws IV with no regrets because it paid for his summer house. I have read that Michael Dorn is more or less retired and flies airplanes, plays golf and lives a free life. God bless him.
