Who do you think was the worst actor among the TNG cast?

[Kaelef]

I'd dispute that it's the "most popular" - Star Trek is still defined more by Kirk and Spock than Picard and Data. The reboots were essentially remakes/adaptations of the original sixties show.

Three out of four TNG films didn't really work, so clearly the show was more suited to the TV than TOS. Discovery is the right way forward, something new rather than a remake.

I agree that, by and large, Star Trek is still fundamentally defined by TOS, but I think there's little dispute that TNG is the most popular in terms of the sheer number of people who consider that their favorite series. Every poll I've seen, and every anecdotal experience I've had has re-affirmed that TNG easily has the greatest number of fans. In terms of my personal enjoyment, I'd put TNG in third place behind DS9 and TOS, although I'm infinitely grateful for TNG keeping the torch lit for seven years and greatly expanding the Trek universe.

If nothing else, reading everyone's feelings in this thread shows how wildly differently we can each react to the same actors and material!

 

[Kaelef]

I think there the acting was pretty strong but the writing generally uneven (although improved by the acting).

My theory about why most of the TNG movies didn't work is that some combination of their characters and actors didn't translate well to the big screen. Though I mostly enjoyed the movies, I was always acutely aware that I was watching television characters and actors expanded to a movie experience. I never had that issue with most of the characters in the first three TOS movies. Certainly the primary three TOS characters/actors made the transition to the big screen wonderfully.

Part of this may have been due to dealing with the characters seriously and not relying on assumptions that the audience was already in love with them. When ST4 did remarkably well, it set a precedent for humor and familiarity that I think may have been over-used in subsequent films, and that spilled over into the TNG movies. I think that took away much of the gravitas (for lack of a better word) of the situations and made most post-ST4 movies seem like big-screen episodes of their respective TV series.

One of the things the reboot movies have done reasonably well is balance big-screen-appropriate seriousness with humor, along with a sprinkling of references to the TV series for fans. Star Trek Beyond was the one which felt the most like an expanded episode of the TV series, and I wonder if that didn't negatively affect how well it did at the box office.

So...many...theories...!!

 

[Voth commando1]

Yeah Beyond made an appeal to the fans that was more sincere-I mean ten easter eggs, so that may have affected the movie's performance negatively.

 

[Tallguy]

From my perspective, Sirtis was the worst. McFadden wasn't great but seemed strong when acting with Patrick. I also thought she was pretty good in descent part 2, attached and suspicions. Also whenever anyone mentions Sirtis and acting I always think of "great joy and gratitude" and her drunk acting in First Contact.

Her scene with Stewart in Generations when he tells her about the deaths of his brother an nephew are my favorite scene in the movie. Not because of her, because of him.

Answer: Crosby. Next answer: McFadden, who was written even worse than Burton (if that's possible). But if Gates McFadden is your worst actor you have a pretty solid cast.

 

[Prax]

I posted this in the wrong thread so I figured I might as well transfer it since this thread is still active.


Every show has its better and worse actors, experienced and otherwise, background, training, etc. To me, the more natural, higher caliber actors on TNG are.(in no particular order)
~Patrick Stewart (at least, after season 3 or 4)
~John DeLancey anytime
~Likewise Colm Meane-y
~Brent Spiner(I really don't like this guy, at least his stage persona, but I do really like Data. The actor plays him quite well.)
~Jonathan Frakes(Yes, Frakes is actually very good)
~Whoopi Goldberg's acting is very natural. I don't ever feel like I'm watching an actress reading lines in her episodes. A+
~Dwight Schultz. (Very good, both in TNG and Voyager)

The rest are fine.

And the Razzie goes to......

Sirtis? No!
McFadden? No way.

LEVER BURTON

I'm sorry! When I was like 5, he was my hero, being both the guy on Reading Rainbow "Butterfly in the skyyyyyyy" and the guy with the cool visor on TNG.

 

[Herrick]

Sirtis? No!
McFadden? No way.

LEVER BURTON

I'm sorry! When I was like 5, he was my hero, being both the guy on Reading Rainbow "Butterfly in the skyyyyyyy" and the guy with the cool visor on TNG.

Interesting. What do you think makes him worse than Sirtis?

 

[Kaelef]

I never had a problem with LeVar. He seemed perfectly fine with what he was given. Not exceptional, but not objectionable. Same with McFadden. The only ones who made me feel like they were doing it wrong were Dorn, Sirtis, Crosby, and occasionally Frakes. Again, a good amount of the blame goes to the writing of their characters, but certainly not all of it.

 

[Tomalak]

Burton's fine, he just got a poorly-written character. The blind guy whose best friend is a robot, and he's terrible with girls.

I loved Geordi as a kid though, because I had very thick specs, and he wore cool space glasses!

 

[Visitor1982]

I dunno that "Pulaski wasn't working out", since Diana Muldar said she was asked back for the 3rd season but when they wouldn't give her the opportunity do the McCloud reunion telefilm she balked and that was that. Perhaps it was a case where she wasn't that interested in staying and Berman wasn't that interested in her staying either.

I'm a big Pulaski fan and although I've read that Dr. Pulaski was going to be in season 3 (scripts were written with the Pulaski name in it). I've never found any interview with Diana Muldaur that she was asked to stay. I've read fans saying that she asked to be written out of the first three or four episodes of season 3 so that she could do The Return of Sam McCloud TV movie in 1989, but I've never found any proof of that actually happening.

The only thing I did read were quotes from her that her time on TNG was a big nightmare. Cast being rude to her (especially Stewart), jealousy over her being paid more than most of the others, having a more comfortable uniform etc. and that she was happy she only signed for a year.

 

[KennyB]

I give Wesley a little pass because Wil was a kid and I think the writing for Wesley wasn't the best. All the actors were a little stiff the first two seasons but Troi to me was the worst, to her credit Marina Sirtis got much better as the show progressed.

 

[{ Emilia }]

I give Wesley a little pass because Wil was a kid and I think the writing for Wesley wasn't the best. All the actors were a little stiff the first two seasons but Troi to me was the worst, to her credit Marina Sirtis got much better as the show progressed.

I've been rewatching some TNG recently and Sirtis is much better than I remembered her to be. Her character just didn't get a lot of great content.

Denise Crosby, though... ugh.

 

[Gary7]

I've been rewatching some TNG recently and Sirtis is much better than I remembered her to be. Her character just didn't get a lot of great content.

Denise Crosby, though... ugh.

I agree. Sirtis improved dramatically over time. Absolutely terrible in the first few seasons. And Denise Crosby just couldn't hack it. Very amateurish. Her reprisal as a Romulan was pretty good... although she didn't have many lines.

LEVER? Levar.
He was OK. He sucked sometimes, but did pretty well at other times. I'd rank him above McFadden.

 

[Prax]

Interesting. What do you think makes him worse than Sirtis?

I was just sort of thinking of how natural they feel as believable people. Levar does really well when he's more serious, talking to Data, or quietly fixing things(I think) When he's shouting technobubbles, giving orders to his "engineering team"(or anyone), or laughing about something, he seems not quite genuine.

BTW, it seems I've made a grave error. People have been mentioning Crosby. I forgot all about her. She steals the Razzie from Burton. I didn't care too much for the Romulan daughter thing either, She was kind of like Rita Repulsa during those episodes.

Crosby was however, very good in "All Good Things." I do love her scenes in that one...very natural. I like when she stands up a little offended and says "I'm the chief security officer something something" and then gets a little sheepish "Unless...you are planning..on making a change"

 

[mos6507]

Crosby was however, very good in "All Good Things." I do love her scenes in that one...very natural. I like when she stands up a little offended and says "I'm the chief security officer something something" and then gets a little sheepish "Unless...you are planning..on making a change"

And in Yesterday's Enterprise. Great scripts have a way of making all participants look good.

 

[KennyB]

BTW, it seems I've made a grave error. People have been mentioning Crosby. I forgot all about her.

Yeah I did too---To be honest I don't even consider her a real cast member.

 

[ewoodcourt]

Surprised to see Frakes getting so many noms, I thought he was fantastic.

 

[ThatChapThere]

In terms of TNG being considered the best, or at least most popular: I think that falls squarely on timing. TNG was new and exciting when it came out, and many people grew up with that being their first real Trek experience. I grew up with TOS, so, I still have the greatest connection to it, despite the fact that I consider DS9 to be the best program. By the time DS9 came out, Trek had lost much of its luster in general, so it didn't get the benefit of everyone's attention, and I've yet to meet anyone who "grew up" on it. Maybe the nature of that show was less conducive to young minds being excited by it - it may be the more captivating show to watch as an adult.

Still, it's interesting that we haven't yet seen a TNG revival or reboot given it's unquestionably the most popular Trek series. It'll be very interesting to see if that ever comes to pass, or if it turns out that there's a certain timelessness to TOS that will never apply to the follow-up series.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[ThatChapThere]

~Brent Spiner(I really don't like this guy, at least his stage persona, but I do really like Data. The actor plays him quite well.)

Gotta love the Patrick Stewart impression though

 

[Amaris]

I like everyone, but the actor who was most cringe-worthy, who made me squirm every time they were on screen was Denise Crosby. In fairness to her, she was only on for not quite a season and didn't have the same chance to really develop her character like the others did, but for me she was just too over-the-top when giving her lines. (I'm sorry, Denise!)

 

[Prax]

I thought she did really well in the series finale, but her appearances as the blonde Romulan, or even the alternate timeline one...no thanks.