Why is Alley prefered so much over Curtis for Saavik?
- Thread starter Tribble puncher
- Start date
For those curious how Curtis would have performed under different direction, she did do a fan film as Saavik. (Well, fan audio drama.) Well, technically, she did two: a 90-minute 50th Anniversary special (where she starred opposite Koenig and Nichols), plus a 6-minute prologue vignette.
Personally, I teared up at the vignette. Allowed to do a little more with the material than Nimoy tolerated (though still less than Curtis herself would have preferred), I think she really hit that magical "I'm not showing my emotions, but you can tell I'm still having them" balance. (In the full episode, she's given less to do, mostly serving as a straight man for Koenig's jokes.) But, of course, your mileage may vary.
Personally, I teared up at the vignette. Allowed to do a little more with the material than Nimoy tolerated (though still less than Curtis herself would have preferred), I think she really hit that magical "I'm not showing my emotions, but you can tell I'm still having them" balance. (In the full episode, she's given less to do, mostly serving as a straight man for Koenig's jokes.) But, of course, your mileage may vary.
I prefer Kirstie Alley's Saavik because I also read the novels. Robin Curtis' Saavik didn't match what Saavik had to go through to act Vulcan. Saavik was half Vulcan/half Romulan and was found as a child almost feral. She was just as much learning to be a Vulcan as she was learning to be a Starfleet Officer in Star Trek II. In Star Trek III, Curtis acted like a Vulcan.
The first actor in the role is the one to which other actors are invariable compared and subsequent actors can have a harder time overcoming audience preconceptions about how the role should be portrayed. Question who was the best Bond actor many will say Connery (at least up until the films were rebooted).
I'm surprised that (back before the time limits were imposed) one of the major fan film productions did not cast Curtis as Saavik in a time travel, everything but the sink production.
Sir Rhosis
Sir Rhosis
I remember Robin Curtis had a guest starring role in an episode of TNG, "Gambit". Not surprisingly, she played a Vulcan character (not Saavik). While Alley's Saavik was actually a half Vulcan/half Romulan, Curtis' TNG character was, interestingly, a Vulcan disguised as a Romulan. 
Even though her TNG character was disguised as a Romulan, IIRC, the character's personality wasn't that much different from the wooden personality of Curtis' Saavik. Not much had changed.
Too bad Alley never made any appearances in any Trek series or movies after TWOK.
Even though her TNG character was disguised as a Romulan, IIRC, the character's personality wasn't that much different from the wooden personality of Curtis' Saavik. Not much had changed.
Too bad Alley never made any appearances in any Trek series or movies after TWOK.
I have a really really short explanation for why I prefer Kirstie; because Robin Curtis is just not that good of an actor. Not the worst I've ever seen for sure, but certainly not one of the best. Just so everyone knows, this isn't an attack on Robin Curtis as a person.
Think I've always preferred Robin Curtis as Saavik rather than Kirstie Alley whom I'm not really a fan of!
JB
JB
Connery IS THE BEST BOND! He was as tough in real life as the character he played in the films and he looked it! None of the other actors to play Bond had the charisma of Sean Connery!
JB
