Continuing the tradition from last year of having one guest from the original Star Trek and one guest from Star Trek: the Next Generation, this year visitors to the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo got to see both William Shatner and Jonathan Frakes talk about their experiences and current projects.
William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk)
What is there to add to the legend of Captain Kirk? After his lean days of the early 70s, the man has been working nonstop. His panel at the Expo was exactly what we would have expected – entertaining. After a humorous ceremony where Mayor Nenshi gave him Calgary’s traditional White Hat and made him an honorary Calgarian, Shatner went on to riff off such "Canadian moments" as impromptu riots post-Stanley Cup, to percussive maintenance for Winter Olympic closing-show teleprompters.
He discussed his disappointment with the cancellation of the sitcom $#*! My Dad Says but repeated a mantra of always putting one foot after the other and continuing forward. It’s not like he’s lacking for work. Additionally, he has an interview show on The Biography Channel (Shatner’s Raw Nerve) , and he hosts the Discovery Channel television series Weird or What?
Furthermore, he has created a documentary focusing on the many captains in the various Star Trek pantheon. The Captains has Shatner interviewing each of the various actors who played captains in their series: Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, and Chris Pine – the young Captain Kirk in the recent Star Trek movie.
For a man who just turned 80 he is remarkably busy, and yet still full of energy for quips about what it was like being Captain Kirk ("I had to wash that green stuff off every night!"), racy banter with a young woman ("This is getting exciting....") and thoughts on how he’d like to die (right in the middle of a performance so people think it was part of the act).
If there was any complaint I had with it - and yes, I’m fully aware I may be attacked by green skinned Orion slave girls for voicing such heresy – he began to wear a little thin halfway into his session. Perhaps on television where there are directors or producers to tighten up his routine it works better. Perhaps he was tired...he laid out a stressful week he had prior to the Expo, and given that he’s 80 years old it’s okay to excuse his rambling.
I’m not saying he’s NOT interesting...I hope he stays with us and healthy for many more years. However, this time, this big cheesy captain came across to me a bit stale.
VIDEO - William Shatner - Panel
Jonathan Frakes (Commander Will Riker)
From the moment he stepped onstage and was White-Hatted, he entertained fans with his laid back irreverent style of banter – from demonstrating the "Riker Lean" ("HE WENT FULL RIKER!!") to stretching out on the couch while engaging with the audience.
This was a bit jarring to me, as the character of Riker always struck me as humourless with only the occasional nod to the relaxed attitude of the actor underneath the uniform. As if to both express Frakes’ fondness for the character while simultaneously undercutting Riker’s serious nature, he pitched a possible idea for a new Star Trek series: "Half-hour sitcom. The Rikers in Space with their wacky Uncle Data and their little dog Worf."
On a serious note, when asked, Frakes was surprisingly blunt about a career as an actor. He acknowledged how lucky he was to get on Star Trek: the Next Generation, but also told the audience that 95% of actors are not able to get work compared to the steady career as a director that he has carved out for himself. Or as he put it, "(acting is) a brutal and unjust bedmate."
He noted that he does prefer directing to acting because one can get work both based on your skills as a director and also through the people you know and work with. As well, it keeps him better occupied, while acting involves a lot of waiting around between takes (or, in his case, napping).
Known as "Two Takes Frakes" for his efficient filming style during Star Trek: First Contact, as a Director he has tried to insert some of his sense of humour into his directing. Besides TNG and two Star Trek movies, he has directed episodes for several series including Dollhouse, Castle, Leverage, and NCIS: LA, among others.
Frakes was entertaining and worked with the moderators, teased the attendees, and generally seemed to have a good time at the show, telling everyone about little bits of Trek history, and running through the panel in a relaxed, playful, yet efficient manner. While not a fan of his character, from this visit to the Expo and from the interview we had with him in last month’s edition, he is certainly easy to listen to, and as some Bears in our community think, still quite easy on the eyes.
VIDEO - Jonathan Frakes - Panel
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Contributor Evan Kayne |
Person Jonathan Frakes | William Shatner |
Topic Calgary Expo | Comic Expo | Star Trek | Star Trek The Next Generation |
Photo Gallery Jonathan Frakes |William Shatner |
