Early Life: A native of Columbus, Ohio who grew up in Cleveland
Education: Attended Flora Stone Mather College for Women at Western Reserve University and Graduated from the University of Miami as a theatre arts major
Early Acting: Started her career as a stage actress before moving to the West Coast where she studied with Anthony Quinn, Sanford Meisner, Jeff Hayden and Lucille Ball
Her First Con (1970): "Actually, I found it a little scary." "All those people! ... that love on their faces was just dumbfounding and they were all so nice!"
Current View of Star Trek: "I consider it our 20th century mythology, our future as we want it to be."
Majel sees Lwaxana Troi as "The Auntie Mame of the Galaxy."
Although Majel is typically cast as a comedian, she loves to do drama, such as she did in "Half A Life."
"I enjoy the people who come. They are so bright and energetic and have such a positive point of view. And that positive point of view is really what Star Trek is all about."
"Lucy took over a building on the Desilu lot when she and Desi still owned it and established a whole little theatre group with 25 to 30 people--people who were just starting out in the business but who she felt showed promise."
"The exposure to Lucille Ball and the experience of working with cameras was very helpful."
Early Life: A native of Dublin
Early Acting: Meaney was accepted into Dublin's prestigious Abbey Theatre, after getting "a taste" for acting in a school play, where he trained for two years and then became a member of the company for two more years.
Acting In Europe: Meaney shuttled back and forth between London and Dublin doing stage, film and TV work until 1982 when he married actress Bairbre Dowling, who was based in the United States.
Stage Experience: "Breaking the Code" which opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., roles at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Cleveland, regional theatre, stage work in Europe
Television Experience: role on mini series "Scarlett;" three months as Alf, a kidnapper on "One Life to Live;" roles on "Moonlighting," Remington Steele," and other shows
Film Experience: "Far and Away," a Boston political ward boss; "The Omega Syndrome"
His First Con: He was "terrified" before his first one. "It is very unusual for an actor to get up in front of an audience without a character. It takes a bit of getting used to."
Colm was never a science fiction fan, but he quickly adapted to the futuristic Enterprise.
"Working as an actor, you find that a lot of what you do is very alien. And being a resident alien myself, I felt quite comfortable."
Robert O'Reilly (Gowron on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine)
Early Life: A native New Yorker who has been acting since hew was in school
Education: University of Ohio (photography and creative writing major)
Acting Start: A friend asked Robert to help on the technical crew of the play "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" in Salem, New York. The day before the opening, "one of the actors got angry and stormed out." When his friend asked if anyone could play the part, he said he thought he could. The next night he was on stage playing Snoopy. When he got back to New York, he enrolled in acting class and began looking for work.
Early Acting: Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, Stage work with The Colony, a repertory theater company in California
Television Experience: Gowron on Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, a gangster on ST:TNG, Guest star on "Hunter," "Falcon Crest," Dallas," "The Flash," "Hill Street Blues," "Paradise," "Jake and the Fat Man," and other shows Mini series appearances: "World War III," "From Here to Eternity," and "The Adams Chronicles" Appearance on the TV Movie "Desperado: Badlands Justice"
Previous Trek Experience: He's a huge fan of Star Trek and of Q. In college O'Reilly tried to not make dates on Friday nights because that was when the original "Star Trek" aired. While acting he tried to watch ST:TNG, but missed much of the first season. By season two he was "hooked," especially after playing his small role on "The Manhunt."
O'Reilly had the great fortunate to meet Stephen Hawkings while filming on the ST:TNG set for an interactive VCR video game.
Biographical information supplied by the Thundercon 4, 1, and 3 programs, respectively for Barret, Meaney, and O"Reilly
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Majel Barret-Roddenberry Colm Meaney Ethan Phillips Suzie Plakson Tim Russ