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Kate's Q&A, a photo with Bob, and the big surprise...

Next on the agenda was Kate's Q&A, but once more I was doomed to be interrupted... because, of course, my photo session with Bob Picardo was also on.... I could see the numbers for the photo session being called, gradually climbing, reaching my number... and still Kate was not on stage. I'd decided to stay long enough to get a few pictures, go to the session then sit at the back, as I thought I had no chance of getting a seat back at the front even with my pass. In fact, my whole row of seats had arranged ourselves in order of when we had to leave! I was on the end, then a group of stewards who had to go half way through. Anyway, Kate arrived; I fired off a volley of photos, and then ran for my appointment for Bob. Cutting it fine, but not too fine! I think I'll tell the Bob story before getting to Kate's Q&A...

Upstairs, I could see they were trying to get the session moving at a fair speed. This was a problem, as I wanted to tell Bob a little story. So I decided to use a trick I'd seen/heard the DS9 guests at Odyssey use, and talk to him out of the side of my mouth while we were posing. So I told him that I'd missed half of his talk the day before because I'd been having my photo taken with Robbie, and an autograph with Kate. And now he'd got his own back on Kate, but he'd still have to get back on Robbie! Then the lady in charge was moving me on, and I just had time to say bye, and didn't really get a response...

Anyway, Kate's Q&A.... Well, once again she looked gorgeous, though I'll admit to a preference for the green and red outfit! She opened by telling the story of her love affair with Tim Hagen, at length. In fact such length that it took most of the time it took me to get my pictures, get upstairs and queue for Bob! I missed parts of it, but apparently she was first set up with him by her mother, just before Voyager started. In fact she didn't do a good first audition because she was on the way to a date with him. Somehow they broke up... she was briefly with someone else then they got back together again. Tim Hagen also appeared on stage, and even from the back I got the sense of two people who love each other very much.

I was up on the balcony for the next question, but I could hear quite clearly...

Q: (Asked by a child) Are you good friends with Jeri Ryan?

(Joking) Who put you up to that? (Seriously). No I am not good friends with Jeri Ryan. But we are colleagues and I respect her. (I think she also said something about Jeri as an actor) I only have 6 really good friends.

(I have to say, I was very impressed with the way Kate handled this question. I feel her answer was both honest and gracious. Also don't start making assumptions about the 6, because I believe she has said elsewhere that her best friends are people outside of the cast!)

At another point Kate also talked about how she felt bringing Seven on to the show, while it may have been a good thing from a ratings point of view, had led to a loss of momentum in the development of some of the other characters.

About Queen Arachnia; apparently Kate has been accused of doing the part as an impersonation of Bill Shatner! (She cracks up...) She loved playing it. During the electrocution scene she wet her pants 4 takes in a row.

Q: Catherine Deneuve sees herself on screen as someone else. How does she see herself?

Kate can't watch herself on screen at all. 'Who is that woman?!?' Janeway frightens her. She needs to divorce herself from the character. That's difficult when you see yourself on screen.

Q: What souvenir did she take from the set?

She was too late to get back in and get much. Tim Russ took panels, his chair... Kate took her uniform, from the boots to the pips, and she has it in her closet.

She went on to talk about the boots. She thought it was pretty silly for the Captain to be wearing 3 and1/2 inch heels, and she feels they've damaged her feet, but all the men were giants, so she had to suffer...

Q: As a politician's wife will she be following the tactics of Cherie Blair - looking good, saying nothing?

(Imitating the good politician's wife) 'I can be very (genuine)....'

He'll have to put a muzzle on me. When provoked I will speak my mind like always... then go to the divorce courts.

Q: About the responsibility of being cast on Voyager

She saw it as a great responsibility. 'But remember, we are actors. We have a creative not a philosophical commitment. I just happen to feel like Janeway.'

She would have liked more of an onscreen friendship with Roxann. She loves her, she's an intense actor. Perhaps the powers that be felt they were too close, being two scientists.

Q: (Spoilers: Flesh and Blood) About the punishment of the Doctor for the incident with the Hirogen and the holograms…

She did complain about that. She felt the Captain should have 'smacked him but good on his little hologram behind'.

Q: About the alchemy with Robert Beltran on screen.... (Kate asked the person, who sounded Dutch or German, to clarify) 'What was it that came up between you on screen?'

Kate revealed she has a bit of a dirty mind by cracking up! Her first answer was along the line of 'you said it!' She went on to say that she thinks Robert has chemistry with any member of her gender. But they couldn't explore those perilous waters. It wasn't her mission.

She added as an afterthought 'But he's awfully sexy isn't he?'

Q: Janeway's hair: What was her favourite style?

'Oh God!' The 'steel thing' made her look like a serial murderer. The ponytail: she liked that. What people don't realise is that towards the end, half was her hair, and half was a wig. Her own hair is longer.

Unlike most actresses she doesn't like to be touched. 'Always with the powder puff...' She envies Patrick Stewart.

Q: 100 years beyond Voyager, what will the role of a female captain be?

Probably more relaxed?

Kate with Tim Hagen

Q: What would she like young women to take away from Janeway?

Passion. Secondly discipline. Take (great) decisions, find your passion, and it will lift you up for the rest of your life.

Q: When will we see the out takes?

We've already seen a great part of them. She doesn't have many. She has a laser focus - she never felt she could let it down, or the whole thing would fall apart. There are a lot of Russ and Picardo.

Q: I didn't quite catch the next question, but I think it was about advice to actors.

Lift it up. Make it epic. Trying to give something bigger….

The next question was delivered in a creaky, mock old man voice. My immediate reaction was that it was Robbie heckling again. Though I it seemed strange that Kate wasn't giving him back as good as he was giving...

Q: Ms Mulgrew... Ms Mulgrew. Who is your favourite Captain?

Kate replied that it was her predecessor, Picard. And with that cue, Patrick Stewart was announced and walked onto the stage, and the whole hall just erupted!

Like I've said, there had been some speculation that Patrick might turn up. But it had been just that, idle speculation, no actual rumours, and quickly dismissed as unlikely. So I for one felt my jaw hit the floor when he appeared. People had been saying already that it was the best convention ever. At that point it went one beyond that - to totally unbelievable.

Patrick talked about coming to Blackpool as a kid. He said they never used to be able to afford to stay in a promenade hotel, and thanks to us he was doing!

Kate then asked him a question. How does he feel after 7 years away from the role? Does he still feel like Picard?

I missed the answer probably because... I was sitting at the back, and though I was taking pictures of the big screen, I wanted the real thing... The usual photo queue had formed in the isles, with people going down, taking a picture when they got to the front, then heading back. So I left my bag with total strangers (complete with a fair amount of money and all my autographs!) and headed forward. Once I reached the front of the queue I took a couple of shots, then a steward was hassling me to give way for others. I spotted an empty seat, and, flashing my pass, I slid into it and took some more photos from there. If only I'd taken my bag... I had to go back once I'd got some shots, and I decided not to disturb everybody by pushing forward again. So I watched most of the session from the back.

He asked her if she remembered some advice he gave her 48 hours after she started...

K: Interesting counsel...

P: …stay healthy as you can, get as much sleep as you can…

K: Impossible!

P: The 1st year I was so tired I would hear the word 'action' and I wouldn't know what to do next!

It was wonderful returning to do the movies. Soon Kate will get another part. Watch this space!

(To Kate) I know something you don't know!

(Kate siddles closer to him)

K: We're both Captains. respect... commonality...

P: I think that Voyager and the big screen are going to be connected. That sounds like a political remark, but it's accurate.

K: How long will you be staying?

P: An hour and a quarter.

He also mentioned his wife Wendy (I think saying that she was not there).

Star Trek 10, or Star Trek X as I like to call it...they will start filming in October.

Q: Would he do a panto in Huddersfield?

Most of my pictures of  Kate and Patrick are  blurry for some strange  reason...

Yes.

Q: How long will it take this Borg to mature? (I couldn't see, but I sort of picked up that someone had brought along a child in Borg costume...)

K: (Concerned, gently chiding) You shouldn't borgify them so young!

P: They'll grow out of it.

Q: Would you like to do a film together?

K: Could we both survive?

P: You could save me.

K: Or you could save me.

P: Love.... carry out of a burning spaceship.

K: Romance? With Shatner!

P: Bring enough horses and he'd do it for no fee.

K: Of course there's a new Captain now.

P: I hear women think he's very sexy.

K: Here we are trying to talk about morality, and they really want to talk about sex.

P: Always... It wouldn't be life without it.

Q: How many times have you been borged and bald? (Well, something like that...)

P: I was very young when I was born.

K: Were you borg when you were born?

P: I was born bald but not borged.

Q: Patrick, do you miss North England, and Kate, are you enjoying it?

K: I love it. But I've only seen the inside of the convention hall so far....

She went on to say she was travelling down to spend some time in Cornwall after the convention.

P: I thought you said Bournmouth?

He seemed very relieved that she had not said Bournmouth... It turned out Huddersfield was about to play Bournemouth.

P: I miss the North badly. I have a house in the Dales.

Patrick steals Kate's glass to get some water.

Patrick talked about the play…

P: The play is the 1st time in years you'll hear my real, sexy accent.

K: Be there.

P: Because I know all your names.

Someone brings Kate a bunch of flowers, which she accepts quite joyfully. Patrick looks jealous.... makes a play of looking around for his flowers.

K: Patrick sit down.

P: (Sitting) Well, Dr...

Q: How long does it take to get made up?

For some reason my notes have the word 'Naked', attributed to Patrick. I'd like to know what he said too! I guess it must have been fairly innocent though or I'd remember!

K: 5 or 6 hours.

Q: I've just moved up from Bournemouth.... What are your worst and favourite episodes?

P: As an actor?

K: Never directed... You loved the episodes you directed, didn't you?

P: As an actor… 'Inner Light'. A wonderful script and it had my son in it. Worst: one with him and Brent Spiner wearing gold masks ('Masks', an episode I actually quite liked...). It was incomprehensible. They skipped reading scenes. Him and Brent still don't know what it was meant to be about.

The second episode of the series... All the aliens were played by black actors. Later on he would not have agreed to do it.

K: 'Counter Point'. I love Mark Harelik. I also love 'Endgame'. There are very few episodes I didn't like, and many I loved.

P: I can't talk about the movie. (He mentioned a magazine called 'Prospect'. I think he was saying it was rubbish, but I'm not actually sure!) He went on to say that the rumour that he and Brent signed a contract on the condition that they were killed off is not true. What people have been reading is invention. He's not saying that they don't get killed off, just that that rumour was invented.

Mention was made of Pierce Brosnan…

P: I've worked with Pierce Brosnan... (I think he made a comment along the lines of 'I bet he got flowers…' At another point Kate picked hers up and smelled them, then became very protective as Patrick looked like he was going to try and steal them!)

Q: What was the most memorable actor you worked with.

K: (Considers for a moment) Richard Burton. She played Isolda in Tristan and Isolda. Anything scurrilous you have heard about Richard is.... true! For her 20th Birthday he threw her a wonderful party in a castle.

Q: How proud of Kate are you taking over the mantle?

P: From 1969 on when casting captains they got it right each time. Avery was never captain of the Enterprise, but was a fearless leader. Kate was a stroke of brilliance. Lasting actress. Substantial stage background, which gives discipline, stamina, interesting use of language - you can see Kate's work reflected in the fans. What a fantastic job she did and will do.

K: I had a tough act to follow...

Kate then announced that that they'd take a couple more questions then 'I have 5 million more autographs to sign'.

I missed the next question, but I think it included the word 'Lazy'. I think Mulgrew watchers will get the drift...

Patrick meets Tim Hagen

K: I resented on occasion the lack of discipline - which represented a lack of respect. To myself and to the crew, who were kept waiting. I shall name no names, because life's too short.

P: Next Gen was blessed. (The 7 of us love each other?) We continue to socialise. (There were some bad examples though). E.g. one actor was on the phone, and when called for a shot, continued to talk and kept everyone waiting. I have nothing personal against Michael Dorn. No! No! It was only occasionally Michael...

K: I hate laziness. I hate to be kept waiting. It's arrogant.

P: Roy Schneider (is an example of a big name who hasn't let stardom go to his head). Never delayed by Schneider. He learnt his lines. The first day on set he learnt everybody's names. Not just the other actors, but all the crew as well.

K: Young ones today haven't paid their dues, trained, suffered like we did.

P: They think the world owes them. The world is not like that.

Q: If Picard and Janeway were on a ship, who would take command?

P: It's the military, so it would be a matter of seniority. Not a case of who's best.

Kate thanked the audience once more (at length), then went off to do yet more autographs... I've got to admit, there was a little part of me thinking 'Oy! It's her convention! Why's she getting chucked off the stage? But I think she was actually on for her full time! And seeing her and Patrick together was amazing. I don't know how much it comes across, but they had the audience totally crying with laughter. If you get the chance to see them on stage together, do so at all costs!

P: I thought she'd never go. She said she'd just pop in for a cup of tea...

Then Patrick told us about some items he'd brought for auction. His charity is the PSRC: the Patrick Stewart Research Library, which he said was doing terrific work doing outreach. (If he said, where, what type of outreach etc, I'm afraid I didn't hear it!) He had some badges. He then asked if everyone remembered the scene in one of the films with the bottle floating through space... well, he had one of those bottles from the film, 'Generations', a 2265 vintage Dom Perignon. He'd drunk the champagne, but he'd sign the bottle. He didn't auction them himself, but left them for Bryan to do later.

Patrick talked about a film he has been doing, 'King of Texas' - based on 'King Lear. He plays the title, and Colm Meany is also in it. It will be shown next year on TNT. Here it will probably be on Hallmark.

Q: Did he enjoy playing Captain Ahab?

It was great. Also painful. He still can't raise his arm due to the damage done during the film. He's still kind of obsessed with the role: he's trying to get a stage production in England.

Q: Something along the lines of... wouldn't Picard have been better as a Yorkshire man?

Patrick performed a series of example of Picard as a Yorkshire man that had the audience in stitches: e.g. 'Mek it soo! He finished by declaring 'Bloody Engage!' He added that they should re-shoot the whole series....

Q: The Sunspots next musical release?

Patrick mentions Brent Spiner's album 'Old Yellow Eyes is Back', but there was no plans for a reprise by the Sunspots.

Q: Why did they do a sketch they had done on Saturday Night Live? (It seems that the person asking the question implied that it was disrespectful)

Because it was funny! It is very necessary to be able to laugh. In a way it was laughter on the set that kept them going. It turned him funny.

The Love Boat sketch was a riot. You need to see the whole episode of Saturday Night Live to understand it, it had a context. He suggested the questioner come back and apologise when he had done that.

Q: How did he feel about being old in the last episode?

That's not Newcastle shirt?

Questioner: I'm a Manchester United fan.

P: It's so easy to support Manchester United. They are so rich; they can buy any player. What is exciting about that? Now, Huddersfield... (give) biting suspense. I worry about football. The next 5 years will see horrible things.

In The King of Texas, I look 85. Like an 'Old Fart'. That's an actor's job. If I want to look pretty, I'll do something else. Be a Man United fan.

Q: Since we've heard all about the pranks on the Voyager set, have you any stories?

P: What about Voyager? What's that?

Questioner: It's why we are all here today.

P: Is that who she was?

It was a lively set. There were times he thought he'd be carried to hospital laughing. Without that connection on the set, it would not be there on screen.

Patrick finished off by talking about the thrill of seeing Blackpool Tower from his fancy car: how it made him feel like he was once more 7 years old. (That made me feel good about getting all excited when I saw it - I've got something in common with him!) He also told us about the play he is doing at the Leeds Playhouse. Then he left the stage to rapturous applause.

Bryan took the stage to answer a question that I'm sure quite a few people were thinking... No, Patrick would not be signing in person. But he would be signing 250 pictures, which would be available later at £25 each 'at a secret location to be announced'.

Report index / page 1 / page 2 / page 3 / page 4 / page 5 / page 6 / page 7 / page 8 / page 9

This page is part of The Borg Grail. If you have not already done so, please visit the Main Page for news and an introduction to my site.
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All original material, unless otherwise credited, is Copyright © 2000 Rowan Green. All rights reserved.