Eh there were a lot of directors coming in that really didn't know how to direct.
Uhm it was Paramount saving money constantly.
There's a story I heard as a child, a parable, and I never forgot it.
A scorpion was walking along the bank of a river, wondering how to get to the other side.
Suddenly he saw a fox.
He asked the fox to take him on his back across the river.
The fox said "No, if I do that you'll sting me and I'll drown".
The scorpion assured him "If I did that we'd both drown".
So the fox thought about it, finally agreed.
So the scorpion climbed up on his back, and the fox began to swim,
but halfway across the river the scorpion stung him.
As the poison filled his veins the fox turned to the scorpion and said "Why did you do that?
Now you'll drown too".
"I couldn't help it" said the scorpion "It's my nature".
I wasn't an ardent Trekkie, to tell you the truth, uhm I'm a, I'm a reader by nature,
so I don't watch a lot of television, but I watched a lot of the Q episodes.
Do you know who John De Lancie is?
No.
He's a great pal of mine.
He plays a guy called Q, eh, and eh, eh, if you weren't watching him, you know you can't
go to his dinner parties, so I *laughter* I watched his episodes.
I don't enjoy doing uhm guest starring roles on shows, because you walk into a family set
and squabbles are happening, and you're like if you talk to somebody and they go "Oh, he's
of the so and so faction" you know.
Q and Janeway in bed.
Q, not, not Janeway, but Q finds himself legitimately attracted to, to her.
Uhm because it can be kind of brutal, especially if they don't like you, if they decide they
don't like you, you know like the lead doesn't like you, uhm.
The issue of, of life, of the inability to find more pleasure in life.
Describe what it was like working with John De Lancie.
It took me a while to uhm warm up to John De Lancie *audience mumbles* N.. no, because
he's, I didn't know him that well first of all,
but he's not that different from Q in real life.
*Laughter*
I need your help.
But once I got to know John he's a great guy, and uhm he, he's son actually did an episode,
and I don't think John De Lancie quite warmed up to me at the beginning either because uhm,
I don't know he must've thought I was some kind of monsieurly jerk or something you know, but uhm,
but he's son came on and worked with us.
I, I, I helped him out a little bit, because eh, he was a little green, and he's son said
"That Robert Beltran is a nice guy", so the next time I saw John he was like "Robert".
Where he got this english accent I don't know *Laughter* He's from Idaho or something.
No, he uhm "Robert thankyou very much for uhm helping my son, he said you were wonderful
and uhm I really appreciate it".
And so we became friends, and he's a great guy, great guy, very talented.
But I'll tell you who I adored.
Guess who I adored?
Let's see how smart you are.
Who did I adore working with on that series?
Neelix?
Wonderful no, but there's one outstanding.
Who can guess?
Who?
The Doctor.
Well you know, I remember early on, before we really, we really got to know eachother,
people would, journalists would ask the actors "Which one do you like working with the best?"
And I remember Kate always answering "Oh I love the doctor, I love working with Bob Picardo"
*laughter* and I'm like sheez *laughter* You know because I was brought up with manners
you know, so you don't, you don't like, and even though I may have had a favourite, I
would've never have said that you know, to make the other guys look feel bad, you know, but uhm
she's the captain, she can do whatever she wants.
*Laughter*
So uhm just, just uhm I, I, really I have, had equal amount of fun with
each and every one of them.
*Aww* *claps* The Canadian answer?
The doctor *claps* A great actor, and believe me ladies and gentlemen those days were hard.
I left my house in the dark at 4:30 in the morning, right.
They didn't pick me up, I drove to Paramount which was 45 minutes away in the dark, I got
into make-up in the dark, and I was on the sound stage in the dark by 5:30 quarter of 6
and I left in the dark, that's what the week was like.
Bob Picardo would sit up late at night and would lose sleep thinking about "Hmm
how can I steal the scene from... how can I get them to write another scene for me".
*laughter* "I've got a scene with Mister Beltran", *laughter*
"I'll have to find a way to steal that scene". *laughter*
I mean 'cause I decided I would rather get some sleep, I you know, but,
but Picardo was always "Hmm".
I started by day in the dark, and I went to bed in the dark, but always I was greeted
in the medical lab by Bob Picardo "Good morning Captain, let's try to make this a great scene.
He was always prepared, he was always full of life.
He made it so much easier for me.
Jesus man, can't you do anything?
Stop screwing around.
Get this done by the time I get back.
I'm gonna take a crap.
Crap my ass.
Just do it man.
I mean it.
Oh you're saying that, that it got mostly revolved around Kate
and the rest of us kind of faded in the background.
Did you feel that? uhm hmm *laughter*
That comes, that comes from, yeah the you know,
Brannon and eh Rick Berman.
I mean I like some kind a challenge you know.
Mmm. Eh
I remember when we were, we would always get together with the writers would invite the
actors, eh individually to have dinner with them to talk over the, the upcoming new
season right.
So in one of those I just, I just said "Look guys", they asked me "what d'you want?
what d'you want?", so I just said "Look guys,
I just want one good scene,
one good scene every episode.
One good scene that it's not on the bridge.
One good scene when it's not always with Kate".
I had a hand in the creation of this eh final episode.
Really?
It was edited.
7 years in eh the Delta Quadrant for Captain Janeway.
When you say you had a hand in it, what do you mean by that?
I went to the producers and I said "The only way for uhm Captain Janeway to die a noble
death is for Admiral Janeway to die".
And Captain Janeway was the first female Star Trek Captain.
Big deal.
Well let me ask you, how many of you were disappointed with the ending of Voyager?
A good 20% maybe 15%
Uhm yeah eh, yeah, I was, I was like beyond uhm,
we all were, except for Kate *laughter*
Yeah because she got, she got to play 2 roles, old Kate and old,
and young Kate you know, and so eh she was having a great time, and the rest of us were
kind of going, we couldn't wait for the show to end, because that whole season, that whole
season the producers were, they couldn't wait for our show, the Voyager to finish 7th season
so they could now start working on their baby Enterprise *laughter* Where they wouldn't
have any Gene Roddenberry influence at all, they could do whatever they wanted.
Brannon Braga and... so you see what happened with that *laughter* eh little experiment.
So yeah eh we were all pretty much uhm disgusted with the whole final season, I would say.
Eh
well no, let me, let me go back even further.
What sold me on the Chakotay character and made me want to, want to do Voyager?
Honestly it was the fact that uhm Geneviève Bujold was the Captain,
she was the original Captain,
and I, I wanted to work with her you know, in a, in a dog show I would've worked
with her.
Uhm so that was the main thing.
I wanted to work with her.
Mister Paris.
Chakotay.
Oh no Chakotay wasn't there yet, this was the beginning.
Engage.
You will no longer be an officer on this crew, is that clear?
Was there a role on the series which you secretly coveted?
Captain, I'm reading a coherent tetryon beam scanning us.
Origin Mister Kim?
But I'll tell you who I adored.
Guess who I adored?
Let's see how smart you are.
Who did I adore working with on that series?
The Doctor.
And who else do you think was my great personal friend?
I had two really close.
Bob Picardo and who else?
Who?
The pilot,
Robbie McNeill, Mister Paris at the wheel.
Tom Paris. Mm hm.
Applause for Robbie Duncan McNeill *applause* *woo*
*applause* *woo* *applause*
*woo* *applause*
I wonder if we could go somewhere and talk.
About what?
About a job we'd like you to do for us.
Tut uhm I don't de de de uhm
I have to say... *laughter*
I think I'm gonna... *applause*
I think I'd have to say...
All I need to know from you is what's in it for me?
Now I want you to know, then we should start taking some questions.
I know we should.
I gave you your directorial debut.
Yes.
I gave him his first shot.
She did.
Tell them.
Kate, Kate eh you know when we first started on Voyager I had wanted to direct.
I instantly knew.
I went right to Berman, I said "This kid is terrific.
He's got it, he's going to do it Rick, so I'd give him a boost if I were you".
Well then I guess I'm yours.
Let's read her the riot act, and we told her everything, we told her everything.
So prove it.
Well if you like it so much why don't you taste it?
Come on be nice.
Aratatatatooey.
This ain't starting man.
Fucked up again it ain't starting.
I'm gonna kick your ass,
kick your ass,
come on now, come on everybody this ain't starting,
come on motherfucker.
Come on, you fucked up again you asshole.
Sloan what are you doing?
Paper work.
What is it my breath?
Shoot figures or something I need somebody.
I'll go.
You're it.