On Saturday Robbie began his talk by mentioning the sightseeing he'd done prior to the convention. He joked about having a tour of Parliament just before John Major left and how the ex-Prime Minister was having a garage sale! He then went on to introduce Carol, Taylor and Kyle to the audience and told us they planned to visit Ireland for a week after the convention.
When asked about stunts Robbie joked that he only does the easy bits - he doesn't like hitting the floor. In contrast he told us that Garrett does, and gets very macho about it!
Robbie told us his favourite episode is "The Chute" as he likes the grittier shows. He said he finds Star Trek rather intellectual at times and so he prefers the action shows. He then went on to say that the Tom and B'Elanna relationship was going to be continued. He added that he'd been telling the writers they would make a good couple for three years as they are both opinionated and rebellious. As an aside Robbie noted that he didn't think much of Janeway and Chakotay as a couple.
He was asked how hard it had been to do "Threshold". Robbie replied that there had been five stages to the make up and each set was new and so took longer than average - around five and a half hours! He commented that he enjoyed having the mask as he found it very freeing being something other than himself.
Next Robbie was asked what he thought of his action figure. He said the hair was the wrong colour and that although it had big muscles it didn't have any genitals! He was most offended by this lack of anatomical correctness.
On the subject of directing Robbie was very definite - he loved it. He also felt "Sacred Ground" was a perfect first episode to do. He shared that he has a great relationship with Kate Mulgrew and that she was very supportive of him. He added that the producers had apologised when they gave him the script as they didn't like it or think it was good. Robbie disagreed and felt it was an interesting story. Moving on to "Unity" he thought it was a big opportunity, having the first Borg show.
Someone asked about the scene in "Threshold" where he had to pull his tongue out. Robbie made a face and said he thought it was disgusting. They used a very strong jelly for the tongue and if they didn't start to shoot straight away it would melt! Also Robbie had black ink put in his mouth to dye his teeth which he then couldn't get off.
Robbie was then asked if he had been nervous about directing. He referred the question to his wife, who said no. Robbie disagreed, admitting he didn't sleep for two weeks. He added though that Bob Picardo was far more nervous before he directed. He went out and got the standees of each of the cast and put them on the set to practise setting up scenes! Robbie concluded by saying the thing he loves most about directing is that it demands his attention one hundred percent of the time. In contrast, when he's acting he may only have one line in a whole episode. He likes to be challenged.
When asked how long it was since he'd last been in the UK Robbie replied it was ten or twelve years ago. That was when "Masters of the Universe" was playing and he remembered seeing the billboards for it.
Next someone wanted to know if Robbie had been the first choice to play Paris or if he'd had to audition. He replied that other actors had auditioned, but the studio weren't really happy with them. At the time he was in New York doing a play. His agent told him they were looking for a Robert Duncan McNeill type to play the character. He then videoed some scenes in New York and these went down well. Robbie then flew to L.A. for a network meeting. He was the only actor called for this. He did some more scenes and was told he had the job. Robbie added that he was one of the first people to be cast and he was desperate for filming to start as he was broke at the time!
Robbie made a few comments about his fellow cast members. He said that Kate Mulgrew was very professional, always learning her lines in advance. One day someone told her to be less prepared - to not learn her lines. She tried it, but hated it! About Ethan Phillips Robbie commented that he had some screws loose and was off in his own world. Also he will do anything you ask him to. Ethan is apparently very hyper and is also a compulsive maker of 'to do' lists. Robbie added that he'd directed a film over hiatus and had Ethan play a small role in it as coach of a baseball team.
Robbie was asked if he would use a body double if a script called for him to strip off. He said that he'd done nude scenes before. He commented that it was an odd feeling knowing those films are still out there though his life has moved on. He said that if the scene were appropriate he still wouldn't mind doing it. As a side note he added that he had fought to keep the scene in "Sacred Ground" where Janeway is stripped of her uniform. The producers wanted it cut, but Robbie felt it was important to show her vulnerability.
The questioning on Sunday began with someone wanting to know how old Robbie was when he got into acting. He explained that he grew up in Atlanta and moved around a lot. Then he joined a kids' theatre group when he was twelve. They were doing a production of "The Wizard of Oz" and Robbie played a Munchkin! He continued doing plays there until he left Atlanta when he was eighteen. From there he went to New York until Voyager began.
Next Robbie was asked what jobs he'd done to support himself while acting. He began by telling how he'd arrived in New York on a Wednesday, auditioned on Thursday and begun rehearsing the following Monday. He had been in a touring production of the musical "The Fantastics". After that though he became a bike messenger. Then he was a bus boy working for Leona Helmsley. He also worked as a waiter and as a cashier in a coffee shop. Robbie admitted he'd been the worst cashier ever as he was no good with numbers!
When asked if the cast had been well behaved when he directed Robbie answered with a resounding no! He added that when they filmed "Sacred Ground" the cast had been nervous for him, but after that they showed him no mercy!
Robbie would very much like to do a Voyager movie. He said there had been some talk of combining the TNG, DS9 and Voyager casts to do a really big film.
Someone wanted to know the weirdest thing Robbie has been asked to autograph. He replied that people often ask for the water glass he has at the signing session and get him to sign that. However, the oddest thing was probably a baby's nappy!
When Robbie was asked how many hours it took to perfect the technobabble he said he didn't have much. He added there was a very good reason for that - he can't do it! Of the other cast members Robbie judged Garrett Wang to be good, Tim Russ excellent and Robert Beltran not so good.
The next question concerned how easy it had been for Robbie to develop the character of Tom Paris after having played Nick Locarno in TNG. He replied it proved quite difficult as he thought they just wanted a Nick type of character again. It took them a while to realise he was just a bad guy and to start developing more heroic qualities in Tom. Robbie feels Paris is there to be more heroic than rebellious.
Robbie was asked if he thought Star Trek had changed over the past thirty years. He shot back that they had better sets now! More seriously he was asked if he felt the values have changed. Robbie said yes - and not always for the better. He thought the series used to be more ground-breaking. Now people tend to see it and say how that's already been done on an earlier series. He also feels it was both more adventurous and silly in the earlier shows.
Somebody asked how far Voyager had got towards home. Robbie said that was a good question and he ought to know as he was driving! He added that there had been some talk of Voyager hooking up with the Borg, whose ships go much faster, to give them a big jump towards home. Robbie thought it was better that they stayed in a new, unexplored area though as it made the show more interesting.
Robbie said that he took some credit for Janeway's latest hairdo. He said that he had talked to Kate during the filming of "Sacred Ground". They wanted something soft but professional. The studio liked what they came up with and so it was kept.
Next someone wanted to know who was the biggest practical joker on the set. Robbie said there was competition for that! The biggest troublemakers were Tim Russ, Robert Beltran, Ethan Phillips and himself. Robbie then went on to tell one of his jokes. He took the sticky, dried up gunk from around the edge of one of the jars of glue used for fixing masks. Then he waited until everyone else was on set before putting it up his nose, dangling strategically. When he joined the others on the set they were too embarrassed to say anything to him and kept looking away, until finally the first AD handed him a Kleenex!
Robbie told how he went to Rick Berman early in the first season and told him he wanted to direct. He said that he'd observed on other series he'd worked on. Berman then got him to follow the SFX people and he went to screening meetings and the like for about a year. Then Jonathan Frakes was due to direct "Sacred Ground", but instead he went to work on "First Contact". At this point Rick Berman told Robbie that as he was going to be the next Frakes he should do it instead. Robbie added that he would also love to direct DS9, but that it's hard finding the time while he's filming Voyager.
On Monday Robbie was part of the final guest panel. During the introductions he joked that he played Janeway - they have a great make up department! He went on to say that it had been very hard to talk in "Threshold" after he lost his tongue. He had tried different things, but in the end had bent his own tongue back to create the odd voice. Robbie added that it had been fun - he got to wear lots of rubber and chew the scenery!
He was asked if, as he played a musician character in "Masters of the Universe", he was himself musical. Also whether Garrett actually played clarinet. Robbie answered that no, Garrett didn't play. He made it look good on film, but it sounds bad! Robbie himself plays piano and guitar and sometimes a group of them will get together on set in the lunch break.
The American guests on the panel were asked if they'd picked up any English accents on their trip and if they understood them. Robbie told how he had got into a confrontation in his hotel the night before. A guy had done something wrong and Robbie had called him on his behaviour. The person in question turned out to be Scottish and began speaking very fast as the argument proceeded. Robbie had to keep protesting that he didn't understand!
Robbie related a story showing how tight security at Paramount is. A week after they wrapped he went to the lot to clear his trailer and was refused entry. He ended up having to get permission from Rick Berman. He joked that he was frisked - and enjoyed it!
Briefly, Robbie listed his favourite role as being in "Six Degrees of Separation", his first Broadway part. His biggest disappointment was after being cast as the lead in the film "School Ties". The director was changed and the new one recast the whole film so Robbie lost the role. The part he enjoyed least was in a Jackie Collins mini series. He called it rubbish and said he hoped they had burned the negative!
Finally, as he'd previously mentioned watching anything Disney with his kids, Robbie was asked which Disney character he'd like to be. He joked it would be the Little Mermaid. He then added that he had been very close to getting the voice part of Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". He said that would have been a dream come true for him.
And so that was "The Mission" completed! Naturally, the best part of it was finally having a chance to see the man himself - in person! It was worth all the hassles and sheer disorganisation of the autograph line to meet and introduce myself to Robbie (and of course I was wearing my fine RanDoM Flight T-shirt to let him know I was with his fan club!). Robbie was a charming and entertaining guest and I hope he'll come back and see us on this side of the Pond again soon!
The following page contains photos of Robbie from Blackpool
Report copyright K. Colohan 1997
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