I seem to recall that during the initial formation of Deep Space Nine, Ro Laren was intended to be Sisko's first officer. For some reason Michelle Forbes declined, and Kira Nerys was created instead. Can anybody shed some more light on this for me? Why would Michelle Forbes turn down being a regular on DS9?
Michelle Forbes
- Thread starter Spork111
- Start date
I'm pretty sure that I read that further Trek would put a drag on her career. She's really torn it up since her days on the Ent-D, nice decision Michelle.
Still, I'd like to have seen Kira and Ro on DS9 and let them 2 play off each other (and we get more eye candy).
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
^
Well, to be fair, Forbes has had a pretty good career. Homicide, Battlestar, True Blood, 24, she's a character actor. Can't say I blame her for not wanting to be typecast.
Well, to be fair, Forbes has had a pretty good career. Homicide, Battlestar, True Blood, 24, she's a character actor. Can't say I blame her for not wanting to be typecast.
From what I remember, at the time, Michelle Forbes was startin' to get movie roles, and was concerned that bein' tied to a tv series would limit her career, so she turned DS9 down.
And then she took a regular gig on Homicide, and has been a regular/recurrin' on multiple other shows, with her bad ass turn as Cain in BSG.
^ Well, her regular gig on Homicide only lasted for 2 years, and all other roles, I think, even shorter than that. Her BSG role was just a 3-parter and then a TV movie a couple of years later. She's done many different roles, and she's probably happy about that. Maybe she didn't want to commit to a role for 7 years, and be associated with one character all her life (major Trek role tends to do that to actors). OTOH, Nana Visitor seems to have been really committed to playing Kira for 7 years and felt strongly about the character enjoyed her time on DS9, which was great for her professionally and personally, and even now she's saying in interviews that going to conventions with others from DS9 cast is like a wonderful college reunion. So, it seems that both actresses got what they wanted, and I would say that, in different ways, they both have had great careers. Whether it is creating a great character on an excellent show and developing it over years with all the growth and changes, or playing a bunch of interesting characters in shorter appearances on many different, mostly good or excellent shows, both achievements are things that most actors can only dream about.
I'd say she simply didn't want to be typecast. She even refused a chance to reprise the role of Ro on VOY.
Did she even get the chance to refuse? I was under the impression the Producers didn't even ask. They just assumed she'd say no.
This is from her wikipedia article and seems to confirm the speculation although it is wikipedia after all.
Rather than reprise the role of Ro for spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Forbes declined the offer for a primary role in that series and decided to focus on a career in films
Rather than reprise the role of Ro for spin-off Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Forbes declined the offer for a primary role in that series and decided to focus on a career in films
IMDB says much the same thing: "After appearing in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987) as Ro Laren, she was approached to play the same character in a starring role on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993). When she turned down the part, because she didn't want to commit to a regular TV role at that point in her career, a new Bajoran character, Kira Nerys, was created and Nana Visitor was cast in that part."
Doing a series is a major chunk of your time: each episode represents about a week of filming, so for roughly 26 weeks a year you are completely unavailable for other projects, and those 26 weeks happen to be in the time when everyone making movies most wants to be filming, too. Peirce Brosnan lost the gig as James Bond the first time because Remington Steele got renewed, and filming for the show and the movie overlapped.
DS9 came out in January 1993, which means they were filming in 1992, which is the same year she was appearing on TNG as Ro.
And in 1993 she was in at least 2 movies, one of which had her starring opposite David Duchovny, so you can see why she thought her career was headed in that direction. She had done two years on a series, a few single episodes, a handful of episodes in one season of TNG, and now she was being offered movies, and she thought that was where the future lay.
Who can really blame her: medium-big name stars get millions of dollars for 6 weeks of filming on a movie, where most TV stars make a tiny fraction of that. And it isn't like those 2 movies in 1993 were a flash in the pan: 2 more in 1994, 3 in 1995. It wasn't until 1996 that things started to cool down (one feature film, one TV movie, and one episode of The Outer Limits, which is still pretty good).
Update: IMDB also has this quote from her:
Doing a series is a major chunk of your time: each episode represents about a week of filming, so for roughly 26 weeks a year you are completely unavailable for other projects, and those 26 weeks happen to be in the time when everyone making movies most wants to be filming, too. Peirce Brosnan lost the gig as James Bond the first time because Remington Steele got renewed, and filming for the show and the movie overlapped.
DS9 came out in January 1993, which means they were filming in 1992, which is the same year she was appearing on TNG as Ro.
And in 1993 she was in at least 2 movies, one of which had her starring opposite David Duchovny, so you can see why she thought her career was headed in that direction. She had done two years on a series, a few single episodes, a handful of episodes in one season of TNG, and now she was being offered movies, and she thought that was where the future lay.
Who can really blame her: medium-big name stars get millions of dollars for 6 weeks of filming on a movie, where most TV stars make a tiny fraction of that. And it isn't like those 2 movies in 1993 were a flash in the pan: 2 more in 1994, 3 in 1995. It wasn't until 1996 that things started to cool down (one feature film, one TV movie, and one episode of The Outer Limits, which is still pretty good).
Update: IMDB also has this quote from her:
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
It wouldn't bother me too much about her turning down DS9 and VOY if she had done more than 8 TNG eps. She was a nice contrast to the regular crew, and I also liked the idea of having a full time crewmember at CONN.
Can't say I understand the desire to make movies over working on a Star Trek series.... especially in one of the main roles of the show.
You make a movie... it may become popular, or it may flop.... it'll be in the theatres for a month or two, then released on video (VHS/DVD/Blueray depending on the time frame one wants to talk in) and then a year later, most people forget all about that movie.
But to go for that, rather then to have a steady paying job in a seven season series of Star Trek which will be talked about, watched and drooled over for years to come by millions around the world... merchandise, conventions, endless amounts of fans?
I think I know what I'd choose.
You make a movie... it may become popular, or it may flop.... it'll be in the theatres for a month or two, then released on video (VHS/DVD/Blueray depending on the time frame one wants to talk in) and then a year later, most people forget all about that movie.
But to go for that, rather then to have a steady paying job in a seven season series of Star Trek which will be talked about, watched and drooled over for years to come by millions around the world... merchandise, conventions, endless amounts of fans?
I think I know what I'd choose.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Perhaps that's precisely why she chose NOT to do it?
I mean, let's be realistic for a second. Apart from Shatner, Nimoy, and Stewart none of the other Trek regulars have really had that astonishing a career. Granted, they're working, and granted, some have moved on to other, high-profile projects... but they've also got the baggage of having been on Star Trek. What's Garrett Wang done since Voyager ended?
Now, obviously as I said many have moved on to other things. Jeri Ryan seemed to be doing pretty well, Picardo went off to Stargate land, Frakes, McNeill, Dawson and Burton all jumped in to producing and directing, Takei is an outspoken civil rights voice these days and a raunchy humorist as well... but back in 1992 none of that had happened yet. As far as anyone knew, the future of Trek acting involved the convention circuit and bit roles here and there, sometimes even paodying the Trek role to begin with.
As an actor, as an artist, it makes sense that Forbes wouldn't want to get stuck in that repeating pattern. And while locking oneself in to a series commitment would be great if all you're looking for is a stable paycheck (as most up and coming actors usually are) there are those who treat the craft as an art and would rather have the verisimilitude and variety that feature films can offer on a more manageable basis than a tv series can.
I mean, let's be realistic for a second. Apart from Shatner, Nimoy, and Stewart none of the other Trek regulars have really had that astonishing a career. Granted, they're working, and granted, some have moved on to other, high-profile projects... but they've also got the baggage of having been on Star Trek. What's Garrett Wang done since Voyager ended?
Now, obviously as I said many have moved on to other things. Jeri Ryan seemed to be doing pretty well, Picardo went off to Stargate land, Frakes, McNeill, Dawson and Burton all jumped in to producing and directing, Takei is an outspoken civil rights voice these days and a raunchy humorist as well... but back in 1992 none of that had happened yet. As far as anyone knew, the future of Trek acting involved the convention circuit and bit roles here and there, sometimes even paodying the Trek role to begin with.
As an actor, as an artist, it makes sense that Forbes wouldn't want to get stuck in that repeating pattern. And while locking oneself in to a series commitment would be great if all you're looking for is a stable paycheck (as most up and coming actors usually are) there are those who treat the craft as an art and would rather have the verisimilitude and variety that feature films can offer on a more manageable basis than a tv series can.
Colm Meany came close to turning down DS9 for the same reason. It was only when Rick Berman promised he could leave the show any time to do a movie that he agreed to sign on.
Couldn't they have cut the same deal with Forbes? Colm Meaney did tonnes of films during DS9's run, she could have done, too. Armin Shimerman did a bunch of stuff during DS9 as well, notably the recurring role of Principal Snyder in Buffy's first three seasons.
The Kira/Ro character would have been the second lead in the show. O'Brien and Quark aren't on the same level to be honest though I'm sure it might have been suggested?
Wasn't Michelle Forbes a regular on the second season of 24?
The movie career might not have worked out but I'd say her career is pretty red-hot with all the work she does for some great television shows.
The movie career might not have worked out but I'd say her career is pretty red-hot with all the work she does for some great television shows.
