From: wmorgan@stsci.edu (Windsor Morgan)
Subject: Re: DS9: Avery Brooks has attitude.
Followup-To: rec.arts.startrek.fandom
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 21:59:36 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.151137.45946@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> kuvamp@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>This was on the AP Newsnet this morning, thought it might be of interest:


>AVERY BROOKS:  DON'T LOOK FOR HIM AT TREKKIE CONVENTIONS

>	Randor, pennsylvania------The commander of the latest Star trek series
>says you won't find him doing any Star Trek conventions.  Avery Brooks says he
>isn't into that.  Brooks plays commander Sisko in the upcoming TV series "Star
>Trek: Deep Space nine."  The syndicated series is a spinoff of "Star Trek: the
>next Generation". Brooks tells TV guide he finds it funny that people think
>that he, like another Trek tv captain William Shatner, may soon become a
>worldwide sex symbol.  He says his "children would find that rather amusing"
>_______________END OF QUOTED MATERIAL______________________________________

>Gee, isn't it great that Paramount picks actors to whom this is just another
>job, and who have no idea what this role means to people?  I mean if he's
>not willing to put up with the fandom, he should keep his B-grade tv series ass
>at home and give the job to someone who can handle it.  Leave your Ego at the
>door, Avery, or this will be a SHORT job.

Look, does it mean so much to some people that an actor appears at a
few conventions?  How many of the actors from the either ST series or
the movies have you seen in person?  I enjoyed ST Classic for *years*
before I saw anybody from the series (Leonard Nimoy and Majel Barrett
the same year).  I've only talked to Barrett for any length of time.
The only other ST actor I've seen is William Shatner, and he was
promoting a comic-book adaptation of novels he has written, at a
*comic-book* convention.

When actors make an appearance at a convention, I imagine it is for
one thing primarily: to make a few bucks.  Not to promote Roddenberry's
vision of the Federation utopia, but to be like a Ferengi.

When TNG started, I seem to remember only Michael Dorn (Worf) of all
the cast members saying he had been interested in ST Classic (Whoopi
Goldberg, who says her life was changed by Nichelle Nichols' presence
in "Star Trek", wasn't on the show at the time).  Obviously interest
in "Star Trek" wasn't a requirement by the casting director when
casting actors for TNG.  Why should attending ST conventions be a
requirement for ST actors?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine will fail or survive on the basis of how
good a TV show it is (and how much Paramount is willing to take a
chance if it initially *isn't* a good TV show: cf. TNG), *not* on
whether one actor or many actors choose to make a few more dollars by
appearing at a convention.

As for Brooks' thinking it is funny that he may be considered a sex
symbol, Patrick Stewart said pretty much the same thing when *he* was
overwhelmingly voted "The Sexiest Man on TV" or somesuch this summer.
I think only the most conceited (or the most deluded :-) person would
say "of *course* I should be a sex symbol!".

So what if Avery Brooks has an "attitude"?  We all have an "attitude"
to some degree.

-- 
'Verily, there be no leader as wise as the Vision!'
                         Windsor Morgan (wmorgan@stsci.edu OR NHT@PSUVM.BITNET)
                         Space Telescope Science Institute
                         Baltimore, MD   21218