Actress Kate Mulgrew has a difficult job—she’s a Star Trek captain and she’s in charge of a Voyager crew that’s still thousands of light years away from the Alpha Quadrant with no sign of getting home...yet. Her job is to make Captain Janeway human, inspiring, commanding and most of all, respected. Mulgrew succeeds on all of the above and, after you read her answers to your questions, it’s easy to see why.
Question: Do you have political aspirations?
Dominica A., Tulsa, OK
Kate Mulgrew: No, I only have political aspirations for my dear husband. We may look at the next governorship of Ohio or even possibly the next senate race. I’ve already held the office of honorary mayor of Brentwood, and it was so fatiguing, on top of my work as an actress, that I felt I could not continue.
Q: Who is your favorite Voyager character (other than Captain Janeway) and why?
Debbie, Springfield, IL
KM: I would have to say the Doctor for the simple reasons that he is so well developed and, additionally, so well defined by Mr. Picardo. He really is a delicious character. Bob Picardo owns a remarkable intelligence and inventiveness as an actor, and he has endowed this otherwise shell of a character with such riches that I’m always amazed at his adroitness and his unending repertoire of ideas. He’s great to work with and happens to be a dear friend of mine.
Q: If Captain Kirk met up with Captain Janeway, what kind of chemistry would they have?
Bart, Boston
KM: Absolutely fantastic, as it is between Bill Shatner and myself. They’d crack open a bottle of wine, put their feet up and have a good laugh. He would make her really laugh. She would really enjoy his ribaldry, his irreverence, his bombastic, maverick approach, his virility. There’s something so whimsical about Kirk. He loves the absurd about life, and so does Janeway. They’re not brain surgeons. They are wholeheartedly in the moment, without preponderance.
Q: I have always enjoyed your performance as Captain Janeway and how you show the conflicts she has between personal feelings and the betterment of her crew. I was wondering what episode you felt best portrays how Captain Janeway deals with this conflict and how you as an actress helped show this through your character in that episode?
Chris
KM: What comes to mind is “Equinox,” which is Janeway, rather savagely, dealing with her own feelings and having to really grasp the dilemma of her crew versus a very similar crew, a parallel crew, who had so devolved. I think it was her worst nightmare.
Q: Would you like to see Chakotay move on and get over the unattainable Janeway? If so, who would you like to see him hook up with and why?
Teriann
KM: Well, I think he has long since moved on. Although, not altogether. I’m not sure I’d like at this point to see either of us abandon our hearts to anybody else. It’s just too late in the day.
Q: How much of Captain Janeway’s philosophy of life (i.e. religion, human nature, etc.) is also your philosophy?
George K.
KM: Janeway is a lot like me on a more personal level. My endowments have been through the nuances and the subtleties. On the broad scale, i.e. philosophically, culturally, spiritually, I would say Janeway is not contrary to me, but in many ways very, very different. I think Janeway is an agnostic, who is struggling with that. She’s a scientist. I am not, nor are my proclivities scientific. She is extremely organized and logical, which barely conceals a deeply passionate nature. In this regard we may be similar.
Q: If you weren’t on the show, would you watch Star Trek?
Eunice
KM: I certainly never did before I got this part. I would probably watch it now.
Q: I am one of your biggest fans from Ireland and my question is: Out of all the episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, which one is your favorite?
Paul B.
KM: I have two favorites: "Death Wish" with John de Lancie and "Counterpoint" with Mark Harelik.
Q: I had heard that you were once in a performance of "Our Town" at the Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, CT. Is there going to be any time that you might possibly be able to return to the area and attend the grand re-opening of the theater?
Trekphile
KM: First of all, it’s music to my ears that the theater is re-opening. I didn’t know that. And it would be the greatest pleasure of my life to return to the stage where I made my acting debut. It was the most halcyon summer of my life.
Q: When this final season comes to a close, will you still keep in touch with the other actors in the Voyager cast?
Meredith M.
KM: I will keep in touch with the other actors on Voyager who are my dearest friends. I think that’s reasonable. But there will always be a great affection for everybody. I feel like I’ve done a tour of duty here and you get to know [the cast] on a very intimate level.
Q: You mentioned in other interviews that you would like to get back into your theater roots when Voyager is over. Is there any production in particular that you would like to do?
Meredith M.
KM: How interesting you should ask that—I just got back from San Francisco where I met with the artistic director of ACT (American Conservatory Theater) discussing this very theme. We threw out about eight plays—Pinter fascinates me, “Betrayal” would really interest me. Unfortunately they’re doing a grand production on Broadway right now, so anything I would do would be eclipsed by that. [Edward] Albee, "A Delicate Balance," the Scottish play ("MacBeth") and any Chekhov.
Q: Do you ever get to watch Star Trek: Voyager episodes?
Jaclyn R.
KM: This season I have not seen anything, because I have been busier than a…! I do see them when I go to loop (voice dubbing). If I’m very curious, I’ll have them run the whole scene, perhaps a number of scenes in a row so I can get a good idea of it. If I feel I’ve really missed something I’ll order the tape and view it.
Q: Congratulations on seven great years with Star Trek: Voyager. Other than catching up with some sleep, what will be the first thing you will do after it is all over with?
Cindy, Madisonville, KY
KM: I’ll remind myself that my husband is not simply my "alleged" partner, but my “real” partner. I will attend to him and this marriage and the needs of this marriage.
Q: Do you think we’ll be seeing Janeway in a real relationship this season with another being (non-holographic), or do you think that the writers have given up on Kathryn’s romantic side altogether?
Meggie E.
KM: I’m really beginning to doubt it for this reason—it would be too horribly unfair to encourage that at this point because it would simply be thwarted. We’ve only got a few months left to go and Janeway would need a far greater arc than that.
Q: When are you going to give Harry Kim a higher rank?
CoolBodDt
KM: Poor Harry, he does feel a bit left out of the loop, doesn’t he. I’ll promote him when he deserves it!
Click here for Part II of the interview.
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