Click here for Part I of the interview.
We continue now with Part Two of our Kate Mulgrew interview:
Question: What do you do to keep your role fresh each week and to prevent yourself from becoming the captain who’s "lost in space?"
Gerry H.
Kate Mulgrew: First of all, I exercise my right, as a professional actress, to maintain my commitment to this role from beginning to end. Secondly, I maintain my right, as a creative person, to take risks on a daily basis so as not to die. And thirdly, I promised myself when I accepted this role seven years ago that I would do my level best to deliver every day something that I truly believed in. And it cost me something creatively. I do hope that I’ve managed that.
Q: Do you see the future as positive as seen in the Star Trek universe? Do you think it will be normal to see a female captain on a ship, no capital punishment, etc?
Merhnush K.
KM: I think this will be a very long time coming and that we must accept that as a culture, and realize that that is both the provocative and compelling element of science fiction. It allows you to embrace whether it’s the most positive aspect about our race. But we must continue to deal with the reality, which is slow going at best.
Q: Where you happy with the development of the character of Janeway and her portrayal as a female Federation captain?
Amy S.
KM: I’ve been alternatively happy and despairing. I think, initially, there was great concern about establishing Janeway’s command, which in many ways imposed constraints on my performance. No one is to blame for this, that was sort of a done deal—let’s get the command in place and then we’ll see where we go from there. But I think that there has always been a little hesitation regarding the gender question and where possibly they could’ve taken that. Although I would have to say I was terribly pleased with a lot of Brannon Braga’s work. I think he understood Janeway’s edge. I think he had a handle on her humor and her humanity. It’s been a struggle, but it’s been a good struggle. These things always are. You have to fight for a character you love, if you want to own that character. Sometimes I’ve taken some pretty desperate measures, and sometimes so have they. So, fair game.
Q: If you could go back in time would you still have accepted the job as Janeway, knowing what an impact it had on your life?
A. Dunne, Ireland
KM: Yes, undoubtedly.
Q: Do you feel your role as Janeway, a role of great authority, changed your real life and how is it different from the roles you’ve played before?
Amy S., MI
KM: It’s been all consuming, so it has really impacted my real life in ways that were not foreseeable and sometimes terribly difficult and sometimes very rewarding. Hindsight is twenty-twenty isn’t it? It’s so ghastly to wonder what I would’ve done. Elements of this life have been quite difficult and challenging, but there’ve been such rich components to it that one must really try to practice no regrets and live in the present.
Q: How did it feel to become Borg and did it give you insight into the Seven of Nine character?
Donald W.
KM: I thought that it was interesting and fun. It didn’t particularly give me insight into Seven of Nine other than the rigidity of Borgification, that feeling of being part of a collective and total loss of autonomy was indeed interesting.
Q: Hi! My name is Mattias and I live in Sweden. I have to wait four years until I will see season seven of Star Trek: Voyager. What do you think about that?
KM: Good things come to those who wait!
Q: If you could change something about your character, what would it be?
Ray
KM: I would fill her up with more laughter and more life.
Q: After playing Janeway for nearly seven seasons now, how do you feel about the end of the series and what will you miss most about Voyager?
Eve J., Scotland
KM: I have mixed feelings about the end of this season. I’m very happy that it’s ending, but there’s a terribly bitter-sweet quality about saying good-bye to this chapter, which has been an extraordinary one and, certainly, predominant in that is my affection for this ensemble of actors.
Q: When you first heard that Jennifer Lien was leaving, did you think that the series wouldn’t be the same again, or did you welcome the decision and make way for a new character?
Turbo, UK
KM: No, I was devastated by that news. One of my flaws as a person is I don’ t like to upset the apple cart. I come from a big family and I believe in keeping the whole together, so that was very disconcerting.
Q: If something happened to Janeway, perhaps if she were killed before they got back to the Alpha Quadrant, do you think that the crew would be able to get home without her strong character?
Joey H., London
KM: No, they’d be lost forever without me!
Q: Do you think it’s time for Janeway to get a little emotional support from her devoted Chakotay?
poorboy
KM: Oh, I think I get it though. Not everything needs to be stated. The unspoken is pretty significant between us.
Q: How do want the series to end? Do you still want to go out with a bang?
TCG
KM: I think that would be good, although I’ve been told by so many people that actually it would be the worst possible scenario. Now I’m confused by what I want. Maybe we should just get home and have a nice dinner. I think at this point that getting home would be the most poignant. It should be an epic finale. Why don’t you just put that in bold print!
Q: Do you like coffee ice cream?
Mathieu B.
KM: I’m not mad about ice cream, but if I do have it I do like coffee ice cream, but not merely as much as I like coffee.
STARTREK.COM: Kate, thank you so much for taking time out for us.
KM: This was fun. Thank you very much.
<< Tillbaka
