Robert Duncan McNeill takes the helm for our next Q and A session. So sit back, relax and let Mr. McNeill navigate your questions. Over to you, Robbie…
Q: Hi Robbie! I was wondering, are you happy that Tom and B’Elanna got married and are having a child, or do you wish that Tom could have had romances with new aliens every week?
Wendee B.
Robert Duncan McNeill: I'm glad we got married. I think for a couple of years, Roxann and myself felt like we had the worst of both worlds; we were supposedly dating, but it was never really dealt with that seriously. We weren't really available to explore other relationships or romances week after week. So, for awhile it wasn't really satisfying to play that relationship — for us or the fans. This year, it was very surprising to me that they decided to go ahead and jump in with both feet. I think it's been great. It's an unusual kind of direction with series regulars. It's rare for [Star Trek] to get into that ongoing romance or relationship that way. Who would have thought in the pilot, that these two characters would ever get together. Now, here they are together but both very changed people.
Q: What are your thoughts about the series finale and the end of the show?
Charles S.H.
RDM: First of all, I have no idea what the finale is going to be. They've kept it a very well guarded secret. None of the actors know. I would prefer to see them come home as a classic bookend. We got lost in the first minutes of the first episode and I would like to see us get back in the final minutes of the final episode. A lot of people have suggested we get back a couple of episodes before the end so we have some time to see people like Tom Paris' dad and Captain Janeway's old boyfriend, Harry's mom and dad…I just feel that that is the least interesting part of our series. It's certainly back-story for the characters and its fuel to fire their emotional life, but it's not the most interesting story to tell. There's an even bigger emotional value in them just getting home. That's more important than the details, the emotional closets of any of these characters. The journey is the drama. To me, the most dramatic thing would be a final image of them all with their arms around each other going, 'Look what we've done. We've survived this trip and we've made it back in record time. We never even imagined we'd live long enough to get home. And look at us, we made it together.'
Q: What episode is your most favorite? Least favorite?
Rich
RDM: One of my least favorite shows was an episode called "Twisted." One of the reasons is that I never quite understood what was going on! The ship was going all funny, it was dangerous and killing people and it would sneak up on you…It was just not very fun to make. Of my favorite shows, the Captain Proton shows were always some of my favorites. It was so much fun to play that self-referential character with a tongue-in-cheek quality. To take our space man action hero character and magnify just that little bit extra was so much fun.
Q: Do you find it weird that Tom Paris is a big "history" fan, but only circa 1970? We never see Tom restore a 2127-flying car (instead of a 1969 Camaro) or inform the Captain about World War III.
Gabrielle L.
RDM: I think [the writers’] idea was that Tom Paris could become the eyes for our audience. And, by coincidence, he happens to be the one who can use these contemporary things and relate them to the future. I think the reason we didn't show the near future, the Third World War and things like that, is that those kind of things come up anyway. They come up naturally through our storytelling. We're always talking about fictional things that happen in the future. I think their interest was to deal with stuff that our audience could relate to, but not all the time.
Q: Of the episodes you have directed, which is your personal favorite and why?
Jgingell1
RDM: I would say it's a tie between my very first episode, "Sacred Ground," where the Captain goes on this sort of spiritual vision quest. Even though, looking back, I may have done things differently if I had a second chance. The message of the story and working with Kate [Mulgrew] really connected with me. I believe very much in the points that story made. It was kind of a heavy story; it's not a lighthearted romp. One of my other favorites was "Someone To Watch Over Me," which I think took us all by surprise. It was a 'let's save money' episode by doing something small and no big sets. It kind of snuck up on everybody, as there weren't huge expectations at any level. People kind of relaxed and naturally wrote and naturally performed and naturally created an episode that was just very charming. Sometimes we get shows and ideas that people are very excited about and people think, 'Oh my god, this is going to be one of our best shows ever!' and they can sometimes have such high expectations where they work so hard that they kind of ruin it. Sometimes I think that can be a good lesson. Sometimes you need to just relax and not try so hard and let the story come to you. That's what happened with this episode—we all just had a great time. It turned into a very memorable episode for a lot of people.
Q: I'm really glad you got your pip back! I was wondering, as an actor, what type of character roles are you most attracted to?
Eric
RDM: I like characters that have a sense of humor in one way or another. I hate characters that take themselves too seriously. It can even be a bad guy, a horrible evil character with a good sense of humor. That makes them more fun to play, when you to try to find the humor, the lighter side of a character. I also like characters with a deep sense of purpose. They've got some goal in their lives. I tend not to judge characters in terms of good guys and bad guys. You can't play a bad guy and think he's a bad guy. He's got to be human still and be doing what he really believes in. He doesn't think it's bad, whatever he's doing.
Q: What would you name Tom and B'Elanna's daughter?
Laurie, London
RDM: I have never thought about that! It seems like an obvious question, I've just never thought about it. I don't know. That's a good idea. I should sit down and come up with some good names, something that would be my own inside joke so I could claim a little piece of Star Trek history. I'm sure it will be a great mixture of both [Klingon and human]. We don't even know when the baby is being born. It could be born in the last episode in that final moment. I don't know. I'm sure it will happen near the very end.
Q: If Voyager gets back to Earth, what is Tom Paris going to do?
Tsihlas
RDM: He's redeemed himself fully over the last seven years. At least I would hope so. I think the Captain will probably go to bat for him and he'll get some sort of pardon.
Q: What is your favorite bit of dialogue?
Emily L.
RDM: We tease each other about our inflections and the lines that are very common. Everybody teases me about the way I say "Yes, ma'am" with a bit of a swagger. We tease Robert [Beltran] about his breathless delivery, this seductive, sensitive Native American delivery. His spirit guide delivery of every line. Of course there's Tim Russ's Vulcan inflections. I don't know if there's a specific bit of dialogue, but we tease each other about our habits and delivery probably more than lines. There's one line that I had years ago. When we filmed it we all were joking about it and I can't believe I even said it because now it's on film forever. Everyone teases me about it. It's at the end of the two-parter where we went back to Earth ["Future's End"] the very last line of the whole episode. After this whole adventure, I turn to Tuvok and say, "Tuvok...has anyone ever told you, you're a real freakasaurus?" I knew what their intent was and we thought maybe we'd get lucky and capture it. He was trying to use 20th-century slang, but he was way off. It was not slang, really. It was goofy, nerdy speak. It came off as a goofy line and didn't have the ironic effect it was meant to have. I regret that I ever said that line on film, but there it is.
Q: Are you a car buff like your alter ego? If so, what's your favorite car ever made?
Rick D.
RDM: I'm not a car buff. I think I tried to be a car buff early in this series. I owned a Camaro for a little while, a Z-28. I played around and souped it up a little, with exhaust pipes…but motorcycles have always been a hobby of mine. I've whittled my modest motorcycle collection down to a '96 Harley-Davidson Road King, which I really like a lot. It's kind of a touring bike; it's got the saddlebags in the back. It looks like an old police motorcycle. It's a more comfortable version of the Harley. It's not a chopper. I've had a lot of motorcycles over the years, but now I just have the Harley. I don't ride all the time. I used to get out every Sunday, and now I really get out once every month or so at best.
Q: Do you have any advice for beginners [on motorcycles]?
Chris
RDM: Yes, I do: Be careful! I've gone down on my motorcycle once. I was hit by a taxi in New York City. I rode in New York for a long time as well. I've been very lucky. I would say be very careful and take the safety classes. In California they offer a free motorcycle safety class where you go out on a Saturday and learn all about it. Part of the attraction of a motorcycle, quite honestly, is the danger. It ups your adrenaline and all your senses dramatically. As long as you remember that you can enjoy that side of it. But know that there may be no second chances, so be very careful. And ride with friends and other people. It can become a real fun, social thing as well, just like any hobby. You talk about the different models, bikes and accessories.
Q: Could you name a particular movie or actor you have seen very often to either learn more about acting or to be entertained?
S.P.
RDM: One of my favorite contemporary actors is Ed Norton. I think he's very talented and I can relate to him because we're a similar type of actor, I would hope. I would like to be an actor like that, someone who can really transform himself into good guys and bad guys and all sorts of different characters and have a good sense of humor, but also have a good edge too. I loved "Fight Club" and David Fincher, the director, has made incredibly complex films that are very dark, which I kind of like. Films that show the seedier side of life, because I think there is that side of our lives. That's part of what storytelling and moviemaking are about — to remind us of these things — keep us in line.
Q: What's your favorite thing about working with Roxann [Dawson]?
B.T.
RDM: She constantly reminds me how lucky I am not to have to wear rubber on my face. She's a very talented and hard working actress. She looks at every detail and she keeps me on my toes that way.
STARTREK.COM: Thank you for your time.
RDM: Thank you. Bye.
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