John DeLancie Comments on Picard and Janeway

[PerrySimm]

Let me know if there's any interest and I'll post more here.

[Trinary]

Let me know if there's any interest and I'll post more here.

Ask and ye shall receive!

He mentioned that when he was young he had severe difficulty reading due to his dyslexia. To quote from Wikipedia--but it also aligns with what he said at the convention--"I was dyslexic, but at the time that was not really a word that was used. What was used was 'mildly retarded' or 'slow'." He used that term several times, 'mildly retarded' and you can tell just how much bitterness was packed into it. Anyway, his parents and teachers were concerned he was going to fail and have to repeat the (I want to say) fifth grade. He actually started taking books out to practice on--or to hide just how much difficulty he had reading. It later elevated to him actually stealing books, a lot of them. Eventually he was caught and the whole thing came out. One teacher recommended he try acting and that's how he got into acting. I think he said his first performance was Henry V and he so wants to play that again.

He told a story about a soap opera he worked on early on in his career. Naturally, a lot of people, especially professional actors, look down their noses a bit at soaps but he did it anyway. It was supposed to be for a 5-day gig, playing this unhinged or deranged character. It was pretty flat, so he injected a bit of his trademark humor into the role, and he was such a hit they kept him on. DeLancie said his request was to not write him as funny--which they kept trying to do. He said his comedy comes from trying to undercut. But when they try to 'write him funny' they leave him with little ability to do that.

He once provided a voice for a computer or video game. He didn't recall the name but it involved cars and shooting up innocent people. He took the job without reading the script first and was appalled by what they wanted him to say. He resisted but had to read the lines. After that he never took a job without going over the script first.

He was asked about Discord and his thoughts about him 'reforming.' His answer was to bring up the soap opera story and added that he thought Discord should be someone you're always a little uncomfortable to be around, that he shouldn't be a nice guy--which I happen to agree with.

He also spoke about his hobbies, which include sailing. He talked about these long, long trips he makes into the Pacific, one time going into a fierce storm with just him and a friend of his son on this tiny ship. He spoke with such awe and wonder at being out at sea, working for hours on end and then seeing the starry night all alone in the middle of the ocean.

DeLancie is really damn funny and quick on his feet. Someone asked him his thoughts on religion, making everyone 'ooooo.' His answer was merely to point out that April Fools and Easter Sunday fell on the same day and that about summed up his feelings on religion. He also took a few shots at a certain orange elephant in the room by talking about the sheer number of lies being told nowadays.

He gave a bit of a spiel about the Brony fandom and its inclusiveness and diversity and how that's needed against a the very wrong period we're in and how he hoped it would turn things around in three years. Or rather, 2 years, 9 months and so-and-so days...but who's counting?

[Deledrius]

He told a story about a soap opera he worked on early on in his career. Naturally, a lot of people, especially professional actors, look down their noses a bit at soaps but he did it anyway. It was supposed to be for a 5-day gig, playing this unhinged or deranged character. It was pretty flat, so he injected a bit of his trademark humor into the role, and he was such a hit they kept him on. DeLancie said his request was to not write him as funny--which they kept trying to do. He said his comedy comes from trying to undercut. But when they try to 'write him funny' they leave him with little ability to do that.

I think he ran into this same problem in many Q scripts on Trek, especially on Voyager. It's good to know at least that he's aware of the problem, even if he couldn't do anything about it.

[Sir Will]

Probably but the thing is if they saw the chemistry, they could have written them differently.

Yeah a good show will recognize a good thing when they have it and use it.

[Sir Will]

He told a story about a soap opera he worked on early on in his career. Naturally, a lot of people, especially professional actors, look down their noses a bit at soaps but he did it anyway. It was supposed to be for a 5-day gig, playing this unhinged or deranged character. It was pretty flat, so he injected a bit of his trademark humor into the role, and he was such a hit they kept him on. DeLancie said his request was to not write him as funny--which they kept trying to do. He said his comedy comes from trying to undercut. But when they try to 'write him funny' they leave him with little ability to do that.

I think he ran into this same problem in many Q scripts on Trek, especially on Voyager. It's good to know at least that he's aware of the problem, even if he couldn't do anything about it.

Oh for sure. Q was at his worst when they were trying to write him as wacky or over the top. He antagonizes, but keeps that quiet edge. Like in his toned down Q Who, it works so well when switching between jokes like 'microbrain, growl for me' and a more serious, menacing tone.