Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 27, 1994 TAG: 9412280002
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: IAN SPELLING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
She is also a woman of heart, intelligence and charm - as Trekkers will discover when ``Star Trek: Voyager'' debuts Jan. 16.
``She is and was - even when she was Elizabeth Janeway and played by Genevieve Bujold - a marvelous creature,'' Kate Mulgrew says during an interview in her trailer on the Paramount Pictures lot after shooting a scene for ``Parallax,'' the first postpilot ``Voyager'' episode.
``Science was her field of preference, yet she found herself to be a naturally disciplined person, inclined to the military way of life. She has a gift of authority, but one without abrasiveness.
``She's dedicated to the investigation of science, the galaxy and, most of all, herself. She's open to suggestion, which is the best part of her and my favorite part to play.
``I'm looking forward to learning more about this creature I've been given the opportunity to play.''
Much like Janeway, Mulgrew radiates presence. She's a tall, striking woman who speaks rapidly and forcefully and is constantly trying to make a personal connection with those around her. During a conversation, the actress uses eye contact and gentle hand touches to stress points.
The character Mulgrew plays is the proud captain of the starship Voyager, which, while chasing a rebel Maquis vessel, winds up in a portion of the galaxy from which it will take 70 years to return.
As a result, the Voyager and Maquis crews uncomfortably join forces to locate a shortcut home.
Janeway remains in the captain's chair of her ship, while the Maquis' leader, Chakotay (Robert Beltran), becomes the Voyager's first officer. The Maquis' pilot, Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), handles the same job aboard the Voyager.
Other characters include Janeway's confidant, the Vulcan Tuvok (Tim Russ); the half-Klingon/half-human B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Biggs-Dawson), a Maquis with whom Janeway initially butts heads; Neelix (Ethan Phillips), the ship's alien handyman, cook and guide; Kes (Jennifer Lien), Neelix's girlfriend and assistant; Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), the Ops/communications officer on his first mission; and Doc Zimmerman (Robert Picardo), Voyager's holographic doctor.
``Everything about Janeway involves respect,'' the 39-year-old Mulgrew says. ``If she respects you, there can be a friendship.''
A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Mulgrew, has had a varied acting career.
She was encouraged as a child by her mother, a painter, and her father, whom she calls ``a great Irishman.''
At 17 she enrolled at New York University to study acting, dropping out in her junior year to appear in the soap opera ``Ryan's Hope'' and, simultaneously, play Emily in an American Shakespeare Festival production of ``Our Town'' in Stratford, Conn.
On television Mulgrew, who now lives in Hollywood with her two sons, has starred in the series ``Kate Columbo,'' ``Heartbeat'' and ``Man of the People,'' and has guested on memorable ``Cheers'' and ``Murphy Brown'' episodes.
Her stage credits include a Los Angeles production of ``Measure for Measure'' and Broadway's ``Black Comedy.''
Moviegoers will remember her from ``A Stranger Is Watching'' (1982), ``Throw Momma from the Train'' (1987) and, most recently, the kiddie comedy ``Camp Nowhere'' (1994).
Mulgrew comes to ``Voyager'' as an admitted non-Trekker who came to appreciate ``Next Gen'' through her friendship with John (Q) de Lancie. Another ``Trek'' connection: She auditioned for the Catherine Hicks role in ``Trek IV'' (1986).
``I was told `Star Trek' is a franchise, that all eyes will be on me, that this kind of show, with the technical dialogue and special effects, necessitates great discipline,'' she says.
``That's fine, but the fact is and will be, that my eye is on Janeway, always, and my fidelity is to her. I'm trying to endow her with a richness right now, at the very beginning, that will reap a lot of benefits for the show, the fans, my fellow cast members - who are great - and for me too.''
Trek/sci-fi alert
If you have Trek or science-fiction news or trivia to share - or if you have questions relating to ``Star Trek'' - write to Ian Spelling, in care of the features department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491. Be sure to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like a reply.
by CNB