Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 10, 1995 TAG: 9501110015
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: IAN SPELLING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In addition to such big-screen outings as ``Not of this Earth'' (1957), ``A Bucket of Blood'' (1959), ``The Howling'' (1981), ``Gremlins I & II'' (1984, 1990), ``The Terminator'' (1984) and ``Innerspace'' (1987), Miller has spent time in the ``Trek'' universe.
He had a small role as the ``vendor'' in the first-season ``Next Gen'' episode ``The Big Goodbye,'' and last week he showed up as the policeman Vin on the ``Deep Space Nine'' episode ``Past Tense, Part I.''
Vin returns this week for ``Past Tense, Part II,'' which was directed by Jonathan Frakes.
In the first outing, Sisko (Avery Brooks), Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) and Dax (Terry Farrell) found themselves in San Francisco, circa 2024, with the historic Bell Riots about to unfold in the Sanctuary District. Vin apprehended Sisko and Bashir and took them to the Sanctuary District, home to the area's poor, jobless and mentally ill.
The episode ended with Bell (John Lendale Bennett) - a man destined to be remembered as a hero - dying and Sisko assuming Bell's identity just as the riots began.
``During the revolt, my character and a bunch of other people are taken hostage, and their lives are threatened unless certain conditions are met,'' Miller says during a telephone interview from his home in Laurel Canyon, Calif.
``Bell is historically known as the man who saved the day. Initially, people thought the hostages died during the riot. While hundreds of innocent people died, the hostages survived because Bell saved them.
``The DS9 people have to make history go as it's supposed to, or, as happens in these time-travel stories, history will be completely altered. So I eventually try to help make history happen as it should.''
Miller says he enjoyed his time on the ``DS9'' set, calling Brooks, El Fadil and Farrell ``good actors who are fun to work with.'' He also has kind words for the ``Tense'' directors: Reza Badayi (whom Miller had worked with on the '80s TV series ``Fame'') and Frakes.
``Reza directed the first part, and he's a laid-back guy who knows what he wants and gets it,'' Miller says. ``Jonathan was very good, high-energy and into the acting, which probably comes from his being an actor.''
Born and reared in New York City, Miller, now a 66-year-old grandfather, was a semi-pro football player, a disc jockey, a psychologist and a talk-show host before becoming an actor.
He made an early name for himself starring in several low-budget, Roger Corman-produced sci-fi, rock 'n' roll and horror films.
Among his other film credits are ``The Dirty Dozen'' (1967), ``New York, New York'' (1977), ``Heart Like a Wheel'' (1983) and ``Unlawful Entry'' (1992).
Most recently, Miller was on view as a taxi passenger in the John Mellencamp music video ``Wild Night'' and on an episode of ``Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,'' in which he played Lois' (Teri Hatcher) uncle.
He'll be back on the big screen in ``Demon Knight,'' the first of three planned ``Tales from the Crypt'' feature films. Directed by Ernest Dickerson, the movie is scheduled to open nationwide Jan. 13.
``It's a very serious horror film,'' Miller says. ``A bunch of people find themselves stuck in this old motel out in the desert, and an evil spirit that has been around for billions of years comes to claim some souls.
``I'm one of the people in the house and, as a collective, we're demonized. So I become a demon.''
Though Miller isn't sure what his next role will be, he says he'd welcome an opportunity to return to ``Trek.''
``I'm not a Trekkie, never have been and don't claim to be,'' he says. ``From time to time, though, I've caught the various shows and found them to be fascinating.
``I also loved doing `DS9.' So, sure, if they asked me to do another one, I'd do it again.''
by CNB