Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995 TAG: 9502210061
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: IAN SPELLING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In this week's episode, ``Prophet Motive,'' Rom, who is Quark's brother and Nog's father, finds himself in a most unusual position - in the good graces of Ferengi leader Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn).
``To get a jump on making a profit in the Gamma Quadrant and to determine how best to steer the course of all Ferengi, the Nagus has sought the advice of the aliens in the wormhole,'' Grodenchik says by phone from his home in Glendale, Calif. ``These are the same aliens the Bajorans consider prophets.
``He asks them to reveal the financial future and comes to DS9 a changed man. He actually gives much of his fortune to charity, and it's up to Quark [Armin Shimerman] to revert him to his former self.''
Rom suddenly becomes the Nagus' darling when Zek sheds his money-over-all-else attitude, even introducing a kindness-inflected New Rules of Acquisition.
``Zek even lets Rom manage the charities he's funding,'' Grodenchik notes. ``It's a real hoot for Rom, who even tries to get Quark to take a job at the charitable foundation, until Quark convinces Rom something isn't right.
``Then they go about figuring out what that is.''
The episode was helmed by Rene Auberjonois, ``DS9's'' Odo, marking his directorial debut. Grodenchik says that he and Shimerman generally set aside extra time to rehearse their scenes together, and that in preparation for ``Motive,'' Auberjonois joined them.
``I hope that [preparation] shows on-screen,'' Grodenchik says. ``Rene is a consummate actor, so he understands more than most exactly what I go through as an actor. He'd never directed before, but you'd never know it. He had it all very well thought-out.''
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., and raised in Queens, Grodenchik wrote plays and sketches in high school. Watching fellow students enact his works, however, never satisfied Grodenchik, who felt they did not understand the material.
``I thought, `I should try to act the stuff out myself,' '' recalls the actor, who's 38 and single. ``So, I eventually did.''
Grodenchik attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he majored in drama. Since then he has appeared on television in ``Doogie Howser'' and ``Night Court'' and in films such as ``Barton Fink'' (1991) and ``Sister Act'' (1992).
He first donned Ferengi makeup for the ``Next Generation'' episodes ``Captain's Holiday'' and ``Perfect Mate.'' Though Grodenchik appeared briefly in the ``DS9'' pilot ``Emissary,'' the Ferengi he portrayed wasn't identified.
In ``A Man Alone,'' the second post-pilot episode, his character was given the name ``Rom,'' and Grodenchik has since played the relatively good-natured Ferengi on a recurring basis.
``One of the best parts is working with Armin, who's a source of inspiration on the set, my confidante and friend,'' Grodenchik says. ``The other best part is playing a character who feels uncomfortable being a part of his species, just as I feel uncomfortable sometimes being a human.''
Grodenchik jokes that after an actor wears elaborate makeup once, he's destined to do it again and again.
He portrayed a disfigured pyromaniac in an episode of ``Tales From the Crypt'' last November, and recently endured four hours' worth of prosthetics application to portray the title character of the horror film ``Rumplestiltskin,'' tentatively slated to open in the spring.
Finally, he's just finished another ``DS9'' episode, which calls for a Rom who's ``tough, hotheaded and bloodthirsty for revenge,'' and he will be seen in the big-budget space epic, ``Apollo 13,'' opening this summer.
The film ``stars Tom Hanks and was directed by Ron Howard,'' Grodenchik says with enthusiasm. ``Actually, [I wore] no makeup in that one, because I play a ground controller.
``The role has a lot to do with outer space. So when it comes to space or makeup, I guess I'm your man.''
Ian Spelling, a syndicated columnist, writes about film, TV, music and all things Trek.
by CNB