Re: Jeannette announces JMS' B

 Posted on 9/30/1995 by jmsatb5@aol.com to rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated


When we first announced casting Walter Koenig on B5, lots of people
moaned, "Oh, no, not Chekov on B5." What you got was Bester, who has
become one of our most noted and discussed characters. It's unfortunate,
but some people confuse the role with the person. "...the worst character
ever in the entire ST universe" has nothing to do with the person, or the
role she will be portraying: the Lady Morella, Emperor Turhan's third
wife, a prophetess and seer. It's a *very* serious, significant role,
absolutely unlike anything she's done before.

This, btw, is called "typecasting," which is one of the primary
reasons why so many talented actors who helped to create Star Trek and
other series couldn't get work for so many years...they did so good a
job that they forever *became* that character. Let's not be guilty of
that crime here. Majel's character will no more be Troi than Bester is
Chekov.

jms