Trek Untold: The Star Trek Podcast That Goes Beyond The Stars!
Matthew Kaplowitz
Subscribe
"Trek Untold" is the Star Trek podcast that goes beyond the stars! This show features guests including character actors, stunt performers, directors, writers, VFX artists, and the behind-the-scenes people who make the Star Trek universe boldly go where no sci-fi franchise has gone before.
The Trek Untold podcast is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Dec 21, 2023
The Secrets of 90s Star Trek Toys
The Star Trek toys from the 90s started as one of the hottest toy lines for kids and collectors but ultimately crashed and burned in the clearance aisle. What happened to these figures that changed the collecting game for adults to turn them into fodder that cost less today than they did 30 years ago?
Scott Holznagel and James Patrik join us to talk Trek toys from Playmates to demystify the secrets of this long-running toy series, including examining old Toy Fair catalogs and magazine ads, looking at unproduced toys like the Latinum and Chromium series and other figures that were shown but never released, the mystery of Naked Data from First Contact, what led to the rise and fall of this line, and why they aren't collecting the modern Trek toys.
Check out James' website to see more secrets of Star Trek toys - Upcloseandplastic.blogspot.com
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Dec 14, 2023
The "Star Trek" Comic Art of JK Woodward
JK Woodward has been drawing and painting "Star Trek" comics for years, working on many different series. Most recently, he's done covers and interiors for IDW's Star Trek TNG Mirrorverse saga, one of the most epic and ambitious Mirror Universe stories ever told in Trek!
Woodward talks about the evolution of his art style, using Star Trek as an example of the changes, how he broke into comics, and what his artistic process today is like, including a live demo of a Star Trek DS9 commission and one of his most used techniques to paint backgrounds in Star Trek comics. We also spend much time on the Mirrorverse Saga, like the secret inspiration for Mirror Picard, working with Scott & David Tipton, and the amazing Star Trek comic idea he wants to make!
Check out some of the comics J.K. Woodward has done on Amazon:
* "Star Trek TNG: Mirror Broken": https://amzn.to/3PRZyUC
* "Star Trek TNG: The Mirror War": https://amzn.to/3LChTm0
* "Star Trek TNG: The Mirror Universe Collection": https://amzn.to/45pfeU9
* "Star Trek TNG/Doctor Who: Assimilation 2" - https://amzn.to/3RIolvX
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Dec 7, 2023
Sandra Gimpel: Stunt Woman to the Stars
You won't recognize Sandy Gimpel's face from the original "Star Trek" because it was covered by loads of prosthetics! She was The Salt Vampire from the season one episode of TOS "The Man Trap," but she also was a Talosian in the original pilot with Jeffrey Hunter, "The Cage." When Ms. Gimpel started in Hollywood, she had no idea what a "stunt" even was, but she eventually became one of the top stunt performers in the industry and remains active to this day.
Sandra tells us about her origins in Hollywood by becoming one of Elvis Presley's main dancers featured in many of his movies, how she ended up as Bill Mumy's stunt double in "Lost in Space" and how that led to her time on "Star Trek," working with Jeffrey Hunter, William Shatner, and Gene Roddenberry and the secrets to her makeup, and more from her time on Trek.
Plus, stories about doubling Debbie Reynolds from 1961 through the rest of her life, doubling for Betty White and Cloris Leachman, getting tossed off a stage by Sacha Baron Cohen at the BAFTA Awards, tales from "Battlestar Galactica," "Airplane!" and other shows and films from her career, and the scariest stunts gone wrong including an episode of "Bring 'em Back Alive" and a cereal commercial that went from funny to deadly in the blink of an eye.
* Order Sandra's book "Stuntlady: Falling For The Stars" on Amazon - https://amzn.to/46uuobk
* Check out Sandra's website here - https://www.sandragimpel.com/
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed during the strike unless they were discussing the strike itself.*
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Nov 30, 2023
Jeff Yagher Sculpts His Own Destiny
Jeff Yagher had a memorable role as Iden, leader of a rogue group of Holograms from the seventh season "Star Trek: Voyager" two-parter, "Flesh and Blood," but these days, it's his hands that do the performing.
After a successful acting career, Yagher transitioned into an even more successful sculptor, creating amazing work sold by places like Sideshow Collectibles, among others. It's been a long road, but his work - whether on-screen or with a lump of clay - speaks for itself.
Jeff discusses his epic debut role as Kyle Bates in "V," working with Angela Lansbury multiple times on "Murder, She Wrote," getting beat up at Medieval Times while dressed as a knight by Chuck Norris on "Walker, Texas Ranger," stories about Pat Morita, and more!
Plus, plenty of Trek Talk, including the role he auditioned for in TNG, tips from Trek alumni Spencer Garrett and his wife Meghan Gallagher, working with Robert Picardo on VOY as well as illustrating his Trek book, and more behind-the-scenes stories!
Then, we take a tour around his art studio and hear about his brother and renowned makeup artist Kevin Yagher and the story of how Jeff transitioned from acting into sculpting some of the coolest statues of horror and sci-fi icons and being one of the best at it.
Check out "The Yagher Army" group on Facebook to see more of Jeff's work or to buy some from yourself - https://www.facebook.com/groups/256216365673881/
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed during the strike unless they were discussing the strike itself.*
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Nov 16, 2023
Kavi Raz is Engineering A Future for South Asian Filmmakers
Kavi Raz only appeared once in Star Trek history, but his story beyond this sci-fi franchise is what makes him truly fascinating.
Kavi appeared as Lt. Jg. Singh from the Star Trek TNG episode "Lonely Among Us," but his humble beginnings make his trip to the stars even more exciting. We learn about the journey that took him from Punjab, India, to England and Hollywood, being an engineer in real life before he played one on a starship, learning acting from Hedy Sontag, forming The Wandering Players theater troupe to bring authentic Indian theatre to L.A., and more about his past.
From there, it's onto our Trek talk, including a reveal of which leading role he initially auditioned for (and almost got), working on Stephen King's "Pet Cemetery" film with Denise Crosby, and what it was like walking through a Starship. Kavi also talks to us about his time on "General Hospital" and "M.A.S.H."
Plus, why he started directing and formed his own production company, and the latest project he is working on – a streaming platform focused on Indian shows and films.
Check out "The Barefoot Warriors" and "The Gold Bracelet," among other great films and shows made by South Asian creators at Cpics.tv.
*NOTE: This interview was done on the day the SAG-AFTRA strike was announced, so we were unsure of the union rules for this interview, but we decided to conduct it in good faith. No other interviews with actors on this podcast were recorded after the strike began unless they were discussing those specific events.*
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2023
Making the Sounds of Star Trek with Alan Howarth
Alan Howarth calls himself a "Sonic composer," a cool but very accurate title for the contributions he's made to cinema. Howarth is responsible for the sound design for many of the visual effects and hardware heard in the Star Trek movies, as well as composing films across all of Hollywood.
Alan takes us on his journey from rock and roller in high school into "The Weather Report" by the late 70s, and finally doing his first music composition for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," as well as the drama behind getting the movie done in time for release.
Howarth peels back the curtain to tell the secrets behind the sounds for the warp engine of the Enterprise, using organic sounds to make technical sounds, the tools he implemented to create these unique effects, and the sound effect he is best known for that he refuses to use ever again! We also hear stories about the different Trek directors, including Leonard Nimoy and the bizarre demands of William Shatner, and how involved they were in his process, the tragic story behind making the sound of the whales in Star Trek 4, the sound of V'ger in TMP, and for the first time, tales of Wesley H. Bateman and encounters with UFOs!
Plus, stories from his other films, like "The Hunt for Red October," Steven Spielberg's cryptic demands for "Poltergeist," "Robocop 2," working with John Carpenter on films like "Escape from New York," and the Halloween series, "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of The Lost Ark," and more!
Check out Alan's website here - https://alanhowarth.com/
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2023
Deborah Levin is Having the Time of her Life
Deborah Levin appeared three times on "Star Trek: Voyager" as Ensign Lang in the episodes "Blood Fever," Displaced," and "Year of Hell," but her career has some other fun Star Trek connections throughout it.
Deborah explains how she found her way into acting and Hollywood, her longtime friendship with Harlan Ellison, a heartwarming story about her hilarious time on "Married with Children," becoming a bad guy in "How To Get Away with Murder," working with William Shatner on his sitcom "S**t My Dad Says," and a whole lot of nerdy chat about classic movies with Jimmy Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March, and other actors from the Golden Age of Cinema. Plus, what it was like being the only ensign on a Starfleet bridge defending it from attackers, working with Robert Beltran, more stories from VOY, and if there were more plans for Ensign Lang after these three episodes.
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed during the strike unless they were discussing the strike itself*.
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold .
It includes video archives of all of our episodes in video format, as well as shorts and more exclusive content.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
*
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Oct 26, 2023
Brad Zerbst Zooms In and Beams Up
Brad Zerbst appears in a trio of Star Trek TNG, playing a Starfleet medical officer in three episodes from season one - "Justice," "Heart of Glory," and "Skin of Evil." But Starfleet wasn't all it was cracked up to be for Brad, and he shifted his focus to something else - literally, by becoming an award-winning and highly sought-after camera operator.
Brad explains how his first gig in Hollywood brought him back to his hometown, his appearances on "Murder, She Wrote," what the TNG uniforms from the first season felt like, working with Gates McFadden in Sick Bay on the Enterprise, and if he heard rumors about Denise and Gates wanting to exit the series.
Plus, we learn about his work as an Emmy Award-winning camera operator, including how Michael Landon helped him early in his off-camera career, stories behind the scenes with Mel Brooks on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," working with Jerry O'Connell on "The Talk," the wild times working with Richard Simmons on "Dream Maker," hilarious tales from "Whose Line Is It Anyway," and what's really up with Ellen Degeneres, and whether or not she's as horrible as the tabloids say she is.
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed during the strike unless they were discussing the strike itself*.
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Oct 19, 2023
Robb Pearlman Writes Star Trek Books for Kids and The Young at Heart
Robb Pearlman is a professional writer and author of dozens of books, including Star Trek titles like "Fun with Kirk and Spock," Redshirt's Little Book of Doom," Star Trek: Prodigy: Supernova," "Starfleet Is..." and many more. He's also got other nerdy titles for children and adults under his belt, with more on the way!
Robb tells us how he became a writer for a living, working with Paramount to make Trek books, some behind-the-scenes stories from the making of his sci-fi lit, the books that influenced him growing up, the art of editing and choosing "The best words" when you write children's literature, and whether politics belong in kids books.
Plus, working with Don Bluth on his memoirs, the four authors he always goes to when he needs inspiration and the books that changed his perspective on how he sees the world.
Check out some of Robb's books on Amazon:
* "Fun with Kirk and Spock" - https://amzn.to/458SCa4
* " Redshirt's Little Book of Doom" - https://amzn.to/3tgPFXD
* "Starfleet Is..." - https://amzn.to/4630KKy
* "Search for Spock," AKA Robb's version of Star Trek Where's Waldo - https://amzn.to/3rnEVqa
* "Trek the Halls" - https://amzn.to/46LovqH
* "Pink is for Boys" - https://amzn.to/46pE3A0
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Oct 12, 2023
David Frankham Remembers the Hollywood of Yesterday
David Frankham played Larry Marvick in the "Star Trek" season three episode, "Is There In Truth No Beauty?" but his extensive resume traces all the way back to the 1940s. Mr. Frankham, who is the oldest guest to appear on this podcast at 97 years young, has seen it all and has tons of amazing tales from a bygone era of Hollywood.
David explains how he found his way into acting serving in the British Army during WW II, working for the BBC, his first television gig in front of 25 million people thanks to Rosemary Clooney, how Elizabeth Taylor and Sir Alec Guinness started his acting career in Hollywood, tales of kindness from Vincent Price, a wealth of Angela Lansbury stories, voicing Sgt. Tibbs in "101 Dalmations" and his encounters with the man behind The Mouse, Walt Disney, working on "King Rat," and great stories with Steve McQueen, George Cukor, Capucine, and even being attacked by Judy Gardland with a shoe!
And, of course, loads of memories from Star Trek, including working with Diana Muldaur, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Leonard Nimoy, James Doohan, and the behind-the-scenes drama that shut down production!
Check out his book "Which One Was David?" on Amazon - https://amzn.to/3rAmAWH
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed during the strike unless they were discussing the strike itself.*
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There, you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Follow Nerd News Today on Social Media
* Twitter: Twitter.com/NerdNews2Day
* Instagram: Instagram.com/NerdNewsToday
* Facebook: Facebook.com/NerdNewsToday
Trek Untold is sponsored by Treksphere.com, powered by the RAGE Works Podcast Network, and affiliated with Nerd News Today.
playlist_add
Oct 5, 2023
Leslie Hoffman: Double or Nothing with Stunts
Leslie Hoffman was a stunt woman on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager," where she also doubled for Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres. She's also the only female stunt coordinator in Star Trek history, so you can imagine she's got loads of stories to tell!
Leslie explains how she got started in the stunt business, her friendship with fellow stunt performers Dennis Madalone and Tom Morga, and talks about some of her most well-known stunts, including being hung by her neck in "Rocks and Shoals," surviving an explosion after a rough stair fall in "What You Leave Behind," and a one-shot fight scene in VOY "Day of Honor" where she swapped with Roxann mid-scene and no one ever knew... until today.
Plus, working with Leslie Nielsen and Ricardo Montalban, her moment of fame from "Nightmare on Elm Street," and her most dangerous stunt ever from Spielberg's flop "1941."
*NOTE: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA Strike of 2023. No performers were interviewed du…
playlist_add
Sep 28, 2023
How to Succeed in Business Through a Star Trek Lens, with Jeff Akin
Jeff Akin hosts the Starfleet Leadership Academy Podcast, a show where he takes his 20+ years of experience in the business sector and examines the principles that make great managers through the lens of Star Trek.
Jeff chats with us about how he discovered podcasting and how he connected the business world to Star Trek, what makes a good leader, the unique traits that made each captain distinct and effective, and why some of the captains who fans hate are actually excellent managers. Plus, surviving toxic work environments on Starfleet bridges, what the biggest hurdles in management are (and how Starfleet captains overcame them), and his picks of who he wants on his business team from the world of Star Trek.
Check out the Starfleet Leadership Academy Podcast here - https://www.starfleetleadership.academy/
And check out "Babylon 5 for the First Time: Not A Star Trek Podcast" – https://www.babylon5first.com/
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@treku…
playlist_add
Sep 21, 2023
Concetta Tomei, from “China Beach” to the Delta Quadrant
Concetta Tomei played Minister Odala in the third season "Star Trek: Voyager" episode, "Distant Origins," but her stories in acting are a little closer to home.
In this uplifting, informative, and inspiring episode, Concetta explains why she left teaching to follow her dream as an actress, memories of her first professional gig in "The Elephant Man" on Broadway with David Bowie, performing in "Max Headroom" with Trek alumni Matthew Frewer, her four years on "China Beach" with Robert Picardo and Jeff Kober, a private performance of Shakespeare with Kevin Cline, amazing acting tips and sagacious life lessons she's learned over her years of performing at a high level. Plus, there are plenty of stories from her time on VOY, including the makeup, acting theory, and what she took away from her time on set.
Plus, memories of Kevin Conway, AKA Kahless the Unforgettable, Kate Mulgrew, Betty White, and much more!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold .…
playlist_add
Sep 14, 2023
Clint Howard: Past Tense, Present, and Future
Clint Howard is the only actor to appear in every era of Star Trek on TV and is one of the most recognizable character actors in all of Hollywood! He's accomplished plenty and been through some tough times, but today, his perspective on his life and career has never been more positive.
Besides Clint's 250+ roles in TV shows and films, Clint's appeared five times in the Star Trek franchise. He debuted as a six-year-old in the first season episode of the original Star Trek, "The Corbomite Maneuver," as Commander Balok. Three decades later, he returned to the franchise as an adult for the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Past Tense" as a vagrant named Grady.
A little later, Clint donned his heaviest Trek prosthetics to play Muk the Ferengi in "Star Trek: Enterprise" in "Acquisition," alongside other Trek alumni guest stars like Jeffrey Combs and Ethan Phillips. Almost 15 years passed until Clint rejoined Trek for this modern era, showing up as the Creepy Orion for the season one fi…
playlist_add
Aug 24, 2023
Behind the Scenes of "The Wrath of Khan" with John & Maria Jose Tenuto
John & Maria Jose Tenuto are authors of the new book, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: The Making of the Classic Film". You've seen these two before in "The Toys that Made Us" and other pop-culture shows discussing sci-fi and other awesome geeky things, and now they've taken that passion to a new level with this meticulously researched book that left no stone, or Ceti Eel, unturned.
We learn a ton of new surprises as the Tenutos dug deeper than anyone has gone before to uncover the truth about this legendary film, including the original long-term plans for Saavik, understanding the Chekov/ Khan meeting, the "Khan baby," and demystify and debunk many myths surrounding the movie.
The Tenutos are also sociology professors, so we discuss the sociology of Star Trek and how to examine it through this lens, the best characters that use sociology as part of their growth, a sidebar on their weird Star Trek merchandise collection, and using sociological constructs to examine Trek toys. Plus,…
playlist_add
Jul 27, 2023
Everything About The Hollywood Strike You Need To Know, Explained By Actors & Writers
With the WGA and SAG-AFTRA members on strike for the first time together since 1960, an entire industry has shut down, with massive implications for jobs beyond TV & film. Join Armin Shimerman, Kitty Swink, Phil Morris, Lisa Klink, Bertila Damas, and Tim Lounibos as we unpack and explain what's happening in Hollywood right now.
This roundtable discussion breaks down critical issues like base pay, residuals, and healthcare, addresses the misinformation the average person may have about the strike, why the growing threat of AI is such a danger to their work and everyone else, what actors and writers can and can't do during this strike, and much more. This diverse group with Star Trek on their lengthy resumes pulls back the curtain on the negotiations with the AMPTP and what has to be done to resolve this conflict.
There's a lot to understand about this very complicated situation. This chat will clear up your confusion about the strike, help you understand why it's happening and, why i…
playlist_add
Jul 20, 2023
Paul Wesley & Bruce Horak talk "Lost in Translation" - Star Trek Strange New Worlds S2E6 Review
On this "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Debriefing, we discuss Episode 206, "Lost in Translation." Uhura has a life-changing journey with Kirk that leads her back to a familiar face in the surprise return of Hemmer. Meanwhile, Una and Pelia contend with some tech problems that open old wounds between the pair.
After my review of the episode, I chat with Paul Wesley - the new James T. Kirk - to discuss this episode, as well as episode 203, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," who this version of Kirk is, his thoughts on the negative response from some fans to his portrayal of this iconic character (and why they should appreciate his version), and memories of his first time sitting in the Captain's chair.
Following that, Bruce Horak returns to Trek Untold to respond to the sort of resurrection and second death of everyone's favorite Aenar, when he knew he would be coming back, what it was like returning to the ship, becoming zombified, and what he would like to do next in Star Trek!…
playlist_add
Jul 17, 2023
Ethan Peck & Gia Sandhu talk "Charades" - "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Review
Trek Untold brings you another "Strange New Worlds" Debriefing with a review of Season 2, Episode 5, "Charades." After my review, we chatted with the stars as Ethan Peck (Spock) and Gia Sandhu (T'Pring) visited the show for two separate interviews.
Gia and Ethan discuss the evolution of their characters, what it's like performing comedy as Vulcans, showing emotions while acting as a person who doesn't emote, what they learned from each other while working together on "Spock Amok," the hidden racial metaphors in "Charades" about Spock's biracial background, and much more.
*These interviews were recorded before the SAG AFTRA strike of Summer 2023.*
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - ht…
playlist_add
Jul 13, 2023
Michael Krawic Revisits "Carbon Creek"
Michael Krawic appeared three times in the franchise. His first appearance was in the DS9 episode "The Maquis, Part 1" as William Patrick Samuels, a member of this terrorist group who ultimately lost his life in a Cardassian prison cell. He followed that up as a Catian alien in the VOY episode "Day of Honor" under heavy makeup. Lastly, his most memorable role was in the second season "Enterprise" episode "Carbon Creek" as one of the stranded Vulcans, Stron.
Now living primarily in Thailand, Krawic regales us with behind-the-scenes stories from these episodes, including what it was like working with Jolene Blalock and J. Paul Boehmer as Vulcans, wearing the Catian makeup, and being part of the Maquis' DS9 debut.
Plus, Chuck Norris stories from the set of "Walker, Texas Ranger," working with Angela Lansbury in "Murder, She Wrote," his wacky role from "In Living Color," and more!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the…
playlist_add
Jul 10, 2023
Melissa Navia talks "Among the Lotus Eaters" - "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" S2E4 Review
Melissa Navia joins Trek Untold for another Strange New Worlds Debriefing on Trek Untold! This time, it's all about SNW S2E4, "Among the Lotus Eaters." After I reviewed this episode, I chatted with Melissa to hear her thoughts on the fans rallying behind Ortegas so much, behind-the-scenes tales from filming "Among the Lotus Eaters" and how she performed some of her emotional scenes, including Ortegas' panic attack. Plus, the origins of the name Erica Ortegas, working with Carol Kane and Ethan Peck, Melissa's thoughts on fan comparisons to DS9's Kira Nerys played by Nana Visitor, inside stories from "The Elysian Kingdom," seeing herself in a comic book, and more!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other thing…
playlist_add
Jul 6, 2023
Patrick Kilpatrick Brings the Action
Patrick Kilpatrick has lived one heck of a life, and of course, it intersected with the Star Trek universe! Patrick explains his path from being a journalist to becoming a bodyguard for rock musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, and then a stuntman and performer in action movies.
Patrick appeared three times in the Star Trek universe, first in "Star Trek: Voyager" as Razik in the second season episode "Initiations" alongside Aron Eisenberg, making a special non-DS9 guest appearance. After that, he played Reese in the infamous DS9 episode "The Siege of AR-558" and finally returned to VOY as Assan in "Drive." Patrick tells all and has one of the wildest makeup tales from filming at Vazquez Rocks; you won't believe. This isn't hyperbolic - this true story is too nuts even for fiction!
We also discuss his first on-screen gig in the Troma cult-classic "The Toxic Avenger," Chuck Norris stories from "Walker, Texas Ranger," fighting on-screen against JCVD, Billy Blanks, Steven Seagal,…
playlist_add
Jul 3, 2023
Christina Chong talks "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" - Strange New Worlds S2E3 Review
On this "Strange New World Debriefing," Christina Chong visits Trek Untold to discuss the latest episode from season 2, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," along with my thoughts on the first three episodes of the season.
Christina explains what was different about this La'an Noonien Singh-centric episode, what made it so much more demanding than the typical SNW episode, shooting in Canada, working alongside the new Kirk AKA Paul Wesley, and the criticism he has received for his portrayal of this iconic Trek character, cracking up with Carol Kane, tales from season 1's "The Elysian Kingdom," and more - including info about her new EP "Twin Flames"!
Check out "Twin Flames" on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/2PKKnxvo5ewr1JtLXDVdCv
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for th…
playlist_add
Jun 29, 2023
The Roddenberries take Cabaret Music to the Stars
The Robbenberries are a sci-fi cabaret party band that combines genres of music with their love of geekdom to pump out some rocking jams! Beth Kellner, AKA Sister Spock, and Bill Tayoun, AKA Spocknik stop by Trek Untold to explain how the band got together, alternate names they almost went with, what exactly is sci-fi cabaret, performing with Star Trek luminaries like Ben Vereen, Chase Masterson, Robert Picardo, Rainn Wilson, and "their Klingon punk rock uncle" JG Hertzler to name a few. Plus, the art of acapella improv and their lyrics for the opening of "Enterprise."
Check out The Roddenberries on their official website - https://www.theroddenberries.com/
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I…
playlist_add
Jun 22, 2023
Bill Blair: More Alien Than Human
Bill Blair is the Guinness World Record Holder for most special effect makeup characters portrayed in a career. With over 200 roles under heavy prosthetics, including dozens in Star Trek DS9, Voyager, and Enterprise, Bill's face is hardly recognizable for the amount of work he's put in on-camera.
Bill talks about growing up in a small town and finding his way into Hollywood, cutting his teeth in commercials along the way. We discuss his time in the first "Robocop," working on "Diagnosis Murder" and with Angela Lansbury in "Murder, She Wrote," his audition for "Star Trek: First Contact" and why he ultimately had to turn down the role, how he got into acting with prosthetics and transforming into countless aliens in the Star Trek universe as well as "Babylon 5", stories about Michael Westmore, and amazing tips and techniques, he learned along the way to be a better performer under heavy makeup plus, how to play dead on-screen, and the advice he received from Robin Williams that he neve…
playlist_add
Jun 15, 2023
Michael Berryman Never Stops Smiling
Michael Berryman has an unmistakable look that has served him well for decades in Hollywood. His one-of-a-kind face helped him land two gigs in the Star Trek universe, but his career is certainly one where you've seen the man plenty of times, and now you get to know his story.
Berryman was a Starfleet communications officer in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," and then Captain Rixx in the first season "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode, "Conspiracy," where he played the first on-screen Bolian.
Michael tells us about his early days, being discovered in an antique store by George Pal, his first gig in "Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze," stories from "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" with Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, and the connection to the original Star Trek series with makeup artist Fred Phillips. From there, we discuss his time in Trek, the unique prosthetics he wore for those parts, spending time with Michael Westmore, and much more in this expansive career spotlighting…
playlist_add
Jun 8, 2023
The Art of Star Trek Cutaways with Chris & Matt Cushman
Chris and Matt Cushman are the masters of the cutaway, a type of technical illustration that strips away the hull of an industrial-designed object to show its inner workings. Lucky for sci-fi fans, the brothers are hardcore Trekkies and have used their talents for decades to pull back the exteriors of starships to display every nook and cranny of their interiors.
Chris and Matt explain how they went from reading Franz Joseph's technical blueprints in bookstores to creating them on their own. From there, Chris tells how a job with David Kimble changed his career trajectory and breaks down his famous Enterprise-D poster that became one of the best and worst moments of his time drawing starships.
Matt tells us how he joined his brother in this endeavor, and they break down how they create their masterpieces, from the Enterprise to DS9, Klingon and Romulan ships, and everything in between. Plus, a discussion on how plagiarism affects the cutaway industry, using computers to design and dr…
playlist_add
Jun 1, 2023
Lindsey Haun's Voyage Through Star Trek, Disney & Hollywood
She's been a murderous psychic child, a holographic Victorian heiress, a recovering alcoholic country singer, and a whole lot more! While her time in Trek was limited as a child, Lindsey Haun's career has been filled with ties to the franchise that remain to this day, in a career where her talents always shined brightly.
Lindsey appeared on three episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" in two different roles. First, she was Beatrice Burleigh in the episodes "Learning Curve" and "Persistence of Vision," a character from Captain Janeway's holonovel. She followed that up as Belle in the third season episode "Real Life," the holographic daughter from the EMH's programmed family. Lindsey talks to us about her time working with Kate Mulgrew and Robert Picardo, as well as her fictional brother Thomas Dekker, her joy of wearing the gothic outfits, lessons from director Anson Williams, and other fond memories of her time on set.
Lindsey also starred in Stephen King's "Village of the Damned," along w…
playlist_add
May 25, 2023
Alan Altshuld, From Advertising to Aliens
Alan Altshuld has not done many interviews before, and even fewer about his time on Star Trek, where he performed four times in two different series. This veteran has spent considerable time in the theater and in TV commercials, along with his work on shows and movies, which I'm excited to share with you now.
Alan told us about how he got discovered by Jeri Taylor to make his first Star Trek appearance in TNG, the deceptively complicated makeup job for that "Starship Mine" role, getting physical with Jonathan Frakes, and eating weird sci-fi food on "The Gambit." After TNG, we learn about his pair of "Star Trek: Voyager" credits, including crawling on his hands and knees to please his Ferengi overlords in "False Profits" and performing as a strange Catati alien in "Day of Honor" with serious makeup constraints that caused him to alter his methods. Plus, find out which major Trek role Alan was under serious consideration for!
Beyond Star Trek, learn about Alan's connection to Walter Ko…
playlist_add
May 18, 2023
Laura Banks Navigates "The Wrath of Khan"
Laura Banks is familiar to Trekkies from her role in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" as Khan's navigator aboard the USS Reliant. One of her earliest acting roles, Laura went from a model to a performer, starring in Roger Corman B-movies and eventually pivoting into writing.
Laura takes us on a trip through her origins in Hollywood to her time in Star Trek, working with Ricardo Montalban and Nicholas Meyer, becoming an Augment who spent time on Ceti Alpha V in The Botany Bay, and later a Federation Starship, and more from her unique work in that film. But, of course, Laura has other Trek connections too, like being an improv troupe with Whoopi Goldberg and eventually spending time with William Shatner (and DS9's James Darren) in "TJ Hooker,".... as well as some off-screen stories you have to hear!
Plus, working with Roger Corman on "Wheels of Fire," writing comedy and best-selling books, and her new autobiography "The Wrath of Blonde"!
You can pick up Laura's new autobiography at t…
playlist_add
May 11, 2023
Bruce Horak's Journey Through Strange New Worlds
Bruce Horak played Hemmer for the first season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" on Paramount Plus. This Aenar (a member of the Andorians) was chief engineer aboard the Enterprise, serving under Captain Pike, and was a mentor to Uhura through his distinguished service on that vessel. On this episode of Trek Untold, we meet the renaissance man underneath all that makeup, Bruce Horak.
Bruce made history as the first visually impaired actor to appear in a Star Trek series and brought a unique perspective to his character. Beyond Star Trek, Bruce has an inspiring life story that he uses his art to tell, from the cancer that led to his blindness to the way he interprets the world around him due to his impairment. He is a profound stage performer, expressive painter, and one heck of a Starfleet crewman!
We discuss some of Bruce's work on stage as well as how he grew up, the way he paints, and plenty of tales from the set of SNW, including working with Anson Mount, Celia Rose Gooding, and…
playlist_add
May 4, 2023
Behind the Scenes of "Khan!!! The Musical"
Check out this behind-the-scenes look at the new off-Broadway show for Trekkies filled with ear worms - in more ways than one. "Khan!!! The Musical" is a Star Trek parody musical that retells The Wrath of Khan in a unique and hilarious way. On this episode of Trek Untold, we pull back the curtain on this show with a special "spockumentary" featuring exclusive footage and interviews with some of the people behind this show while we observe one of their final rehearsals before hitting the stage.
I'm chatting with Brent Black, AKA Brentalfloss, on YouTube and director John Lampe to understand how this homage to musical theater came together! Then, meet some of the stars, including Shyaporn Theerakulstit, Laura Whittenberger, and Julian Manjerico, to get the scoop from the performers! Plus, a first look at several of the songs in the show that have never been seen before!
Khan will run for a five-week limited engagement at the Players Theatre (115 MacDougal St, New York, NY 10012) start…
playlist_add
Apr 27, 2023
J. Paul Boehmer takes a trip Around "Carbon Creek" and Inside the Borg Cube
J. Paul Boehmer has six Star Trek TV credits to his name, two in the video game world, and a long list of other credits in Theater, TV, and film.
You may remember J. Paul as a Nazi officer in the two-part "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "The Killing Game" and another one in the Enterprise episode "Storm Front," the Borg named One from "the VOY episode "Drone," the Cardassian officer named Vornar from DS9 "Tacking Into The Wind," and the Vulcan who found a new home named Mestral from the classic ENT episode "Carbon Creek." He also did voices in the Bridge Commander game and played Gowron's brother in "Klingon Academy" on PC.
In this honest, informative, and emotional interview, J. Paul told us stories from his theater days and how one show led to his first Star Trek role as the Nazi from VOY, playing another Nazi years later in Enterprise while performing with Scott Bakula (and why one Naiz had a German accent and the other didn't).
J. Paul also fondly recalled the heartwarming story ab…
playlist_add
Apr 13, 2023
"Trek Long Island" Brings Star Trek Conventions Back to NYC
Star Trek conventions don't just happen in Las Vegas, with plenty of events around the country occurring throughout the year. New York is getting their first major Trek con in years thanks to Trek Long Island, a new event debuting this May 20 and 21, 2023, in Hauppauge, NY.
Event runner Stefanie Gangone, programming director Edwin Thrower, and lead talent liaison Rachel Hasenauer-Thrower stop by the show to tell us everything about this event, including the activities, panels, and enormous list of celebrity guests that's still growing a month before showtime! Get the scoop on who's coming, what you can expect at this all-ages convention, and how you can get involved! Plus, I announce what I'll be doing with Trek Untold at this show!
For more info on this event, visit www.TrekLongIsland.com
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, includi…
playlist_add
Apr 10, 2023
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut Joins the La Forge Family & Star Trek Legacy in "Picard" S3
Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut played Sidney La Forge in the third and final season of "Star Trek: Picard," one of the daughters of Geordi La Forge. Ashlei stopped by Trek Untold to tell us all about being the helmsman aboard the USS Titan-A, the relationship she forged with LeVar Burton and his real-life daughter Mica, what she learned on set while being a fly on the wall watching the legendary TNG crew perform before her eyes, the story behind a change made to her character that happened mid-season, having an action scene with Ed Speleers, and much more!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - http…
playlist_add
Apr 6, 2023
Gates McFadden talks Picard S3 and What's Next for Beverly Crusher
Gates McFadden is making big moves in the Star Trek universe, and she's here to tell us about all of them! In addition to reprising her role of Dr. Beverly Crusher on the third and final season of "Star Trek: Picard," Gates just kicked off the second season of her podcast "Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?", and was recently part of "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek" docu-series from The Nacelle Company.
Gates talks about what's happening with her 2nd season of the podcast, including chatting with William Shatner and Kate Mulgrew, among others; then we go behind the scenes of Picard to learn what she thought of the changes to her character, her emotional scenes with Patrick Stewart, what the core of "Picard" S3 is, what it's like being on set with her TNG friends again, and more!
* Check out Gates' podcast here - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gates-mcfadden-investigates-who-do-you-think-you-are/id1566636928
* Watch The Center Seat on Amazon Prim…
playlist_add
Mar 30, 2023
Behind the Music of Star Trek with Lukas Kendall
Lukas Kendall is a producer responsible for bringing the orchestral scores of "Star Trek" shows and films into your home.
Lukas discusses how he got into music, selling, and licensing Star Trek scores, his magazine "Film Score Monthly," some of his favorite melodies across the shows and films, and the history of many of them, including the tumultuous score for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and stories about Alexander Courage, James Horner, Jay Chattaway, Basil Poledouris and his unique Star Trek connection, Elliot Goldenthal, and Jerry Goldsmith.
Visit lukaskendall.com for more info and his blog!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View th…
playlist_add
Mar 27, 2023
Daniel Davis Talks Moriarty's Return in "Star Trek: Picard"
One of the best things about Picard S3 has been the fan service from TNG, DS9, and VOY; one epic piece of the past just returned in a shocking way! In an episode filled with easter eggs, "The Bounty" brought Riker, Worf, and Raffi inside the Daystrom Institute in search of a secret, one that this week's guest guarded.
Daniel Davis just made his comeback to the Star Trek Universe, reprising his role as Moriarty, who appeared twice in Star Trek TNG, "Elementary, Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle." Davis chatted with me about how he was brought into the show, what's different about this version of Moriarty, the changes of being on a Star Trek set since his last time on the show, working with Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, and Michelle Hurd, and much more, including a story about his previous appearances, and his time on "The Nanny" with Fran Drescher. Engage!
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old…
playlist_add
Mar 23, 2023
126: Writing "Star Trek" with Lisa Klink, Part 2
Lisa Klink wrote 15 episodes of Star Trek shows on DS9 and VOY and was the executive story editor for "Star Trek: Voyager," along with some other Trek projects. Across the entirety of this two-part interview, Lisa will break down all of her Star Trek scripts and demystify how to write for a television show.
This week, we are breaking down the second half of Lisa's VOY credits, including "Favorite Son" and how that script went through significant changes over time, along with what she wished the crew could have done with Harry Kim's character, "Displaced," "Revulsion," "Scientific Method," "Message in a Bottle," the controversial "Retrospect," and "Omega Directive."
We learn how Lisa deals with writer's block, writing season-long arcs versus episodic television, the plans for B'Elanna and Tom's relationship, Chakotay and Seven's romance, the evolution of the Borg, what didn't make it to air, and a few other important episodes she contributed to, including "Tuvix," "Threshold," and "Th…
playlist_add
Mar 16, 2023
125: Writing "Star Trek" with Lisa Klink, Part 1
Lisa Klink wrote 15 episodes of Star Trek shows on DS9 and VOY and was the executive story editor for "Star Trek: Voyager" along with some other Trek projects. Across the entirety of this two-part interview, Lisa will break down all of her Star Trek scripts and demystify how to write for a television show.
Going from duke university to LA, Lisa tells us about her journey from being a script reader for a producer (you won't believe what script she passed up on) to becoming a writer and how she found her way to Star Trek, lessons learned from Jeri Taylor, Micheal Pillar, and the writing team, and more.
This week, we discuss DS9's "Hippocratic oath" before moving into VOY for "Resistance," "Remember," "Innocence," "Dreadnaught," "Sacred Ground," "Warlord," and "Blood Fever."
Lisa tells us about how a script is pitched and written, working with a team, Developing characters like Janeway, Tuvok, and Torres, how to effectively write conflict, and other great tips and tricks to be a prof…
playlist_add
Mar 9, 2023
124: Bertila Damas Voyage Through Acting
Bertila Damas is a two-time Star Trek veteran with some tremendous roles on stage and screen under her belt.
Bertila played the Vulcan Sakonna in the two-part DS9 episode "The Maquis" and returned to Trek for a role in the tragic Voyager episode "Survival Instinct" as Three of Nine while a Borg, and Marika as a Bajoran.
We learn all about her time on Star Trek, including the arduous makeup routine as a Borg, working with Armin Shimerman, Avery Brooks, Marc Alaimo, and Tony Pilana on DS9, and some great stories about Jeri Ryan on VOY. "Survival Instinct" is one of my favorite VOY episodes, and if you like it even a fraction as much as I do, you will love Bertila's stories about this one!
Plus, Bertila's training with Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, and some amazing lessons she learned with her fine education in performing, including doing a stage adaptation of *Eugene O*'*Neill's "A Touch of the Poet" *with Robert Beltran, working on The Golden Girls spin-off "The Golden Palace" with…
playlist_add
Mar 2, 2023
123: Annette Helde Boldly Goes from Stage To Screen
Annette Helde is a five-time veteran of the Star Trek world, first appearing in the DS9 episode "Visionary" as a Romulan, followed by Takar on the frightening VOY episode "Scientific Method," and then Lieutenant Nadia Larkin on the DS9 classic "The Siege of AR-558". She also appeared in "Star Trek: First Contact" as a Starfleet officer on the Enterprise who was assimilated by the Borg, and an alien musician named Aleria in the "Star Trek: Klingon" video game.
Annette is another guest who has not done many interviews, so hearing her stories is a real treat. We learn all about her various Michael Westmore alien makeups, how working on a stage show helped her find the character from "The Siege of AR-558", the connection between the Klingon video game and "First Contact," and other untold tales from her time on "Star Trek" shows.
Much of her career was in the theater world, and Annette also told us about her stage education, how being a rower in college helped her acting, performing wi…
playlist_add
Feb 23, 2023
122: The Ethics of Jean-Luc Picard
Jean-Luc Picard is known for his diplomacy and ability to masterfully handle tough decisions, but were all his choices the most ethical ones he could make? In this roundtable discussion honoring the release of Picard's third and final season on Paramount+, Matthew from Trek Untold asks the hard questions to Ashlynn and Rhianna from The Duras Sisters Podcast, Davey from The Treksperts Quiz, and Hawk from Strange New Pod about some challenging episodes. This highly philosophical chat covers episodes including "Symbiosis," "Pen Pals," "Up the Long Ladder," "Who Watches The Watchers?", and "Homeward," among others, and asks whether Picard truly was the most ethical Starfleet captain or not.
* Check out The Duras Sisters Podcast here – https://linktr.ee/DurasSistersPod
* Check out the Treksperts Quiz here - https://www.youtube.com/@trekspertsquiz
* Check out Strange New Pod here - https://www.youtube.com/strangenewpod
This episode originally appeared as part of Strange New Pod's…
playlist_add
Feb 16, 2023
121: Adele Pomerenke: An Ensign En Pointe
Adele Pomerenke played Ensign Kemi in the first and last episodes of season 2 of “Star Trek: Picard," where she was at the helm of the USS Stargazer. This young performer has already accomplished a lot in her diverse career, and I’m excited to share her stories with you!
Adele tells us about her long, strange road into acting, being a professional touring ballerina who also sang in a heavy metal band, her time as Helena in a “My Chemical Romance” music video, and more.
From there, it’s onto our Trek discussion, with how she booked the “Picard” gig and whether or not she knew she would return for two episodes, doing the prosthetics to play an alien, how secretive the finale was, working directly with the main cast including Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Alison Pill, and Santiago Cabrera, and a few other secrets from the bridge of the Stargazer.
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old e…
playlist_add
Feb 9, 2023
120: Roderick Garr: Sitcoms to Spike Lee to Star Trek
Roderick Garr played Regana Tosh on the fourth season DS9 episode "Hippocratic Oath," but his career goes far beyond his time on that space station.
Growing up in Buffalo, NY, Roderick tells us about his encounter as a child with Sammy Davis Jr. that changed the course of his life, what he learned during his time at Howard University and from his first professional tv role, the greatest lesson he learned from the great Richard Gant, working with the Mowry family on "Sister, Sister" and "Smart Guy" and Queen Latifah on "Living Single," working on sets with Spike Lee and more!
From there, it's onto Trek talk as we learn about the audition and makeup process for Regana Tosh, hanging out with Michael Westmore in his studio, working with Armin Shimerman, Micheal Dorn, and Rene Auberjonois, and how Kinko's fits into his DS9 role in a most unique way!
To learn more about Roderick's new film "If My People," visit this link - https://1922productions.com/
Please subscribe to our brand ne…
playlist_add
Feb 2, 2023
119: Alec Newman, From Scotland to Star Trek
Alec Newman has gone from Scotland to Star Trek, along with some other sci-fi names on his wonderful resume, and he stopped by Trek Untold to tell us all about it! Alec played Malik on three episodes of “Star Trek: Enterprise” referred to as The Augment trilogy. He was the #1 son of Soong, and had some great memories of his time performing on that set.
We learn about Alec growingup in Glasgow, Scotland with his famous musician father Sandy Newman from “Marmalade”, what he remembered and learned from his first on-screen role in “Taggart”, how he found his way from the UK to Hollywood, working on the “Dune” mini-series as Paul Etraides and his unique approach and method behind how he performed that character, along with how the epic fight between him and Matt Keesler was put together, and likewise what Alec did differently from his predecessors when performing as Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein in the Emmy award winning “Frankenstein” movie alongside William Hurt and Don…
playlist_add
Jan 26, 2023
118: Talking Star Trek Toys with Jonathan Alexandratos & EXO'6's Schubert Tam
Star Trek toys are a big personal part of my love of Star Trek, so I am honoring them by doing a tribute episode to the toys of yesterday, today, and tomorrow with the help of two guests!
First up, we are joined by Jonathan Alexandratos, who discussed the early Trek toys, focusing on the Star Trek TNG toys made by Galoob and the expansive line produced by Playmates during the heyday of the Berman era. We explain how these went from kids' playthings to adult collectibles and what ultimately went wrong that led to the end of this line and Trek toys for some time.
After that, we talk with Schubert Tam, the founder of EXO-6, a new company that produces 12-inch highly realistic museum-grade figures. Schubert tells us about how he started his company, the unique way his company manufactures its product and meets tight deadlines, creating a niche business during the pandemic, and offers some world reveals for what is coming soon from his company.
* Check out EXO-6 at https://exo-6.com/…
playlist_add
Jan 19, 2023
117: Karole Selmon's "Code of Honor" in Life and Acting
The first season of Star Trek TNG episode "Code of Honor" is an infamous one within the fandom, reviled by fans and the actors in it alike. Karole Selmon played Yareena in that episode and, for the first time, shared her thoughts on it and the reputation it holds.
Karole gives us the whole story, starting from her audition, tension on the set with some crew, the kindness of Patrick Stewart, memories of Gene Roddenberry, working with Jessie Ferguson and Julian Christopher, her fight scene with Denise Crosby with an accident on set that few know about, and her perspective on why this isn't the worst Star Trek episode of all time, including a few reasons most people rarely think about when discussing this one. She also has another surprising Star Trek experience that very few know about that she shared with Trek Untold.
Karole tells us about her experiences performing on stage around the US and the globe, including a communist country, the trauma in her life that led her to the stage,…
playlist_add
Jan 12, 2023
116: Paul Dooley is your Movie Dad and DS9 Dad!
_Paul Dooley is your Movie Dad and DS9 Dad!_
Paul Dooley is a veteran actor who most of us know from the many times he's played a dad on-screen. That includes his time on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," where he played Enabrin Tain on four episodes of that show, who we eventually learned was Garak's father. We are digging deep into how Paul played this member of the Obsidian Order and what he recalls from his time on and off-set.
Paul also told us about his origins in acting, going from the theater world to national commercials, his time improving at Second City, writing on "The Electric Company," being on "The Golden Girls." The backdoor pilot for "Empty Nest" with Rita Moreno, "Sixteen Candles," "Breaking Away," "Popeye" with Robin Williams and Robert Altman, and more!
Order Paul's book "Movie Dad: Finding Myself and My Family, On Screen and Off" here - https://amzn.to/3Cmdvmw
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all…
playlist_add
Jan 5, 2023
115: The Facts About Phlox With John Billingsley
Trek Untold kicks off the new year with a trip to sickbay, as we are hanging out with John Billingsley. This actor portrayed Dr. Phlox on all four seasons of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and has a lot to say about being the first Denobulan to serve on a Starfleet vessel.
John tells us about his Phlox audition story and what he initially thought this new alien species was supposed to be like, how he created the character, a ton of acting theory and performing techniques, including his utilization of the Meisner method and what he wished was different about performing in Star Trek. We also have some discussion about "Similitude," "Doctor's Orders" AKA the one with Naked Phlox, "Anomaly," the real-life 9/11 politics that became part of Enterprise and the Xindi story arc, Dorothy Duder's food, and more Trek tales.
Plus, John answers your questions! I sent out the notice on social media, and you did not disappoint with your queries. We covered Stargate SG-1, The Orville, "Cold Case," "Out of…
playlist_add
Dec 22, 2022
114: Scott MacDonald's Star Trek Career, Part 2
Scott MacDonald returns with more stories from his Star Trek career. Last time, we discussed his first role in the franchise and ever on TV as Tosk in the first season Star Trek DS9 episode "Captive Pursuit," the Romulan named N'Vek in the sixth season TNG episode "Face of the Enemy," and Gowron's brother in the "Star Trek: Klingon" PC game.
This time, we learn about his time as Rollins on the pilot episode of "Star Trek: Voyager," who was supposed to have a more prominent role in the series. Scott was there with the original Captain Janeway, Geneviève Bujold, and explains what went wrong with her on set and how things immediately changed when Kate Mulgrew stepped in to take over.
After that, we learn about his crazy audition story of he got the Goran'Agar role in the DS9 episode "Hippocratic Oath," working with Alexander Siddig and Colm Meaney while being directed by Rene Auberjonois covered in Jem'Hadar makeup and a wonderful tale about an act of kindness from the entire DS9 crew.…
playlist_add
Dec 15, 2022
113: I am Tosk!" Scott MacDonald's Star Trek Career, Part 1
Scott MacDonald has had some of the most substantial guest star roles throughout Star Trek, all while playing aliens covered from head to toe in makeup and prosthetics. Even more peculiar, Scott's first two Star Trek roles practically aired back to back when they first ran on television, an extremely rare thing to happen even today!
We discuss his first role in Trek (and on TV) as Tosk in the first season Star Trek DS9 episode "Captive Pursuit," and he followed that up by playing a Romulan named N'Vek in the sixth season TNG episode "Face of the Enemy." After that, he played Gowron's brother in the "Star Trek: Klingon" PC game, directed by Jonathan Frakes and working alongside Robert O'Reilly!
Scott gives us some of the most in-depth behind-the-scenes Star Trek stories ever to tell us about the horrors of his makeup routine as Tosk, including contacts that caused searing pain to his eyes, the special things he asked of the writers as that character, gearing up to be a Romulan while s…
playlist_add
Dec 8, 2022
112: Angela Dalton & Lauren Semmer Boldly Go To Star Trek Kid's Books
A new kids' book is on the way, and Star Trek fans will love it! Written by Angela Dalton and illustrated by Lauren Semmer, "To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights" is coming out in early 2023 and is an important story for children to know.
Angela and Lauren stopped by the show to discuss some of their other children's books, the important books that helped them grow up into who they are today. They also shared the inspiration behind their new book, the process of how it gets made, how involved Paramount and the Star Trek higher-ups were in its production, what they hope to achieve with this book, and why the message is still so relevant today not just for people of color, but everyone!
Order "To Boldly Go" at this link here - https://amzn.to/3OVtA89
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including…
playlist_add
Dec 1, 2022
111: Phumzile Sitole, From South Africa to Star Trek
You know her as General Ndoye of the United Earth Defense Force from "Star Trek: Discovery," but out of her uniform, she is Phumzile Sitole!
Phumzile tells us about performing in her home country of South Africa and some of her work there, being on "The Good Fight" and "Orange is The New Black" with Uzo Aduba, what brought her stateside, and other stories you've never heard about her
From there, we beam into our Trek Talk to discuss her costume, the sets, and the AR screen, performing with Soneqhua Martin-Green, Doug Jones, David Ajala, and the rest of the cast, and being on the season 4 finale with the epic surprise guest, Stacey Abrams.
Please subscribe to our brand new YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@trekuntold . There you will see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future.
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://ww…
playlist_add
Nov 26, 2022
Trek Untold Is Moving!
Important announcement for the Trek Untold podcast – the video version is moving to a new home! Please subscribe to www.youtube.com/@trekuntold to see all the old episodes of this show, as well as new episodes and all of our other content, including shorts and some other fun things planned for the future. Even if you don't watch the video version, please give us a sub and hit the like button on your favorite episodes, or leave a comment with the guest you like the most. Thank you for your support!
Visit my Amazon shop to check out tons of Trek products and other things I enjoy - https://www.amazon.com/shop/thefightnerd
View the Teespring store for Trek Untold gear & apparel - https://my-store-9204078.creator-spring.com
Support Trek Untold by becoming a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.co…
playlist_add
Nov 17, 2022
110: Chelsea Monroe-Cassel, Author of the new "Star Trek Cookbook."
Chelsea Monroe-Cassel has written many cookbooks focused on geeky franchises, and finally, she has brought her culinary expertise to the Star Trek universe. She just released her new "Star Trek Cookbook" recently, an amazing adventure for your taste buds that takes your favorite Trek foods (along with some obscure deep cuts) and turns them into a reality you can make in your very own kitchen.
Chelsea tells us how she discovered cooking and what led her to combine that with her nerdoms, insight into how she made her Game of Thrones, Firefly, and Star Wars cookbooks, and the process of putting together a recipe book from start to finish, and what she eats from her nerdy foods.
Plus, what makes this cookbook different from the 90s Trek cookbook, how she came up with the recipes and which was the most challenging to figure out, making it accessible to all levels of home chefs, why this book had higher stakes attached to it (maybe some steaks too), and if we might see a sequel sooner than…
playlist_add
Nov 10, 2022
109: Carlos Carrasco: From Panama to The Stars
Carlos Carrasco has a lifetime of roles on stage and screen under his belt, including four roles across "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and "Star Trek: Voyager." His first role was as the Klingon warrior named D'Ghor in the DS9 classic "The House of Quark." Carlos followed that being a Klingon KCA officer with Garak on a leash in "Shattered Mirror," then jumped to VOY as Bahrat in "Fair Trade," and made his "shocking" final appearance as the alien Krole in "Honor Among Thieves."
Growing up in Panama, Carlos explains how he found his way into acting, why he left his home country to pursue the American dream, performing Shakespeare across the nation and his experiences in the New York and regional theater world, and the challenges of finding roles as a Latino actor when he was coming up in the business.
Carlos discusses his makeup routines for his various Star Trek roles, memories of working on set, meeting Stephen hawking during the filming of one episode, the Shakespearean qualities of…
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2022
108: Ian and Emma Ho Explore "Strange New Worlds"
At 12 years old, Ian and Emma Ho are my youngest guests ever on this show! These twins appeared in the first season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," with Ian as The First Servant in "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach" and Emma as Oriana in "All Those Who Wander."
Joined by their dad for their first interview together, we learn about what got this pair interested in acting and how they entered the world of Show Biz, their earliest roles, having fun swearing on-screen (much to the chagrin of Mom and Dad), some of their voiceover work including PJ Masks as Carly and Cartoka, and their time on the sci-fi hit "The Expanse."
From there, we move on to Trek to discuss their memories from on set and what it's like to perform on Star Trek as a kid! We discuss makeup, what a shoot day on SNW was like for them, hanging out with the other actors on set, some of the incredible special effects and stunts they saw firsthand, and much more!
Plus, Anson Mount's thoughts on how to handle bullies…
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2022
107: Albie Selznick Unmasked
His face was covered in loads of makeup each time you saw him on Star Trek, but Albie Selznick is taking the mask off for this episode of Trek Untold.
Albie was seen three times in Star Trek history, first in the TNG episode "The Cost of Living" as The Juggler, then returned two more times in Voyager, first in "Macrocosm" as the Tak Tak Consul and again as Tash in "The Voyager Conspiracy."
We learn about his traumatic childhood that put him on the path of performing as a magician and actor, working as part of the musical & dance act The Mums, what he learned from his first acting teacher John De Lancie AKA Q, a fun story about another Star Trek alumni in Jason Alexander, working on "Freddy's Nightmares," Doug Jones in "Batman Returns," "Columbo" with Peter Falk, "Murder, She Wrote" with Angela Lansbury, and John Lithgow in "Ricochet."
From there, it's onto Trek talk, as we learn what it's like juggling for hours in alien makeup and taking a mud bath with Majel Barrett, working with…
playlist_add
Oct 20, 2022
106: Avaah Blackwell Rolls With The Punches
We first spoke with Avaah Blackwell nearly two years ago while she was working on "Star Trek: Discovery" as the alien Starfleet crew member named Osnullus. Fast forward to today, and her work in the Trek franchise has expanded in some big ways, including being Rebecca Romijn's stunt double on "Strange New Worlds"!
Avaah discusses being Osnullus and the secrets behind her makeup, becoming a Kelpien for the first time, and what it was like for her to finally not wear any prosthetics and be a Lt. Ina on Discovery. From there, we learn about the stunt world that Avaah is embedded in and how she went from being an enlisted Starfleet officer to a stunt double for Rebecca in SNW. Avaah explains how she shifted from performing to taking falls, what a stunt audition is like, discusses some of the maneuvers she performed on the show and the way she trains for them, how they choreograph the fight scenes, why it's important for a stunt performer not to be seen on camera when doing an action scene…
playlist_add
Oct 17, 2022
Angela Lansbury Tribute
Trek Untold honors and remembers the late Dame Angela Lansbury with this special tribute minisode. I never miss an opportunity to speak with a performer who appeared in "Murder, She Wrote" or worked with the late Dame Angela Lansbury in a show or on stage, and here are some of the best stories about her from these performers, including Nana Visitor, Kaitlin Hopkins, Molly Hagan, Thomas Kopache, Dey Young, Dennis Madalone, Ursaline Bryant, Ken Olandt, Spencer Garrett, Melanie Smith, and two upcoming guests of this podcast, Albie Selznick and Michael Krawic.
Check out the video version of this podcast on Youtube.com/nerdnewstoday every Sunday. Please subscribe to our channel and hit the notifications button to be updated when we go live or upload our next video!
Trek Untold is sponsored by Triple-Fictionproductions.net, 3-D printing Star Trek and sci-fi-inspired prop replicas, dioramas, and accessories for cosplayers and action figures. Use code UNTOLD10 at checkout for 10% off all ord…
playlist_add
Oct 13, 2022
105: Jessie Gender on Sexuality in Star Trek
Jessie Earl is a Youtuber whose popular channel examines Star Trek in a very different light, or in some cases, with the lights turned out. Known to her fans as Jessie Gender, her videos range from Klingon anatomy, LGBTQ+, Transgender, and nonbinary representation in the franchise, and the way sex and sexuality is shown through all the series.
In this conversation, no topic is too hot to handle, as we discuss the unusual way Jessie found her Star Trek fandom, how she discovered who she really was as a woman and how her experiences affect the type of videos she makes, how Jessie built her Youtube channel and transformed it into the success it is today, how she puts a video together including the meticulous research behind them and more on being a content creator.
From there, it's onto Trek Talk as Jessie tells us why Riker is the most sexually positive character in all of Trek and what his sexuality is, Jadzia and Ezri Dax as the Trans metaphor, discussion on "The Outcast," the import…
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2022
104: Ryan Britt Explains How Star Trek Changed The World
Ryan Britt is the author of the new book, "Phasers on Stun!: How the Making (and Remaking) of Star Trek Changed the World", and he joins Trek Untold to discuss everything Trek and sci-fi!
An editor at Fatherly and regular contributor to Esquire, Inverse, Den of Geek, and many other places, Ryan's new book features over 100 interviews with the actors and crew who contributed to the five-decade-long history of Trek in an accessible way. Ryan explains how he became a professional journalist in the world of geekdom, how having a daughter has changed the way he viewed the genre and affects what he writes now as entertainment editor on "Fatherly," the inspiration behind his new book, the importance of Star Trek in growing the sci-fi genre and making it mainstream, surprising things he learned while conducting interviews with the stars of Star Trek including tales about Robin Curtis as Saavik and how Uhura and Spock were almost the same character, what really is the worst Star Trek episode o…
playlist_add
Sep 29, 2022
103: Making Music with Nami Melumad, "Strange New Worlds" and "Prodigy" Composer
Nami Melumad is the composer for the wonderful scores on "Star Trek: Prodigy" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," as well as the Short Trek episode "Q & A." Her knowledge and passion for music are matched by her enthusiasm and affection for this franchise.
Nami told us about growing up in Israel and explained how her service in the IDF helped her when she arrived in Hollywood, the methods Nami uses to compose her masterpieces, scoring HBO Max's "American Pickle" with Michael Giacchino, which is sadly off the streaming service now (at least for the time being), Disney's "Far From The Tree," and some of her other work.
From there, we jump into Star Trek as Nami tells us what she learned from fellow Trek composers Michael Giacchino and Jeff Russo, an in-depth explanation for the themes of some of the crew from Prodigy, merging history and modernity for the sounds of SNW, the language of music with "Children of the Comet" and playing with Gerald Fried's Vulcan melody in "Spock Amok," ho…
playlist_add
Sep 22, 2022
102: A Vulcan Mind Meld with Tara Rosling
Tara Rosling joins Trek Untold this week to discuss her time on seasons 3 and 4 of "Star Trek: Discovery" and what it's like to be the President of Ni'Var!
Tara discusses her origins in acting in Canada and what she learned studying at York University, how she went from waitressing to her first film gig, "Extreme Measures" with Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker, balancing stage work in the theater VS on-screen in TV and film and what type of performing she prefers.
From there, we beam into our Trek talk to learn how Tara was cast as President T'rina and how it linked with her playing a repressed Mennonite on "Impulse" along with another character she portrayed elsewhere, her understanding of what a Vulcan is, and how they behave to control their emotions, the method to do a proper Vulcan mind meld, the leadership on and off set with Soneqhua Martin-Green, working with Doug Jones and how the romance between T'Rina and Saru happened, the day Stacey Abrams showed up on set, what it wa…
playlist_add
Sep 15, 2022
101: Thomas Kopache and The Joy of Acting
Thomas Kopache joins us for the kickoff to season three of Trek Untold, a man who has appeared in the Star Trek franchise a whopping eight times as seven different characters!
He was the Romulan named Mirok in "The Next Phase" and a train engineer on "Emergence" from Star Trek TNG, an Enterprise-B comm officer in "Star Trek Generations," the ill-fated Viorsa on "Star Trek: Voyager," the Father of Kira Nerys in two episodes of DS9, a Vulcan ambassador in the series premiere of Enterprise, and finally a Sphere-builder test subject in the third season of that series.
Thomas is an original and lifelong Trekkie, and in addition to our Trek talk tells us how he discovered his passion for acting, what he learned while working on "Spenser for Hire" with Avery Brooks, stories from the sets of "Stargate SG-1" with Richard Dean Anderson, "Ghosts of Mississippi" with Alec Baldwin, "Boston Legal" with William Shatner, Rene Auberjonois, and - unrelated in Trek but still great - James Spader. First…
playlist_add
Aug 25, 2022
Spencer Garrett | Trek Untold Encore
This week it's an encore episode from June 2020 with Spencer Garrett
When we talk about character actors, we are talking about the working backbone of the TV & film industry. Today, we are joined by the highly prolific Spencer Garrett, who holds over 200 acting credits to his name on a resume that continues to grow daily.
One of Spencer's first roles was his appearance on TNG in the episode "The Drumhead," where he played Crewman Tarses in a memorable episode. We discuss acting with Patrick Stewart, Jean Simmons, being directed by Jonathan Frakes, wearing the pointy ears, and what was cut from the episode. He followed that up years later as a Starfleet hologram named Weiss in the VOY two-parter "Flesh & Blood," where we chat about working with Robert Picardo and Jeffrey Yagher, the surreal set filled with tons of aliens, and how sick he became from filming the opening scene of that episode.
Plus, growing up in a Hollywood house as a third-generation actor, his family connection to…
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2022
Hilary Shepard | Trek Untold Encore
This week it's an encore episode from August 2020 with Hilary Shepard.
Hilary Shepard has terrorized teens with attitudes, did aerobics with Bea Arthur & Betty White and tried to seduce Starfleet officers, among other accomplishments throughout her diverse career.
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" fans will remember her as ensign Hoya from "The Ship," and her two appearances as Lauren, the lusty genetically enhanced genius from "Statistical Probabilities" and "Chrysalis," but many fans like myself know her best as the evil Divatox from "Power Rangers Turbo"!
We talk about dancing with Alexander Siddig and singing with The Jack Pack, how she got the role and what inspired her performance, and being directed by Anson Williams, AKA Pottsy from "Happy Days"!
Plus, memories of her all-girl band "American Girls," working with young Johnny Depp in one of his earliest roles, "Private Resort," being an aerobics instructor on "The Golden Girls," and hanging out with Jon Stamos on "Full House," be…
playlist_add
Aug 11, 2022
Alex Datcher | Trek Untold Encore
This week it's an encore episode that originally aired on October 2020 with special guest Alex Datcher.
The lower decks crew aboard a starship rarely get the recognition they deserve, so today, we get to chat with a Starfleet member whose quick thinking saved the entire Enterprise.
Alex Datcher played Ensign Tait on the season 7 opener "Descent Part 2" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which was a dream come true for her. Datcher walks us through the audition process, what it was like being on set and working with Gates McFadden, and more memories of her time onboard the Enterprise.
Alex also discusses her first time being on a TV show in "The Young and The Restless," working on the "Beauty and the Beast" TV series with Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, The Cynthia Rothrock action film "Rage and Honor," being in a Perry Mason movie with Raymond Burr, Wesley Snipes stories from "Passenger 57" and how her previous job as a flight attendant helped her nail the audition, and what the w…
playlist_add
Aug 4, 2022
Gerald Fried, Star Trek TOS Composer | Trek Untold Encore
This week it's an encore episode from September 2020 with Gerald Fried, the last living composer who worked on the original Star Trek series. At 92, Mr. Fried is just as sharp and has a lifetime of great stories; and came out of retirement to make the score for the sci-fi parody film "Unbelievable!!!!!".
Gerald composed five pieces for Star Trek for the episodes "Cat's Paw," "Shore Leave," Friday's Child," "The Paradise Syndrome," and the unforgettable and often-referenced "Amok Time" - yes, he made THAT song! His resume includes around 200 films & shows, and we discuss a few of these in addition to Trek, including scoring Stanley Kubrick's early films, Gilligan's Island, Roots, and more.
Check out Unbelievable!!!!! On Amazon Prime at this link here - https://amzn.to/2YVkHT7
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the notifications button to be updated when we go live or upload our next video!
Check out our Amazon storefront at this link here - https://amzn.to/3J8YFSM
Supp…
playlist_add
Jul 28, 2022
Lycia Naff – From TNG to Lower Decks, and Everything In Between!
Guest: Lycia Naff
playlist_add
Jul 21, 2022
Erick Avari | Trek Untold Encore
While Trek Untold continues to get ready for a new season, enjoy this classic interview from way back in the early days of this show. This week, it's an encore presentation of our chat with Erick Avari, one of Hollywood's most recognizable character actors with some great moments in Star Trek history. Check out the original show notes below:
Today's guest is a man whose face you've seen hundreds of times in movies and TV shows, but you probably never knew his name until now. Erick Avari boasts a resume of big appearances in many well-known things, three of which are Star Trek!
Erick first appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode from season 5 titled "Unification Part 1" as the Klingon warrior B'ijik, and then returned to the franchise in season 3 of Deep Space Nine as Vedek Yarka in "Destiny." He followed that up with one more Trek appearance in the season 1 episode of Enterprise titled "Terra Nova" as Jamin. We discuss how he got these roles, the makeup he had to wear fo…
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2022
Phil Morris | Trek Untold Encore
One of the folks on my big list of guests to get when I first started this podcast included this man, Phil Morris. Last week, we flashed back to what was originally the fifth episode of this podcast with an interview with his sister Iona. This week we jump ahead to episode 26, where we spoke with this incredibly accomplished character actor whose resume speaks for itself. Enjoy this classic episode you may have never heard before:
Phil Morris is another of those actors whose face you've seen many times (200 to be exact) but whose name you may not have known until today. His father is the famous Greg Morris from the original "Mission: Impossible" show, and we spoke with his sister Iona Morris a few months back on this show, so acting is in his family's blood!
Phil has been in the Star Trek franchise FIVE times, starting when he was a child in the original series in the season 1 episode "Miri." He explains how he got cast on the show and the scene they didn't warn any of the kids about…
playlist_add
Jul 7, 2022
Iona Morris | Trek Untold Encore
While we record season 3, how about some classic episodes of Trek Untold that you may not have heard? We start off some encores of older shows with what was originally episode #5 from the summer of 2020 with our chat with Iona Morris!
How many actors can say they appeared on TOS and VOY? Not many, and today's guest is one of them. Iona Morris is the daughter of "Mission Impossible" star Greg Morris, and that led her to her acting debut on the TOS season one episode, "Miri." From there, acting would take a backseat to other things, but all roads eventually led back to performing in front of a lens, and Iona would make her return to Trek in the VOY two-parter "Workforce" over 30 years after her first appearance.
We discuss being cast in these roles, what it was like on the set of TOS and how William Shatner was with kids, the on-screen moment from that episode that wasn't acting, sharing the screen with Robert Duncan McNeill in VOY, and what went wrong during her performance in that e…
playlist_add
Jun 16, 2022
100: Nana Visitor on Being Kira Nerys and Beyond
It's time to celebrate the 100th episode of Trek Untold, and we can't hit a milestone like that without having a great guest deserving of this number. Joining the show is Nana Visitor, AKA Kira Nerys from all seven seasons of Star Trek DS9!
We discuss her upcoming book and documentary "A Woman's Trek," and how the role of women has changed on-screen and socially, and the early days of being Kira Nerys with the struggles she faced in life while simultaneously working on a TV series. Nana explains the hardships she went through as an actor portraying a trauma survivor in Kira and what she did to understand this Bajoran resistance soldier, and her journey as an actor through seven seasons to come to terms with who she was as a character, and how she related to her in real life.
We break down the physicality and anxiety of becoming Kira and the indelible mark it left on Nana, discuss some difficult episodes of DS9, including "Duet" with Harris Yulin and "Ties of Blood and Water" with Law…
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2022
99: Ken Olandt: A Career Of Strength & Charm
Ken Olandt played Picard’s sort-of-but-maybe-not son Jason Vigo on the Star Trek TNG seventh season episode “Bloodlines”, but you’ve certainly seen him in plenty of other films and shows. Spoiler alert – he is just as cool in real life as he is on-screen!
Ken tells us about his journey from dreams of being an ice hockey player into modeling and then acting, the unique way he improved his performing skills, what he learned while he was a student of Gordon Hunt and Howard Fine and training alongside George Clooney, his first gig on “Days of Our Lives” and his first speaking lines on “Matt Houston”, staring with Jennifer Aniston in the cult horror hit “Leprechaun” and the stunt involving Warwick Davis and Deep Roy that left one of them injured!
From there, it’s off to Star Trek TNG as we chat about working with Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner, and why he believes that episode of Star Trek is some of his finest work (in spite of the annoying tight…
playlist_add
Jun 2, 2022
98: Kavita Maharaj on Painting Star Trek Art and why Spock is a Yoga Master
If you're on social media, you hopefully see a lot of Star Trek fan art on your feeds. But what about taking that fan art and turning it into a profession? This week's guest is here to tell us all about it.
Kavita Maharaj is fully licensed by Paramount to create Star Trek paintings, combining two of her many lifelong passions. Growing up in the Caribbean, it was kismet that introduced Kavita to Star Trek, but it was her art that brought her to Canada to pursue painting as her life's work. We learn how Kavita turned a hobby into becoming an officially licensed painter of Star Trek, discusses the artists she loves, along with her extensive lifelong journey with Yoga and how that influences her paintings, and breaks down how a piece gets made both technically and spiritually. Plus, why Kavita believes Spock is actually a Yoga master!
Check out Retrospect Studios' website to purchase Kavita's prints - https://retrospectstudios.ca/
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the noti…
playlist_add
May 26, 2022
97: Jennifer Edwards and her Hollywood Legacy
Jennifer Edwards will be remembered by Star Trek fans for her appearance on the TNG episode "New Ground," but her time in the spotlight is far more diverse than that sci-fi show.
We take a deep dive into Jennifer's past and tell stories about her famous father, Blake Edwards, mother, Patricia Walker, and stepmother, Julie Andrews, and what it was like in a house where it was a typical day to see Peter Sellers, Jack Lemmon, or Cary Grant walk by.
Jennifer tells us how she got the part on Star Trek, working with Micael Dorn and Brian Bonsall and her memories of the set and hanging out with LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner, her reaction to the episode along with a heartfelt note she received about her performance from a fan, and more on the future of her character that never came to be! Throughout Jennifer's career, she also worked with many Star Trek actors and has stories about them all, including William Shatner, Denise Crosby, Jean Simmons, Dana Sparks, and Molly Hagan.
Plus, all abou…
playlist_add
May 19, 2022
96: April Tatro is the Cat's Meow
For years, there was an unsolved mystery in the Star Trek universe. In the second season of the Star Trek TOS, in an episode titled "Assignment: Earth," one of the performers went uncredited for decades – the human form of Isis the Cat. Many years later, former guest of this show and Star Trek expert Larry Nemecek uncovered the truth, and this week we speak with that enigmatic actress, April Tatro.
Before landing the gig, April was a well-known dancer and one of America's best contortionists. She tells us her life's story, including how she became an acrobatic dancer and the ways she trained her unbelievable flexibility at a young age, opening nightly for Milton Berle and The Rat Pack, her appearance on Johnny Carson, her time on "Wonder Woman" with Linda Carter, and how she got so flexible in the first place and the ways she maintains that elasticity today!
From there, it's onto Star Trek, and how she got the role, memories of working with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Teri Garr…
playlist_add
May 12, 2022
95: Wil Wheaton is More Than Just A Geek
Put on your best space sweater and prepare to travel with the greatest nerd among us, Wil Wheaton!
You already know Wil as Wesley Crusher from Star Trek TNG and the host of "The Ready Room," among his appearances on "The Big Bang Theory" and countless other geeky places. Needless to say, this interview travels across the galaxy of topics ranging from fun to heavy.
We discuss Wil's new book/ updated memoirs "Still Just A Geek" and what is different about the Wil who wrote his first book nearly two decades ago, compared to the person he is today, including a more comprehensive understanding of who he is and coming to terms with many uncomfortable aspects of himself.
Wil speaks candidly about his recent public announcement of his battles with alcoholism and sobriety, as well as the trauma caused by his parents and how he continues to fight the good fight by "doing the work" while advocating for mental health awareness for others afflicted with anxiety, depression, and trauma and abuse-…
playlist_add
May 5, 2022
94: Sachi Parker has changed her luck
Trekkies will remember Sachi Parker as Dr. Tava from the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "First Contact" (no, not the movie), but her career and life go far beyond the stars… although in her case, it was a bit closer to stars than most of us.
The daughter of legendary Hollywood actress Shirley MacLaine and Steve Parker, Sachi had a tumultuous childhood and a fractured relationship with her mother, which culminated in her writing a tell-all book about the two of them called "Lucky Me: My Life With – and Without – My Mom, Shirley MacLaine." Fast forward to almost a decade after Sachi wrote that book, and her perspective has changed in a big way.
We discuss growing up in Japan and her eventual arrival in LA to reconnect with her mom, who in turn helped her daughter discover her talent for acting, what she learned under the tutelage of Peggy Feury, her first professional gig on "Riders to the Sea" with Geraldine Page and Amanda Plummer in Ireland, "Back to the Future" with…
playlist_add
Apr 28, 2022
93: Focus on Photographer Jeffery Newbury
Jeffery Newbury is a photographer with his lens pointed in the direction of the Star Trek universe and A-list celebrities, but much like the sub-title of this podcast, his career goes far beyond the stars!
We learn about where Jeffery grew up and his journey from a small dairy farm in Wisconsin to Alaska and then eventually Hollywood, how he discovered photography (with a surprising Star Trek connection), and the way he found himself taking pictures of some amazing celebs for books and magazines. Jeffrey tells us stories about Tupac, Limp Bizkit, Bill Gates, Metallica, and of course, all the info about his Star Trek photos and the connections he made with those cast members, along with stories about Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Nichelle Nichols, Marina Sirtis, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner and more!
Jeffery discusses his tricks and tools of the trade and explains how he melded his fine arts skills into his commercial career to "make art for clients," why he is sell…
playlist_add
Apr 7, 2022
92: Holding a Broken Mirror to Star Trek Comics with Scott & David Tipton
What happens when you get three comic lovers together in one virtual room? Absolute nerdy pandemonium. On this episode of Trek Untold, brothers Scott & David Tipton visit to discuss their work with IDW on Star Trek comics, including their current series based on the Star Trek TNG mirror universe, "The Mirror War," which looks at the rise of Picard in the Terran empire along with some familiar faces acting in very different ways.
The siblings delve into Star Trek comic history with a look at the Gold Key comics and the DC comics versions, discuss how they got started in the comics profession and their mentors and influences in the industry, with great stories about Harlan Ellison along the way.
Then it's time for some Trek Talk as the Tiptons chat about some of their Trek books for IDW, including "Blood Will Tell," "The Q Conflict, and the entire Mirror Universe saga they are currently writing. Topics include the challenges of building this Mirror universe world and how to write "aw…
playlist_add
Mar 31, 2022
91: Anthony Lake, The Ferengi of the 32nd Century
The internet broke when the first look at the Ferengi was revealed for "Star Trek: Discovery" season four, and now we learn all about this new iteration of this classic alien from the actor under the makeup, Anthony Lake.
Anthony first appeared as a Romulan spectator on Ni'Var in "Unification, Part 3" and returned in season four to portray ALL the Ferengi characters seen on camera!
Lake explains how his interest in star trek came through horror makeup, scenes left on the cutting room floor from his time on Trek, tips for sitting in the makeup chair, and the different prosthetic processes, hairs, and wardrobes for each character he played.
Plus, his unique path into acting and why much of his career involves prosthetics and intense makeup, his first big break on "Defiance," his first dose of prosthetics in "The Strain," becoming Blavglad the Exsanguinator in "What We Do In The Shadows," and the most NSFW thing ever discussed on the show, Anthony's time as the porn version of Jack Fr…
playlist_add
Mar 24, 2022
90: Howie Seago on The Deaf Actor's Experience
The second season Star Trek TNG episode "Loud As A Whisper" is a unique entry in the Trek franchise, with a premise unlike any others in the show history that included having a deaf actor be integral to the plot. In a very rare and unique interview, we are joined by Howie Seago, the actor who portrayed Riva in that episode, to discuss his hand in the creation of it and behind-the-scenes stories of how it all came together with truly untold tales about Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis and more. In addition, we discuss his origins in performing, some of his theatrical work like "Hamlet," "Ajax" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" with an examination of how some of that affected what he did on Star Trek, and the trials and tribulations of being a deaf actor in a hearing-abled world.
Special thanks to American Sign Language Interpreter Paul Bert for interpreting for Howie.
If you want to watch the video version to read the subtitles or the sign language, please use this link - https:…
playlist_add
Mar 17, 2022
89: The State of The Star Trek Fandom with Larry Nemecek
"Fandom" has seemingly become a dirty word on the internet, but it doesn't have to be that way! "Dr. Trek" Larry Nemecek has been enjoying Star Trek for more time than I've been walking this earth, and if one man knows and understands the fandom, it's certainly him.
John discusses the history of the fandom and how two fans named Bjo and John Trimble ensured that the series continued to live on after its initial demise, why there has always been a segment of fans who dislike the latest iteration of a show, "Toxic fans" and "Gatekeepers," how the COVID-19 pandemic actually helped strengthen and create new fans for this franchise, his hope for the future of this fandom, and more!
* Check out Trekland and more from Larry at - https://larrynemecek.com/
* Larry's Youtube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/larryn77
* Visit https://www.drivebydogooders.org/ to donate to the cause, and if you donate $35 or more, Lycia will send you an autographed picture. In the comments section whe…
playlist_add
Mar 10, 2022
88: "Locutus of Borg: Jean-Luc Picard and Trauma" with Jeff Akin & Michael Hough
The damage of the Borg goes far beyond the remnants of starships at Wolf 359 and left deep scars on Jean-Luc Picard both mentally and physically. The traumatic experience of being abducted, violated, and utterly powerless filled the Captain with feelings that took him years to work through, some of which will likely be explored in the new seasons of "Picard."
"Trek Untold"'s Matthew Kaplowitz is joined by Jeff Akin of the "Starfleet Leadership Academy Podcast" and Michael Hough AKA Hawk from "Strange New Pod" for a discussion on the events that transformed Picard into Locutus and back again. They break down the difficult feelings he contended with after, the types of trauma he dealt with, how one heals from times like that, and much more.
*WARNING:* This episode discusses serious topics that may be sensitive to some listeners. Discretion is advised. This episode was originally part of Strange New Pod's "Captain Picard Week," a week-long event with podcasters from across the Star Tre…
playlist_add
Mar 3, 2022
87: Paul Wight talks Star Trek & Tales from The Ring
This time on Trek Untold, it's no BS with the biggest guest we have ever had on the show – literally! He is also the most Elite! We are visited by Paul Wight, formerly known as The Big Show in WWE, and now a commentator and wrestler in AEW. Trekkies will know Paul best as the Orion slave trader from the "Star Trek: Enterprise" episode "Borderlands," where all seven feet of him was covered in green paint and prosthetics! Best of all, it turns out that Paul is a true Trekkie at heart and loved chatting about his favorite sci-fi franchise, something he doesn't get to do very often.
Paul tells us about why he left WWE and his plans for AEW, what he wants to accomplish in the ring and out, who he wants to test himself against, how he thinks he can help the young upcoming talent to grow, and whether his beef with Shaq has been crushed or if he still wants a match against the NBA legend!
From there, it's Trek talk, and Paul explains how he got the role on Enterprise, the arduous makeup pr…
playlist_add
Feb 24, 2022
86: Clyde Kusatsu Career Interview, Part 2
Clyde Kusatsu is back in part two of our epic career-spanning interview on Trek Untold! This week, we get deep into Star Trek and connections around it, focusing on his time as Admiral Nakamura in three episodes of Star Trek TNG. We also find out what character Clyde auditioned for in DS9, his thoughts on "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard," and being directed by Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes.
Beyond TNG, we hear about performing with William Shatner on three different shows across three decades and a fun Steven Seagal story. Plus, things get serious with discussion on his perspective on being an Asian-American in Hollywood and representation and "being woke," stories from the set of "Family Matters" with Jaleel White and Reginald Vel Johnson, "Walker: Texas Ranger" with Chuck Norris, John Cho on a "Harold and Kumar" film, the short-lived but topical "All-American Girl" with Margaret Cho, and how that tied into his battle with alcoholism.
*NOTE:* This episode gets into some se…
playlist_add
Feb 17, 2022
85: Clyde Kusatsu Career Interview, Part 1
It's an episode so epic that we had to split it into two parts! Our guest for this episode has been in over 300 shows and films, with a number that continues to grow, and that man is the legendary Clyde Kusatsu.
This episode is so big that we barely discuss Star Trek in any way, so if you want to hear about Clyde's time in three episodes of Star Trek TNG as Admiral Nakamura, you will have to wait until next week.
This week, Clyde explains how he got into acting and what he learned at Northwestern University, stories from his early theatrical career, and how it led to Hollywood, with a focus on Clyde's career in the 70s and early 80s. We start with a Star Wars story from the set of 1977's "Choirboys" with James Wood, playing Wong in the original "Doctor Strange" TV pilot, working with Toshiro Mifune on "Midway" and "The Challenge," "Paradise Road" with Glenn Close and Frances McDormand, the five episodes he did of the original "Kung Fu" series with David Carradine, James Hong, and Ric…
playlist_add
Feb 10, 2022
84: Fred Raimondi, VFX Artist on Star Trek TNG
The first season of Star Trek TNG showcased some breakthroughs in visual FX for television and was truly groundbreaking with what that post-production team accomplished. Fred Raimondi was one member of that group of pioneers, but his time in Star Trek was just a footnote in his prolific career.
We discuss Fred's beginnings as a filmmaker and the internship that changed the course of his life, how he got into VFX during his time with The Post Group in California doing "The Twilight Zone," being a VFX artist on "Max Headroom," and the road it led to working on Star Trek TNG thanks to Rob Legato.
From there, it's stories of Greg Hutzel and Dan Curry (along with Rob) on season 1 to explain How the original transporter beam effect was made, making VFX for ships and phasers, the infamous deleted scene from "Encounter at Farpoint" and his embarrassing story from an early screening of it that could have gotten him fired, Tasha Yar's death in "Skin of Evil," and the behind the scenes info on…
playlist_add
Feb 3, 2022
83: Rachel Ancheril, Cmdr. Nhan on "Star Trek: Discovery
With the second half of season four of "Star Trek: Discovery" approaching, we catch up with everyone's favorite Barzan, Rachael Ancheril, who played Commander Nhan on seasons two, three, and now four on the show.
We discuss Rachael's interest in becoming a law enforcement professional and the twisty-turny road that led her to acting, the lessons she learned while working with Amy Price-Francis on her first gig in "King," working on "Rookie Blue" as Marlo Cruz and getting her first taste of fandom!
Then it's onto our Trek talk, and we learn about what the secretive auditions for her part and two other auditions for DISCO that didn't pan out, the makeup process to become a Barzan, stories with Soneqhua Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Michelle Yeoh, being directed by Jonathan Frakes, how Rachael discovered who the character of Nhan is, and a look through her entire character arc as we deep dive with the talented performer under the makeup.
* Visit https://www.drivebydogooders.org/ to donat…
playlist_add
Jan 27, 2022
82: Jeremy Roberts, Cmdr. Valtaine from Star Trek VI and Voyager
Very few actors in Star Trek can reprise a role they did from one series to another, let alone a role that debuted in a film. Jeremy Roberts is one of those rare people who first played Commander Valtaine in the sixth Star Trek film serving on Captain Sulu's Excelsior. Roberts reprised the role for the third season Voyager episode "Flashback," working again with George Takei and this time Kate Mulgrew and Tim Russ.
Roberts literally followed a dream to become an actor. We learn all about his unusual path towards performing, his first gig on "Hooperman" with John Ritter, working on "Murder, She Wrote," "Sister Act," "Diagnosis Murder," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "The Mask" with Jim Carrey, his celebrity run-ins with John Wayne and Frank Gorshin, and an embarrassing day on the set of Xena.
And of course, plenty of Trek talk as we discuss his on-set memories of George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, and his time on Star Trek VI and Voyager, along with his third role as a Jem'Hadar soldier in…
playlist_add
Jan 20, 2022
81: Steve Varner, Star Trek Toy Sculptor From The 90s To Now
This week, we're talking toys as we are joined by sculptor Steve Varner. This artist worked on toylines like Barbie, C.O.P.S., Army Ants, Inhumanoids, LJN WWF, Big Jim, and he sculpted the very first TMNT figure by playmates, alongside former Trek Untold guest Scott Hensey.
Steve discusses how he got into sculpting toys and some lines he worked in like, sculpting the aliens from the Star Trek TMP Mego figures, the mystery of the Will Riker figure's stance, how playmates figures are made, how Seaquest DSV figures influenced trek, what feature he wished the Trek figures had, meeting Star Trek actors, and a look at some unreleased star trek figures!
More recently, Steve was announced as part of the team sculpting the new Star Trek figures for Playmates, which are coming out later this year. Unfortunately, this interview was done before that was announced, so we could not discuss it, but I hope to have a follow-up soon to see what we can learn about those toys!
* Visit https://www.dri…
playlist_add
Jan 13, 2022
80: Melanie Smith, Tora Ziyal #3 from "Star Trek DS9"
There aren't many characters in Star Trek history that had the same character in one show have multiple performers. Melanie Smith is one actress who can add that honor to her resume, as she played the third (and final) Tora Ziyal on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."
In this episode, we learn about Melanie's unusual road to acting, her first on-screen appearance and her first professional gig in "As the World Turns," what she learned from the legendary Stella Adler, her three appearances on "Seinfeld" including the historic "Shrinkage" episode with Voyager alumni Jason Alexander, her "nude" appearance on "Adventures of Brisco County Jr." with Bruce Campbell, and working with Andrew Robinson on the cult sci-fi film "Trancers 3".
After that, it's time for Trek talk about how Melanie got the part of Ziyal and how far she made it an earlier audition to almost become a member of the main cast, breaking down the romance of Ziyal and Garak, how she found the character and what part of Melanie wa…
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2022
79: Michael Bell – Trek, Toons & Teachings from a Master
You've heard the sound of his voice since you were a kid, today learn all about the man behind it!
This week on Trek Untold, we speak with veteran performer and voiceover artist Michael Bell. You may recognize his voice as Duke from "G.I. Joe," Lance from "Voltron," Prowl and Sideswipe from "Transformers," Chaz Finster from "The Rugrats," and many many more! Michael also spent some time in the Star Trek franchise, starting with the TNG pilot "Encounter at Farpoint" as Gropler Zorn, and then returning later to DS9 as Borum in "The Homecoming" and Drofo Awa in "The Magquis, Part 2" concluding with roles in some of the Star Trek video games from that era.
Learn all about Michael's long road towards performing, his first role in the cult film "Damaged Goods," working on "The Monkees" and his scene with Micky Dolenz, his appearance on "M.A.S.H.," "Three's Company," how he found his way into voiceover acting and learning from legendary pros like Mel Blanc, how he creates his voices and th…
playlist_add
Dec 16, 2021
78: Best Of Trek Untold 2021 | Part 2
Continuing our look back at some of the most memorable moments from Trek Untold in 2021, here are clips from our interviews with Gates McFadden, Walter Koenig, Kitty Swink, Richard Riehle, David Benjamin Tomlinson, John Fleck, Jason Marsden, Patricia Tallman, and Max Cervantes. If you liked what you heard, make sure to check out the archives for the full episodes with all of these guests. Don't forget to listen to the very end to hear the plans for 2022 and a new feature I am working on!
· Visit Pancan.org to support the Trek against Pancreatic Cancer
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the notifications button to be updated when we go live or upload our next video!
Support Trek Untold by checking out our merchandise at https://teespring.com/stores/trekuntold or become a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as acce…
playlist_add
Dec 9, 2021
77: Best Of Trek Untold 2021 | Part 1
As 2021 comes to a close, Trek Untold looks back on some highlights from this past year. In part one of two, let's revisit our interviews with Jonathan Frakes, Duncan Regehr, Dey Young, Raven Dauda, Dennis Madalone, Ron Canada, Harvey Jason, John Putch, Noah Averbach-Katz.
· Visit Pancan.org to support the Trek against Pancreatic Cancer
Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the notifications button to be updated when we go live or upload our next video!
Support Trek Untold by checking out our merchandise at https://teespring.com/stores/trekuntold or become a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as accessories and playsets for all iterations of Trek figures through the years. Visit them at Triple-Fictionproductions.net.
* *
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
* *
* *
*The view…
playlist_add
Dec 2, 2021
76: Amanda Turnage, "Star Trek: Lower Decks" Background Artist
I have a passion for animation that might rival my love of Star Trek, so it's exciting when I get a chance to have these two worlds collide! In today's episode, we chat with Amanda Turnage, a background artist from "Star Trek: Lower Decks," who has done some very interesting pieces of work for the series, including interiors and exteriors of starships, the Las Vegas of the Beta Quadrant in Qualor, and the highly beloved Cetacean Ops aboard the USS Cerritos.
We learn about Amanda's history in art & animation and hear about some of her other jobs and the things she learned along the way before discussing the workflow on "Lower Decks" and getting a deeper understanding of how this particular job works and the fun Trek things she gets to do as part of it!
Want an autographed picture from Captain Sonya Gomez from Star Trek TNG and Lower Decks and the three-boobed mutant from Mars from "Total Recall"? Visit https://www.drivebydogooders.org/ to donate to the cause, and if you donate $35 or…
playlist_add
Nov 25, 2021
75: Star Trek Podcasters Roundtable w/ "A Strange New Pod," "Tex Trek," & "The Duras Sisters"
Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family, so I decided to spend this year's holiday doing the same by connecting with some of my fellow podcasters!
This week, we are joined by four guests from three different podcasts – Julian from "A Strange New Pod," Fatheree from "Tex-Trek," and Ashlyn and Rhianna from "The Duras Sisters Podcast." We are talking about the history of their shows and how each episode comes together, what keeps them motivated, and then get down and nerdy by talking about some fun Star Trek things!
Don't forget to check out triple-fictionproductions.net for their Black Friday 2021 sale! To see what new items will be released, check out my video showcase – https://youtu.be/CuGmEjl3hgQ
Visit their website to order from them and use code UNTOLD10 at checkout for 10% off during this sale or any other time you shop there. Reminder, prop replicas are excluded from this discount during Black Friday because they will already be 50% off!
* Check out…
playlist_add
Nov 18, 2021
74: Star Trek Adventures" RPG with Project Manager Jim Johnson
Roleplaying games have a long history with the Star Trek franchise, and in this episode, we learn about the current incarnation of it, "Star Trek Adventures." Jim Johnson is the project manager for this game at Modiphius Entertainment. First, he tells us about his history writing sci-fi and Star Trek and gaming and how it led him down the road to joining Modiphius to oversee this RPG. From there, we learn about how to play the game, special functions unique to it compared to other RPGs like "Dungeons & Dragons," and what's new for the game like the latest expansion, "The Shackleton Expanse."
Visit Modiphius Entertainment to learn more about the game - https://www.modiphius.com/
Order the Star Trek Adventures starter set here - https://amzn.to/3CumfUY
Order the Core rulebook - https://amzn.to/3csteDe
Ops Division book - https://amzn.to/3nuKLBb
Klingon Core Book - https://amzn.to/3qLMDrj
* Visit Pancan.org to support the Trek against Pancreatic Cancer
Please subscribe to our You…
playlist_add
Nov 11, 2021
73: David Benjamin Tomlinson, Linus from "Star Trek: Discovery"
What makes a fan-favorite character in a TV show? No one really knows the magical secret, but in this case, all it took was a runny nose. In this episode, we chat with David Benjamin Tomlinson, the actor behind the Saurian crew member named Linus on "Star Trek: Discovery", as seen in season 2, 3, and presumably 4!
In addition to being Linus, David has also played a Klingon named Or’Eq and a few others, a Kelpien, and a Betelgeusean on DISCO, although he has yet to show his humanoid face on screen.
Tomlinson walks us through the audition process and how he eventually landed the role of Linus, the intense makeup process to become the Saurian and which alien took the longest, how he discovered the character of Linus, working with the cast, including stories about Doug Jones and Soneqhua Martin-Green, how much of David is in Linus and how much of Linus is in David, and more Trek tales.
Plus, his secret origin story told at last, going to his first trek convention in 2021, lessons lea…
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2021
72: Brian Volk-Weiss, Director of “The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek” docu-series
Brian Volk-Weiss has been a Trekkie for as far back as he can remember, and his love of the franchise is reflected in nearly every aspect of his life. Brian is the founder and CEO of The Nacelle Company, a production company known for comedy specials, "The Toys that Made Us" and "The Movies That Made Us" on Netflix, "Inside the Attraction" on Disney Plus, "Down to Earth with Zac Efron," "Discontinued," and "A Toy Store near You" on Amazon Prime. He is also the director behind the new History Channel series, "The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek."
This 10 episode series premieres on November 5 at 10 PM EST and has an in-depth look at the entire story of Star Trek with some never-before-told stories. I spoke with Brian on this week's episode to learn where his love of Star Trek began, how this docu-series came together, what it was like filming this during the pandemic, and some of the surprising new Trek tales he learned that would be part of this new show.
Also included in this ep…
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2021
71: Patricia Tallman, Actress & Stunt Performer on Star Trek TNG, DS9 & VOY
Patricia Tallman has done it all in her career as an actress and stunt performer, but all of her accolades came with a hefty price.
In this episode of "Trek Untold," we have a candid conversation with the spectacular Patricia Tallman, who performed stunts on TNG, DS9, Voyager, and the "Generations" film. She's also served as a double for Gates McFadden, Nana Visitor, Gwynyth Walsh, Daphne Ashbrook, and many others. She has also been a Starfleet officer, a Romulan, a Bajoran, a Klingon, and even her own new race in the TNG episode "Starship Mine."
Through all of her successes and accomplishments, Patricia struggled with being an actress in Hollywood that greatly affected her mental and physical health. Years later, she came to terms with everything she had been through and ultimately discovered her true passion.
Patricia started in a small town playing Star Trek with her barbie dolls, which led her into the art of storytelling and the different ways she could express her feelings. We…
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
Bonus Minisode: Lycia Naff returns as Captain Sonya Gomez in "Star Trek: Lower Decks"
About a year ago, we posted our interview with Lycia Naff, which quickly became one of our most popular episodes. Who knew that today she would make a triumphant return to the Star Trek universe, reprising her character of Ensign Sonya Gomez. Only this time, it's Captain Gomez aboard the USS Archimedes! Yup, she got a promotion (take that, Ensign Kim) and appeared in the "Star Trek: Lower Decks" season 2 finale "First First Contact."
Lycia rejoins Trek Untold for a second round to discuss what got her out of retirement to take the role, what it was like reprising this fan-favorite character, and all the in's and out's of being on a Star Trek show again. We also discuss a few loose ends from our last episode, including a discussion of her time in "Hunter" and "Lethal Weapon" and a few other Hollywood tales, plus updates from her charitable organization, Drive-By Do-Gooders.
Visit https://www.drivebydogooders.org/ to donate to the cause, and if you donate $35 or more, Lycia will send y…
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2021
70: Jill Jacobson, Vanessa from Star Trek TNG "The Royale" and Aroya from Star Trek DS9 "Broken Link"
Trek Untold welcomes the ravishing Jill Jacobson to the podcast, who you may remember as the clueless Vanessa from the season 2 TNG episode "The Royale" and the DS9 season four finale "Broken Link" as Aroya, the owner of the Celestial Café on the promenade who gets a date with Odo.
Jill has the craziest audition story ever of how she got her role on TNG, and tales of working with veteran actor Noble Willingham, trying to keep a straight face around Brent Spiner, and stories with Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn. Then it's onto DS9, her first time wearing prosthetics and the original long-term plans for her character.
Plus, growing up in Texas and discovering acting, her first movie role alongside Gary Lockwood and Carol Lynley, becoming "Nurse Sherri" in the Al Adamson directed cult-classic film that Quentin Tarantino has called one of his favorite movies, what she learned about comedy from Bob Newhart, working with Aubrey Meadows on the short-lived "Uncle Buck" TV show, making risk…
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2021
69: Star Trek TOS Book Revue with Ian Spelling, Dan Chavkin & Brian McGuire
Even after 55 years, there are still new stories to discover about the original Star Trek series! This week, we take a look at two new, very different, and very fascinating books about the Trek series that started it all.
First up, Dan Chavkin and Brian McGuire stop by to discuss "Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier: The Untold Story of How Midcentury Modern Decor Shaped Our View of the Future," a book all about the Modernist, Futurist and Brutalist design elements, architecture, interior design, and art that made TOS look so iconic.
Following our discussion of that book, journalist Ian Spelling sits down with us to tell us about "Star Trek: The Original Series: A Celebration." Co-authored by Ben Robinson and released through Hero Collector, this hardcover coffee table book is perfect for new Trekkies and hardcore fans alike, gathering interviews from the stars, supporting actors, and behind-the-scenes crew to tell the story of Star Trek from the beginning in a gorgeous format. P…
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2021
68: Star Trek VFX with Shawn Ewashko, Visual Effects Project Manager at CBS
Visual effects are one of the most important parts of any sci-fi series, and is often an integral part of any TV show or film, whether you are aware of it or not. When it comes to Star Trek, everything from computer screens, phaser blasts, starships, and other effects are added to take the show from ordinary to extraordinary.
Shawn Ewashko is the Visual Effects Project Manager at CBS, working on the Short Treks, "Star Trek: Discovery," "Star Trek: Picard," and the upcoming "Strange New Worlds" series. Alongside Jason Zimmerman, he oversees the creative and logistical process of making sure all of the VFX shots come together to look impressive and look natural, and blend into reality.
In this episode of Trek Untold, we take a deep dive with Shawn to discuss his roots in Star Trek, what he learned at the DAVE Academy, his history of working with Alex Kurtzman, and VFX he has done for other shows, and then we beam into our Trek Talk. Shawn breaks down the workflow for VFX, what it take…
playlist_add
Sep 23, 2021
67: Max Cervantes, Prop Maker on Star Trek DS9, VOY, ENT & Films
It's always a happy day on Trek Untold when we chat with a lifelong Trekkie who was able to make their dreams come true. Max Cervantes was a diehard Star Trek fan from day one of the series, building AMT ERTL Enterprise models and building his own phaser hand prop with items he found around his house. Years later, he finds himself working with Michael Moore and Rick Sternbach, making props and models for Star Trek DS9, VOY, ENT, and a few of the TNG Films.
Max discusses seeing the original set of Logan's Run, which put him on the path to professional prop-making, working on "Real Genius," "The Stuff," and a story about how the slime went horribly wrong one day, tales of bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen while on "Captain Power," working on theme park attractions like the San Rio park in Tokyo, and more.
Then it's time for Trek talk, which includes prop stories from DS9s "The Visitor," "In the hands of the prophets," phaser rifles in First Contact, the hidden origin of props like "The Wrat…
playlist_add
Sep 16, 2021
66: Raven Dauda, Dr. Tracy Pollard from “Star Trek: Discovery”
The doctors in Star Trek shows are just as iconic as the captains and are hotly debated among fans to determine who they would want serving on their starship. Today, we are speaking with one of the doctors on board the NCC-1031 as we meet the mysterious Raven Dauda, AKA Dr. Tracy Pollard from "Star Trek: Discovery."
Raven doesn't do a lot of interviews and likes to keep her secrets secret - but Trek Untold has her in the hot seat. We learn about her road to acting, the story behind her unique name, her first film role in "Murder at 1600" with Wesley Snipes, the importance of "Da Kink in My Hair," and other stories from her career.
Then it's off to our Trek talk, as we uncover how Raven became part of the crew, what it's like putting on her Starfleet scrubs, working with Soneqhua Martin-Green and Doug Jones, surviving the technobabble, and why DISCO is the best set she has ever worked on. Do you want to learn about this enigmatic and charming performer? Trek Untold has the answers!
P…
playlist_add
Aug 5, 2021
Trek Untold is taking a Summer Vacation!
Trek Untold is taking a brief vacation but will be back with more amazing Star Trek guests in a few weeks. While I take this time off, learn about the inner workings of the show and what I hope to do when I return. And of course, don't forget to check out some of the older episodes you may have previously missed!
Support Trek Untold by checking out our merchandise at https://teespring.com/stores/trekuntold or become a Patreon at Patreon.com/TrekUntold.
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as accessories and playsets for all iterations of Trek figures through the years. Visit them at Triple-Fictionproductions.net.
* *
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
* *
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
* Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
* Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
* Facebook: https://www.facebook.…
playlist_add
Jul 29, 2021
65: Molly Hagan AKA Eris the first Vorta from Star Trek DS9
Trekkies will remember Molly Hagan as the very first Vorta ever seen in Star Trek history, debuting on the second season DS9 finale "The Jem'Hadar". After that, fans expected her to become a Star Trek regular, but she never reprised the role or returned to the franchise. This week, we find out what happened!
Molly joins us to discuss her time on Trek, including working with Avery Brooks and Armin Shimerman, the makeup process, and a part of the Vorta that she created that never made it to air. Plus, we separate fact from fiction and discover why Molly never came back to Star Trek.
Plus, the lesson she learned from Angela Lansbury, great stories about working with Peter Falk on "Columbo," Betty White on "The Golden Girls," and Jason Alexander on "Seinfeld," giving birth with Alf as the doctor, guest-starring on "The Orville" with Robert Picardo and John Billingsley, her current role on the CW's "Walker," and much more!
Visit Pancan.org to support the Trek against Pancreatic Cancer…
playlist_add
Jul 22, 2021
64: Robin Morselli, Background Actor & Stand-in for 120 Episodes of Star Trek
Trek Untold digs deep with this interview with a performer who hasn't told her story before anywhere.
Robin Morselli was a regular background actor and stand-in, most notably on DS9 as a Bajoran Ops officer (and occasional civilian, and there's a story about that), as well as appearing in episodes of TNG, Voyager, and Enterprise.
Robin talks to us about her long and winding road into Hollywood, which included a law degree, being a flight attendant, and working as a hostess at The Bunny Ranch. From there, we discuss some of her other notable roles in film & TV that you can't find on IMDB, and then it's all about Star Trek and her time on set.
We discuss how a performer is cast as an extra and what the process is to become a regular among that group, personal stories about her relationships with Nana Visitor, Levar Burton, and James Darren, memories from some specific episodes and moments on set like the DS9 finale and the Voyager episode "Tsunkatse" with The Rock, being a Klingon at…
playlist_add
Jul 15, 2021
63: Walter Koenig Goes Beyond "Star Trek"
In the past, I've always said how excited I was to chat with an actor who appeared on the original Star Trek. But, this time around, it's not just any actor, but a key part of the bridge crew!
Walter Koenig was Ensign Pavel Chekov, who appeared in "Star Trek" starting in season 2 and continued to play the part through all of the TOS films and "Generations." As I learned in his new book, "Beaming Up and Getting Off: Life Before and Beyond Star Trek," Koenig struggled after the series ended and continued to feel resentment and frustration for a good part of his career due to the stigma of being in a sci-fi show. Today, Koenig understands who he is and what the character means to fans around the world as well as himself, and in this candid discussion, we talk all about that.
Hear some stories about Walter's time as the Russian ensign aboard the Enterprise, working with Mark Lenard on a stage show, thoughts on his action figures, some of the shows and films he has appeared in, and much m…
playlist_add
Jul 8, 2021
62: Jason Marsden, Grimp from "Star Trek DS9"
Growing up, it wasn't unusual for me to hear the voice of Jason Marsden in something I watched. Whether he was off-screen performing VO in a cartoon or acting on-screen, Jason has an amazing career that started at a young age and continues today. Trekkies may remember Jason from his appearances as a Ferengi named Grimp in the "Star Trek DS9" episode "Bar Association," where he joined Rom's efforts to unionize the employees at Quark's bar. If you're like me, you noticed his voice in an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," where he was the voice of Raymond Marr in "Silicon Avatar," a role he was not credited for (which Jason learned during this interview).
Jason has performed in over 200 shows and movies besides his time in Trek, and we discuss a few, including "A Goofy Movie," "Boy Meets World," "Hocus Pocus," "Static Shock," and the infamous "Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue" just to name a few. Also, hear all about being a Ferengi and working with Max Grodenchik, Chase Masters…
playlist_add
Jul 1, 2021
61: Noah Averbach-Katz, Ryn from "Star Trek: Discovery"
Noah Averbach-Katz was the Andorian named Ryn from season three of "Star Trek: Discovery" and quickly became a fan-favorite character. Underneath that makeup was Noah Averbach-Katz, a legit hardcore Trekkie with a deep passion for the franchise that started as a child. He is also the significant other of Mary Wiseman, AKA Ensign Sylvia Tilly on DSC.
Noah discusses his background in acting and love for Star Trek, how he met his eventual wife at Julliard and what he did to help her prep for her Discovery audition, how he was cast in the show, what the arduous makeup process was like, and behind-the-scenes stories from the episodes he appeared in, including one from the episode he did that Jonathan Frakes directed. Plus, stories from other shows and plays Noah appeared in, running Dungeons & Dragons sessions for his fellow Star Trek cast members, addressing the trolls & haters who attack his wife, and much more in this interesting chat with everyone's favorite Andorian (not played by Jef…
playlist_add
Jun 24, 2021
60: Karen Westerfield, Star Trek Makeup Artist
Karen started on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," working on Klingon makeup, and followed it up in the sixth motion picture, continued by her work on DS9 as the main makeup person for Armin Shimerman, and then First Contact and Insurrection.
Karen shares with us the secrets behind Quark's makeup and prosthetics, and we talk about a few of the episode.s Karen won an Emmy for TNG Cost of Living, DS9 Captive Pursuit and Distant Voices, playing a prank on Marc Alaimo, and an embarrassing moment on the set of DS9 with Quark.
And the story behind Quark's appearance on "Regis & Kathie Lee" and doing Armin's makeup for the first time in decades at a Star Trek convention in England.
Plus, the roundabout path she went down to eventually end up in her field, what she learned from the Marvin Westmore Academy, and work on other films like "Robocop," "Edward Scissorhands," "Batman Returns" and a secret makeup technique she applied to Quark on DS9 that she first used on Danny Devito as The Pengui…
playlist_add
Jun 17, 2021
59: Richard Riehle talks Star Trek TNG, VOY & ENT
Richard Riehle is a character actor whose face you have seen on stage, television, and film since the 1970s, with a grand total of 400 on-screen credits – a number that continues to rise every year! You may remember him as Batai from the Star Trek TNG classic "The Inner Light," as Seamus from "Fair Haven" and "Spirit Folk" on Star Trek Voyager, and as Dr. Lucas in the Augment arc from Star Trek Enterprise, "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments."
We spend some time discussing working with Patrick Stewart in one of the most beloved episodes of TNG and why his signature mustache was nowhere to be seen, memories of Robert Duncan McNeill, Ian Abercrombie, Fintan McKeown, and more from his time in the holographic Irish village of Fair Haven, and being beat up by Brent Spiner (in the show, of course).
Plus, working with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in "Casino," Harrison Ford in "The Fugitive," Scott Bakula on "Quantum Leap," memories of Angela Lansbury, "Office Space," "Grounded for Life,"…
playlist_add
Jun 10, 2021
58: Marco Rodriguez, Captain Paul Rice & Glinn Telle from Star Trek TNG
Marco Rodriguez is a veteran actor with over 130 credits to his name, and two of those roles were on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
Marco first appeared on TNG in the first season episode "The Arsenal of Freedom" as a holographic version of Captain Paul Rice, where he shared the screen with Jonathan Frakes, Denise Crosby, and Brent Spiner. He returned in season four in "The Wounded," where he was one of the first people to portray a Cardassian, alongside Time Winters and Marc Alaimo. We learn all about his time in Trek and the inside scoop on some stories you may have never heard before about these episodes.
Plus, his first film gig ever on a James Coburn film, Carroll' O' Conner stories from "Archie Bunker's Place," being in "The Crow" with Brandon Lee and Ernie Hudson, working on "TJ Hooker" with William Shatner and DS9 Alumni James Darren, Pat Morita and VOY alumni Roxann Dawson in "Ohara," getting shot by Sylvester Stallone in "Cobra," acting with Jon Lovitz and Louise Fletch…
playlist_add
Jun 3, 2021
57: Meet Star Trek's Original Gorn, Stuntman Bobby Clark!
When people think of Star Trek aliens that don't look human, chances are the first thought that pops into their head is the Gorn. This verdant bruiser left an indelible mark on Trekkies since he debuted and remains a signature part of the series to this day. In this episode of Trek Untold, we chat with Bobby Clark, a stunt performer who performed four times in the original Star Trek, along with a list of other roles across many Westerns, crime dramas, and plenty of other TV shows & films during his very active career. Bobby Clark first appeared in the 1967 TOS episode "Arena," where he was the primary actor to wear the Gorn suit and fight against William Shatner's Captain Kirk. Learn how Clark got the role, what the suit was like, sparring with Shatner in arguably the most iconic fight scene in Star Trek history, and memories of his time at Vasquez Rocks.
Clark followed that up with three more appearances in TOS, "Mirror Mirror" as a guard who gets shot by Trek Untold alumni Garth Pi…
playlist_add
May 27, 2021
56: Kitty Swink talks Star Trek DS9 and her Cancer Survivor Story
Many Trekkies know Kitty Swink from her two Star Trek DS9 appearances and for being the wife of Armin Shimerman, AKA Quark! However, Kitty has a story and career that go much deeper than her time in Trek, and today we get to dive into that tale.
Kitty played Bajoran Minister Rozahn in "Sanctuary" and a Vorta named Luaran in "Tacking Into The Wind" on DS9, but you'd be surprised to find out that being cast in the show was more difficult for her because she was Armin's spouse! Learn all about the makeup process for these characters, how she was cast, acting with Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Casey Biggs, Andrew Robinson, Rene Auberjonois, Salome Jens, and Trek Untold alumni Deborah May, and more from her DS9 appearances.
Swink also discusses her origins in acting, a few of her favorite film and TV roles, how she met her husband in NYC during their theater days and appearing on stage and screen with Armin multiple times through their careers, her work as co-artistic director of the Antae…
playlist_add
May 20, 2021
55: Chad Rubel, Editor on "Star Trek: Discovery"
One of the unsung heroes in making a show or film is the editor. The look, feel, and tone of the show can be manipulated by the editor to transform a production into something extraordinary.
Chad Rubel is a video editor in LA who has been working in the industry for some time and has edited the Short Treks episodes "Children of Mars" and "Ask Not," as well as episodes from season 3 of Star Trek Discovery "People of Earth," "Scavengers," Terra Firma" part 1, and "There is a tide." He is currently hard at work on season four of the series.
Chad explains how he fell in love with editing, what the post-production workflow is like and how the video editors work with the VFX teams, working with Alex Kurtzman, Olatunde Osunsanmi, and the directors and producers of DISCO, as well as having Jonathan Frakes sit in the editing room with him to work on episodes! Plus, much more about his career and other shows and movies he has worked on that you may know like "Fringe" and "Team America: World P…
playlist_add
May 13, 2021
54: John Fleck, Silik on “Star Trek: Enterprise” & Other Aliens on TNG, DS9 and VOY
John Fleck has the distinction of being one of the few performers to have roles in every series from the second wave of Trek shows. He was the Romulan Taibak in Star Trek TNG "The Mind's Eye," a Cardassian overseer in DS9 "The Homecoming," as well as Ornithar from "The Search" and another Romulan named Koval from "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges," Abaddon from Star Trek Voyager "Alice," and Silik, leader of the Suliban and a perpetual thorn in the side of Captain Archer in all four seasons of Star Trek Enterprise.
John tells us all about the different makeup processes for his multitude of alien races, his memories of being on-set in these different series, and working with all of the Trek regulars!
Plus, memories of Leslie Nielsen in "The Naked Gun 2 ½", "Howard the Duck," "Pink Cadillac" with Clint Eastwood and Jim Carrey, insight into his performance art career, and the story behind being part of the controversial "NEA Four," a group of artists who took the National Endowment for th…
playlist_add
May 6, 2021
53: Gates McFadden, Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek TNG
You know her best as Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek TNG, and she's now the host of a brand new podcast from the Nacelle Company. Get ready to hear from Gates McFadden, and learn the secrets about her upcoming show, where she will be chatting with many of her former Trek cast members, including Jonathan Frakes, Wil Wheaton, and Michael Dorn, to name a few, who tell personal stories that you've never heard before.
In addition to her podcast, Gates tells us some great Star Trek stories, including discussions on some fan-favorite episodes like choreographing the dance scenes in "Data's Day" with Brent Spiner, her thoughts on the romance in "The Host," and having ghostly orgasms in the infamous "Sub-Rosa." Plus, working with The Muppets and being hazed by Kermit the Frog, what Gates thinks of her action figures, stories from her theater career, and the play she did with Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, and Colm Meaney during the last season of production on TNG, "Every G…
playlist_add
Apr 29, 2021
52: Ron Canada talks Star Trek TNG, DS9 and VOY
Ron Canada went from Harlem to the Delta Quadrant in the span of his over four-decade-long career on stage and screen, starting in NYC in theater and not long after in Hollywood with over 200 appearances in the many facets of his performing resume. Trekkies may remember Ron best as Martin Benbeck in the Star Trek TNG episode "The Masterpiece Society," the Klingon lawyer Ch'Pok from Star Trek DS9's "Rules of Engagement," and on Voyager as the Malon freighter captain named Fesek from "Juggernaut."
Ron reminisces about how he was cast in Star Trek, working with Patrick Stewart and the brilliant ways he showed off the different faces of anger through Martin, acting alongside Avery Brooks and Michael Dorn in a very memorable legal episode of DS9 that was directed by Levar Burton, sitting in the makeup chair to be a Klingon and Malon, the challenging conditions of filming his episode of Voyager, and the story of how Ron was almost cast as Martok but lost out to his former roommate J.G. Hert…
playlist_add
Apr 22, 2021
51: Harvey Jason, Felix Leech from “The Big Goodbye” on Star Trek TNG
One of the best episodes from the first season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was "The Big Goodbye." This was the series first intensive look into the holodecks, and it gave us an unforgettable film noir story that featured today's guest, Harvey Jason. Mr. Jason played Felix Leech; a Peter Lorre-inspired character who, along with Lawrence Tierney, terrorize Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, and Gates McFadden in the first TNG episode to feature Dixon Hill.
Harvey tells us all about working on this episode, working with the stars, and his impressions of the set and actors. We also discuss another Gene Roddenberry project that Harvey worked on, "Genesis II," in which he acted alongside Majel Barrett and Ted Cassidy.
These days, Harvey runs a very successful book store with his son, Mystery Pier Books, and tells us all about the celebrity clientele, his favorite books and offers some reading suggestions for you.
Plus, stories about Michael Caine, and memories of working on "Wonder…
playlist_add
Apr 15, 2021
50: Jonathan Frakes talks Star Trek TNG & Directing
Trek Untold is celebrating their 50th episode and nearly a full year of shows, a big milestone for this podcast! What better way to celebrate this first anniversary than by talking with another Number One.
This week, Jonathan Frakes joins the show to tell some stories about playing William Riker in all seven seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”, as well as the four TNG movies, and appearances in “Star Trek: Picard” and “Lower Decks.” Frakes also directed many episodes of Trek shows and two of the movies, along with a huge list of other television shows.
Frakes tells some stories about specific TNG episodes like “The Outcast”, “Sub Rosa” and “The Offspring” (his directorial debut), tales about his action figures, and the secret origins behind a major part of Riker’s character. Plus, his philosophies on directing, working with Patrick Stewart in “Picard”, his on-screen relationship with Marina Sirtis, and which “Star Trek: Discovery” performer h…
playlist_add
Apr 8, 2021
49: Paul R. Coyle, Writer on Star Trek TNG, DS9 & VOY
Paul Robert Coyle has a storied past when it comes to writing television, pun intended. He has worked on and contributed to scripts for "Simon & Simon," "Barnaby Jones," "CHiPs," "Superboy," and more, but most listeners today would know him best for his work on several Star Trek episodes and his time on "Hercules" and "Xena."
Paul tells us about some of the Star Trek scripts he wrote or contributed to, including the DS9 episode "Whispers" and the VOY episode "State of Flux," where he conceptualized the character of Seska. He also tells us about learning how to write from Dorothy Fontana, his first meeting with Gene Roddenberry, and the debacle that was his attempt to write an episode of the Star Trek animated series.
We also spend a little time discussing his time as a writer and producer on "Xena" and "Hercules," including the creation of their mirror universe and the time Paul R. Coyle was played by Michael Hurst in an actual episode!
Order "Swords, Starships and Superheroes: From…
playlist_add
Apr 1, 2021
48: Jessica Gaona, young B'Elanna Torres from "Star Trek: Voyager"
Jessica Gaona began acting at a very young age. She enjoyed two appearances in "Star Trek: Voyager: and other shows before taking a break from being behind the camera to find a new path in life.
Her first appearance was as an alien extra in the season six episode "Memorial," but Trekkies may remember her best as young B'Elanna Torres from the seventh season episode "Lineage." Jessica reminisces about being on the set of a Star Trek show, what the Klingon makeup process was like for an 11-year-old, meeting the show's stars, including Roxann Dawson, what the overall experience was like.
We also discuss what she's doing these days, which includes a freelance illustration career centered around anime and gaming conventions and her love of strength & fitness competitions.
Check out Jessica on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alpacaparty/
Support her on Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/jessicag
Support Trek Untold by checking out our merchandise at https://teespring.com/stores/trekuntold…
playlist_add
Mar 25, 2021
47: Ian Lake, Tolor from "Star Trek: Discovery"
Ian Lake appeared in two episodes of the third season of "Star Trek: Discovery" as Tolor, an Orion who runs a salvage yard for his aunt Osyraa of the Emerald Chain. He appeared first in "Scavengers" and again in "The Sanctuary."
Ian talks about the highly secretive audition process for DISCO, the makeup transformation process of physically becoming an Orion and the moment the character came together for him, sharing the screen with Soneqhua Martin-Green & Michelle Yeoh and having a fight scene with them, advice from Doug Jones, ad-libs and deleted scenes, being directed by Jonathan Frakes and killed by Janet Kidder in the same episode, and how Discovery is one of the best sets he has ever worked on.
Plus, how Ian's Shakespearean training has affected his acting, being in "The Murdoch Mysteries," "The Art of Racing In The Rain," and more.
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
Pick up Armin Shimerman's new book "Illyria: Betrayal of Angels" from Am…
playlist_add
Mar 18, 2021
46: Tom Morga, Star Trek Stuntman from 1979-2005
Stunt performers are some of the most fascinating people in Hollywood to listen to, and our guest on this episode is no exception to the rule. Tom Morga first appeared in 1979 as a double for Leonard Nimoy in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and worked in nearly all of the TOS movies. From there, he joined the crew of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as a stunt performer and double, as well as assistant stunt coordinator alongside Dennis Madalone.
Tom worked on TNG, DS9, VOY, Enterprise, and the Nemesis film. He is the "most seen stunt performer" in all of Star Trek, playing nearly every alien you can name, and has taken punches and done falls with the best of them! If you check his Memory Alpha page, it literally says "Too many to list"!
In addition to Trek, we also discuss some of his other work in stunts on a resume with over 100 productions, including his time as Harold Ramis' stunt double in "Ghostbusters," working with Jackie Chan in his first feature film in the US, Gene Lebell…
playlist_add
Mar 11, 2021
45: John Putch, Mendon & Mordock from Star Trek TNG & Reporter from “Generations”
The Benzites are one of my favorite aliens in Star Trek, and on this episode of “Trek Untold,” we speak with the man behind the makeup of the very first one ever seen onscreen, John Putch.
Putch was in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” twice, first as Mordock in the first season episode “Coming of Age” and returned as Mendon in “A Matter of Honor” in season two. We learn about the makeup process and origins of this alien and what it was like working with Wil Wheaton, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and others from TNG.
John was also in the opening scenes of the “Star Trek: Generations” movie as a journalist with a video camera running on his head. He was there for when William Shatner, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig boarded the Enterprise-B with Alan Ruck, and he has A LOT of Shatner stories to tell you about!
Plus, stories of his mother Jean Stapleton AKA Edith Bunker from “All in The Family” and growing up around Norman Lear,…
playlist_add
Mar 4, 2021
44: Dey Young, Actress from Star Trek TNG, DS9 & Enterprise
Dey Young, Actress from Star Trek TNG, DS9 & Enterprise
Trek fans will remember Dey Young best from her roles as Hannah Bates in the TNG episode "Masterpiece Society," Arissa from the DS9 episode "A Simple Investigation," and Keyla from ENT in "Two Days and Two Nights."
Dey tells us stories about working with Levar Burton, Rene Auberjonois, and Scott Bakula, what it's like to not only kiss a changeling but be the first character to sleep with Odo, and why Arissa is one of the highlights of her acting career. We also discuss the art that Dey makes today, which is sculpting beautiful works in bronze and marble.
Plus, stories from "Rock & Roll High School" with The Ramones, acting with William Shatner in "TJ Hooker" and again decades later in "Boston Legal," her infamous moment in "Pretty Woman" with Julia Roberts, and more!
Learn more about Dey's artwork by visiting her official site - http://www.deyyoungart.com/
Order Walker Brandt's book "Awaken: Discovering Yourself Through the L…
playlist_add
Feb 25, 2021
43: Marc Okrand, creator of the Klingon & Vulcan Languages
Without today's guest, the universe of Star Trek would sound very different. Marc Okrand is the man behind Klingon, Vulcan, Kelpien, and languages for other shows & films.
Before his time on Trek, Marc earned a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in indigenous languages of the west coast of America, and was a post-doctoral fellow in the Anthropology Department of the Smithsonian Institute.
We learn about how Marc became connected to the Star Trek universe thanks to his work on TV during the early days of closed captioning, and what he contributed to the Vulcan language in "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan" and the creation of the Klingon language in "Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock". There, Marc worked directly with star & director Leonard Nimoy and Christopher Lloyd on-set to make sure the lines were correct.
Marc continued to expand on the Klingon language through the years, contributing to other Star Trek films & TV shows, and later crea…
playlist_add
Feb 18, 2021
42: Susan Diol, Danara Pel on “Star Trek: Voyager”
Susan Diol's acting career spans dozens of TV shows and theatrical works, but Trekkies know her best as the Vidiian hematologist, Dr. Danara Pel, from two episodes of "Star Trek: Voyager" titled "Lifesigns" and "Resolutions." Before her time on Voyager, she appeared as a scientist named Carmen Davila on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in "Silicon Avatar." However, her character didn't make it past the opening act for reasons you'll understand when you watch the episode.
Susan was also one of the actresses initially considered for the role of Captain Janeway.
Throughout her career, Susan has worked with Andy griffin, Dick van Dyke, Megan Mullaly, John Larroquette, Candace Bergan, Jerry Seinfeld, and Mark Harmon, to name a few. She has performed on Broadway and in LA and worked with some legends in the theater.
We discuss her time on TNG and VOY, including her memories of Robert Picardo, wearing the heavy makeup and prosthetics to become a Vidiian with the Phage, and how some of her…
playlist_add
Feb 11, 2021
41: Tim Lounibos, Lt. Daniel Kwan on Star Trek TNG
Trekkies may remember Tim as Lt. Daniel Kwan from the season 7 episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" titled "Eye of the Beholder," but he was also Vin Asunder in the "Star Trek Away Team" video game and has one more surprising Star Trek role that you have to hear about. We discuss the makeup process to become a Napien, behind the scenes stories of Jonathan Frakes and Gates McFadden, and other fond memories from filming the episode, and the reaction after.
Tim also tells us what it was like for an Asian-American actor trying to break into Hollywood in the early '90s, his time on the Hollywood Squares set while filming an episode of "The Nanny," memories of sharing the stage with Michael Forest AKA Apollo from the Star Trek TOS episode "Who Mourns Adonis?", working on "Bosch," "Saved By The Bell: The New Class" and "All-American Girl" with Margaret Cho - a story that involves Garrett Wang from "Star Trek: Voyager."
Plus, he explains why he left Hollywood for seven years and what…
playlist_add
Feb 4, 2021
40: Billy Van Zandt, Rhaandarite Ensign from “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”
Trekkies will remember Billy Van Zandt from one memorable appearance in the Star Trek franchise, but you may know him better for his acclaimed work as a writer and producer for TV & theater, alongside his writing partner Jane Milmore.
Born in New Jersey, Billy headed to Hollywood to pursue an acting career inspired by Lucille Ball. Logically, his first stop was Lucille's home, and he has a story about that, as well as working with her and Gale Gordon on "Life with Lucy" and later producing an Emmy award-winning CBS TV special about her. He is also known for his roles in "Jaws 2" with Rob Scheider and "TAPS" with Tom Cruise, Sean Pen, and George C. Scott, which we spend some time chatting about today.
Billy stepped into the world of Trek in 1979 as the Rhaadarite in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and talks about being cast in the film, his thoughts on the new look of Trek and their uniforms, memories of the principal cast, and his extensive makeup process with Ve Neill to become this…
playlist_add
Jan 28, 2021
39: Steve Neill, Special Effects Makeup Artist
Today, we're speaking with Steve Neill, who is known for his special effects work on "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," specifically making Leonard Nimoy's Vulcan ears and the makeup for the Rhaandarites. He also worked on some of the other Trek films, along with the pilot for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" titled "Encounter at Farpoint" for a scene that was ultimately unused.
Beyond Trek, Steve's worked on "Laser Blast," "Ghostbusters," "Fright Night," "The Stuff," "Return of Swamp Thing," "Puppet Master," and more. This includes a McDonald's commercial with a unique Star Trek connection, as Doug Jones was Mac Tonight, and Steve made the mask for him!
These days, Steve continues to make models and masks for himself and for fans to purchase, including a series of Star Trek TOS characters. He's gained recognition for his custom builds of enormous versions of the original Enterprise and a 1:1 scale replica of the original captain's chair. Learn all about this interesting SFX artist who…
playlist_add
Jan 21, 2021
38: Jeff Russo, Composer of "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Picard"
Jeff Russo has gone from rock bands in NYC to composing scores for Hollywood, and Trek fans will know him best for creating the music for "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Picard."
Before he started scoring soundtracks, Jeff was part of the Grammy-nominated band TONIC, whose music you can hear in "Scream 2" and "American Pie," and their music videos have millions of views on Youtube. His journey in music led him to score TV shows like "Fargo," "Lucifer," and "The Umbrella Academy," where he got to work with Gerard Way from "My Chemical Romance," as well as the world of Star Trek.
We talk about his experiences working on these shows, his philosophy on making music, creating the sounds of the Star Trek universe, working with Isa Briones on "Blue Skies," his fandom for Star Trek, and his reaction to what happens in "Star Trek: Picard," and how the COVID-19 Pandemic changed how TV shows were scored, especially during season 3 of Discovery.
Support Trek Untold by checking out our me…
playlist_add
Jan 14, 2021
37: Dennis Madalone, Stunt Coordinator Star Trek TNG, DS9 & VOY
Stunts make the show, and on this episode, we dive deep into the world of action for Star Trek. We are joined by Dennis Madalone, the stunt coordinator for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager."
Dennis first appeared in Star Trek 6 as a Klingon and eventually got a chance to work on TNG, leading him to become a stunt coordinator on the show, and eventually, most of the series during the '90s. We talk about how stunts and action scenes get put together, doubling for actors, the most dangerous stunt he ever did on Trek, the worst day on the job as a Jem'Hadar, who was the best at doing their own stunts, and more from his time in Trek.
Beyond star trek, Dennis has fallen off tall buildings or been hit by cars for shows and films like "The Greatest American Hero," where he doubled for William Katt, "Darkman," "The Guyver," "Army of Darkness," "Pulp Fiction," "The X-Files," and over a hundred other credited projects. We talk about a few of those today, as well…
playlist_add
Jan 7, 2021
36: Duncan Regehr, The Sex-Candle Ghost from "Star Trek TNG" and Shakaar on DS9
In the decorated annals of Star Trek memes, few are as strong and enduring as the sex-candle ghost from the seventh season TNG episode "Sub Rosa." In this episode, we are honored to have that spirit take physical form, as we speak with the actor who brought Ronin to life, Duncan Regehr.
While many fans know him best from TNG, he was also Shakaar in three episodes of Star Trek DS9. We discuss both of those roles, including his thoughts on "Sub Rosa" and all of the memes, working with Gates McFadden and a take for that episode that was too hot for TV, acting with Nana Visitor, and why Shakaar didn't appear as much as he could have in the series, and much more.
We also discuss some of Duncan's other memorable roles, including Count Dracula in "The Monster Squad," playing Zorro with another Star Trek alumni Henry Darrow in the 90's Zorro TV show, his portrayal of Errol Flynn in "My Wicked, Wicked Ways," and much more.
In addition to being a classically-trained veteran actor, Duncan is a…
playlist_add
Dec 31, 2020
35: Best of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Guests from 2020
It's been a great year for "Trek Untold" when it came to guests from DS9, and in this episode, we revisit a few of my favorite conversations from performers who I interviewed earlier in 2020. Listen to great stories from Kaitlin Hopkins, Phil Morris, Juliana Donald, Erick Avari, Hilary Shepard, Chase Masterson, Max Grodenchik, and Armin Shimerman, and get caught up on some of the wonderful memories these folks had from their time on Deep Space Nine.
Pick up Armin Shimerman's new book "Illyria: Betrayal of Angels" from Amazon.com- https://buff.ly/35OYAAp
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
* *
*The views expressed on air during Trek Untold do not represent the views of the RAGE Works staff, partners, or affiliates. *
_ _
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as accessories and playsets for all iterations of Trek figures throu…
playlist_add
Dec 24, 2020
34: Best of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Guests from 2020
In this episode of "Trek Untold," we take a trip back in time, but not too far back, so we don't get in trouble with any temporal agents. We're revisiting some stories from past guests this year who appeared in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," including our episodes with Ursaline Bryant, Spencer Garrett, Erick Avari, Juliana Donald, Alex Datcher, Lycia Naff, and Armin Shimerman. It's a great way to catch up on the show if you're a new listener or a nice way to remember some excellent tales we heard from these wonderful actors in 2020.
Order Walker Brandt's book "Awaken: Discovering Yourself Through the Light of Your Innocence" from Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/32WsiCJ
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
* *
*The views expressed on air during Trek Untold do not represent the views of the RAGE Works staff, partners, or affiliates. *
_ _
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired pr…
playlist_add
Dec 17, 2020
33: Alexander Siddig, Dr. Julian Bashir from Star Trek DS9
Get a taste of some real frontier medicine with the one and only Alexander Siddig, AKA Dr. Julian Bashir from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"!
Alexander is here to promote his newest movie, SKYLINES, the finale of the "Skyline" series where he played General Radford, and he had a lot of fun making this movie. Of course, we spend plenty of time discussing his time on DS9, including stories about the infamous episode "Move Along Home," memories of Avery Brooks and working on "Past Tense," directing "Profit and Lace," Daphne Ashbrook in "Melora," Andrew Robinson as Garak, thoughts on his first Star Trek action figure, and more!
Plus, memories of Chadwick Boseman from "21 Bridges", making realistic three-dimensional Arabic characters in media, and memories of the first professional gig he ever had - "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid"!
Vertical Entertainment will release SKYLINES in select Theaters, Drive-ins, On Demand, and Digital on December 18th.
Watch the trailer for SKYLINES at this link - h…
playlist_add
Dec 10, 2020
32: Ben Robinson, Star Trek Book Author & Head of Hero Collector
If you collect anything from Star Trek, chances are you have at least one of those Hero Collector die-cast starships somewhere in it. Today, we're speaking with the man responsible for that line, Ben Robinson.
Ben is the head of Hero Collector, a division of Eaglemoss, and has been the man behind their Star Trek, Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, WWE, Aliens, Ghostbusters, Marvel and DC figure collections, among other licenses. He's also an author of over a dozen books on Star Trek, including a new one being released this holiday season.
Ben discusses growing up in England and what led him towards writing, working on the Star Trek Fact Files and Official Star Trek Magazines, and some memorable moments from interviews with cast members. We also learn about the process behind making the Hero Collector starship line and chat about the toy industry to see why Trek toys seem to struggle in big chain stores.
A slew of new books just came out, and we talk about them, including "Star Trek N…
playlist_add
Dec 3, 2020
31: Armin Shimerman, Quark from Star Trek DS9 Answers Your Fan Questions
If you're ever on DS9 and need a place to wet your whistle, run – don't walk – to Quark's Bar! Today, we speak with Armin Shimerman, most famously known to Trek fans as Quark from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." He's here to answer fan-submitted questions and discuss his new book, "Illyria: Betrayal of Angels," the first in a historical-fiction trilogy starring a young William Shakespeare.
Armin, who is also an adjunct professor of Shakespeare, talks to us about the long process of writing this book and how to better understand the language of the writing from this era.
Armin tells us about his Star Trek: The Next Generation" debut, which was actually in "Haven" as the Betazoid Gift Box, and then discusses his first time as the Ferengi in "The Last Outpost." He has some big regrets about this appearance and tells us why he thinks he almost killed the Ferengi!
Armin breathed new life into the Ferengi years later when he played Quark on DS9 for seven seasons and shares some stories…
playlist_add
Nov 26, 2020
30: Lycia Naff AKA Ensign Sonya Gomez on "Star Trek TNG"
Lycia Naff is known best to Star Trek fans for her two appearances in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as Ensign Sonya Gomez from the second season episodes "Q Who" and "Samaritan Snare". Meant to be a love interest for Geordi LaForge, things didn't work out for Ensign Gomez after spilling her hot chocolate on Captain Picard. Lycia tells us the behind-the-scenes story about what happened to her character, and what happened to the third episode she was meant to appear in that would have changed Geordi's character. Plus, memories of seeing the Borg in their debut appearance, working with the cast & crew including having to spill hot liquids on Patrick Stewart, and why she believes Ensign Gomez never returned.
You may also recognize Lycia from her role in "Total Recall" as the three-breasted mutant hooker on Mars! Lycia recalls working with Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger in this iconic and memorable role, with some happy stories and one "explosive" tale.
Lycia explains why she…
playlist_add
Nov 18, 2020
29: Dave Baker, Writer of IDW Comics' "Star Trek Voyager: Seven's Reckoning"
Comics and Star Trek have a long history together, one that continues to this day. Nearly every major comic company has held the license, from Marvel, DC, Malibu Comics, and today it resides under IDW Publishing. In this episode of "Trek Untold," we speak with the writer for the most recent Trek mini-series coming out that just came out this week, Dave Baker.
Dave is the writer of "Star Trek Voyager: Seven's Reckoning," drawn by Angel Hernandez and colored by Ronda Pattison. We discuss his history of comics, the road he took to become a professional writer, and his odd history of becoming a Star Trek fan. Baker talks us through his latest Trek comic, which is all about Seven of Nine, writing dialogue for familiar characters like Captain Janeway and Tuvok, creating new alien races, and working with CBS to have the comic approved. We also spend some time discussing his work for the "Star Trek Waypoint Special" in 2018, which features a story he wrote that was drawn by Nicole Goux.
Dave…
playlist_add
Nov 12, 2020
28: Max Grodénchik, Rom from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
It's time for me to turn into a fanboy on the show, and I hope the same happens to you when you listen to this interview with Max Grodénchik. You may remember Max best as Rom from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the brother of Quark who rose up from being a bumbling buffoon into being married to the lovely Leeta, was the father of the first Ferengi in Starfleet, and ultimately became the Grand Nagus of Ferenginar!
Max is one of my favorite character actors of all time, and Rom is one of my favorite characters in all of Star Trek, so we talk in-depth about his experiences on DS9, including wearing the makeup, stories about Armin Shimerman & Aron Eisenberg, how he developed the voice and mannerisms of Rom, and Max even critiques my Rom voice!
Before DS9, Max played two other Ferengi in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in the episodes "Captain's Holiday" and "The Perfect Mate," and shares memories of working with Patrick Stewart and Famke Janssen, as well as his reaction to the first tim…
playlist_add
Nov 5, 2020
27: Sheila McCarthy, Amesha from "Star Trek Discovery"
Sheila McCarthy is one of the best actresses you've likely never heard of - because most of her career has been in Canada! She's had plenty of prominent roles in the US too, and in 2019 she appeared in the second season episode of "Star Trek Discovery" titled "New Eden" as Amesha the All-Mother. In this episode, we discuss the secretive audition process for DISCO, working with Sonequa Martin-Green and Anson Mount, being directed by Jonathan Frakes, and other fond memories of acting in the episode.
We delve into Sheila's past, as she remembers what she learned under the tutelage of the legendary Uta Hagen, lessons from the Second City Improv Troupe and run-ins with John Candy and Robin Williams, her breakthrough role in "I've Heard the Mermaids Singing" and how it was interconnected to so many other roles in her career, including "Stepping Out" with Liza Minelli. Plus, Disney's "Paradise," screen-testing with Kevin Costner for "Field of Dreams," working with Bruce Willis in "Die Hard 2…
playlist_add
Oct 29, 2020
26: Phil Morris talks Star Trek TOS, DS9, VOY & More
Phil Morris is another of those actors whose face you've seen many times (200 to be exact) but whose name you may not have known until today. His father is the famous Greg Morris from the original "Mission: Impossible" show, and we spoke with his sister Iona Morris a few months back on this show, so acting is in his family's blood!
Phil has been in the Star Trek franchise FIVE times, starting when he was a child in the original series in the season 1 episode "Miri". He explains how he got cast on the show, and the scene they didn’t warn any of the kids about! Over 20 years later, Phil returned to Trek and worked face to face with William Shatner in "Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock", and recalls the brilliant piece of direction Leonard Nimoy told him before his scene.
Fast forward a few years later and Phil made his way to DS9 in “Looking for Par’Mach in All The Wrong Places”, where he tells us about becoming a Klingon, learning to fight with a batleth against Armin Shimmerm…
playlist_add
Oct 22, 2020
25: Erick Avari talks Star Trek TNG, DS9 & ENT
Today’s guest is a man whose face you’ve seen hundreds of times in movies and TV shows, but you probably never knew his name until now. Erick Avari boasts a resume of big appearances in tons of well-known things, and three of those are Star Trek!
Erick first appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode from season 5 titled “Unification Part 1” as the Klingon warrior B’ijik, and then returned to the franchise in season 3 of Deep Space Nine as Vedek Yarka in “Destiny.” He followed that up with one more Trek appearance in the season 1 episode of Enterprise titled “Terra Nova” as Jamin. We discuss how he got these roles, the makeup he had to wear for them, acting with Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Scott Bakula, how different each of these shows were, and much more.
Plus, Erick tells us the story of growing up in India and coming to America where he first discovered his affinity for Star Trek, his family’s lineage in stage and cinema, some of Erick’s Broadw…
playlist_add
Oct 15, 2020
24: Conrad Coates, Admiral Terral on "Star Trek Discovery"
With a new season of "Star Trek Discovery" launching this week, it makes perfect sense for us to chat with a character actor from the series! Today, we have the prolific Conrad Coates, who you may recall as Admiral Terral, a Vulcan who appeared in four episodes during season 1.
Conrad talks to us about the hush-hush process for being cast on DISCO, what he thought of the Vulcan ears, how to effectively act as an alien species who can't emote, and what he did to make the role his own, an untold secret about the Discovery Starfleet uniforms, how he filmed the hologram sequences with Jason Isaacs, and more of his great memories from the show.
Plus, being on "Degrassi" and working with Aubrey Graham AKA Drake, being on Defiance as Tev'gin, time on the obscure "Car 54, Where Are You?" film, working with Steve Carrell in "Welcome to Marwen," being Bartik in "Tron Legacy" and "Tron Uprising" alongside Michael Sheen, the Conrad Coates acting academy, and teases us about who he plays in the u…
playlist_add
Oct 12, 2020
Bonus Minisode: Tae Phoenix & Chase Masterson from “Trek The Vote For A Fair Election”
With the 2020 Election only weeks away, Americans are preparing for one of the most important elections of this generation. On this bonus minisode of Trek Untold, we are talking with political activist and founder of "Trek The Vote For A Fair Election" Tae Phoenix, as well as one of the many Star Trek celebrities involved in this group, Chase Masterson AKA Leeta from "Star Trek DS9".
Tae and Chase talk about this bipartisan organization with the intent to make sure this election is fair and decisive, the groups and Star Trek actors that are involved, and why Trekkies will want to be a part of it.
For more information on "Trek The Vote For A Fair Election" and what you can do to get started, head to https://www.trekthe.vote/.
playlist_add
Oct 8, 2020
23: Makeup Artist Thomas E. Surprenant talks Star Trek TNG, DS9 & More
The Star Trek universe is nothing without its aliens, and these unique races are brought to life by some of the best makeup teams in Hollywood. Today we chat with an award-winning artist who worked on Star Trek for many years and was part of the Emmy award winning team on "Star Trek Deep Space Nine", Thomas E. Surprenant.
Thomas explains how he first became interested in special FX make-up and how he transformed his passion into a profession, info he received from the legendary Chris Mueller Jr and Charles Schram, behind the scenes stories from "Donnie Darko", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and his embarrassing tale with Luke Perry.
From there, we talk Trek, and Thomas explains how he got hired by Michael Westmore for the shows, what it was like working on TNG, DS9 and Generations simultaneously, what the intensive process is for making an actor become an alien, which surprising make-up he did the most on Star Trek that you would never expect, working on “Blood Oath” and Klingon Mak…
playlist_add
Oct 1, 2020
22: Alex Datcher, Ensign Tait on Star Trek TNG
The lower decks crew aboard a starship rarely get the recognition they deserve, so today, we get to chat with a Starfleet member whose quick thinking saved the entire Enterprise.
Alex Datcher played Ensign Tait on the season 7 opener "Descent Part 2" in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and it was a dream come true for her. Datcher walks us through the audition process, what it was like being on set and working with Gates McFadden, and more memories of her time onboard the Enterprise.
Alex also discusses her first time being on a TV show in "The Young and The Restless," working on the "Beauty and the Beast" TV series with Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman, The Cynthia Rothrock action film "Rage and Honor," being in a Perry Mason movie with Raymond Burr, Wesley Snipes stories from "Passenger 57" and how her previous job as a flight attendant helped her nail the audition, and what the worst role she ever had was, and much more!
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if…
playlist_add
Sep 24, 2020
21: Star Trek Historian Marc Cushman
The true history of the original Star Trek is one that has only really been unraveled in the last 20 years, and that is predominantly thanks to today's guest, Marc Cushman.
Marc is the author of "These Are The Voyages", six books that chronicle the history of the original Star Trek series with the most in-depth research ever. Marc tells us the story of how he became connected with Dorothy Fontana which led him to meeting Gene Roddenberry, and ultimately gaining access to Gene’s archives to create these encyclopedic works that tell the full story of Star Trek.
Marc answers a ton of listener-submitted questions and explains what Gene Roddenberry did before he became a TV show writer, how involved Lucille Ball really was in getting Star Trek on air and why she never did a cameo on the show, how Matt Jeffries designed the original enterprise and what the acronym NCC in NCC-1701 means, William Shatner stories, and behind the stories on fan-favorite episodes like concerns of plagiarism o…
playlist_add
Sep 17, 2020
20: Avaah Blackwell, Osnullus from "Star Trek Discovery"
It's no easy task to put on prosthetics in the Star Trek universe, but Avaah Blackwell is one actress that is up for the task. She went from a model to actress and is now on the road to being a stunt performer.
You would know Avaah from her role in "Star Trek: Discovery," but you've never seen her face since she plays a peculiar looking alien who serves aboard the Discovery called the Osnullus.
Avaah discusses the strange circumstances that led her to win the role of Osnullus, what it was like wearing the head for the first time, advice she received from Doug Jones, working with Jason Isaacs and Anson Mount, why she says the DISCO set is one of the best she has been on, and more Star Trek stories.
Plus, we talk about her international education in acting, a few of the interesting short films Avaah appeared in, her time on "12 Monkeys", making "Fan Girl Fights" with her friend, and her new career in stunt performing, including her time in an MMA movie and on the upcoming "Jupiter's L…
playlist_add
Sep 10, 2020
19: Chase Masterson Answers Your Questions About "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"!
You may know Chase Masterson best as Leeta from Star Trek DS9, or as Chase describes her character, "the Michelle Obama of Ferenginar"! Most recently, Chase starred in the sci-fi parody film "Unbelievable!!!!!" alongside 40 other actors from across the Star Trek universe.
We cover a lot of topics in this insightful interview, including working with Garrett Wang & Tim Russ on "Unbelievable!!!!!" and we answer a ton of DS9 questions submitted by listeners like you!
Chase explains how the role of Leeta went from a one-time appearance into a broader role, the secret backstory she created for the character's origins and motivations, sharing her first kiss on-screen ever with Max Grodenchik. The ad-lib Robert Picardo said immediately after, memories from some of her favorite episodes "Bar Association," "Profit and Lace," and "Doctor Bashir, I Presume,." If her looks helped or hindered her career and the sexuality of Star Trek, memories of working with Cecily Adams and Aron Eisenberg, and m…
playlist_add
Sep 3, 2020
18: Star Trek TOS Composer Gerald Fried + Angelique & Steven Fawcette from "Unbelievable!!!!!
For the first time on TREK UNTOLD, we are joined by three guests! Up first, we speak with Angelique & Steven Fawcette, the creative team behind the new sci-fi parody movie and Star Trek homage, "Unbelievable!!!!!" which features over 40 actors from five different Star Trek series, along with Michael Madsen, Robert Davi, and Snoop Dogg. Oh, and did we mention a marionette Captain Kirk made by the same team who did the puppets for "Team America"? Yeah, that's there too. The Fawcettes talk to us about working with so many different Trek alumni, the kismet moment that led to Michael Madsen being in it, and give us some behind-the-scenes stories of making the film.
Following that, we speak with Gerald Fried, the last living composer who worked on the original Star Trek series. At 92, Mr. Fried is just as sharp and has a lifetime of great stories, and came out of retirement to make the score for "Unbelievable!!!!!". Gerald composed five pieces for Star Trek for the episodes "Cat's Paw," "Sh…
playlist_add
Aug 27, 2020
17: Dana Sparks, Ensign Williams from Star Trek TNG "Contagion"
Dana Sparks has accomplished a lot in Hollywood and has an extensive resume to prove it. Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" will remember Dana from her appearances in the episode "Contagion" as Ensign Williams. We discuss her memories of the TNG set, wearing the uniform, interacting with Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and Wil Wheaton on the bridge of the Enterprise.
We also chat about working with Julie Andrews and Jack Lemmon in one of her earliest roles, working on "Falcon Crest," fond memories of Angela Lansbury on "Murder, She Wrote," having caviar dropped in her hair by Bob Saget on "Full House," remembering an obscure show called "Gabriel’s Fire” that starred James Earl Jones, and her time in the peculiar soap opera “Passions.”
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
*The views expressed on air during Trek Untold do not represent the views of the RAGE Works staff, partners, or affiliates. *
_Trek Untold_ is sponsored by Triple-F…
playlist_add
Aug 20, 2020
16: Hilary Shepard, Lauren from Star Trek DS9 "Statistical Probabilities" & "Chrysalis"
Hilary Shepard has terrorized teens with attitudes, did aerobics with Bea Arthur & Betty White, and tried to seduce Starfleet officers, among other accomplishments through her diverse career.
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" fans will remember her as ensign Hoya from "The Ship," and her two appearances as Lauren, the lusty genetically enhanced genius from "Statistical Probabilities" and "Chrysalis," but many fans like myself know her best as the evil Divatox from "Power Rangers Turbo"!
We talk about dancing with Alexander Siddig and singing with The Jack Pack, how she got the role and what inspired her performance, and being directed by Anson Williams AKA Pottsy from "Happy Days"!
Plus, memories of her all-girl band "American Girls," working with young Johnny Depp in one of his earliest roles "Private Resort," being an aerobics instructor on "The Golden Girls" and hanging out with Jon Stamos on "Full House," being an evil villain in a Meatloaf music video, grinding on Steve Carrell in "…
playlist_add
Aug 13, 2020
15: Scott Hensey on Sculpting 90's "Star Trek" Figures
One of the main reasons I became such a big Star Trek lover was because of the action figures, and I had the pleasure of talking to one of the people whose hands were responsible for making those toys.
Scott Hensey began working on the Playmates Star Trek series on day one, sculpting the first wave of figures in 1992 and remained crafting them until the end of the line. Scott explains the ins and outs of making Trek toys as well as other properties he worked on, and answers fan-submitted questions like why the figures were posed oddly, why Riker's shirt was torn up, which figures he always wanted to make but never could, and much more.
Plus, what happened when WWF wrestlers got their hands on his LJN prototypes, what Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones said about their "Men In Black" figures, and stories about working on TMNT, Toxic Crusaders, Earthworm Jim, Skeleton Warriors, The Coneheads and other toy lines!
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
If…
playlist_add
Aug 6, 2020
14: Juliana Donald
Today's guest is only one degree of separation away from Patrick Stewart, and Kermit, the Frog! Juliana Donald got her start in Hollywood with a major role in "The Muppets Take Manhattan." She followed it up with appearances in many other shows and films en route to appearing three times in the Star Trek universe.
Juliana first appeared in the season three episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" titled "A Matter of Perspective," and followed it up a few years later in the third season "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode where she seductively rubbed Quark's ears in "Prophet Motive." Her last appearance saw her in the bizarre interactive video game, "Star Trek: Borg."
In this episode, we discuss working on one of the hardest to shoot episodes of TNG that was ultimately panned, being directed on DS9 by Rene Auberjonois in his first time under that role, a hilarious story about Armin Shimmerman, and why the Borg video game was the death knell for her career in Trek.
Plus, Juliana's…
playlist_add
Jul 30, 2020
13: Garth Pillsbury
At 82 years old, today's guest on "Trek Untold" proves that age is just a number as long as you keep learning and growing. A classically trained actor, Garth Pillsbury appeared in two episodes of the original Star Trek series, "Mirror, Mirror" and "The Cloud Minders". Beyond Trek, Pillsbury went on to appear in cult hits and exploitation films, eventually discovering photography and cinematography which put him down new career paths.
We discuss why William Shatner didn't want him “punching” him during a scene, working on "Beyond The Valley of The Dolls" with Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert, fixing up Marlon Brando’s house, hanging out with Robert Mitchum at a party, appearing in one of Kevin Costner’s earliest movies as a lead in “Stacy’s Knights”, becoming a professional photographer with pics in Playboy and Penthouse, his advice to aspiring actors, and more.
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media -
Face…
playlist_add
Jul 23, 2020
12: Walker Brandt, Cadet Jean Hajar in Star Trek TNG
Walker Brandt fought through a troubled childhood to get on the road towards some amazing experiences thanks to her acting career, and today she shares many of these entertaining and life-changing stories with us.
Walker appeared in the fifth season TNG episode titled "The First Duty", playing the role of Cadet Jean Hajar in the first episode to take us to Starfleet Academy. In this episode, she shared the screen with Patrick Stewart, Wil Wheaton, and Robert Duncan McNeill before he played Tom Paris on "Star Trek Voyager", while her crewmates stand trial for an accident gone horribly wrong where the students must decide what is more important - their careers or the truth.
We discuss why Walker felt a personal connection to Cadet Hajar and how that affected her portrayal of the character, watching cartoons with Wil Wheaton, and other memories from her time in the Star Trek universe.
Plus, what she learned about acting from Uta Hagen, Larry Moss, and Bruno Kirby, working with Jake Gyl…
playlist_add
Jul 16, 2020
11: Carl Held
It's always a special day when we have the opportunity to chat with an actor from the original Star Trek series, especially one with a resume like today's guest. Carl Held appeared in the first season episode "The Return of The Archons" as Lt. Lindstrom, a character with a decent amount of screen time, but whose face was covered up by Shatner in most scenes, and whose sub-plot was completely eliminated from the final cut. You can bet we get to the bottom of why that happened!
Growing up during the Great Depression and serving in the US military, his first big stage performance in the late 1950s, where he met his wife and fellow Trek Alumni Sarah Marshall and some actor you may have heard of - William Shatner - who he understudied for. He also explains why he believes his casting in the episode was a mistake by Gene Roddenberry, and why so many of his scenes were cut from the episode. Plus, getting a ride home from Deforest Kelley and being beaned in the head by a rock in the show!
Pl…
playlist_add
Jul 9, 2020
10: Tracee Lee Cocco
You may not immediately know the name Tracee Lee Cocco, but once you see her face in a Starfleet uniform, you'll find her popping up again and again. Tracee appeared in over a hundred episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as Lt. Jae, and reprised her role for three of the four TNG movies. She's also been on DS9 and Voyager as different alien species. There are a handful of actors like Tracee who made a career of being in the background of the Enterprise, and she has many tales to tell of her time on set.
Plus, meeting Sharon Stone while dressed as an Antican, walking the streets of LA as a Ferengi, The infamous Riker chase blooper, doing a fight scene with Pamela Anderson, and being in a Snoop Dogg music video! Most importantly, were Lt. Jae and Captain Picard an item? All this and more on this episode of "Trek Untold"!
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
The views expressed on air during Trek Untold do not represent the views of the RAGE…
playlist_add
Jul 2, 2020
09: Propmaker Michael Moore on Making "Star Trek" Movie Props
The technology of Star Trek is one of the most fascinating parts of the shows, but since we live in the 21st century, creating futuristic tech still requires contemporary methods. Today we speak with Master Propmaker Michael Moore, who has been building props for Hollywood for decades. In this episode, Michael talks to us exclusively about his work on Star Trek movie props, which he began as an assistant during the fourth TOS movie, and continued to work on through all of the four TNG films and the first JJ Abrams movie.
Michael explains how he became interested in making props and how he turned his passion into his profession, how you define a prop when it comes to Star Trek, stories about pieces from the TOS and TNG movies including Spock's anti-gravity boots, phasers, commbadges, tricorders, borg technology, what was his worst day on set, and much more. Plus, how 3-D printing and COVID-19 has changed the landscape for prop making!
Check out Michael's Youtube channel "Propology 101…
playlist_add
Jun 25, 2020
08: Spencer Garrett, Simon Tarses from Star Trek TNG "The Drumhead"
When we talk about character actors, we are talking about the working backbone of the TV & film industry. Today, we are joined by the highly prolific Spencer Garrett, who holds over 200 acting credits to his name on a resume that continues to grow each day.
One of Spencer's first roles was actually his appearance on TNG in the episode "The Drumhead," where he played Crewman Tarses in a very memorable episode. We discuss acting with Patrick Stewart, Jean Simmons, being directed by Jonathan Frakes, wearing the pointy ears, and what was cut from the episode. He followed that up years later as a Starfleet hologram named Weiss in the VOY two-parter "Flesh & Blood," where we chat about working with Robert Picardo and Jeffrey Yagher, the surreal set filled with tons of aliens, and how sick he became from filming the opening scene of that episode.
Plus, growing up in a Hollywood house as a third-generation actor, his family connection to Star Trek, more Angela Lansbury stories, working with…
playlist_add
Jun 11, 2020
06: Tim Storms - Patrick Stewart's Stunt Double
Today's guest is an invisible warrior who you have seen on-screen plenty of times, but rarely his face. Tim Storms is a stunt performer who appeared in several episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise," but you may remember his most recent work as Sir Patrick Stewart's stunt double in "Star Trek: Picard."
Storms has been doubling for Picard since 2015, first on "Blunt Talk" and then following him to "Logan" before joining him once more for Picard. As we learn today, Storms actually met Stewart in his very first professional stunt gig on the set of Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood: Men in Tights!"
We learn about how Tim went from gymnastics to stunts, his first gig, training Laurence Fishburne for "The Matrix," kicking Scott Bakula for real on "Enterprise," and how the costumes and make-up made his stunts harder to do. Plus, hanging around with Hugh Jackman on "Logan," trying to stop Patrick Stewart from attempting his own stunts, surviving that big explosion from the pilot episode of "Picard," and…
playlist_add
Jun 4, 2020
05: Iona Morris
How many actors can say they appeared on TOS and VOY? Not many and today's guest is one of them. Iona Morris is the daughter of "Mission Impossible" star Greg Morris, and that led her to her acting debut on the TOS season one episode, "Miri." From there, acting would take a backseat to other things, but all roads eventually led back to performing in front of a lens, and Iona would make her return to Trek in the VOY two-parter "Workforce" over 30 years after her first appearance.
We discuss being cast in these roles, what it was like on the set of TOS and how William Shatner was with kids, the on-screen moment from that episode that wasn't acting, sharing the screen with Robert Duncan McNeill in VOY, and what went wrong during her performance in that episode.
Plus, Iona talks about her enormous voiceover career in anime before it was in the mainstream, becoming the voice of Storm on the X-Men animated series from the 90s, being directed by horror icon Wes Craven, the valuable lesson s…
playlist_add
May 28, 2020
04: Deborah May Takes The Lead
Sometimes, being typecast in Hollywood means being stuck in an unsavory role that you don't want to do. For some lucky people, they find amazing roles in the same vein, and Deborah May is one of those actresses who has had the joy of playing a strong female protagonist in much of her work.
On today's episode, we talk about how Deborah went from beauty pageant queen to actress, and how that road led her to two appearances on Star Trek series - First, her role as Haneek in the haunting DS9 episode "Sanctuary," and then as the matriarch Lyris in the VOY episode "Favorite Son." We discuss being cast in these roles, the differences between performing with Avery Brooks and Kate Mulgrew, her on-screen rapport with Nana Visitor, and working with her friend Rene Auberjonois. We also hear about how Deborah was ALMOST Captain Janeway in Voyager, and what Kate had to say to Deborah when she found out.
Plus, working with Betty White on "The Golden Girls" and Patty Duke in her autobiographical mov…
playlist_add
May 21, 2020
03: Harry Judge: From Shakespeare to Star Trek
If you watched "Discovery," you've seen this week's guest a few times - you just didn't know you were looking at him! Harry Judge has played multiple Tellarites in the first season of Disco under heavy prosthetics, including Admiral Gorch and Tevrin Krit. Our interview with him turned into a true master class of how to perform a role while completely covered up and weighed down by crazy costumes and make-up!
Harry talks about growing up in Canada, and how he became a Shakespearean trained actor, leading up to his roles in Star Trek. We chat the process of being suited up as an alien, what they don't tell you about wearing prosthetics, meeting Doug Jones, how to become a Tellarite and his process to transform into character, and working with Rainn Wilson on the Short Trek episode, "The Escape Artist." It's a very in-depth discussion that is an amazing resource for anyone interested in acting!
Plus, working on his first movie role alongside Dan Aykroyd, Dave Foley, and Dave Thomas, bei…
playlist_add
May 14, 2020
02: Ursaline Bryant
Ursaline Bryant played Captain Tryla Scott in TNG, a character who was the fastest officer promoted to captain in Starfleet history. You may remember her from the controversial season one episode, "Conspiracy," which is also one of the oddest entries in the entire Trek series.
Ursaline chats with us about her work before and after her time on Trek, what it was like working with Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes, taking her own fall from a phaser blast, eating from a cup of "worms," and being a part of Star Trek history.
Plus, being locked in a jail cell as a prostitute with "The Golden Girls," working with Redd Foxx, being trained by the legendary Mildred Burke to have an intense pro wrestling match in "All The Marbles" with Peter Falk, not breaking character on "Seinfeld," and her dramatic roles in "Flood Streets" with Harry Shearer, her love of Billie Holiday, and - who is Calafia?
Don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave a rating if you like us!
The views expressed on a…
playlist_add
May 7, 2020
01: Kaitlin Hopkins
In our debut episode of "Trek Untold," we chat with a person who knows a few things about dealing with Starfleet, whether it's peaceful negotiations or straight-up scamming them! Kaitlin Hopkins appeared in DS9 and Voyager in two memorable episodes, but beyond that, she has appeared in many other TV shows, movies, and theatrical productions.
We take a deep dive into her past to discuss growing up around Hollywood and the theater world, and what led her into acting. From there, we learn about her roles in Trek as the Vorta alien Kilana in the DS9 episode "The Ship" and Dala the grifter in the VOY episode "Live fast and Prosper," her on-screen rapport with Avery Brooks, the differences between the two sets and acting with Brooks and Kate Mulgrew, Jem'Hadar soldiers passing out from the California sun, and the deleted scene from her VOY episode that she wishes was kept in.
Plus, working with Angela Lansbury on "Murder, She Wrote," Dick Van Dyke on "Diagnosis Murder," and Jane Seymour on…
playlist_add
Apr 23, 2020
00: Trek Untold Preview Episode
In this special preview episode of Trek Untold, host Matthew Kaplowitz runs down everything you need to know about this all-new “Star Trek” inspired show. This guest-driven podcast focuses on discussions with character actors, stunt performers, directors, VFX artists, behind-the-scenes crew, and all of the people who make the Trek universe what it is today. The first episode beams down on May 7, 2020, so make sure you’re subscribed to hear the start of our never-ending mission.
Trek Untold is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as accessories and playsets for all iterations of Trek figures through the years. Visit them at Triple-Fictionproductions.net.
Follow Trek Untold on Social Media
•Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trekuntold
•Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/trekuntold
•Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trekuntold
Check Out Some of the Other Shows on the RAG…
playlist_add