We spoke w/ jonathansfrakes about about directing StarTrekDiscovery, 'Picard’ Season 2, how he dressed as Captain America in the ‘70s at cons/store openings, what it was like seeing GalaxyQuest for the first time, and more.
While everyone knows Jonathan Frakes for his work as William T. Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, what you might not realize is TNG opened the door to his true love: directing. After paying his dues behind-the-scenes by studying how TNG was made, Frakes assumed a new role in the director's chair for Season 3's "The Offspring.
FRAKES: It was nuts. A buddy of mine named Charlie Davis was doing Spider-Man, and he had a connection with somebody at Marvel, and they said, "Oh, now we want to send somebody out as Captain America." So I went up and I met Stan Lee briefly, but I met a woman whose name now goes out of my head. We were both given this gig and were rarely at conventions. We used to open up comic bookstores and 7-Eleven's. We had to go to Marvel and pick up the suits and sign them out.
On a lighter note, it used to be when you went to an audition, you sat in the hallway with a bunch of guys who you've seen before. You got to know each other because you were all always up for the same parts. Hopefully one of you would get the part. Hopefully it'd be a good enough part that you made your rent for the month. And then you go on to the next. That was the way it was for many, many years. And then you hope you get a pilot season, hope you get a pilot. Sometimes I did.
FRAKES: That is mind blowing to me. When I'm directing on Picard, for instance, I had an episode with John de Lancie, who played Q on our show, and Brent Spiner now plays another character on Picard, and Patrick and I. The four of us are sitting there and it was like a weekend had passed, but it had been 35 years, or something like that, since we had started this show together. And conventions still keep it alive. It's on somewhere every night on some obscure channel all over the world.
FRAKES: I know. Well that was the luck of the draw. That's what I'm saying, because it's pretty clear they're not all home runs. In those first couple seasons, there were a lot of real stinkers. So I was very, very fortunate, because if it had not been good and had not gone well, I think there wouldn't have been another one. They would've said, "Well, that didn't work out. I don't think we're going to let these actors direct.
FRAKES: We had a screening of First Contact about a month ago with a print that Todd Masters had finagled out of Paramount somehow, from the Visual Effects Society. And it was so much fun to watch it on the big screen again. I have not heard anything about that, but I think it's a fabulous idea.FRAKES: Yeah. You're not alone.
FRAKES: Yeah. I suspect that, I'm thinking specifically of some of the traipsing through the woods, and the Ba'ku, and stuff from Insurrection, that John wisely removed. You get too close to your own footage and you fall in love with it. Then somebody with a fresh eye said, "Man, that is just too long, and too boring, that shot." So you say, "Oh really?" "Yeah, I'm bored and it's got to go, or that's got to get cut back." Wiser heads prevail.
FRAKES: Discovery, from its inception, was, we were told to shoot to thrill essentially. That they were not afraid to go cinematic. They wanted to stay in that sort of J.J. world, which Alex Kurtzman had been part of with the lens flares, and a lot of crane shots, and not necessarily traditional coverage. That was so freeing, and so exciting on a television show, especially coming from some of the cable shows that I've worked on where it's really about your budget.
I know what you're talking about and agree. It's one of the rewards of watching a series progress through the seasons.In your episodes of Discovery, what ended up being the hardest shot to pull off and why? FRAKES: Yes. That's been developed for, you can see it in a couple of the episodes that have been on already. It's been, I think, used very effectively. I think we went to it. We, Discovery went to it because it was used on Mandalorian so beautifully.
It's really unbelievable. So you are obviously directing an episode of Picard season two. Did you do one or more?What can you actually tease people about season two and the way it maybe compares to the first season? It is actually an audience that Paramount should go after, because you can't keep getting adults into Star Trek. You've got to get them when they're young.I have to ask you. I obviously, and I'm sure you love it as well, I love Galaxy Quest.I just have to know, what was it like for you watching that film for the first time?
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Researchers hope new space telescope offers unique look at great beyondThe world's largest and most powerful space telescope has blasted off on a high-stakes quest to behold light from the first stars and galaxies.
Read more »
Paolo Montalbán shares video of 1st time he saw ‘Cinderella’ co-star Brandy in 24 yearsPaolo Montalbán shares behind-the-scenes video of reunion with ‘Cinderella’ co-star Brandy. The two made history in the diverse remake in 1997.
Read more »
France sees over 100,000 daily virus infections for first timeFrance has recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time in the pandemic and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the
Read more »
France sees more than 100,000 daily virus infections for first timeFrance recorded more than 100,000 virus infections in a single day for the first time since the pandemic struck and COVID-19 hospitalizations have doubled over the past month.
Read more »
Rio and Kate Ferdinand enjoy family holiday one year on from baby Cree's birthPosing alongside former footballer Rio Ferdinand on an unnamed beach, one-time TOWIE star Kate Ferdinand looked sensational in her snaps from a recent holiday
Read more »