How did you get your role in Star Trek? asks Tania, Birmingham "I was born and raised in South Africa, so I'd never really heard of the Star Trek phenomenon. I got a call from their casting people who'd seen some of my work and called me in for a reading. They wanted me to try for the part of the Borg Queen - I didn't have a clue who she was and I certainly didn't realise at the time quite what an honour it was." How long does it take to get all the make-up done in Star Trek? asks Freda, Southampton "The make-up is incredibly detailed. It takes a total of seven hours to put it all on! You feel like you've done a day's work just sitting in the make-up chair. And after you've shot your scenes, it takes another two hours to take it all off again." There was a lot of sexuality in the Borg Queen character. Was that scripted or something you brought to the role? asks Dave, London "The sexuality was inherent in the script, but it played a significant part in the development of her character. She uses it in her relationship with Data, realising that it's his Achilles heel and that it is a route to control. But she gets involved and it becomes her Achilles heel as well, she becomes vulnerable through her sexuality." Were you a fan of Star Trek before you appeared in the film? Would you describe yourself as a Trekkie now? asks Claire, Swindon "Being raised in Africa I had no real knowledge of what Star Trek was about. But now I find it a fascinating body of work. I've been to the conventions and met some really great people. There seems to be a real spirit of oneness within the Star Trek community. Something that the actors have on the set as well. There's always a playful, teasing feeling of camaraderie on the set. The actors are thrilled to be back in each others company when a new Star Trek project begins." Do you think real aliens exist somewhere in the universe? asks Ricky, Luton "I'm not sure, I've never really given it much thought. The universe is so mysterious - why shouldn't there be life elsewhere, why would we be the only ones? But on the other hand, I'm led to believe that conditions on Earth are fairly unique in their ability to accommodate life." The Star Trek sets look just amazing. Are they as complicated in real life or are they painted in later with computers? asks Suzie, Glasgow "The sets are just as incredible in real life. The set crew are a real hive of activity. The sets are very complicated, and the extraordinary lighting and colour makes them seem completely alive. They're always exceptionally detailed and perfectly crafted." Are you lined up for any more Star Trek roles? asks Brian, Cornwall "Possibly. They actually asked me to play the Borg Queen in the series, but due to other work commitments, I couldn't do it at the time. It was just one of those things. But I'm talking to the Star Trek people at the moment, so who knows..." How did you go from training as a clinical psychologist to being an actress? asks Matt, Australia "I had four years of training at Rhodes University studying clinical psychology and I just happened to take a drama module for my one remaining option to take up a bit of timetable. But I really got into it and it took over my life, it became my life-calling, all-consuming. I think my parents might have been a bit disappointed that I didn't continue with a career in psychology, but it was the right path for me." How did you get the role in The Little Vampire? asks Damien, Sidcup "It was a charming script, very humorous and family orientated from the writers of Beetlejuice and The Adams Family. It was very well cast - Jim Carter was superb, it was a lovely group of people. We had to film it in Scotland in the summer, so it was quite difficult waiting for darkness to fall so we could shoot the scenes. We often couldn't start work until almost midnight - perfect for a vampire movie. The most touching element of the film though was when I attended the first screening in Leicester Square. The audience was packed with adults and kids alike and when the flying cowpat scene hit the screen there was pandemonium in the audience. The kids were totally absorbed and we new we had a good film." The Little Vampire is out now on VHS and on DVD from April 2 from Icon Entertainment. Do you believe in vampires? asks Martin, Swansea "No, I don't think so. I think seeing people pretending to be vampires has put me off the idea!" What have you got planned to do next? asks Sarah, Liverpool "Well, I've just shot Dinotopia for American TV. It's a kind of rites of passage affair in which I play I play a mother earth type figure. It helps kids to understand how they should try to live their lives. I've also shot an independent film, Falling, looking at racism in Europe across three generations of family, which will hopefully reach mainstream cinemas. And Disney asked me to be in their sci-fi picture Reign Of Fire. Basically, the world has been all but destroyed by fire-breathing dragons and we follow the adventures of the dragon slayer. It's a lovely mixture of live acting and computer graphics and I play the young dragon slayer's mother." So, stay tuned Trek fans, we might just see Alice step out as the Borg Queen once again. Copyright by News Groups Newspapers, Ltd. 2001 Back |
| Treading the Borgs A Web chat with Alice Krige 2001 |
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