|
|
|
Terry Farrell InterviewTerry: "I'm pleased that DS9 is considered darker than the other Star Trek shows because that makes it unique. Voyager is always being compared to The Next Generation and the original Star Trek, but Deep Space Nine was always meant to be different and really is one of a kind. Our show has got an edge which allows us to take more risks than the other Star Trek series and might help it last longer. So I'm more than happy to be aboard DS9 - I'm certainly not dreaming of beaming aboard Voyager or the Enterprise every night!" Terry (On Jadzia Dax): "Jadzia is a young woman, but she possesses the wisdom and knowledge of several lifetimes through Dax. Dax is 350 years old and has lived several lives, both as a man and a woman. When I won the part, I wasn't really sure how to play Jadzia Dax and I don't think the writers really knew what the character was. Over the years, it's become clear that she's wise, giving, intelligent and centred - she's someone who really knows who she is. In a sense, she's the mother of the show and a lot of the characters look up to her." Terry: "There are one hell of a lot of facets to Jadzia Dax and I always have to think carefully about how I should play an episode. Sometimes the situation demands her to be more masculine than feminine, more introverted than extroverted and more fun-loving than serious. For example, if she teams up with her Klingon allies, she tries to be a little more tough and she treats them like children, because she's seen and done it all before. So it's a great role to play and really stretches me as an actress. Interviewer (Some bloke called David Bassom): When Dax participates in DS9's action sequences, Farrell seizes the opportunity to perform her own stunts and makes such a convincing hero that she is known as 'Action Barbie' on set. However, the actress is less-than-enthusiastic about DS9's infamous pseudo-scientific jargon, or 'techno-babble', which she is required to deliver in virtually every episode of the series. Terry: "My first year on the show was just a disaster because of the techno-babble. Dax would never have a normal chat with anyone; her dialogue was always something like, 'We should modify the subspace field of the deflector shields' and was about photons and radiation and so on and so forth. I would have nightmares about the dialogue and there were times when I wished that they would have fired me! I've kind of got used to the dialogue now - I'm sort of comfortable with it, and normally get it right straight away, even if I don't understand it most of the time." Interviewer: Farrell feels that the cast's off-screen relationships just couldn't be any better. Terry: "I feel really bad for the show's directors because when we get together, it's fun, fun, fun. During our first year, we were worried about our techno-babble. But now we're over that, we just have a great time all of the time!" Terry (On Worf's arrival): "I don't think that [the] show has really changed. I would say that the focus of the show has changed - the episodes have really concentrated on the characters and as a result, there just hasn't been as much time to look at the interpersonal conflict. But the conflict is still there and the show hasn't lost it's edge. If anything, Worf coming aboard has brought an added element of conflict to the show - he's a very tough character and is always clashing with someone or other!" Terry (On fans): They're very bright and very respectful, I love being called 'Ms Farrell', I think that's so sweet! When the fans see you on the street, they're very discreet and don't want to offend you. But when I go on stage at a convention, I'm used to them screaming and shouting at me. And I expect that, because if I paid $30 or so to see me, I'd scream too!" Interviewer: The actress believes that the key to the Star Trek franchise's success lies in its uplifting but believable depiction of humanity's future. Terry: "Each of the 4 Star Trek shows are set in the future but deal with a lot of issues that people are dealing with today. I know people say Deep Space Nine isn't as optimistic as the other shows, but it is still a very progressive show - we might be still on the same treadmill in the future, but we have gotten some place. So Star Trek ultimately offers comfort to it's viewers." Interviewer: While DS9 can be viewed purely for interstellar entertainment, Farrell feels the show really hits warp speed when it confronts contemporary issues. As a result, she is particularly proud of the episode 'Rejoined', a thinnly-veiled gay allegory in which Jadzia Dax is prevented from rekindling a past relationship with another Trill, Lenara Kahn (Susanna Thompson). Terry: "Dax was married to Lenara in a previous life and is banned from resuming that relationship by Trill law. The great thing about 'Rejoined' was that nobody had a problem with the fact that they were both women - the only problem was that they were married in previous lives. Making that episode was a wonderful and emotionally-charged experience and I was really pleased of the finished product." Terry: "It would be wondeful if Deep Space Nine had the longetivity and success of the original series. Obviously, it would be trrible if Deep Space Nine aired and then just died. Could you imagine it? I'd go to auditions and people would say, 'Deep Space What?'! So I hope the show goes on for a long time and I would absolutely love to play Dax again when I'm older - if nothing else, it would give me an incentive to keep in shape and do my sit-ups every morning!" I would like to give credit where do - if you can tell me how to site this interview please send the information to the webmaster. Thanks! |
