Michael Dorn on Worf’s return in STAR TREK: PICARD
RED ALERT! This interview comprises spoilers for Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 3, “Seventeen Seconds,” out there for streaming now on Paramount+.
We’ve identified for some time that Picard season 3 could be bringing again the primary solid from Star Trek: The Subsequent Technology. With the discharge of the season’s third episode for streaming in the present day on Paramount+, the long-awaited full return of Michael Dorn as Worf has arrived!
The Beat caught up with Dorn over the telephone to ask about Worf’s character arc in Picard, how placing on the Worf make-up has developed over time since TNG, and whether or not he would think about reprising the function once more (together with in animation)!
This interview has been edited for size and readability.
AVERY KAPLAN: Did you’ve gotten any notably exceptional interactions with Star Trek followers over time since TNG left the air?
MICHAEL DORN: Not essentially with the followers, per se. However what sort of will get me is the extent of pleasure, or the extent of fandom that’s nonetheless on the market in spite of everything these years. You’ll form of assume that it could wane to the place there’s ten individuals in a room, or one thing.
We did a perform in New York, and there was 800 individuals in an auditorium – packed, offered out, simply to see us on stage. So it nonetheless is kind of viable in spite of everything these years, and that’s form of a shock to me.
KAPLAN: What does being concerned in Star Trek imply to you?
DORN: To me, you look again, and I’ve had a really good profession. I’m extraordinarily lucky, as a result of as an actor, there’s not many actors that get a possibility to be a part of one thing that’s lasted this lengthy. So I think about myself extraordinarily lucky.
KAPLAN: How has the method of placing on and appearing within the Worf make-up modified over time?
DORN: It began out to be a protracted course of – three hours. They acquired it down to 2 hours over time, two and a few change.
However, I gotta say, the Picard make-up individuals acquired it down even additional – to about an hour. Which helps quite a bit. You’re not in it for these further couple of hours… though the method itself, the make-up and the glue and the hair and all the pieces like that, is all the time a ache for me. However they made it quite a bit simpler.
The wonderful factor is, you see his ears [on Picard]. Since you by no means noticed his ears earlier than! And I mentioned, “You wish to see his ears?!” Sure! Okay, nice.
KAPLAN: How do you are feeling about Worf’s new character arc?
DORN: I feel they did a unbelievable job. I’m one of many lucky actors, the place I by no means actually needed to go up there and kick and scream and yell about writing extra stuff, or writing extra attention-grabbing stuff. And perhaps its simply because the character lends itself to that, I’ve all the time been lucky the place they’ve all the time written unbelievable stuff.
I give them parameters. I wish to say, “Okay, about his humor,” or, “About his lack of humor,” and that form of factor. In any other case, I’ve been extremely lucky. I feel his arc within the sequence is an incredible arc.
The truth is, one of many causes that I took the job was that they despatched me the primary three scripts. And I used to be in a position to look, and go, “I like what they’re doing, and I feel it’s attention-grabbing, and I wish to do that.”
KAPLAN: Was there a particular sort of motion or choreography for the scene in episode 3 through which Raffi finds Worf meditating?
DORN: Sure it’s. It’s Klingon martial arts. Dan Curry, who developed all of the combating weapons for Worf over time, he was very instrumental in instructing me these strikes.
And I’ve stored them over time. All of the stuff you see is an amalgamation of our creating that a part of his character, our collaboration over time. That’s what we see.
KAPLAN: Do you additionally take pleasure in chamomile tea?
DORN: I really do, yeah. I prefer it quite a bit. I’ve been a vegan and a well being nut and a fitness center rat and a tennis nut, so I’m very into well being. A variety of occasions, whenever you’re sick: chamomile tea.
Though, I wished to say one of many strains in a Worf manner, and so they mentioned, “No, no, don’t do this.” After I say, “Do you’re taking sugar?” I wished to say, [angry Worf voice] “DO YOU TAKE SUGAR?” [normal voice] Like I hate sugar.
KAPLAN: Do you’ve gotten any Worf merchandise or souvenirs that you simply’ve stored over time?
DORN: Through the years – that is form of a technical factor. If you signal a contract, and also you signal for merchandise, you’ve gotten a clause in there that they must ship you considered one of all the pieces that they make. And so I had a ten by ten storage unit stuffed with simply Star Trek stuff. And it was going to waste. I even had a Subsequent Technology pinball machine, nonetheless within the field, brand-new.
I mentioned, “It’s simply going to be in there.” So I offered all of it. I gave it to this firm, and so they offered all of it to individuals who would actually respect it.
KAPLAN: What was it like working so carefully with Michelle Hurd throughout this episode?
DORN: It was nice. Michelle is a superb actress. I welcomed the possibility to work along with her. And as soon as we began working collectively, we developed an affection for us as actors, and as individuals, as buddies. She is simply an incredible individual. And a whole lot of stuff about our appearing lives and our private lives coincide.
I feel it translated. Identical to Subsequent Technology, once we began to gel, the non-public affection we had for one another confirmed on the display, when it comes to appearing collectively and respecting one another. And I feel that’s the identical factor that occurred with Michelle and I.
KAPLAN: Not less than up till this level in Picard season 3, we haven’t seen the entire TNG crew reunited. Nonetheless, you have been all collectively for the Picard season 3 premiere. What was it wish to get everybody again collectively once more?
DORN: To me, it was weird! Not as a result of us being collectively, at Mann’s Chinese language Theater. However twenty-five years later, you’re again on the similar place… it’s fairly weird. Particularly, this enterprise is the one enterprise the place you go on tv and see your self age!
Its all the time weird to take a look at your self age proper in entrance of your eyes. And for those who’re on the Chinese language Theater with your pals, you have been there again in ’95, ’96. You’re speaking about a whole lot of years which have passed by. However it’s nonetheless good to be on the Blue Carpet, and folks nonetheless .
Though it’s a bit of disconcerting that the people who find themselves interviewing you might be like, twenty. They weren’t alive whenever you began the present. That’s disconcerting.
KAPLAN: Do you’ve gotten a favourite piece of Worf fan artwork that you simply’ve seen (or been offered with) over time?
DORN: I simply acquired the newest one, that I cherish. I did The View with Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin. They offered me with an award for being on essentially the most hours of Star Trek. It’s a really humorous award, and I adore it.
#WhoopiGoldberg honors her former #StarTrekTNG co-star Michael Dorn (@akaWorf) for his almost 300 appearances on @StarTrek, essentially the most of any actor within the franchise’s historical past. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/DXadCCnLz3
— The View (@TheView) February 16, 2023
And now, that’s the one factor that I’ve in my home that’s figured prominently in my little den.
KAPLAN: Did you understand that you simply held that honor earlier than you have been offered with the award?
DORN: I did, however not all alongside – any individual mentioned one thing to me 5 – 6 years in the past, and I mentioned, “You’re joking.” I didn’t even give it some thought, you understand? Didn’t even give it some thought. After which I mentioned, “Wow!”
And together with with the ability to have a fairly good profession, to carry that distinction is fairly particular. And now I’ve added a number of extra episodes to that whole.
KAPLAN: Would you be keen to reprise the function once more?
DORN: It might all rely on how attention-grabbing it’s. The one factor that I by no means wished Worf to do was simply to be standing round and scowling at individuals. If it’s attention-grabbing, and it’s going to be enjoyable, then yeah, after all. After all.
I really like the character. It’s a extremely nice character to behave, and I used to be very lucky that I used to be Worf.
KAPLAN: Would you be open to taking part in the character in animation?
DORN: If it’s attention-grabbing animation. And that’s the one factor about having carried out the present, to have a profession like this… you may choose and select the stuff you wish to do.
Now, they personal the character. To allow them to do no matter they need with it. But when its attention-grabbing, yeah, I’d like to be part of it.
KAPLAN: Having been in Star Trek VI, I’m curious: what’s it wish to be concerned within the remaining cinematic outing for 2 generations of Star Trek?
DORN: I feel the phrase “finale” is used far too usually. I’ve mentioned goodbye to Star Trek perhaps 4 occasions over time, and it all the time comes again.
So I don’t take a look at it as a finale. I take a look at it as one other step within the journey.
New episodes of Picard season 3 are released for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursdays.
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