As someone who’s watched Star Trek most of her life, it was a real thrill to talk with an actor whose voice carries so many memories. He was warm and thoughtful but the best part was his laugh, a sound he let loose right after he was asked the first question. I wish I had a tape of it to play for you, but you’ll just have to imagine that deep, vibrato as he chuckled over a question I’m sure he’s been asked many times.

Did you have any reservations on taking another role with the potential of such a fanatic following?

L. Nimoy: I love this question.  I can’t help but laugh because you’re absolutely right.  It’s an interesting set of circumstances.  What attracted me to it was several things.  J.J. Abrams, Bob Orci, and Alex Kurtzman, who I worked with on the Star Trek movie, I admire their talent and the work that they do. The series is at the very least to say intriguing.  The character was somewhat of a blank slate, but we began talking about it and, therefore, attracted because there’s an opportunity to build an interesting and unpredictable character.  I’m enjoying it a lot.

So lately it seems as if you’re J.J. Abrams’ muse of sorts.  Can you tell us a little bit more about your relationship with him?

L. Nimoy: Well, I first met him I guess about three years ago when he first contacted me about the possibility of working together, and I went to a meeting with he and Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman and some of his production staff.  They told me a very good and strong and touching story about their feelings about Star Trek and specifically the Spock character.

It gave me a sense of validation after all these years.  I had been out of it for some time, as you’re probably aware.  There were several Star Trek series in which I was not involved and Star Trek movies in which I was not involved.  This was a re-validation of the work that I had done, the work that we had done on the original Star Trek.  I felt very good about it and went to work for them.

I had a great time working on the movie.  I think they did a brilliant job, and I think the audience response shows that that was the case and has reinvigorated the franchise.  And when they contacted me about working on Fringe—the same people, the same attitude, the same creativity, the same creative team—it was very enticing.

You had not been acting for awhile, and then you’ve done Star Trek and Fringe pretty recently together. Have your feelings about acting changed at all?

L. Nimoy:  Well, I’m enjoying it.  I’m very comfortable in the two offers that I’ve accepted.  The Star Trek movie was a joy to do.  I admire the production team that made the film.  I admire the new cast.  Zachary Quinto I thought was a great choice for the new Spock, and it was a pleasure to work with him and with all the other people on the project.

The Fringe character was intriguing because, as I’ve mentioned, it was kind of a blank slate and we had some very interesting and intense conversations about who and what he could be and how we should perceive him, what we might or might not learn about him, what we might or might not trust about him.  These are intriguing opportunities for an actor, and they came at a time when I … and from a group of people that I had respect for.  They piqued my interest and I went back to work.   I did not expect to, frankly, be acting so much at this time in my life.  My concentration was on my photography, but I’m having a wonderful time doing it.

Have they mentioned anything about their needs for you on an upcoming Star Trek movie?

L. Nimoy: No.  My understanding is they’re working on a script right now.  I expect there’s going to be some time before they really know exactly who they need and what they need.  I frankly, frankly doubt that I will be called upon again.

I think I was useful in his last film to help bridge between the original characters, the original actors, and the new cast.  They have a wonderful new cast in place, and I’m sure they’ll move ahead with them.  I don’t see, at the moment, why they would need me in the next film, although, if they called me, I’d be happy to have a conversation about it.

How do you feel about the current state of science fiction on TV and film?

L. Nimoy: Well, I’m concerned about the positioning of story in terms of importance.  When I see a lot of explosions and a lot of chases, I’m not terribly impressed.  I think there are three terribly important elements that must be given a priority position in science fiction as well as in any other kind of drama.  The first is story, the second is story, and the third is story.  Story, story, story, story, story.  If the story is compelling and interesting, I think all the rest will find its place.

We have great technology in our industry, and that technology can be overused at the expense of story.  And that’s a problem for me, but when the story is in place, I think the special effects can find their proper place.  I think Fringe uses the technology brilliantly, but in the service of excellent story-telling.

Have you found that there’s anything different in the way television is done these days?

L. Nimoy: I think it’s safe to say that what an audience is seeing today on screen in the television episode is far more complex than what we were doing when we were, for example, making the original Star Trek series in the ‘60s.  We were very, very heavy on pages and pages of dialogue and very little special effects, but because the technology has advanced so greatly, it’s possible to do some very complex and very exciting and very useful technical stuff on the shows these days, so we don’t have to rely quite so much on the story being told by the actors speaking.

On the other hand, there is a danger, as I mentioned earlier, of going too far with the special effects at the expense of story.  But if the story is well done, if the story’s in place strongly, the special effects can be enormously helpful to the actors, far more so than they were years ago when we were making the original Star Trek series.

Will we ever see a face off between William Bell and Walter Bishop?

L. Nimoy: Unpredictable at the moment.  In the episode tomorrow night, the scene in between myself and Olivia, I think we will learn a lot more than we have known in the past about what their relationship is all about and what William Bell’s intentions are, or at least we will be told what his intentions are.  We’re not really quite sure that everything that he says is accurate or true.

As William Bell, is there a particular character flaw or even something good that you would like to have highlighted in future episodes?

L. Nimoy: This is a wonderful question.  I’m really looking forward to this character unfolding in a very interesting kind of way.  I think you’ll see, tomorrow night, one very strong aspect of him and certain idiosyncrasies that are being developed.  But I do think there’s a long way to go.  I think there’s a lot to be discovered, and I’m looking forward to discovering it with the audience.

And the final question went to me:

What is still on your “to do” list?

L. Nimoy: Well, I’m looking forward to developing the William Bell character further.  I hope the writers are interested in working with the character.  I am.  I don’t know how much further we’ll go with it, but the character, so far, has been very intriguing and the whole Fringe company has been very good to me.  I’m delighted to be involved.

I am still actively involved with my photography work.  I’m working on a current project, which is called Secret Selves, which is about hidden or fantasy or private personalities that people bring for me to photograph.  And there will be an exhibition of that name, Secret Selves, at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art opening next summer, a solo exhibition.  I’m excited about that.

Check out my Web site, LeonardNimoyPhotography.com.  Isn’t that an amazing title for a Web site?

It certainly is, Leonard. It certainly is.

Leonard Nimoy returns to Fringe tonight in Momentum Deferred. It starts at 9:00 on Fox.

CR: Liane Hentscher/FOX

Post from: SF Universe

Let’s start with scifi royalty – Star Trek’s William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

Next it’s two of my fave’s Murdock and Face from A-Team, Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict who also starred in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the original Battlestar Galactica respectively.

Here’s Star Trek: TNG star Patrick Stewart and Smallville’s John Schneider.

Ron Glass from Firefly was in the house, as was Bruce Davidson from Knight Rider.

Interested in seeing more? Check out YouTube for a variety of videos from the panels including William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy sharing the spotlight.

Photos: Newscom 

Photo Credit: Dan Harr/AdMedia

Post from: SF Universe

The Dark Knight was the evening’s biggest winner, taking home five awards including Best Action Film, Best Writing, Music, Special Effects and Best Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger.

On the television side, it was Battlestar Galactica that took home the most awards winning Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series, Best Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos, and Best Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell. Lost received the Saturn Award for Best Network Series, beating out Supernatural, Fringe, Heroes, Life on Mars, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Battlestar was up against an odd mix of shows for Best Syndicated / Cable including The Closer, Dexter, Leverage and more predictable, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and True Blood.

Moonlight took the award for the best modern DVD with Invaders winning for retro DVD.

Several special awards were presented throughout the evening, Lance Henriksen took the Life Career Award, Jeffrey Katzenberg received the Visionary Award and Leonard Nimoy was handed the Lifetime Achievement Award.

You’ll find a full list of winners after the jump. You can find the list of nominees here at the Saturn Awards Website.

Photos by Newscom

THE WINNERS OF THE 35^TH ANNUAL SATURN AWARDS

Best Science Fiction Film: Iron Man

Best Fantasy Film: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Horror Film: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: The Dark Knight

Best Actor: Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man)

Best Actress: Angelina Jolie (Changeling)

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Jaden Christopher Smith (The Day the Earth Stood Still)

Best Director: Jon Favreau (Iron Man)

Best Writer: Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight)

Best Music: Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard (The Dark Knight)

Best Costume: Mary Zophres (Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)

Best Make-Up: Greg Cannom (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best Special Effects: Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Timothy Webber, Paul J. Franklin (The Dark Knight)

Best International Film: Let the Right One In

Best Animated Film: Wall-E

Best Television Series: Lost

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Battlestar Galactica

Best Presentation on Television: The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice

Best Actor on Television: Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Actress on Television: Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: Adrian Pasdar (Heroes)

Best S upporting Actress on Televison: Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter)

Guest Starring Role on Television: Jimmy Smits (Dexter)

Best DVD Release: Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer

Best DVD Special Edition Release: Stephen King’s The Mist (2 disc Special Edition)

Best DVD Classic Film Release: Psycho (Universal Legacy Series)

Best DVD Collection: The Godfather-The Coppola Restoration

Best Series on DVD: Moonlight

Best Retro Series on DVD: The Invaders

The Life Career Award: Lance Henriksen

The Lifetime Achievement Award: Leonard Nimoy

The Visionary Award: Jeffrey Katzenberg

Post from: SF Universe

[As presented by actor Leonard Nimoy on the Thursday, May 7 broadcast of the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, seen weeknights on CBS.]

10. Warp factor 8! Arby’s closes in 10 minutes.

9. We’re entering a breach in the space-time continuum or a wormhole or some crazy crap like that.

8. Set phasers to fabulous!

7. Welcome aboard the Starship Enterprise – today’s in-flight movie is “Big Momma’s House 2.”

6. We’ve been hijacked by Somali pirates.

5. Sir, I’m going to need Saturday off to attend my nephew’s Bar Mitzvah.

4. My baby-daddy is a Vulcan – on the next “Maury.”

3. The Enterprise just hit a goose – we’re gonna have to land in the Hudson.

2. Live long, prosper, and keep on hangin’ and bangin’.

1. I find your choice of hairpiece highly illogical.

Care to try your hand at it? Deliver your best line NEVER before said in a Star Trek film in the comment section below.

Photo Credit: John Paul Filo/CBS ©2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved

Post from: SF Universe

For weeks now, the writers have been leaving us clues about Peter’s past. We had Walter referencing Peter’s serious illness and allusions to experiments that were conducted on the boy. But more telling were all the times that Peter insisted Walter was the one with the faulty memory when ever they talked about his childhood. We were supposed to put this off to selective memory enduced by the trauma of his illness, but I didn’t buy that for a minute. The one that got me was when Peter was looking through a box of toys that Walter claimed were his but he said they weren’t his toys. I said, hmm…it feels like maybe Peter isn’t really Walter’s son. Well, I was close, right?

It all came together when Peter didn’t remember the coin. I could hear The Observer say there are two of everything, and then there was Walter making vague references to losing something so precious to him and the idea that things move both ways through the reality portals . . . I stopped the DVR right there and said to my husband — Peter’s not Peter! He’s the Peter from the other reality and Walter brought him here to this reality to replace his lost son and that’s messed up the balance of things!

My husband’s reply was, ‘huh?’ Then he asked me who was the guy with the bandages on his face. And even though I knew the answer to the question, I couldn’t explain it. I am still a little fuzzy on the whole, it was Jones not William Bell, thing. Obviously it can’t be Jones alone, since the series is going to go at least one more season. I did love the introduction to Leonard Nimoy as Bell, I just wish it had been a surprise, that would have been extra cool.

Other things I wish? I wish we’d get an Astrid story. I really like her and she’s way under used. I want to see her and Peter in mortal danger and I want her to rescue him. And what happened to the cow? We haven’t seen her in a while, have we?

On a grander scale, I must say I’m surprised that we didn’t lose any of the major characters this season. I really thought Charlie would be a goner and that would have made me sad. So kudos to the writers for keeping our freaky little Fringe family in tact.

On a completly random note, I felt that Peter and Walter’s situation this week were very much like that of an adult child caring for a parent with Altzheimers. I thought it was an interesting choice to have Peter stay very calm while Walter was having his frustration fits. It’s a difficult spot to be in, wanting to help but not knowing how. And I can only imagine how it must feel to have those gaps in your memory.  John Noble does a fabulous job portraying the many sides of Walter. He was particularly compelling in this finale episode as he tried so hard to set things right.

So where does this leave us? We still don’t have all the answers about Olivia and the testing that was done on her as a child. If Peter finds out the truth about his origins, what’s to be done about that? It’s not like he can go home again. And what about a meeting between Bell and Walter? It seems to me that Bell was at the core of many of the unethical actions when they were younger and yet it was Walter who lost his sanity and spent most of his life under lock and key. There has to be some resentment there, right? And just why is Bell living in the alternate reality? Purely to hide from Jones? If so, that threat is over, so he can come back now, can’t he?

Hmm….and to think I started this piece all excited because I was ahead of the game for once. Looks like I’m going need a few more clues if I’m going to solve this puzzle.  Olivia, I’d like buy a vowel, please.

Fringe the Complete First Season is due out on DVD but there has been no official word on the date as of yet.

Post from: SF Universe

Buckle your seat belts and get out that scorecard, it’s time for the Fringe season finale.

“There’s More Than One of Everything”

Air Date: May 12

The sudden and unexpected attack on someone with close ties to Fringe Division, the return of bioterrorist David Robert Jones (guest star Jared Harris) and the inexplicable disappearance of Walter set the stage for a non-stop, nail-biting season finale of FRINGE. Questions will be answered, observations made, loyalties tested and truths and identities revealed.

Cr: Craig Blankenhorn/FOX

Post from: SF Universe

Here’s Heroes’ star Hayden Panettiere falshing the V along with Trek star Karl Urban.

Here’s George Takei giving it a shot along with Supermodel Heidi Klum. Below, Damon Wayans does his own version and Leonard Nimoy shows them how to do it right.

Photos by PR Photos

Post from: SF Universe

Let’s begin the voyage with a look at the old guard, stars of Star Trek’s past beginning with Spock himself, Mr. Leonard Nimoy.

Next we have Mr. George Takei from the original series and the lovely Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Photos: PRPhotos

Post from: SF Universe

Setting the stage for the dramatic and revealing first season finale are a sudden and unexpected attack on someone with close ties to Fringe Division, the return of bioterrorist David Robert Jones (guest star Jared Harris) and the inexplicable disappearance of Walter. Find out more about the mysterious events surrounding our trio when questions are answered, observations made, loyalties are tested and the elusive William Bell (guest star Nimoy) is finally introduced in the “There’s More Than One of Everything” season finale episode of Fringe.

It all happens on May 12 at 9:01. Not 9:00, mind you, but 9:01.

©2009 Fox Broadcasting Co. CR: Craig Blankenhorn/FOX

Post from: SF Universe

According to Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello, Fringe is only a breath away from bringing in Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy to play the pivotal role.

Says EW, “Although Nimoy has yet to sign on the dotted line, a Fringe insider says “everyone’s optimistic” that the 78-year-old Trek icon will be the one to play Walter Bishop’s former lab partner-turned-millionaire founder of Massive Dynamics.”

If everything is a go, you could be seeing more of Nimoy on Fringe not only on the season finale but next season as the mystery deepens.  (PRN / PR Photos)

In a related note, a strange man turned up in the American Idol audience last night. Take a look at the photo below and see if you see what I see. (CR: Frank MIcelotta. 2009 Fox)

Post from: SF Universe