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By
Suzanne

Interview with Kate Mulgrew of "Warehouse 13" on Syfy 8/25/11
Syfy Conference Call
Warehouse 13
Kate Mulgrew
August 25, 2011
2:00 pm CT
Operator: Ladies and gentlemen thank you for standing by and welcome to
the Warehouse 13 conference call.
During the presentation all participants will be in a listen only mode.
Afterwards we will conduct a question and answer session. At that time
if you have a question please press the 1 followed by the 4 on your
telephone. If at any time during the conference you need to reach an
operator please press star 0.
As a reminder this conference is being recorded Thursday August 25,
2011. I would now like to turn the conference over to Gary Morgenstein
from Syfy. Please go ahead.
Gary Morgenstein: Hello everyone and thank you for joining the Warehouse
13 call. I'm delighted to introduce Kate Mulgrew who will begin a four
episode guest star arc on Warehouse 13 Monday August 29 at 9:00 pm.
She will be starring as Jane a mysterious Regent of the Warehouse who
becomes intricately involved in the fate of the Warehouse and also has a
personal connection to a key member.
God, I almost called you Jane. Kate, welcome. (Jennifer) please feel
free to put forward the first caller.
Operator: Certainly. Our first question is from the line of Michael
Hinman from AirlockAlpha. Please proceed with your question. Mr. Hinman,
your line is open. Please go ahead.
Michael Hinman: Good afternoon everybody. How are you doing?
Kate Mulgrew: Hello Michael. How are you?
Michael Hinman: Doing good. I just have to say, Really excited seeing
you coming back to a genre show. Are you excited to reconnect with the
audience of this fandom?
Kate Mulgrew: There's no question about it. First of all I think Syfy
has become a wonderful network. And Warehouse 13 in particular was an
absolutely remarkable experience -- wonderful for me in every
conceivable way.
Michael Hinman: Excellent. And you go from Lady Janeway to Lady Jane.
You know, is there anything you could tell us about your character, that
you know, they won't come after you for?
Kate Mulgrew: It's a little tough. I'm sworn to secrecy on this one
Michael. But suffice it to say, I come as a very powerful Regent bearing
an extraordinary secret.
And when the secret is revealed I think the audience will be, to say the
least, quite surprised. It's both wonderful and rather frightening at
the same time.
And the arc is thrilling because I'm not just any Regent; I have great
powers. And so I think what unfolds will be very, very surprising to the
audience.
Michael Hinman: Excellent, and just one last thing too; what was the
experience like on Warehouse 13 on the set compared to some of your past
projects, including Star Trek: Voyager?
Kate Mulgrew: Well hindsight is 20/20; I've had some wonderful
experiences in my life and some not so wonderful -- this is certainly up
there. Jack Kenny has got to be one of the best show runners I've ever
worked with. And he sets the tone for the set.
And on the sets there was not only a high degree of amiability, just
short of conviviality, but a real sense of camaraderie, and it was
collaborative, which you don't always get in episodic television, as I'm
sure you Gentlemen are aware.
So I felt very much a part of the creative team, simply adored Jack
Kenny from the first moment. And Saul Rubinek, Allison Scagliotti,
Joanne Kelly, and the divine Eddie McClintock -- who could ask for a
better core group? I mean the ingredients were just there for a perfect
soufflé.
Michael Hinman: Well excellent. Well I adore you Kate Mulgrew. And thank
you so much, for you know, taking the time today.
Kate Mulgrew: What a lovely thing to say. Thank you so much Michael.
Good luck to you.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Kenn Gold
from MediaBlvd. Please proceed with your question.
Kenn Gold: Well I'd like to start off by echoing what Michael just said.
I've been a huge fan for a long time and so it's really, really nice to
talk to you today.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you very much. That's nice.
Kenn Gold: Well I wanted to ask you, going back - let's say if we went
back to the beginning of your career and you had a crystal ball and
could just see all the many places you've been and the things you'd see.
I mean you know, Shakespeare on stage, Ryan's Hope, of course Voyager,
and now, you know, now the comedy and action sci-fi -- I mean would that
surprise you or (unintelligible)?
Kate Mulgrew: It would surprise me. I mean you're asking me, if I had
looked into that crystal ball when I was 18 years old?
Kenn Gold: Yes.
Kate Mulgrew: I saw myself as, of course, the next Sarah Bernhardt or
the - preferably the next Eleonora Duse. I thought I was going to be a
very, very strictly legit dramatic actress.
And the beauty of life is that we don't have a crystal ball. We'd all
shoot ourselves I think if we did. It unfolded in a mysterious,
unexpected, and in many ways a remarkable way. I think I've been blessed
with, one could argue, three iconic roles.
I think Mary Ryan, to start a career playing an iconic role is a great
blessing. And the fact that she developed into these other characters
was a further enhancement. So I think I've had the career I was meant to
have. I certainly loved to act every inch and step of the way.
And if I may say this for posterity, I'm having more fun now than I ever
have before. You shed a lot of stuff at my age. And when you're younger
the ambition I think is probably one of the key ingredients. And when
you're older, the key ingredient is simply joy. So that's where I am
right now.
Kenn Gold: Okay great. Now I'll let somebody else jump in here.
Kate Mulgrew: Okay.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Jamie
Steinberg from Starry Constellation Magazine. Please go ahead with your
question.
Jamie Steinberg: It's such an honor to speak with you. I'm overjoyed
that I have the opportunity.
Kate Mulgrew: Jamie, thank you very, very much.
Jamie Steinberg: What have you found challenging about your role as this
Regent?
Kate Mulgrew: Challenging? Challenging is keeping all the secrets I have
to keep from all of you wonderful people.
I would say it's been more delightful than challenging. I've felt so at
home there, which is a very unusual thing at my stage in life to feel,
coming in as a guest star. There was a naturalism to it, a complete
sense of relaxation. And I feel like I fit there. So it was instantly,
deeply familiar. And you very, very seldom get that.
Jamie Steinberg: And what have you found - was there instant chemistry
when you began working with the cast? I know...
Kate Mulgrew: Instant.
Jamie Steinberg: ...this is a well-oiled machine.
Kate Mulgrew: Instant. Well it may well be a well-oiled machine, and
that's thanks to Jack Kenny, who as I've now said ten-million times is
really an extraordinary show runner.
But I think that the surprise in all of it - Saul Rubinek is one of the
great actors, I think of our generation -- certainly my generation. And
I felt, he's consummate and he's unexpected. So I had to step up to the
plate whenever I was acting with him.
Joanne Kelly is like a delicious confection. And Eddie McClintock, I
would have to tell you, as well as Allison Scagliotti, are natural
actors. So it's like playing ball with people who are the best; you
really have to play badly not to hit well.
Jamie Steinberg: Yes. And why do you think people continue to tune in
and watch Warehouse 13?
Kate Mulgrew: It's smart -- very smart, it's tongue in cheek, and it's
clever. It's asking the audience, you know, they don't dot the I's and
cross the T's, the audience has to stay on its toes.
And I think that's exactly what a sci-fi audience prefers; they want to
tease out the puzzle along with us. And that's what you get to do with
Warehouse 13.
Jamie Steinberg: Wonderful. Thank you again for all of your time.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you Jamie, take care.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Joshua Maloni
from Niagara Frontier Publications. Please go ahead.
Joshua Maloni: Hi Kate. Thanks for your time today.
Kate Mulgrew: Hello Joshua. How are you?
Joshua Maloni: Good thank you. So you know, in the sense that you are,
you know, a bona fide sci-fi legend, when you get sci-fi roles offered
to you, I mean is that like comfort food or does it give you pause? What
sort of is your mentality now when you get offered these sci-fi parts?
Kate Mulgrew: I don't get offered these sci-fi parts. This was the first
one. And I was delighted to take it because it was not only so well
written, but it was - it felt different to me Joshua. It felt special,
and it felt light and smart. And that's what I want.
It didn't carry with it the baggage of some other science fiction shows.
It has a real delicacy to it, and at the same time I think it's, as
someone had said before, a well-oiled machine, yes, but it's still a
very sleek and well run machine.
Joshua Maloni: Right. And I mean, you've talked about, you know, the
quality that the actors bring to the table, one of the things they
mention a lot though is the fun it is to be on set with the green screen
and the props, and all the different things they get to participate with
and in.
Obviously you can only tell us so much about your character, but did you
get to participate and play with some of Warehouse toys?
Kate Mulgrew: I got to play with all those toys, and lots of artifacts
to boot. And that's the other thing, I really want to say this, the
beauty of it is you're working in a Warehouse and every one of these
artifacts is rooted in truth. So I have to tell you, I mean I was there
for four episodes, I don't know how many weeks that would be, but I was
learning so much. I mean the Caloti bracelet is based on something
that's true. And whenever I get to learn I'm at my happiest. So the
artifacts were fascinating, and there was the Farnsworth, I think that's
their sort of...
Joshua Maloni: Right.
Kate Mulgrew: ...their tricorder if you will. And that was fun to work
with. And I'm very familiar with the green screen and the blue screens
and I know what that means. So that's always a challenge. And it was
great fun.
Joshua Maloni: All right, well we're looking forward to seeing you.
Thank you for your time.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from Erin Willard from SciFi
Mafia. Please go ahead with your question.
Erin Willard: Hi, it's such an honor speaking with you. I have been a
fan of yours since the Ryan's Hope premiere.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Erin Willard: My pleasure, believe me. Have there been a lot of
differences in the nature or just the general feel of working on sci-fi
projects versus non-sci-fi projects?
Kate Mulgrew: Well, yes of course. I mean as I pointed out before, I
think you may have been listening; you have more green screens...
Erin Willard: Sure.
Kate Mulgrew: ...you have many more effects, special effects. And that
in itself can be quite challenging.
Also you're dealing with a different mentality. And I would say, it's a
different kind of an imagination, a different kind of creative
imagination. It's very forward-looking, although it's essentially rooted
in science, or reality I should say, the wings, the nature of it is to
be bigger than life.
So in that regard it's very special and wonderful to play.
Erin Willard: Terrific. What exactly are you looking for in a part these
days? Do you like it, like as you were saying it being kind of lighter
and smarter and not quite so dark?
Kate Mulgrew: Absolutely. And by lighter I don't mean silly...
Erin Willard: Right.
Kate Mulgrew: ...or dismissive or even cavalier. I mean that there could
be depths, great depths to a lightness. But the lightness is just the
actor's personal ability to let go of unnecessary baggage such as
nerves, a fear of landing the wrong way on a line, all of that. All of
that is dispelled and all of that is gone. And on Warehouse 13 it was
just like, it was like sprinting. It was like flying. It was just fun --
great fun.
Erin Willard: Sounds like it was a great experience.
Kate Mulgrew: It was.
Erin Willard: We have - that's so terrific. One of our readers asked me
to ask you, what your funniest moment was working on this particular
series?
Kate Mulgrew: My funniest moment?
Erin Willard: Yes, with the cast or the crew or the (unintelligible).
Kate Mulgrew: You ask me to find one moment, when I'm begging you madam,
to understand that I was between Eddie McClintock and Saul Rubinek --
all I did was laugh.
Erin Willard: That's perfect.
Kate Mulgrew: All I did was laugh, they were so funny. And they're
outrageous, you know McClintock has no shame -- no shame at all. And
even the girls are naughty. So the underbelly is very, very naughty, and
you're sucked into the whole thing.
But when action is called, it's on point. It's just when you're not
actually required to be working, it could be quite silly and delightful.
Erin Willard: Sounds great. So, next project?
Kate Mulgrew: My next project? Well I'm doing another series called
NTSF:SD:SUV, out of Los Angeles which is...
Erin Willard: Oh yes. Oh yes.
Kate Mulgrew: ...a comedy on Adult Swim. And - with Paul Scheer, who I
think is a genius. And these guys are all highly regarded comedians, and
that's not my thing.
And so I think Paul Scheer showed a certain prescience in asking me to
come aboard, because he wanted the weight of Captain Janeway, but he
wanted me to wear an eye-patch and be obsessed with sex, which I think
is exactly right at this point.
Erin Willard: That's great. Well, have a terrific time with that. I
can't wait to see your Warehouse 13 episode.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you. Thank you very much. Take care.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from Ian Cullen with
SciFiPulse.Net. Please go ahead.
Ian Cullen: Hi Kate, how are you doing?
Kate Mulgrew: I'm good Ian. How are you?
Ian Cullen: I'm actually great.
Kate Mulgrew: Good.
Ian Cullen: I've just saw, in reading a little bit about the role and
you say in a quote that, she has mystical and magical powers beyond
articulation, which kind of got me thinking. Captain Janeway was like,
all about the science, and this character by comparison is somewhat
magical. What other differences do you think you could maybe point out
between the two characters?
Kate Mulgrew: Well let's say, Captain Janeway was a Captain of a small
starship which was lost in the Delta Quadrant. And her responsibilities
were very serious. And she was an ardent scientist.
This woman, Jane, is a mother, a person, a teacher, and the powers of
the Regency have been endowed, because it was her personal choice to
help. But beyond that I'm afraid I'm going to get into a rather grey
area, which I'm not allowed to get into because the secrets that unfold
are such that they're very, very, very unexpected. And they're big.
Ian Cullen: Would that have anything to do with the - you know, I also
read that you - that there's a certain connection between your character
and one of the cast regulars. Would that be part of the secret?
Kate Mulgrew: That might be part of the secret, yes. Aren't you clever?
((Crosstalk))
Ian Cullen: Great.
Kate Mulgrew: You're going to get determined to get this out of me, I
can tell.
Ian Cullen: Yes, no. I've got one more question to ask you actually. I
have read about your work that you do for the Alzheimer's charity.
Kate Mulgrew: Right.
Ian Cullen: And I'm just wondering, how is that coming along? You know,
where are you at with that right now?
Kate Mulgrew: Well my job is to talk about it, get it out there, to help
the University of Minnesota Hospital, in particular the Grossman Center,
I'm working with Dr. Karen Ash, who is I believe a pioneer in
Alzheimer's. And she invented the Alzheimer's Mouse.
There's been a recent breakthrough out of Canada, I don't know if you've
read about it, a clinical trial. But I think that there was a
discrepancy so we have to start again and each one of these trials is
about $60 million. So raising the money is very difficult.
So all I can do is write about it -- vis-à-vis my experience with my
mother, which was deeply personal, as you can appreciate -- and speak
about it and get it out there, because you know, by 2050 this will be
pandemic. And if we do not get our hands around the throat of this thing
now we're going to be a lost people.
Ian Cullen: Okay, well then thanks a lot for your time. It's been lovely
speaking with you.
Kate Mulgrew: And you too. Good luck. Take care.
Ian Cullen: Thanks.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of AJ Grillo
from scifivision.com.
Kate Mulgrew: Okay.
Operator: Please proceed with your question.
AJ Grillo: Hi it's a honor to speak to you today, first of all.
Kate Mulgrew: Hello, how are you?
AJ Grillo: I'm doing good.
Kate Mulgrew: Good.
AJ Grillo: When Voyager first started, not only were you the first
female Captain lead, but you were also on a ship that wasn't called
Enterprise. Were you nervous that the fans weren't going to accept you
or the show?
Kate Mulgrew: My ship was called Voyager, which was the best possible
name for any ship; right?
AJ Grillo: Right.
Kate Mulgrew: Was I nervous? I'm sure I was nervous, only insofar as I
was the first woman. I know that the expectations were very high, if not
in fact unreasonably high. I knew that there was a great deal of money
riding on this. It was a seven-year franchise and I knew that they were
watching me very, very, very carefully.
So having understood all that and embraced all of that, I just said to
myself, "What the hell, I'm going for it." And you know, it stood me in
good stead because I had not been familiar with Star Trek, I didn't know
anything about it. So I was literally just sort of blown out of a
cannon. And that's the way to do - start something of that magnitude.
AJ Grillo: Okay. And on the flip side of it, were you satisfied with the
way they ended the show? I remember when it ended there was a lot of
criticism, a lot of people didn't like the whole time travel sequence,
because that's always a little sketchy. But how did you feel about it?
Did you feel that it did the show justice the way they ended it?
Kate Mulgrew: You know, with this kind of an ardent and devoted fan
base, you can't please everybody.
And having said that I will tell you that, I had a very, very active and
significant hand in Endgame; I liked it, I helped compose it, I helped
sort of decide what the ending should be. And I think that there was no
more graceful or passionate way to say goodbye than to have the Admiral
die and the Captain go on.
AJ Grillo: Well thank you very much. I appreciate your call today. Good
luck...
Kate Mulgrew: I thank you.
AJ Grillo: ...with future endeavors.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you so much. Take care.
AJ Grillo: You too.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Suzanne
Lanoue from The TV MegaSite. Please go ahead.
Suzanne Lanoue: Hi, it's nice to talk to you today.
Kate Mulgrew: Hi Suzanne, how are you?
Suzanne Lanoue: Good thanks.
Kate Mulgrew: Good.
Suzanne Lanoue: I was wondering, you were a popular character on Ryan's
Hope and later starred in Star Trek, which is very popular -- both with
very notable rabid fan bases. Have you had any interesting fan
encounters over the years from either?
Kate Mulgrew: Any fan encounters; yes I was talking about this in Vegas
the other day.
Suzanne Lanoue: Yes.
Kate Mulgrew: Yes, I would say that one of the most interesting moments
was when I was asked to marry two women at a convention. And when I
indicated a slight unease with it they said, "You must understand that
you are fully licensed to do this, you are the Captain." And so I did.
I'm probably going to pay for this right?
Suzanne Lanoue: Wow. You've had probably a lot of interesting
experiences with your long and varied career. Are you ever planning to
write an autobiography?
Kate Mulgrew: I'm in the middle of doing it right now.
Suzanne Lanoue: Great.
Kate Mulgrew: I'm writing a book with my daughter, which I hope will be
one of a few. I've always loved to write but I've never had the real
confidence to support the discipline.
So I think that now I - looking back I'm just going to say, "I'm just
going to do it." I think that I have some rather interesting stories to
tell and hopefully they would be helpful stories. So let's hope.
Suzanne Lanoue: I'm sure it will be really interesting. I was going to
ask you too, with Ryan's Hope playing out on SOAPnet the last few years,
do you ever watch it or watch yourself? And also do you get more fans
coming up to you now because of that?
Kate Mulgrew: I don't watch myself ever.
Suzanne Lanoue: No.
Kate Mulgrew: I know that sounds really rough, but I have stopped
watching myself. So my answer to that is no. But fans are, as always,
gracious and they watch everything. And that's the nature of a good fan,
right?
Suzanne Lanoue: Right. Thank you very much, I really enjoyed speaking
with you.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from Josh Harrison from
ology.com. Please go ahead with your question.
Josh Harrison: Hi, it's great to get the chance to speak with you today.
Thanks so much.
Kate Mulgrew: Yes hello Josh, how are you doing?
Josh Harrison: I'm all right. How are you?
Kate Mulgrew: I'm good, thanks.
Josh Harrison: With the character that you're playing it seems you may
have a chance to get pretty close to the mythology that's behind
Warehouse 13. Is there anything you encountered preparing for or acting
in the role that you find especially interesting or intriguing about the
background material for the show?
Kate Mulgrew: Yes, I think what I found most compelling is how
interwoven the simplicity of a life can be with the mystical element of
the life.
I don't know how to articulate that any better than to say that, what
looks very common proves to be extremely uncommon on Warehouse 13. And
behind every door there are 13 other doors. It's like those Russian
Dolls. It was an extremely provocative puzzle to tease out and I enjoyed
every minute of it.
Josh Harrison: Well great, thanks. And also, as somebody who's played
one of the most iconic women in the sci-fi cannon, has your experience
as a guest star on Warehouse illuminated to you any changes in the role
and portrayal of women in sci-fi or?
Kate Mulgrew: It's getting better -- leaps and bounds. It's getting
better.
The women are grounded and exalted at the same time, which is of course
what a good female character should be. We have dimensionality, we have
great truth, we have power, we don't have to sacrifice our femininity,
we have honesty, and most importantly we have humanity. So indeed, it is
growing.
And that's probably the most beautiful thing about Warehouse 13, and I
hope that you write this, or say this, "There's no glass ceiling there.
Jack Kenny understands that the glass ceiling has long since been
shattered. So it's a new day."
Josh Harrison: That's great to hear. We're really looking forward to the
arc and we hope that you have the best of luck in any future projects.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you very much. Take care.
Operator: Our next question is from the line of Janel Spiegel from
realityshack.com. Please go ahead with your question.
Janel Spiegel: Hi Kate. It's an honor to speak with you today.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you Janel. How are you?
Janel Spiegel: I'm fine. How are you?
Kate Mulgrew: Good, thank you.
Janel Spiegel: I was wondering; I was reading about some of your
theater, and you have quite an extensive and amazing theater background.
I was wondering if you ever plan on going back to theater?
Kate Mulgrew: I never stop doing the theater.
Janel Spiegel: That's great to hear.
Kate Mulgrew: The television is obviously what one learns about more
quickly. But I live in New York and I'm always doing something.
Janel Spiegel: Great.
Kate Mulgrew: Last year I played Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra and
it was a dream that I had longed to do for many, many years. So I've
always got my finger in a lot of pots, theatrically in New York.
Janel Spiegel: Great. And one last question, Out of all the Syfy shows,
is there any other show you would like to make an appearance on?
Kate Mulgrew: Out of all the Syfy shows?
Janel Spiegel: Yes.
Kate Mulgrew: I don't really - you know, I'm not terribly well versed. I
think there's another one, a great one with David Strathairn, right?
Janel Spiegel: Alphas.
Kate Mulgrew: I'd like to do that with him, simply because I adore him
as an actor.
Janel Spiegel: Well thank you so very much. And it was such an honor to
speak with you.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you Janel.
Janel Spiegel: And good luck with everything.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you so much. Bye-bye.
Operator: Our next question is from the line of Deyvid Holquinn from The
Outhouse. Please proceed.
Deyvid Holquinn: Hi thanks for...
Kate Mulgrew: (David) from The Outhouse.
Deyvid Holquinn: Yes.
Kate Mulgrew: That sounds suspicious.
Deyvid Holquinn: Totally, yes.
Kate Mulgrew: What outhouse? What is it? Is it a magazine?
Deyvid Holquinn: It's a Web site which started as comic books but has
expanded to pop culture of all varieties.
Kate Mulgrew: Terrific. How are you doing?
Deyvid Holquinn: I'm great. How are you?
Kate Mulgrew: I'm great - but I mean do you enjoy a rather vast
readership?
Deyvid Holquinn: Oh yes, it's one of the premier sites on the internet
for comic books and pop culture. And it's always growing.
Kate Mulgrew: Well terrific, I'm going to go in and take a look.
Deyvid Holquinn: Great. It's an honor to meet - to speak with you.
You're an inspiration to a lot of your fans from the different genres.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Deyvid Holquinn: Recently you were involved in the William Shatner
documentary, The Captains, that was very interesting and entertaining
for sure.
Kate Mulgrew: So they tell me. I didn't see it.
Deyvid Holquinn: Oh no doubt, it's - every fan of Star Trek and then
every fan of you should check it out, no doubt.
I was just wondering, were you involved in any way, or would we be
seeing you in the upcoming documentary by Gene Roddenberry's son, Rod
Roddenberry, Trek Nation?
Kate Mulgrew: Yes, I was just in Las Vegas and I had a few words with
Rod and he mentioned something to me about that. So I reckon I will give
him an interview if he pursues me. Yes, I like Rod.
Deyvid Holquinn: Okay great.
Kate Mulgrew: And he is the bearer of the legacy, so one must be good.
Deyvid Holquinn: Right. And the documentary is definitely about his
journey discovering his relationship with - or rediscovering a
relationship with his father, but it was also about how Star Trek
touched so many people's lives in so many different ways. And I think
you should definitely be involved in that with being the role that you
played on the show and then just within the community and sci-fi in
general.
Kate Mulgrew: Well thank you for that. I hope he pursues me and I will
give him a good interview.
Deyvid Holquinn: We can't wait for that one.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Deyvid Holquinn: He's also in the process, or I think it's already
begun, but he's starting a Roddenberry foundation which is philanthropy
based. And would you be interested in doing work with that or lending
your talent and efforts for that?
Kate Mulgrew: I would, but I'd have to learn more about it. Rod will
have tell me more about that.
So far in my life with Rod Roddenberry, what he's wanted to do with me
is to give me my diving certificate. He wants me to go deep sea diving.
((Crosstalk))
Kate Mulgrew: And so that's all he's always on about. And once he asked
me to do a zero gravity flight and I got shuttled, and I don't know why
it was cancelled. But it was. But I would like to engage with him. I
knew his mother well. I liked Majel very much. And without his father,
where would any of the rest of us be? So I would welcome that
conversation.
Deyvid Holquinn: That would be great. One more question is, you started
in the early career with Ryan's Hope and then for a stretch you were
the, Mrs. Colombo. And then in the - as the career went forward you
started becoming - given the authoritative type roles with Captain and
then Admiral Janeway, and then now with the Regent in Warehouse 13, and
even on the NTS...
Kate Mulgrew: Yes, SD:SUV.
Deyvid Holquinn: Right, exactly.
Kate Mulgrew: Right.
Deyvid Holquinn: You've always - in these positions where it's like
you're a woman in power and authority and you can command respect.
But you always have come across, even when it's - whether it's drama
with the Star Trek or even comedy with these other ones, you still have
that, you pull it off. But then still you don't come across as a like a
stone, or a one-dimensional, you know, barking orders at everybody, you
still remain...
Kate Mulgrew: Human.
Deyvid Holquinn: ...retain the heart - humanity. Has that been something
that you've had to really focus on and try for or does it come natural
for - is that...
Kate Mulgrew: No, I would hope against hope that that comes naturally.
I'm the oldest of eight children, I'm the oldest girl. I have one older
brother. So I have a natural bossiness. But I also have great love. So
if that's what's translating, then I'm very, very pleased.
Deyvid Holquinn: Yes, it comes across. And that's (unintelligible).
Kate Mulgrew: That's what the audience is attracted to. I don't want to
be Patton, that's not the point. The point is to have an inherent sense
of command and humanity well married. And as I've achieved that then
I've done what I intended to do.
Deyvid Holquinn: You've done it very well and we look forward to seeing
more.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Deyvid Holquinn: Thank you very much.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you so much.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Aaron
Knobloch with Blogomatic3000. Please go ahead.
Aaron Knobloch: Hello Miss Mulgrew. How are you today?
Kate Mulgrew: I'm well, how are you?
Aaron Knobloch: Oh I'm fine, I'm fine.
Kate Mulgrew: Good.
Aaron Knobloch: My first question I - you've been a big part of the
science fiction scene for quite a while now. How do you feel about the
genre as an actor? Does it offer you more of a range? How do you feel
about it?
Kate Mulgrew: Increasingly honored and interested because, as is true of
all things that capture our imagination, I have learned about science
through science fiction. And I know that they are joined, they are
allied. And that alliance has given me a great deal of intellectual
foresight.
And I'm learning that this fan base, which is almost inestimable, is
very smart. And what they're interested in is the metaphor of the
starship and their personal experience and journey through life.
So I'm drawing these parallels, I'm learning about the metaphors and I'm
having an open conversation with these fans. And it is always
fascinating to me.
Aaron Knobloch: A lot of our readers are big fans of your work -- really
big fans, especially my boss. How do you have - I mean, do you have any
other active projects that you've been working on that you'd like to
share with them? Anything (unintelligible)?
Kate Mulgrew: Well I'm doing Warehouse 13 for the Syfy channel and I
have another series called NTSF:SD:SUV on Adult Swim -- that's on the
air right now. I have a play in the works in New York called Somewhere
Fun. And that's a lot.
I've been working at quite a clip for about seven months and I just got
back from Australia where I did two conventions and I'm on my way to
Atlanta to do another one and then Germany and then the Czech Republic.
So the beat goes on. You know the world of science fiction is a big one
and a broad one.
Aaron Knobloch: That's a very, very busy schedule. I have one last
question and then I'll let you go.
Not many people know, or may not know, that aside from your acting in
the theater and in - on television, you do a lot of voice acting for
video games.
Kate Mulgrew: Mm-hmm.
Aaron Knobloch: How do you feel about voice acting? Is that
(unintelligible)?
Kate Mulgrew: I love it. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasure because it's
so easy; there's no camera, I don't have to get camera ready, I don't
have to be on point that way. I'm in a booth with the engineer and the
producer and the mic. And it's freedom. It's freedom and I get to use my
voice, which I like to play around with. And it's just great, great,
great fun.
Aaron Knobloch: Okay well thank you for your time. And I'll be sure to
put something in the article about your Alzheimer's charity that you're
(unintelligible).
Kate Mulgrew: I'd appreciate that very much. Thank you.
Aaron Knobloch: Because I think it's a very, very important
(unintelligible).
Kate Mulgrew: It's very, very important. And if you could encourage
everybody to read all the pertinent science bulletins about it and to be
generous, I would be grateful to you.
Aaron Knobloch: Okay, you have a nice day Miss Mulgrew.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you, you too.
Operator: Thank you. Our next question is from the line of Lance Carter
from Daily Actor. Please go ahead.
Lance Carter: Hey that's me. Nice talking to you Kate.
Kate Mulgrew: Hi Lance. How are you?
Lance Carter: I'm doing well, doing well.
Kate Mulgrew: Is that short for Lancelot?
Lance Carter: No, no. But yes, everyone calls me that...
Kate Mulgrew: I see.
Lance Carter: ...especially when I've done something stupid.
Kate Mulgrew: Oh, I know exactly what you mean.
Lance Carter: Yes, yes, nice going Lancelot.
Kate Mulgrew: Right. Poor you.
Lance Carter: That's all right. Yes. You had such a really great career.
What would be advice you would give - you, yourself right now would give
to your 18 year old actor self just starting out?
Kate Mulgrew: Find what you love within the field of acting and honor it
because discipline in my life has been everything. I was really lucky to
find what I loved at the age of I would say 12 when I knew, 16 when I
really started to break out, and 19 when I became professional.
But once you find what you love you must honor it with the discipline.
And that's where a lot of people fall down. Nothing comes to you -- it
is a real act of faith in one's self. And if you don't have the
confidence in yourself pretend that you do. That goes a long way.
But never be late, never be sorry -- no apologies, no complaints. Know
what you're about and do it as well as you can.
Lance Carter: Wow.
Kate Mulgrew: Passion is everything.
Lance Carter: That's a great answer. What was - just curious, what was
your first professional job?
Kate Mulgrew: Simultaneously I made my stage debut and my television
debut. I played the part of Emily in Our Town at the American
Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut, which was just terrific,
and Mary Ryan on Ryan's Hope, which was a soap opera on ABC, but it was
a very unusual serial written by Claire Labine. And I would say that,
Mary Ryan really kicked me off to the races.
Lance Carter: Yes. And then you mentioned theater; are there any parts
that you're kind of itching to play?
Kate Mulgrew: Well I just played Cleopatra and I was really itching to
play her. And I'm glad I did because you have to play her, when you can
still walk and talk at the same time.
Chekhov is still eluding me, and I don't know why. I've begged
everybody, I will play any Chekhov.
I'm about to play (Izigenia) in (The Millionairess) in New York, which
will be fun. And there's a new play by (Jenny Schwartz) which I'm very
interested in. I've done about four workshops for that, so I hope that
we can get that to Broadway next season.
Lance Carter: Wow, nice. Well I hope to see both of them.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Lance Carter: Thank you. Thank you so much. Bye.
Kate Mulgrew: Take care Lance. Lancelot, take care.
Operator: Thank you. And our last question is a follow-up from Deyvid
Holquinn with from The Outhouse. Please go ahead.
Deyvid Holquinn: Hello again. I just got two quick follow-ups. Leonard -
you mentioned the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas. And recently
Leonard Nimoy announced that he'll be retiring from the Star Trek
convention circuit. I was just wondering...
Kate Mulgrew: Yes, so I understand.
Deyvid Holquinn: It's sad to see him go. But I was wondering, how often
do you go to the conventions? And do you see yourself continuing with
that for a while? Or do you think you'll be retiring from that scene any
time soon?
Kate Mulgrew: Well I think it's one of the great privileges of having
done a Star Trek franchise; you get to do them. And I don't have to do
them - I don't do them often. I do the good ones -- of course they're
all good but I would say that I do the big ones.
And for instance, I just got back from Australia, it's also just a
really lovely way to see the world. So if I do three or four a year I'm
quite happy, do you understand?
Deyvid Holquinn: Yes. And your fans definitely love to see you.
Kate Mulgrew: Yes.
Deyvid Holquinn: The other thing is, it was mentioned with the voice
overs with the video games, have you heard about or seen the Star Trek
online videogame that's on the (Master of Multiplayer) level?
Kate Mulgrew: I haven't, how's it doing?
Deyvid Holquinn: It's pretty good. It's about two years old now, coming
up on its second year. It's constantly growing.
Kate Mulgrew: Good.
Deyvid Holquinn: And I was just wondering, if they approached you would
you be interested in doing voiceover for that game?
Kate Mulgrew: Always. I love doing videogames. I did Dragon Age last
year and it was really a ball.
Deyvid Holquinn: Great. We would love to see a return of Admiral Janeway
to the online world.
Kate Mulgrew: All right.
Deyvid Holquinn: Thank you very much.
Kate Mulgrew: I thank you Deyvid. Take care.
Operator: Thank you. There are no further questions from the phone lines
at this time Miss Mulgrew, Mr. Morgenstein.
Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.
Gary Morgenstein: Thank you all very, very much. Thank you so much Kate.
Kate Mulgrew: I thank you Gary. And please take care of yourself. This
was a pleasure.
Gary Morgenstein: Monday, August 29 at 9:00 pm, Kate Mulgrew on
Warehouse 13. Take care everyone.
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