WEBVTT

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My very first Star Trek convention.

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I was filling in for Brent Spiner

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in Boston.

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And only three or four voyager episodes had even

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aired

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and I was scared because Brent

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was

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and is an extremely

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popular

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character from the Star Trek Canon

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and I had just gone on the air and

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most troubling lie.

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I was playing

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his role in our show.

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In other words.

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I was the

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equivalent of his character and he had been so

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childlike and lovable in his role and I was

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so

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crusty and cranky

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that I thought they weren't going to like me

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and I especially I actually thought that anybody who

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was going to a convention to see Brent Spiner

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and was stuck with the new guy who'd only

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been on for shows.

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They were going to be

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very disappointed

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and to my utter surprise.

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I walked on stage and 2,000 people stood up

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and cheered

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and I thought

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this is a good thing.

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This is

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I like this.

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This

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is

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Ike I don't quite believe it but they

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they were showing me that they

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had that they liked Voyager

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that

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now that we'd Premier they had sort of embrace

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the show

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and that they found the characters interesting and that

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they liked

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would have been established about my character thus far

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they were

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they were interested in the doctor and because they

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were interested in the doctor.

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They were interested in me

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and it

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Some

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it was absolutely surprising

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now

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my wife Linda

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and we celebrate our 20th anniversary.

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This year

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calls me

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a lounge act waiting to happen.

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So if I have an audience that's inclined to

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listen to me.

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I run with that.

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As I say to her I said I live

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with I have a wife and two daughters.

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I said I live with three women who pay

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no attention to anything I say, so why wouldn't

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I like 2,000 people jumping up and

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hanging on my every word.

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And then she smiles and walks away.

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Now.

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It's a it

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the personal appearances are part of the Star Trek

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package

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that you were told about

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when you first do the show and you either

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how you respond to them and how much you

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enjoy them.

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I think

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has a lot to do with your attitude toward

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being

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both an actor and a performer

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if you come from a theater background, if you

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like the idea of

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seeing the people in front of you

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hearing the Applause and hearing the laughter, I think

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that that

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Exposes you

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to enjoy the personal appearances more

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than if you're strictly from a film background in

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you're not

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not as used to having a live audience there.

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And

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I mean there are other factors involved there plenty

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of Star Trek actors who

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came from a theater background who may not enjoy

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the personal appearances that much

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I

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frankly

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get a kick out of

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having the opportunity

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to have an audience that is willing to go

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anywhere with me if I want to

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Try to make them laugh if I want to

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sing something, they're

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anxious

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and enthusiastic

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to hear it.

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And

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you know, I am probably I don't think I'm

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a

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I'm not a strong enough man

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to resist that Temptation.

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So

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so I have had fun at by and large

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at the personal appearances and I enjoy them

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and I think that the audience senses the fact

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that I enjoy them and it's why

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people who have seen me once or twice or

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five times will continue to come back and see

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me because they know that whatever I do

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on stage is not going to be just what

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they've seen me do before because

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I personally feel I get out of the experience

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what I put into it so it encourages me

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to do

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Things

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and I think that they enjoy that I've had

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fans come up to me as recently as Germany

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and say

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you

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don't just do the same thing.

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You

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you put effort into this and you think of

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different things to do

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and we appreciate that so

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so that's a nice.

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It's a nice compliment.

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As I said the fact that that I

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that I enjoyed as much as I do means

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to me that a I miss

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live performing.

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And be that my ego is completely out of

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control.

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I don't think any Star Trek interview would be

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complete

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without a quick product plug.

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I have of course written.

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My first

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book

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The Holograms handbook

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which is an indispensable guide to

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to any

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artificial intelligence.

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If you

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if you're smarter than everyone else in the world

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and you want to know how to get along

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with stupid people.

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You need to read this book.

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Because it'll teach you

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how to get along with those that don't have

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your intellectual gifts.

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It's a must read and

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as you can see it

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for trips to the bathroom and you're done

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and it's been very carefully engineered to fit on

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the back of any toilet.

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So I highly recommend it for you and your

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bathroom guests.

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Also

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I of course have read the book myself

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and this is available at various places.

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It is the Holograms handbook on audio disc read

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by

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it says

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it says by the doctor the EMH of the

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USS Voyager As Told to Robert picardo.

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So what could be better than hearing the doctors

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words read by the doctor himself.

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So

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those are a must in anyone's Library collection, and

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anyone's

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anyone's

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bathroom decor.