WEBVTT

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Oh, thank you.

2
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[Interviewer] I am so excited
to meet you, thank you

3
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for coming in.

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[Interviewer] Are we looking good?

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[Producer] We are all set.

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[Interviewer] Perfect.

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[Producer] Squeeze in up
here, if you don't mind.

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How's it look?

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[Interviewer] Could you
explain, if you can,

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in one sentence why you love Star Trek?

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I love Trek because it is us.

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It is our future.

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The reason I love Star
Trek is because it is all

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about inclusivity and science
and exploring the universe.

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I think right now is a great
time to be a Star Trek fan.

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There's five different
shows right now that are

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in production and it's all diverse, too.

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It gives me hope to think
that, you know, we're

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gonna one day live in a more civil society

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where we can all be
accepting of each other.

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My first contact, pun intended, with TNG

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is actually the first episode.

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I grew up with Trek.

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My parents were Trekkies to begin with.

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And when this new show was coming around

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we all got together as a
family and watched it together.

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My first contact with it was
when I was five years old,

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my dad sat me down in front

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of the TV and was like, here's
this show I really like.

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Let's watch it together.

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And he wouldn't just teach
me about the characters.

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He would teach me about the
development of the show.

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TNG they took the concept
of The Original Series

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and they elevated it. It
actually felt like, okay this

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is what the future is gonna be like.

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I actually have three favorite characters

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from Star Trek: The Next Generation

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and they're all centered
around the engineering staff.

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Yes, they actually inspired my career.

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I did study electrical
engineering for my undergrad.

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Geordi is my favorite
engineering character.

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He led the engineering team.

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I remember very specifically

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in some of the first season
episodes he was challenged

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on being in charge.

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And I like the way he handled that.

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And as you know, somebody of
my stature and gender going

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into a predominantly
male-dominated field, I looked

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to him as how to handle situations.

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And he handled them with
calm, he handled them

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with authority and he handled them

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with a discovered confidence,
like he didn't have it before.

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And that's how I felt.

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And I just used that to further inspire me

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in my roles that I had.

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What I really like about
Riker is he's got a lot

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of swagger.

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He's very confident.

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He could be the Captain of the Enterprise,

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but he's like a team player.

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He can step back and
let Picard run the ship

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because he knows he's
the best man for the job.

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I love Dr. Crusher's character

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for the fact that she
makes sure there's no doubt

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that her character believes
that saving the lives

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of her patient is her prime directive

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no matter what Starfleet says to her.

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And she'll have these very
passionate discussions,

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basically arguments with
the other characters

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and be like, "Nope,
this is what I believe.

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This is where I stand."

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And it puts her at odds with Starfleet,

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their Prime Directive,
and their procedures.

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And she just sometimes is like,

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“It’s about saving my sick patients.”

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What else do you think
about the Prime Directive?

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May I hug you?

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[Gates] Yes, you may.

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Oh, oh!

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Are you fantastic?

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[Interviewer] If you
could record a message

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for Jonathan Frakes, what would that be?

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I would just like to say thank
you so much, Jonathan Frakes,

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for everything you've done.

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Hi Mr. Burton, thank you so much

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for being an inspiration to me.

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Well, I was telling the folks here, my car

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is actually named Geordi La Ford.

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It's a 2012 Ford Edge.

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And it got me here.

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It was quite a trek, pun
intended to come over here today.

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And everything you continue to do

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for Star Trek and the whole brand-

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You were actually one of
the reasons I was curious

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about the, you know coming

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onto TNG I was a little nervous.

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- Leana?
- Yes sir.

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Oh my God!

99
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Oh!

100
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Oh my gosh!

101
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Can we beam in another chair here?

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My grandfather was the doctor.

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Okay.

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You spoke so eloquently
about Star Trek I had

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to come and visit you.

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Thank you, oh my gosh.

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This is a dream come true.

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So, Geordi inspired you a little bit?

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Yes, sir. Yes sir, he did.

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I love that you said he did it with a sort

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of a discovered confidence.

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Yes.

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Because that's how it happens.

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Yeah.

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We grow into ourselves to challenge.

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Yes. Exactly.

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Right?

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Exactly, and I still face
that every day, even today.

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Yeah, right.

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Thank you so much for being here.

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Thank you so much.

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Oh!

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Dude, like, that was awesome.

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I had no idea!

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A Trekkie's dream come true.