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As my Star Trek character commanded the weight of a starship, I was hours away from becoming a father

The lines between fiction and reality collided when i welcomed my child into the world.

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This First Person column is the experience of Patrick Kwok-Choon, who was born and raised in Montreal. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ .

I was on the set of Star Trek: Discovery and my character Gen Rhys had been thrust into the captain's chair, burdened with making life-and-death decisions for himself and his crew.

I can't believe this was happening to me.

It was a milestone for my character — the first time as acting captain on the Starship Discovery — but also an important moment for me as a lifelong fan of the franchise.

Sitting in that chair, I couldn't help but think of the iconic performances by Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew and Avery Brooks. The weight of their legacy was palpable, and being part of that tradition felt incredibly significant.

But my real concern wasn't the scene; it was the crisis unfolding at home.

At 3 a.m., my wife went into labour. When her contractions increased, we called our midwife at 9 a.m. Despite the unpredictability of childbirth, she assured me, based on her extensive experience, that it was OK for me to go to work. She mentioned that while it's not guaranteed, deliveries typically occur at night, offering me some peace of mind.

I was contractually obligated to go into work that day and my wife reassured me that her contractions were only uncomfortable, not painful. She insisted I go.

With a heavy heart, I asked my neighbour to watch over my wife and to call me if there was any emergency. I would come home immediately, regardless of the consequences.

When I arrived at work, my castmates greeted me with joy. The higher-ups were quickly informed and a production head came down to assure me that everything was being done to expedite my departure. The shooting schedule was rearranged so all my scenes would be filmed first. I immediately called my wife to share the news.

As I spoke with her, another production head approached, offering congratulations and reiterating the plan. But he added, "If things get too crazy at home and we haven't finished, just bail." I told him my wife felt we were still in the early phases of labour, and we should still have time. He leaned in, gave me a hug, and whispered in my ear, "Just bail."

All hands on deck

I was at a loss for words — studios aren't obligated to accommodate actors in such situations. I've heard terrible stories of actors unable to attend births, weddings and even funerals due to rigid shooting schedules. Yet here, amid the bustling set of a multimillion-dollar shoot, this person was giving me permission to prioritize my family. It was a heartfelt gesture that I'll never forget.

Returning to the chair, it felt like an actual "all hands on deck" moment straight out of Star Trek. Each department rallied together with precision and urgency, and I could feel their support willing me forward. Together, we navigated the challenges of the day, ensuring I could fulfill my duty as both actor and father-to-be.

After what felt like an eternity, the first assistant director called out, "That's a wrap on Patrick. He's free to leave."

I leaped out of my chair and shouted, "I'm going to have a baby!" to the applause of the cast and crew.

At this point, I had been at work for nine hours and it was 8 p.m. I rocketed out of that studio at warp speed. When I got home, my wife's contractions had reached the point where the midwife advised it was time to go to the hospital. I couldn't believe my luck. Despite the chaos of the day, I had made it just in time for the delivery.

Five hours later, as I held my newborn in my arms, I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief and profound joy. The juxtaposition of the day's events felt surreal — acting out life-and-death stakes on set only to experience the miracle of life in reality.

My child is now 20 months old. Just this weekend, I had the luxury of taking my child out for a morning stroll, pushing them for what felt like an eternity on the swings, and sitting in silence together on a park bench as I watched them slowly gobble up a muffin, basking in the absolute wonder of this little miracle. A gift. My gift.

I am miles away from the fearful day on set and have come safely to the other side of things – just as I'm light-years from my youth when I feared becoming a parent because, in my naive mind, it meant getting trapped into something or sacrificing my career, time and energy.

But I think most parents would agree: what you gain is absolutely priceless. No longer do I find myself consumed with work or clinging desperately to career aspirations. I have reshaped my understanding of what's really important to me and my life is immensely richer for it.

The day I spent in the captain's chair on Discovery will forever be etched in my memory, not just for the professional milestone it represented but for the personal journey it paralleled. The lines between fiction and reality blurred, the weight of commanding a starship colliding with the anticipation of welcoming new life into the world.

It was a stark reminder of the beautiful, unpredictable nature of life, where our most significant moments often unfold in the most unexpected ways.

Do you have a compelling personal story that can bring understanding or help others? We want to hear from you. Here's  more info on how to pitch to us .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Freelance contributor

Patrick Kwok-Choon was born and raised in Montreal. He is best known for the five seasons he spent on the hit CBS/Paramount+ show Star Trek: Discovery.

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• June 14, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Shares Its Pain With Laurence Luckinbill From ‘Star Trek V: The Final Frontier’
• June 13, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Actor Teases His “Very Intense” Character, Praises “Hero” Michelle Yeoh
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‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Actor Teases His “Very Intense” Character, Praises “Hero” Michelle Yeoh

| June 13, 2024 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 55 comments so far

The next live action Star Trek release may be the Section 31 streaming movie. We still don’t know much about the project starring Michelle Yeoh, but now one of the new actors is teasing a bit about his character.

A broken soul in Section 31

James Hiroyuki Liao was one of the seven actors announced as part of the cast of Star Trek: Section 31 in January, but with no character descriptions. He is out doing publicity now for a role in the new Apple limited series Presumed Innocent and ScreenRant used the opportunity to talk about Trek. Liao was hesitant to say anything specific but did tease his character:

All I can say is that my guy is very, very intense. Without giving anything away, he’s a broken soul, and hurt people hurt people.

It sounds like Liao could be playing a bad guy, which there should be plenty of in a streaming movie about Starfleet’s infamous Section 31 organization. The film stars Academy-award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, reprising her Discovery role as former Terran Emperor turned Section 31 operative Phillipa Georgiou. The official synopsis notes how she is tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets,” but she “also must face the sins of her past.” Perhaps Liao’s character is related to some of those past sins.

The actor did talk about what it  was like to work with Yeoh, saying:

He’s maybe one of the greatest characters I’ve had the chance to play, and working with my hero [Michelle Yeoh] for such a long time has just been an insane time for me. I’m working with so many people that I have admired for so long. Michelle Yeoh is just everything, and I loved working with her. It was such a special cast as well. I’ve been on cloud nine. I’m so lucky.

Liao is a Juilliard-trained actor with a long resume in Hollywood. He has recently appeared in HBO’s Barry and the Hulu limited series The Dropout . He has had a recurring role in the long-running CBS series Blue Bloods and is a series regular in the upcoming AMC show Orphan Black: Echoes .

James Hiroyuki Liao as Darros in Orphan Black: Echoes (Sophie Giraud/AMC)

Besides Yeoh’s Georgiou, we do know the Section 31 movie will include a younger Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), the future captain of the USS Enterprise-C from the TNG episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” indicating the streaming movie could be set in the “ lost era ” between the TOS movies and TNG era. The one official photo from the movie also reveals the back of the head of a new character named Dada Noe (Joe Pingue).

Michelle Yeoh as Georgiou and Joe Pingue as Dada Noe in  Star Trek: Section 31 (Jan Thijs/Paramount+)

Production on the Section 31 streaming movie wrapped up in March . Paramount+ has yet to set a release date.

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Imagine if they also brought back Ruck as Captain Harriman from Generations…

That would be very cool for this aging Trekker.

He won’t be made admiral until Tuesday.

CmdrChris I laughed out loud!

He’d be an Admiral of course by then. Maybe in the sequel, Section 32.

Don’t worry, knowing these writers, he’ll show up, especially since he’s not developed as a character.

which means they’ll be killing him off! oh no!

back by tuesday….

The other day I wondered to myself, what will real fans hate now that Discovery is over. This is likely to be that.

There is no doubt that this movie will commit the same “sins” the first season of Discovery did, such as having more advanced technology that what was portrayed in The Original Series and, more likely than not, redesign an alien species or more like they did with the Klingons.

If S31 has:

• awful writing
• awful characters
• awful pacing, plot contrivances and unearned emotion

like Discovery, then fans will dislike it, like Discovery.

And I generally liked the last season but those problems still persisted regardless.

That ending ruined what was otherwise, a fairly compelling season.

Yes. Yes indeed, Harry.

Any excuse to dump on the show, huh? That said… I’ll quite happily trash Enterprise to this day so I can’t talk!

Even season 4?

Even season 4.

It’s an improvement for sure, but its still woeful imo.

The OP’s post was baiting so I can’t fault anyone for their responses beyond a lack of self-restraint. I’m disappointed the opposing POV is so narrow and unwilling to engage, but now that I see it that’s a lesson for next time.

100%. They have an opportunity to give us a fun little romp, with a minimum of canon connections. This feels like the kind of thing they can just run with at this point, and not screw it up.. even if it’s a little hammy or silly. But who knows.

Absent context, a brilliant observation. Meanwhile, with actual context, the folks who spent years taking a s**t on Discovery had pretty much decided it was garbage long before the first season aired. They also tend to be the same people who worshipped PS3, an abysmal story, but very well produced fan service. Insisting the only thing the fan base wants now is the further adventures of Nepo Jack and his TNG Guest Star Friends.

So there’s that….

No, I want Annoying Jack written off. I do want the TNG, DS9 and Voyager Guest Star Friends though.

Yes, 100%. You hit the nail on the head.

You could apply that same criteria to season 3 of TOS.

Discovery’s actual sins centered on its character work and dramatic fundamentals, which is legitimately a serious problem. I couldn’t give a toss about the things you’re talking about beyond being mildly irritated the Klingon actors could barely speak through those teeth, and I thought it was a bit unnecessary to shoehorn Burnham into Spock’s family.

No, what I had a hard time with was how Burnham’s redemption arc was messy and didn’t feel earned in season 1. Also, the tone was all over the place. The execution of the plan to go to the not-much-darker-because-Klingon-War Mirror Universe was uneven. The Klingon characters weren’t all that interesting. The decision to make the show so dark and TV-MA with gore and sexual violence was baffling. The VFX were high-end yet murky. Having all the comic relief fall on Tilly’s shoulders was a mistake as well.

It was still enjoyable by and large. There was good acting, the production values were impressive, the LGBT+ representation was aspirational (though I still question what the longterm plan was for Culber after his offing), and the show was definitely trying something bold and new. It was working against deadline headwinds and creative upheavals in seasons 1 and 2, but even with them being all over the place I still preferred what they were doing to Michelle Paradise’s vision.

But for the fact that The Original Series did a throwaway episode in which Shatner played Kirk’s brother wearing nothing more than a fake mustache glued to his upper lip, real fans would demand Kurtzman’s head on a platter for introducing Kirk’s brother in Strange New Worlds.

Likewise, but for the fact that Trek V introduced Sybok, they would be just as upset that “Spock’s brother” was at the center of a season one episode even if their familiar connection wasn’t entirely mentioned.

There was nothing wrong with Burnham being Spock’s sister. He didn’t mention her in TOS just like he didn’t mention Sybok in TOS either. And just like he didn’t say that the Vulcan ambassador was his father. He didn’t tell his crewmates anything about his family until they met them.

These have been argued to death at this point. I don’t understand why people keep bringing up Sybok as an argument to why it’s OK for Michael to be Spocks sibling when most fans hated Sybok just as much at the time. Its not like the character was beloved, people thought it was a bad idea including William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy BTW. It was Harve Bennett who pushed for the idea and it went over like a lead balloon.

But let’s double down one bad idea and do it again. Makes total sense.

The whole “Spock doesn’t talk about his family” bit has been torpedoed into oblivion ironically thanks to DIS and SNW. Spock tells anyone within earshot about his family these days. Pike knew about Burnham before he showed up on Discovery. He mentioned to Chapel about Sybok which seems to imply he will eventually show up on SNW while Kirk, Uhura and now Scotty will most likely be around. But maybe he won’t show up. But his mother already has showed up on the Enterprise along with T’Pring for his freaking engagement party. But now a few years later both will be completely forgotten and has turned continuity into more of a joke. 🙄

This entire conversation is why I hate prequels. Honestly. But this should also make clear it’s not Discovery alone with these issues. SNW is just aa bad as my opinion. But it gets less slack because people like it more.

And I have made clear I really like SNW but I’m not biased either.

The thing about Spock’s family – or any crewmember’s family – is that there is no way there are any believable surprises.

No way Kirk wouldn’t know his first officer was the son of an ambassador. No way he wouldn’t know Spock had a half brother or that his parents “adopted” a girl from Earth. No way people on Enterprise would have no idea Kirk had a brother.

In the future eveyone will know a lot about each other – unless – there is a story which explains why they don’t.

Well said, and I agree. So much of Disco and SNW seem predicated on ‘well, they made a creative decision like the ones we did in TOS.. or the movies, so that means we can do that too’. Ironically..it just shows a general lack of originality.

The Sybok revelation was eye-rolling then too, but please, by all means only focus on the one continuity thing I said was “a bit unnecessary.” You’re doing well, and not coming across as silly at all.

Um Kirk’s brother is on Strange New Worlds.

Which doesn’t bother anyone because he was previously introduced in TOS played by Shatner wearing a fake mustache.

If they had introduced him now as an entirely new character, the “real” fans would be up in arms like they were about Michael. “HOW DARE THEY SAY THAT KIRK HAS A BROTHER?!”

Again with the “real” fans comment. Dude, real fans have no issue with any of that.

I have my issues with Discovery but none are the issues you mentioned.

Well, since there are no such things as “real” fans, I’m not worried.

Thank you for that. Fans are fans.

The hate is already starting for the Academy series, so I expect full on hate once it starts. It’s like certain “fans” are in pre-hate mode.

How about we all leave the hating and the preemptive hating of hating and speculation on what haters are going to hate, and just wait for something to actually happen? Musing on what could happen in the movie or SFA makes sense, but the rest feels utterly pointless.

You’re a little late with your message… people started on the hate parade when the show was announced and have been hating on it ever since. I, for one, would rather wait and see the show first.

Me too, so there’s no point in intensifying the debate. Simply saying there’s nothing to comment on to inspire such strong feelings is more productive than twisting to get ahead of what people may or may not hate later and have limited cause to hate now. I don’t see the point of any of it until we get substantive interviews, trailers, clips and actual airings.

You’re preaching to the choir, bud. You need to tell that to the haters.

I think you have things the other way around. Real fans have enjoyed what has come after TOS and TNG. The bandwagon Trekkers have THEIR show, and anything that isn’t it, sucks. As a real fan, I love all Trek. I do love to see what different people see Trek as. I do have what I like better and what I like less… but I am happy that there is Trek still going after so long. And for the Trek that I like less… I don’t bash it over and over and over again like the bandwagon fans do.

Haters always need something to hate. They hated DS9 also before they changed their tune.

Nice to get a S31 update. Fingers crossed January 2025 at the latest.

I am VERY excited for this, not just because of the return of the Emperor (all hail!) but also as a test bed for the streaming movie model. I get the feeling if S31 rates well enough Paramount are keen to test out new ideas as streaming movie first moving forward. And the “lost era/tos movie era” is probably my favourite era aesthetically speaking and I can’t wait to see how they update it for 2024.

I’m also very excited to see how well the streaming movie model does. We might never get a Legacy series, but maybe we can get a Legacy movie. Or maybe we can get a streaming movie about other characters in the Lost Era. Bring it on!

Yeah I would be very keen for a Legacy movie in this format. And I think the runtime of a single movie vs a 10 episode season might help them consolidate what they really envision Legacy to be.

Agreed! I feel like the streaming movie model opens so many fascinating doors. A full series or a theatrical movie are arguably too big to serve as test beds or experimentation, but an ongoing “slot” in the production schedule dedicated to successive streaming films sounds like one hell of a sweeet spot in terms of trying things out as well as exploring corners theatrical films and series wouldn’t have a good chance to dedicate their time to. I’m very very excited about the possibilities of this.

Agreed. I loved the concept of Short Treks as a similar vehicle to test ideas, but ultimately I think the 15 minute runtime (or less!) doesn’t really allow enough time (or budget) to really dedicate to fleshing out these new ideas.

I’m curious about what they’ll do for the uniforms. I know it was a cost-saving measure, but given Starfleet’s obsession with fashion, it’s always been an outlier how they didn’t change their uniforms for 70 years between TWOK and when Picard commanded the Stargazer. Who knew that in the future it will be flared pants that make the biggest comeback?

Haha well as much as flares might be back on the streets in 2024, I’m hoping that’s one part of the uniform they update haha. I’d be really happy with something along the lines of the updated monster maroon they gave Pike in the SNW season 1 finale, but I get the feeling they will likely give us a complete new uniform. I’d love if it was something that really felt like a progression from the TOS movie uniform towards the TNG jumpsuit. But yes, 70 years is definitely the longest Starfleet has gone without updating their uniforms… most times you blink and you’ve missed a new uniform update!

It’s weird, but what I’m most excited to see is the Monster Maroons, and if they go another route, I’m not going to be happy.

My favorite Star Trek uniform, but it doesn’t look as good without the turtleneck undershirt.

I did like the updated version that was shown on SNW, too.

Ya it’s weird. It’s like wearing a coat without a shirt underneath

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body. Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned U.S.S. Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis Planet to recover Spock's body.

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• Trivia In the opening credits, there is a six-second-long pause between William Shatner and DeForest Kelley 's names, where Leonard Nimoy 's name would normally be. It's only one second between each of the other names.
• Goofs [27:49]When Kirk checks the video logs to find the keeper of Spock's katra, the timestamp reveals that Spock melded with McCoy on stardate 8128.78. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) begins on stardate 8130.3.

[Witnessing the destruction of the Enterprise]

Kirk : [1:15:58] My God, Bones... what have I done?

McCoy : What you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live.

• Crazy credits Leonard Nimoy is credited as director in the opening credits, but is not included in the cast list. There is a long gap between the names of William Shatner and DeForest Kelley , which lasts for the length of time Nimoy's name would have been displayed.
• Alternate versions Some network broadcasts are noticeably truncated. In particular, the scene where Kruge destroys the female mercenary for looking at the Genesis information is deleted. The scene ends instead with the two characters expressing love for each other. The scene where McCoy refers to "that green-blooded son-of-a-bitch" is also censored.
• Connections Edited from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Soundtracks Theme From Star Trek (TV Series) by Alexander Courage

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• Jun 3, 1984

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‘Star Trek’ actor George Takei is determined to keep telling his Japanese American story

“Star Trek” icon George Takei has a new picture book out for children ages called “My Lost Freedom,” tackling the incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans, including children, labeled enemies during World War II. (May 30)

FILE - Members of the “Star Trek” crew, from left, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy and Nichelle Nichols, toast the newest “Star Trek” film during a news conference at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, Dec. 28, 1988. (AP Photo/Bob Galbraith, File)

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FILE - Actor George Takei, who played the role of helm officer Sulu in the original television series, “Star Trek,” gives a “live long and prosper” gesture in front of a model of the U.S.S. Enterprise space ship at an exhibit at the Tech Museum in San Jose, Calif., on Oct. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

FILE - George Takei arrives at the 75th annual Tony Awards on June 12, 2022, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - George Takei arrives at the Star Trek Day celebration in Los Angeles on Sept. 8, 2021. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

A copy of “My Lost Freedom,” a children’s book by George Takei, is displayed at the section featuring in the “Being Asian in America” at a Kinokuniya bookstore specializing in selling books and magazines written in foreign languages in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, Wednesday, May 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

TOKYO (AP) — The incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans , including children, labeled enemies during World War II is an historical experience that has traumatized, and galvanized, the Japanese American community over the decades.

For George Takei, who portrayed Hikaru Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise in the “Star Trek” franchise, it’s a story he is determined to keep telling every opportunity he has.

“I consider it my mission in life to educate Americans on this chapter of American history,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

He fears the lesson about the failure of U.S. democracy hasn’t really been learned, even today, including among Japanese Americans.

“The shame of internment is the government’s. They’re the ones that did something unjust, cruel and inhuman. But so often the victims of the government actions take on the shame themselves,” he said.

Takei, 87, has a new picture book out for children ages 6 to 9 and their parents, called “My Lost Freedom.” It’s illustrated in soft watercolors by Michelle Lee.

Takei was 4 years old when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on Feb. 19, 1942, two months after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor , declaring anyone of Japanese descent an enemy of the United States and forcibly removing them from their West Coast homes.

Takei spent the next three years behind barbed wires, guarded by soldiers with guns, in three camps: the Santa Anita racetrack, which stunk of manure; Camp Rohwer in a marshland; and, from 1943, Tule Lake, a high-security segregation center for the “disloyal.”

“We were seen as different from other Americans. This was unfair. We were Americans, who had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor. Yet we were imprisoned behind barbed wires,” Takei writes in the book.

Throughout it all, his parents are portrayed as enduring the hardships with a quiet dignity. His mother sewed clothes for the children. They made chairs out of scrap lumber. They played baseball. They danced to Benny Goodman. For Christmas, they got a Santa who looked Japanese.

Takei’s is a remarkable story of resilience and a pursuit of justice, repeated throughout the Japanese American experience.

It’s a story that’s been told and retold, in books like the 1973 “Farewell to Manzanar” by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston; “Only What We Could Carry,” edited by Lawson Fusao Inada more than 20 years ago; and “The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration,” which just came out, compiled by Frank Abe and Floyd Cheung.

David Inoue, executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League, headquartered in Washington, D.C., believes the message of Takei’s book remains relevant.

He said discrimination persists today, as seen in the anti-Asian attacks that flared with the COVID-19 pandemic . Inoue said his son has been taunted in school in the same way he was growing up.

“One of the important things about having books like this is that it humanizes us. It tells stories about us that show we’re just like any other family. We like to play baseball. We have pets,” Inoue said.

Takei and his family were sent to Tule Lake in northern California because his parents answered “No” to key questions in a so-called loyalty questionnaire.

Question No. 27 asked if they were willing to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Question No. 28 asked whether they swore allegiance to the U.S. and would forswear allegiance to the Japanese emperor. Both were controversial questions for people who had been stripped of their basic civil rights and labeled enemies.

“Daddy and Mama both thought that the two questions were stupid,” Takei writes in “My Lost Freedom.”

“The only honest answers were No and No.”

Takei said the questions did not explain what would become of families with young children. The second question was also a no-win, he said, because his parents felt there was no loyalty to Japan to denounce.

Tule Lake was the largest of the 10 camps, holding 18,000 people.

Young men who answered “Yes” became part of the all-Japanese American 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which fought in Europe while their families remained incarcerated. The 442, with their famous “Go for Broke” motto, is the most decorated unit of its size and length of service in U.S. military history.

“They were determined to prove themselves and get their families out of barbed wires,” Takei said. “They are our heroes. I know I owe so much to them.”

After Japan surrendered, Takei and his family, like all Japanese Americans freed from the camps , were each given $25 and a one-way ticket to anywhere in the U.S. Takei’s family chose to start all over again in Los Angeles.

In 1988, the Civil Liberties Act — after years of effort and testimonies by Japanese Americans, including Takei — granted redress of $20,000 and a formal presidential apology to every surviving U.S. citizen or legal resident immigrant of Japanese ancestry incarcerated during World War II.

Takei’s voice became choked when he recalled how his father did not live to see it.

He noted with pride the diversity depicted in “Star Trek,” a TV series that started in the mid-1960s and developed a devout following. There, the crew that flew together through the galaxies was of various backgrounds.

“Star Trek” writer, creator and producer Gene Roddenberry wanted to portray the turbulent times and the civil rights movement on a TV show but had to do it metaphorically to make it acceptable, Takei said.

“Different people, different ideas, different taste, different food. He wanted to make that statement. Each of the characters was supposed to represent a part of this planet,” Takei said.

Takei recalled how his father taught him how the government “of the people, by the people and for the people,” as Abraham Lincoln put it in his Gettysburg Address, could also prove a weakness.

“All people are fallible, even a great president like Roosevelt. He got stampeded by the hysteria of the time, the racism of the time. And he signed Executive Order 9066,” Takei said.

Yuri Kageyama is on X: https://twitter.com/yurikageyama

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Star Trek Icon Quoted His Own Character At Gene Roddenberry's Funeral

Posted: June 14, 2024 | Last updated: June 16, 2024

Star Trek Icon Quoted His Own Character At Gene Roddenberry’s Funeral

Gene Roddenberry’s funeral was a somber occasion for Star Trek fans around the world. After all, Roddenberry had given us perhaps the most ambitious and optimistic science fiction franchise in history, and the loss of such a talented figure was a loss for us all. Many Star Trek stars attended Roddenberry’s memorial service, and in a surprising twist, Patrick Stewart ended up quoting his own Captain Picard character during the memorial service.

Roddenberry’s Passing

When Gene Roddenberry died in 1991, the memorial service after his funeral turned into an impromptu Star Trek convention. That’s because the public was invited to the memorial service at Hall of Liberty in Hollywood Hills.

Over 300 fans attended the event, giving them a chance to hear from many of the major stars who were invited.

As you might expect, Gene Roddenberry’s funeral was a secular one reflecting his own lack of explicit religious beliefs.

The Star Trek creator had been cremated before the event. Fortunately, the memorial service gave fans and stars alike the opportunity to achieve closure after Roddenberry’s passing.

Stewart Speaks

During the service, Nichelle Nichols sang two songs, and guests ranging from Ray Bradbury to Whoopi Goldberg offered their thoughts on Roddenberry’s life and career.

Patrick Stewart was the last to speak, though he emphasized that this was due to everyone speaking in alphabetical order. Early into his speech, Stewart praised Roddenberry for identifying his own potential.

“This man looked at a common, hairless Shakespearean actor and said, ‘I want you to be Captain,’” Stewart said.

He then relayed the now-famous anecdote that Paramount executives thought that the future would have invented a cure for baldness. Roddenberry countered this idea by saying, “in the future, they will not care!”

Where Silence Has Lease

Such words honoring Gene Roddenberry were fairly common, both at the funeral and at the memorial service. However, Stewart went on to do something completely uncommon–specifically, he quoted his own Captain Picard character from the season 2 episode “Where Silence Has Lease.”

The parts that he quoted were written by Roddenberry himself for a scene where Picard tries to explain death to Data.

At this point in the episode, Gene Roddenberry’s scene had characters pondering their own funerals because Picard had activated the ship’s auto-destruct as a way of foiling a cruel cosmic being known as Nagilum.

The child-like Data asks what death is, prompting Picard to respond that “Some see it as a changing into an indestructible form, forever unchanging” and that “there are those who hold to the idea of our blinking into nothingness, with all our experiences, hopes, and dreams merely a delusion.”

What Picard Believes

When the android asks his captain what he believes, a thoughtful Picard says, “Considering the marvelous complexity of our universe… I believe that our existence must be more than either of these philosophies. That what we are goes…beyond what we understand now as reality.”

In the episode itself, this conversation leads to Picard discovering that both Data and Troi are simulations created by Nagilum.

But Stewart, speaking after Gene Roddenberry’s funeral, was quite moved by the thoughtfulness of the scene and commented on it to the memorial crowd. “Imagine the guts it took to write such a passage for prime time,” he said.

Roddenberry’s Legacy

To Stewart’s credit, the words are as inspirational as they are provocative–a fitting tribute to Roddenberry, a man whose life, like death itself, goes beyond our complete understanding. He left behind a powerful legacy that is still resonating with fans around the world. After Gene Roddenberry’s funeral, some of his cremated ashes were sent into space, which only seems fitting.

Where else would you expect to find the Great Bird of the Galaxy except for the stars?

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