What Is The Character T'pol On Enterprise Look Like Without Makeup

Star Expedition: Enterprise star Connor Trinneer can be seen in the recently released online series Stargate: Origins. The role player appears in the latest episode of theAlpha Quadrant podcast to talk to Aron Eisenberg and Garrett Wang about his render to the Stargate franchise and likewise discuss his time equally Charles "Trip" Tucker Three on Enterprise.

Connor Trinneer in Stargate Origins

Auditioning for 'Enterprise' was "Brutal"

Trinneer described a lengthy audition process to state the job of Trip on Enterprise, describing a number of callbacks and delays in getting word from Paramount. He described information technology every bit the worst audience process he had ever been through, and he later learned his was the worst among the cast:

I had never been through the ringer like it was for [Enterprise]. And the scope of audience process was really varied for our show. Apparently, they simply tapped Dominic [Keating], knowing they wanted to play that guy. I call up Jolene [Blalock] walked in and they went "Yes, you. You're in." And [John] Billingsley was like shooting fish in a barrel and I don't call up Anthony's [Montgomery] situation, just when I told my story, they were like "Holy cow!" Brutal. Brutal.

Garrett Wang described his audition procedure as every bit challenging. Information technology took eight weeks with half dozen auditions full. After it was narrowed down to him and one other actor, and the other actor was sent home, they kept him on hold while they started looking for older actors. They then whittled it downwards to Wang and one of those finalists, and finally, he got the part.

Connor Trinneer with the Enterprise bandage

Creating Trip equally a NASCAR guy from Oklahoma

The actor said that a key to making his character relatable can be attributed to his lack of Star Trek awareness:

That's a testament to me not really knowing much about Star Expedition and not being intimidated. I had not seen anything but The Original Series. I had never watched The Next Generation. I had nothing to go on and then I realized I was on to something. Information technology becomes clear when you are – similar the writers volition say something – especially when you are doing your showtime few episodes. Then I was like "I am not going to lookout it. Because I didn't really didn't know what kind of fauna I was a role of until much subsequently and by that indicate Trip was already Trip."

Trinneer revealed he adult the vocalisation for Trip based on a character from Oklahoma from a play he had done, adding he was surprised when the writers later established the character was from Florida. The histrion also talked about how he thought of Trip in terms he could understand:

What my thought was, is that he was a wonderkind NASCAR engine guy mechanic who happened to be in this other identify. So I modeled after that, which I can relate.

When asked if he saw a bit of DeForest Kelley's Leonard McCoy in his role, the actor agreed, but said information technology wasn't something he was prepared for when he got the part.

The whole Kirk, Spock, and McCoy thing was the triumvirate and non dissimilar to the Helm, T'Political leader, and Trip. Which was also something I had no idea well-nigh when I got the task. I was like "Dude, I'k playing the engineer. I'm gonna work like twice a week and learn how to surf." I opened that airplane pilot script and was similar "Oh, you got to put your hat on."

Connor Trinneer in Enterprise publicity photo

Diagnosing cancellation and talking series finale

When discussing why Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled after four seasons, Trinneer pointed to scheduling bug with the network (UPN) besides every bit losing a major corporate backer for the show early on on:

The problem was that for the nights that nosotros were on, unremarkably your Major League Baseball team was besides on UPN locally. So, we would become preempted by whatever local sports were happening. There were also entire regions – it didn't even play in St. Louis, Scott [Bakula's] home boondocks. So, you had these pockets of where it wasn't even on.

Then [Paramount Television Chairman] Kerry McCluggage got fired, our real fan, really quick [December, 2001]. And and then the new regime came in and it was probably equally early every bit the 2d season when nosotros were similar "Huh?" I don't think nosotros got any lesser ratings than anyone else, but Next Generation. I call back nosotros all kind of sat in that same area.

Trinneer noted that during the run of the show he refused to "alive in the worry box" over cancellation and information technology only really hit him when they got detect of the counterfoil late in the production of the fourth season, only his bigger concern at the time was for the coiffure, many of whom had been working on Star Trek since the late 80s on The Next Generation.

As for the controversial series finale ("These Are the Voyages") including guest appearances from TNG actors Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis, Trinneer didn't actually accept any issues, adding:

"That didn't bother me at all. We were done."

Connor Trinneer with Jonathan Frakes in the Enterprise series finale

Full Alpha Quadrant episode

Check out the full Alpha Quadrant podcast with Connor interviewed past Star Trek: Voyager's Garrett Wang and Deep Space Ix's Aron Eisenberg, coveringStargate Origins,playing George West. Bush-league in a movie with Tom Cruise, and more.