I !!!!!! Love !!!! Them !!!!!!!!!
This woman is doing her 7th spacewalk tomorrow: Dr. Peggy Whitson - biochemist, leader, explorer, friend. Respect.
Ira Steven Behr was impressed by Marc Alaimo’s approach to portraying Dukat. “What’s interesting is that Marc Alaimo plays Dukat like he’s the hero of the TV series,” Behr commented. “You listen to Marc talk about Dukat, and it’s totally different than I see the character, but he brings that to it and adds a whole other level to it.” (Captains’ Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p. 107)
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Alaimo found Dukat very unpredictable, because the producers of DS9 didn’t communicate with him very often and the character itself seemed highly unstable to him. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 28, No. 4/5, pp. 51-52) The actor remarked about Dukat, “You never know quite if he’s going to be aggressive, if he’s going to be sensitive, if he’s going to be passive, you never quite know which way he’s going to go. That’s what I love about him. Originally when first I started doing this, I could have taken a very one dimensional point of view about this character, and just played him. ‘I’m going to rip your arms and legs off and eat them, right in front of you.’ I could have done that. It would have been easy. But I began to see little interesting things about him, to give him texture and some different colors, and something people could really relate to. It’s all turned out very well. I think he’s really turned into a very interesting character [….] A lot of people assume that I am bad, that I am a heavy on the show, and I don’t think so at all. If [Dukat] is pushed into the corner he can get real mean. That’s part of his nature [….] So Dukat’s a fighter. But he’s fair, he’s sensitive, he’s intelligent, he’s reasonable.”
Indeed, Marc Alaimo highly valued the opportunities to play Dukat, referring to the character as “a good role.” He continued, “I really like Dukat. I try to deal with him very objectively. I like him to walk the line, if you know what I mean. I don’t want him to be one-dimensionally evil and I don’t want him to be goody two-shoes, either. I want him to be a rational, intelligent Cardassian [….] I try to play him closer to that. I don’t think of Dukat as a villain at all. I think he does things his way. He’s used to a Cardassian rhythm where things are not questioned and people do as they’re told. That’s interesting. I like that. As long as the writers keep him interesting, I’ll keep playing him. I think the writers like him, too [….] There’s a tremendous sensuality to the character, don’t you think?”
Marc Alaimo was not the first choice to play Dukat. For “Emissary”, another actor was initially cast in the role. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 717) According to one of the episode’s call sheets, this actor was apparently Michael McRae. This is probably, however, a misspelling, as there is no actor with that name on IMDb, though a similarly named Michael MacRae was, at the time the installment was shot, a prolific actor. On the fourth day of the episode’s production, the original performer of Dukat was involved in filming of the scene from “Emissary” in which the character visits DS9. After that day’s shooting, the producers decided they had miscast. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 717) Hence, according to Day 5-7 call sheet for “Emissary”, the actor was put on “hold”. The original actor seemed to lack a particular sense of presence, so the part was recast. “It was either Mike Piller or Rick Berman who finally said, ‘Let’s get Marc Alaimo,’” related Ira Steven Behr. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 16)
I hate.. any glorification of war, but I think there is something very sweet about animals getting medals for doing a great job. I especially love it when they get to retire to comfy, non-demanding lives after their service. In WWII, 32 out of the 53 medals issued to animals went to pigeons. They’re so helpful and brave, its a tragedy we think so little of pigeons now!
Look at this dashing picture I found of GI Joe! He flew 20 miles in 20 minutes, and saved a thousand people from a bombing in Italy. He retired alongside other pigeon heroes and lived a long life of 18 years!
… Gallantry!
Another good pigeon war story is that of Kaiser, who became the most famous jailbird — he was originally a German bird who became a prisoner-of-war after he was caught by Americans. Upon capture he was drafted into a breeding program and sired over 100 children for America’s side. He died at 33 (that is a ridiculously long life for a pigeon - almost unbelievable. An extremely healthy bird!) making him the only pigeon to serve in both world wars.
LOOK AT THIS GALLANT BOY!
I had to go look up a picture of the incredibly healthy prisoner of war pigeon, so here he is. Apparently he was also featured in a parade.
BRILLIANT RESEARCH!!!!!
deepintheshadyglen