youtube.com

Andrew Robinson and Alexander Siddig in Atlanta May 1995

Andrew Robinson and Alexander Siddig at a Star Trek convention in Atlanta, May 7 1995.

[mkkstartrek]

No idea why this took almost 5 HOURS to upload - it’s only 50 minutes long!  I left the house for hours and it was still uploading when I got back! :-)  Anyway, here’s a holiday weekend viewing treat - Andy and Sid in probably their first convention appearance ever, twenty years ago.  They start out in character, which I enjoy except for one little quibble - the  people in the audience laughing too close to the mic!  Oh well, at least everyone was having fun.  I wasn’t at this one - I didn’t see the guys together till 2 years later.

[tinsnip]

BASHIR: Here we are, Garak, this is Atlanta!

GARAK: /peers around/ Doctor, you’ve told me about Atlanta… a glorious city under the sea, inhabited by powerful beings… These people don’t look like gods.

BASHIR: No… No, this is AtlanTA. Not AtlanTIS. AtlanTA, GeorGIA, AmeriCA.

GARAK: Oh. How boring.

(paraphrased, but oh my god these dorks)

trekgeeks.com

Episode 11: Andrew J. Robinson

PLAIN, SIMPLE GARAK This week on the Trek Geeks Podcast, we're joined by the actor behind one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most intriguing characters, Andrew J. Robinson! Given Garak's popularit...

[cyrelia-j]

Holy crap. Just came across this during my quarterly Google name stalking and dear lord amazing. So incredible hearing Andy talking acting, ST, and and (omgomg wait for it) an upcoming memoir being published this summer. JFC I’m so super psyched. 

Wait till you see Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat–his testosterone level’s gonna shoot up–for you people who love that loooong scaly neck, you’re gonna get a treat!

Andy Robinson, embarrassing the fuck out of me with his uncannily accurate appraisal (via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxd9tRNXPUw&index=3&list=PLOvXqCkP1QgzmJu_gKh-aN28AVOZFREL6 posted by mkkstartrek, all praise!)

There’s a lot of Garak that’s Andy. I mean, obviously I’m not as politically savvy as he is, and I’m not as bizarre as he is, and I’m not–um, no, we won’t get into that, or this guy here will start asking me about the Doctor/Garak relationship again.

Andy Robinson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL3o5utld0U&list=PLOvXqCkP1QgzmJu_gKh-aN28AVOZFREL6&index=2 posted by MKK- all thanks and praise to thee!)

“
Professor of Theatre Practice

BA, The New School for Social Research
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art

Andrew J. Robinson is a Professor of Theatre Practice and member of the MFA acting faculty of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, as well as a graduate of the New School for Social Research and a Fulbright Scholar at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, where he trained as an actor.” (x)

[mkkstartrek]

I’m posting this little clip (from a fan club meeting in Raleigh in 2000) for two reasons.  One is, I find Andy absolutely adorable here - he’s so CUTE, and I’m eternally grateful to whoever filmed this!  (I wasn’t there - I saw him in WV later that fall.)  I’ll try to share more, although I’m not sure of the propriety of putting it all on Youtube - Andy and Sid talked a lot about their play, though, which was never filmed, and they really get into it.

The second reason I’m posting it is because it shows I’m not immune to “oops” moments.  I told Andy much later that I read (actually, re-read) his book in one night - it was true and I thought that would really please him.  Well, he said it did, but then I later recalled his words at this meeting.  Oops.  You’ll see what I mean.

[mkkstartrek]

Garak and Dukat talk Garak/Bashir:

I love this little clip - of course I’ll post the whole talk in the future, but I love watching Marc Alaimo smile and nod (after getting clarification!) as Andy responds to a question about Garak and Bashir.  This is from a fan club event they did back in ‘96 - I wasn’t there but am so happy I could get the video.  The sound’s a little fuzzy, though, and the guy taking pictures in the front is really annoying (just what is he photographing??) but you’ll get the idea.

[ladyyatexel]

Andy says ‘interspecies sexual’ regarding Garak and Marc just crosses his arms like, ‘Dude, you don’t even KNOW.’

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12YbIC-_W9w)

QUESTION: What part of Andy Robinson is a Cardassian[…]?

ANDY ROBINSON: (answers at length about acting method)

ALEXANDER SIDDIG: I think your ass is Cardassian.

[mkkstartrek]

See the typical Victorian portrait above?  What a sexist depiction - the guy sits there in comfort, the implication being that the woman will wait on him like a servant.  There’s no WAY that a modern woman, let’s say an ardent fan of a certain actor, would EVER want to pose that way with him…  Absolutely no way!  Definitely not.  The very idea!

Yeah, here I am with Andrew Robinson in Kansas City.  Yes, I suggested this pose.  Yes, I knew exactly what kinds of old-fashioned pictures it was based on.  Yes, you now know more about my harmless little fantasies than you should.  So stop that!  

(Oh man those glasses though… :-(

[mkkstartrek]

Bonus clip - Andy’s thoughts on Garak with a tail:

Here’s a little preview of another convention video from 1996, in which Andy addresses that issue.  I’ve got to be honest - my personal preference is for Garak to be predominantly humanoid - that’s how I like him.   Scales and ridges, yes; tails and claws - maybe not… But I know others have enjoyed imagining him differently.  So what did Andy himself think?  I’m sure this very short clip will entertain some of you.