Actor John de Lancie boldly goes back to iconic character in 'Star Trek: Picard'

Actor John de Lancie, a graduate of Kent State University, didn’t need an iconic role given the variety of his filmography and theatrical resume.

But as Q, a god-like being, he took six episodes (eight if you count two-parters) over seven seasons of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” another appearance on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and several appearances on “Star Trek: Voyager,” and created a character that has resonated with fans of that indomitable franchise for more than 30 years now.

How compelling is the impish yet malevolent being? Show runners for “Star Trek: Picard,” which is currently streaming on Paramount+, beamed him aboard for season two. Just ahead of the season’s final two episodes, de Lancie will appear at Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center for Fan Expo, a pop culture convention, Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1.

John de Lancie appreciates con experience

With a career that encompasses everything from daytime dramas (“Days of Our Lives”) to performances with various orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and on the stage with American Shakespeare Festival, The Seattle Repertory Company, The South Coast Repertory and the Cleveland Play House, de Lancie embraces the convention aspect that comes with being a popular “Trek” actor, likening it to a theater experience.

He appreciates that generations of people come to see him, treating his appearances as if they aired yesterday, he said. He notes that’s an experience unique to the era of television and film, in some ways supplanting the theater experience.

“That doesn't exist anymore. We have a new way of doing it, which is that you can see it over and over and over again. It could be new for each and every generation,” he said of appearing at cons during a recent phone conversation. “I take it seriously. I enjoy being there.

“Sometimes it gets long, and sometimes the questions are the same, but that's the discipline. Those of us who I think do take it seriously, and do this well, understand that each person, this is their opportunity, and you have to listen and respond as if you had never heard that question before. You are in the moment, just like they are. I have good thoughts about it.”

A key difference when he takes the stage next weekend: Those who sit in on his chat will have witnessed his work in a new “Picard” instead of years after the fact. The show’s second season has been praised in part because of Q’s return and his performance in the role.

‘Star Trek: Picard’ producers come knocking

“Star Trek,” as a franchise, has existed for 56 years on television and movie screens with the original cast from the 1960s iteration and the cast of “Next Generation” receiving the silver screen treatment. Oddly, even with the latter having four cinematic journeys, Q did not appear despite the character’s popularity. When asked to appear on “Picard,” de Lancie said he was surprised to a certain extent.

“Yes, I was a popular character, disproportionately popular, and I would've liked to have thought that they would've had me in the movies and stuff like that, but they didn't. And they had a first season of ‘Picard,’ and nobody called me.

“Because you cannot live wondering if you're going to be invited to somebody's dinner party, I put it out of my mind. I went, ‘I did what I did during the time that I did it, and that's it.’ In that respect, I was surprised. I went, ‘Oh really? That's great.’ Yeah, I guess one could say I was surprised.”

And there may have been even a little bit of caution with respect to returning to the part.

“My hesitancy, it was of two things. I said, ‘You're not going to put me back in those tights again, are you? Because that would be really unpleasant,’” he said. “My artistic hesitancy was, we're not trying to re-create, are we? I'm very hesitant about that. It would be unseemly, I think. They said, ‘No, we're not doing that at all.’ I said, ‘OK.’”

‘Picard’ the same, only different

Indeed, this time around Q is deathly serious. The character’s playful streak, always evident in each episode he appeared, is mostly absent this time around.

De Lancie said he approaches his roles by assessing what he feels might be missing in a particular piece. In the TV shows the other cast members played their roles with a serious tone. He, therefore, brought the playfulness for “Next Generation,” etc.

For “Picard,” the stakes are higher and his performance presents that.

“When I came back to ‘Star Trek’ this time, I said, ‘I don't think it's wise to try to get into a position of recreating. I think we need to take it from here. Time has moved on, circumstances are different.’ I've chosen not to be the clown this time, and to be much more serious,” he said.

John de Lancie and his time at Kent State

The flexibility may have come from his time at Kent State where, at the time, de Lancie said, there were six theaters on campus and play rehearsals took precedent over science projects.

He was there on May 4, 1970, and can provide an eyewitness account of what happened on that day through the fog of 50-plus years, which includes taking part in demonstrations and a bold meeting with Ohio Sen. Stephen B. Young after participating in a Washington, D.C., protest that de Lancie thought would lead him to the office of then-President Richard M. Nixon.

Those experiences could not foretell where his eventually multifaceted career would go. To call it impressive, especially given that he has dyslexia, might be an understatement.

“I have a varied career. I have an eclectic career. I could have done more, I think, if the fear of having to learn lines was not so prominent in my mind,” he said. “I also sailed my own boat to the South Seas for two years. I came to the conclusion that life is as a smorgasbord, and it's not just how many TV shows I can rack up.”

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas

Details

What: Fan Expo

Place: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland

Dates: April 29-May 1

Hours: 4 to 9 p.m Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

More information: fanexpohq.com/fanexpocleveland/

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Actor John de Lancie back in popular role, set for Fan Expo