As a die-hard Trekkie, I can’t help but admire the versatility and charisma that Jeffrey Combs brings to the “Star Trek” universe. Despite his initial misfortune in not landing the role of Riker, he has undeniably left an indelible mark on the franchise with his unforgettable characters like Weyoun and Commander Shran.
Jonathan Frakes, the actor who played William T. Riker in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” is arguably one of the most important people in the “Star Trek” universe. Not only did he breathe life into the first officer of the Enterprise-D through his charm, charisma, and the Riker maneuver, but he would go on to direct two “Star Trek” feature films and a number of episodes across six Trek series to date. Frakes is so dedicated to “Star Trek,” he even offered to direct the long-awaited fourth Kelvin timeline movie in an email to J.J. Abrams.
It’s challenging to conceive of the “Star Trek” universe without Jonathan Frakes embodying the role of Riker. His presence significantly shaped the series, and one can only speculate about potential differences. For instance, perhaps Worf might have developed a romantic relationship with Troi instead, or Riker may not have waited so long for that elusive promotion he aspired to achieve.
In the book “The Fifty-Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The Next 25 Years From The Next Generation To J. J. Abrams,” it’s mentioned that three other actors were strongly considered for the role. These actors were Michael O’Gorman, Billy Campbell, and renowned “Star Trek” actor Jeffrey Combs. As revealed in Adam Shrager’s book, “The Finest Crew in the Fleet: the Next Generation Cast On Screen and Off,” fans might not have recognized just how close they came to a world without Frakes as he underwent seven auditions over six weeks before finally landing the role. However, it was only after the original actor casting agents’ preferred choice botched their final audition that the part was offered to Frakes instead.
Michael O’Gorman quit acting within a few years of his audition
In a different scenario, if Michael O’Gorman had been selected to play Riker, his list of acting credits could potentially be much more extensive. However, as things stand, his IMDb profile is relatively brief, with only six entries dating from 1987 to 1991. These include a role in “Miami Vice” and a rather absurd part as a monster courting a widow with children in the lesser-known spinoff of “Tales From the Darkside,” titled “Monsters.” With a resemblance to Dennis Quaid, O’Gorman might have cut an impressive figure as Riker in another universe.
In a memo dated April 13, 1987, from John Ferraro, Senior Vice President for Paramount Pictures Acquisitions & Co-Productions, who was handling casting for the series, O’Gorman’s name appears alongside other potential candidates for main roles in “TNG”. These included Picard, Tasha, Data, Geordi, Beverly, Troi, and Wesley. Beneath Riker (or Ryker as it was spelled on the memo), four names were listed: Michael O’Gorman, Gregg Marx, Jonathan Frakes, and Ben Murphy.
Despite not securing the role in the end, Michael O’Gorman left a strong impression, as his name appears under the list and is specifically mentioned by Ferraro in his notes. In those notes, the SVP writes, “For the part of ‘Ryker,’ Michael O’Gorman seems to be a top contender. Although he’s an unconventional pick for the role, he’s a good one.”
Jeffrey Combs became a Trek legend
Jeffrey Combs, who has played nine different characters across four “Trek” series so far, is often seen as a priceless gem within the franchise by many fans. Despite his frequent use of makeup that can make him hard to recognize, Combs consistently provides an easily identifiable, unique voice and imbues his characters with liveliness and charm. Notably, he’s the creator of two highly admired alien characters in the series: “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” clone Weyoun and the beloved Andorian friend of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) from “Star Trek: Enterprise,” Commander Shran.
Before setting foot on that journey, I too had dreamt of donning the role of Riker. The Fifty-Year Mission labeled me a strong contender for the part (p. 95), but even I knew deep down that it wasn’t meant to be when I auditioned. On the DVD extras for Deep Space Nine’s fifth season, I myself confessed the idea of me as Riker seemed ludicrous. Reflecting back, I recall thinking at the time, “What on earth am I doing here?”
Despite initial setbacks, Combs didn’t give up on Star Trek auditions, even though he didn’t secure any roles on “The Next Generation.” After several unsuccessful attempts for parts in “Deep Space Nine,” his determination eventually paid off when he got a temporary role as an alien in “Meridian,” directed by Jonathan Frakes, whom Combs was acquainted with. A month later, when his old theater friend René Auberjonois (Odo) was directing an episode, he recommended Combs, pointing out that his recent appearance on the series wouldn’t matter since Combs would be under prosthetic makeup again. This led to more roles, culminating in Combs landing the part of his DS9 clone. “That marked the beginning of Weyoun, a truly amazing character,” Combs reminisced.
Billy Campbell wasn’t commanding enough
In his memoir “Making It So,” Patrick Stewart described how Gene Roddenberry’s future vision was quite demanding, as he found the tight-fitting Season 1 uniform excruciatingly uncomfortable to wear. Interestingly, Billy Campbell, who later starred in “The Rocketeer” and had a sex appeal that caught Roddenberry’s eye, seemed to embody the physical attributes Roddenberry desired for his cast of “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” This might be why Roddenberry wanted Campbell to play the role of Riker, a character he had high hopes for. Prior to this opportunity, Campbell was widely recognized for his portrayal of Steven Carrington’s true love on the series “Dynasty,” a character who identified as bisexual.
Although Jonathan Frakes portrayed Riker, Enterprise-D’s charismatic heartthrob, it wasn’t destined to be. As Rick Berman, executive producer of “The Next Generation,” explained in an interview with the Archive of American Television, Campbell was originally cast for the role. However, John Pike, then in charge at Paramount, wasn’t convinced by his performance and refused to approve it.
In simpler terms, Berman said that the man didn’t seem confident leading others into battle because he lacked a strong commanding presence. Interestingly, the producer had a different perspective, believing Campbell’s poor performance during the audition was to blame for his initial rejection. However, the producer later suggested that Campbell might not have performed well due to a poorly executed audition rather than a lack of talent. Eventually, Campbell did make an appearance in the series, albeit briefly, playing a charming space cowboy reminiscent of Mal Reynolds from “Firefly.”
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2024-08-05 21:00