Sci fi trope origin?

[breakinglight11]

Here's a random wondering for all you lovely geeks out there-- does anybody know where that trope, usually used humorously, of the "classically trained actor playing a part in a sci-fi show who is way above the material but can't be taken seriously anymore" came from? What made me think of this now is I recently saw a fantastic episode of Frasier where this former Shakespearean actor, brilliantly and hilariously played by the wonderful Derek Jacobi, was stuck by typecasting because he played an android on a popular Star Trek-like TV show. It turned out he was actually just a terrible actor, but it was extra funny to see Jacobi act badly. :-) Another example that comes to mind is the Alan Rickman role in Galaxy Quest, for whom that was basically his character's whole shtick. I feel like I've seen it other places as well, though I can't think of them right now.

But where does this joke come from? Was there actually somebody on Star Trek or something along the lines of Star Trek that came from a classical background but got tied down by the role on the sci fi show? Does anybody have any idea?

Comments

[electric-d-monk.livejournal.com]

Well, I doubt either were the first, but Patrick Stewart is the first to come to mind for most.

Sir Alec Guinness (aka, Obi Wan Kenobi) would be another instance.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

It's hard to imagine now, but William Shatner was trained as a classical Shakespearean actor. He played a number of parts at the Stratford Festival, the giant annual Shakespearealooza that the one in 'Slings & Arrows' is based on.

[oakenguy.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, the main female character in 'S&A' quits the stage at the end of Season 2 to be a space cop on a sci-fi show, and has to be lured back in Season 3. I can't believe I never made that connection before.

[lisefrac.livejournal.com]

There's a show that features an event like the Stratford Festival? Ohgawd I have to see this.

[lisefrac.livejournal.com]

Ohgawd and Stephen Ouimette (who is an actual Stratford Festival performer) is in it...

[bronzite.livejournal.com]

Patrick Stewart leaps to mind immediately, but he went back to the stage right from Star Trek without losing any of his inertia. In fact, it arguably gave his stage career a tremendous boost as he was now an extraordinarily well-known actor in general (and he has been in a variety of other roles before, during, and since Star Trek.)

Leonard Nimoy is also an example that one thinks of immediately. After Star Trek was canceled, during the 20-year lull, he did a great many other things, including, like Stewart, returning to Shakespeare on the stage. In fact, he wrote an autobiography called I Am Not Spock, although years later he wrote another called I Am Spock, one of the principle messages of which was how the Spock character had affected his career and life as much as it had.

I think a lot of the trope springs from the realization of actors that Star Trek is such a huge franchise, almost unprecedented culturally, that if you land a regular role in that show, it will be what you are always remembered for -- nothing else you could star in would be likely to leave a more indelible imprint of you in the public consciousness. No matter what else they do, Patrick Stewart will be first and foremost Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Leonard Nimoy will be Spock, William Shatner will be Captain Kirk, and so on. Its not that they can't be cast otherwise -- indeed, many of the Star Trek cast had very successful post-Star Trek careers -- its that they will never again know for certain that they are being chosen for their skill and talent as an actor, or because they filled such a celebrated and recognizable role in our culture.

[hanasaseru.livejournal.com]

I could be wrong, but I believe some of the star wars actors had a problem with this - I've never heard of Mark Hamil appearing in much else, for example. There definitely is a phenomenon of actors being unable to break away from iconic roles, not even just science fiction characters. Some have more success than others.

[laurion]

I've seen that episode! I love Derek Jacobi. To an uncomfortable degree.

[breakinglight11.livejournal.com]

Oh, God, me too.

[yunafonfabre.livejournal.com]

I had always assumed this was a reference to William Shatner, myself.