Houston To Beltran: Shut Up!

Following the recent strong criticism expressed by Robert Beltran (Chakotay) against 'Voyager' and Star Trek in general, Julia Houston at About.com's Star Trek Fans has made her new feature article a response to Beltran's comments. Here's a quote:

The problem here is that Beltran feels wronged because the show is formulaic, he doesn't "get" the writers, the character isn't what he wants, and his fellow actors have -- gasp! -- problems of their own.

Attention, Beltran: working as a team to keep things fresh despite formulas, working with the writers towards mutual understanding, taking what is written down for your character and building on it to create something more than what's on the page by fleshing out a character with non-speaking reactions and emotions, and doing your best to get along with the rest of the cast is an actor's job.

I imagine it's not easy to find fresh angles on a character one has been playing for six years, but other actors do it, and do it well. Someone who isn't reading scenes because his character isn't in them, who doesn't learn his lines properly, or who doesn't pay attention to the lines' meaning has stopped trying, and it isn't the writers' job -- or anyone else's but Beltran's -- to make him try.

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