Unfortunately, I apparently left my brain somewhere else during the interview, and completely forgot what I was saying mid-sentence. I had to resort to apologising profusely, whilst I desperately fumbled around in my mind looking for where the rest of the interview had gone! I've transcribed the interview with my brainlessness edited out.
Regardless of my absent-mindedness, it was an absolute pleasure chatting with Nana Visitor. She’s a truly lovely lady.
Hello, Nana Visitor! How are you?
I’m good, how are you?
I’m good! Now, you’re well known for portraying Kira Nerys on Deep Space Nine. This year now marks DS9's 20th anniversary; what was it like working on the show?
DS9 was such a huge pleasure. The best part was I knew – at the time – that it was a special show. I knew that I might not be able to get this kind of writing/direction/producing again, so I relished it. And I'm glad I did, because I'm so proud of it. The new fans of the show that come through – and you see them at these things, people who've just discovered the show – and it proves that it has longevity.
Out of all the Star Trek series, it was arguably the darkest and grittiest. Quite often that darkness focussed around Kira, her family, and the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor. How was it for you, performing these stories that often got really dark and intense?
You know, it was hard to wash the grit off at the end of the night. It was a dark part. These days, she would probably be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, I would say, and be treated – that probably would have been a great storyline if during those days we knew the treatment for it.
So yeah, it lived with me. I remember having Kira dreams. At night I would have dreams of being chased by Cardassians and things like that. So yeah, it stayed with me.
Having Marc Alaimo in full Cardassian make-up chasing you down corridors...
Yeah! Nightmare!
How did you feel about Kira's character development? Going from the stand-off-ish Bajoran liaison to becoming essentially the commander of the station.
I thought it was appropriate. I thought it made relationship sense, it made evolutionary sense for her as a sentient being. She would gradually come to trust and know and respect these people.
Could you relate to Kira's character? Was there much of yourself in your portrayal of her?
Absolutely. The striving, the dealing with having flaws and having the humility to see them and admit to them, and do something about them or not... It was wonderful in that way.
How did it feel to play such a strong, resilient and independent character?
I wasn't really aware, I just knew how I thought she should be, and I did get some push-back from people saying that it wasn't Star Trek, it wasn't right and I was just being bitchy. But I decided long ago that my allegiance is with my character and people's perceptions are people's perceptions; there's nothing I can do about it. So I stayed pretty true to what I thought she was.
In terms of character development, how did you feel about her relationship with Odo?
At first, no, I didn't want it. I thought it was so wonderful that there was a real, deep friendship between male and female, and it was such a cliché on every TV show that you get two people together; it always ends up romantic as if friendships can't exist. But in the end, I thought it was a wonderful story and it was a sweet love. People seemed to really respond to it.
I felt very much the same way about it. At first I wasn't sure it was the best course for the characters, but as the story continued it seemed more and more like a natural development. Well, as natural developments come when it's between a Bajoran and a Changeling!
Anyway, thank you very much for your time. It's been an absolute pleasure talking with you.
And you too.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
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Unfortunately, my brainlessness chewed up quite a bit of time, and I would've loved to chat with Nana Visitor for much longer had most of what I wanted to talk with her about not been wiped clean from my memory! Nevertheless, it was an absolute pleasure to meet her: she's a genuinely lovely person (and very understanding of brain-dead interviewers!).
Visit www.nanavision.com for the latest news about Nana Visitor and her work.
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