INTERVIEW: Catching up with Casey Biggs, Jeffrey Combs of ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’
Photo: Image courtesy of Creation Entertainment / Provided from official site.
At fan conventions, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine often ranks as one of the most beloved (if not the most beloved) series in Star Trek’s illustrious history. This 1990s TV gem starred Avery Brooks, Terry Farrell, René Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Nana Visitor, Michael Dorn, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig, Casey Biggs, Jeffrey Combs and Nicole de Boer.
Two of the most pivotal characters — who would eventually become fan favorites — are Damar, portrayed by Biggs, and Weyoun, portrayed by Combs. The former is a Cardassian officer who featured prominently in the final seasons of DS9’s seven-year run, and the latter is a Vorta clone who can have a facsimile brought back time and time again. Combs also played characters on Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise, and even had a second role in DS9 (the magic of makeup!).
Since their days in the Star Trek universe came to a close, the two have been holding onto the torch and celebrating this much-admired franchise. They frequently appear at conventions — meeting fans, posing for pictures, signing autographs and even singing in the galaxy-famous Star Trek Rat Pack show at the annual event in Las Vegas (which has sadly been postponed to December and moved to a different venue).
Then 2020 happened. COVID-19 disrupted everyone’s plans, and the two actors find themselves with more time at home and still yearning to connect with their fanbases. That’s where Creation Entertainment entered the picture. The company being the Star Trek convention in Vegas has created virtual fan experiences with several in-demand genre stars. Biggs and Combs will take part in a Q&A Sunday, June 7 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST) on the StageIt platform. They will also virtually meet and greet with 15 lucky fans Wednesday, June 10 at 4 pm. PST (7 p.m. EST).
In anticipation of these two virtual experiences, the actors jumped on the phone to talk coronavirus, DS9, the genius of show runner Ira Steven Behr and the endurance of Star Trek. Here’s part I of that conversation …
On how they have been faring during this worldwide pandemic …
BIGGS: I live in wine country. I just don’t go out for lunch and dinner as much as I used to. I’ve been working on different projects. I do a lot of stuff around the house here. My manager, he’s back in New York right now. Who knows what’s going to happen when production comes back what it’s going to be like. In the theater, my producing friend said they’re probably not coming back until next April, if they come back.
COMBS: I would echo that. I tend to, like Casey, live a little bit out of the center of L.A., not as far as Case, but I’m in my little cocoon here. I amuse myself with playing my guitar and taking very long walks with my wife and doing maintenance and repair around my place. I’ve been doing quite a bit of painting. I have these Adirondack chairs that need a little TLC. They look glorious now.
BIGGS: Too much information, Jeff.
COMBS: TMI, what can I say. It’s mostly trying to keep anxiety at bay, what’s going to happen, how long is this going on, is it going to be OK, how are my children. I’ve got two daughters out there in the world, just like everyone else.
BIGGS: I just spent two weeks traveling back East and then back here, and it’s like a science-fiction movie moving across the country, literally. Ten days across country was fascinating.
On how they expect these virtual experiences to go …
COMBS: We’re OK with the virtual. We had a little rehearsal with it, and I’ve had a couple experiences with Zoom. So has Casey. It’s a different way of communicating and connecting with people, but it’s right out of Star Trek, isn’t it Case?
BIGGS: Well, Jeff is excited because he doesn’t have to wear pants.
COMBS: Or change my underwear — when I wear them. It’s all about from the waist up.
On their past experiences with virtual fan meet-and-greets …
BIGGS: Jeff and I did these A.I. things in Vegas last year.
COMBS: The virtual reality. You put on the goggles.
BIGGS: You’re in a virtual room with people all over the world. That blew me away. I thought that was fantastic. You’ve got all these avatars bouncing around.
COMBS: They can live their fantasy in the virtual. They can be who they feel in their core they really are. I think that was quite touching — a little confusing sometimes, but quite touching.
BIGGS: To me, it was like being hit in the face with the future a little bit, like we were in Star Trek because a lot of times we were doing things, and then six months later, you’d see it out on the marketplace.
COMBS: I see the uses of it. It seems to me that as people get older, like you Casey.
BIGGS: You’ll always be older than me, just keep that in mind.
COMBS: Not in my heart. But people can have a definite isolation about their life, a diminishing of what’s the point of everything, and it seems to me that these new tools are a way of making people who are alone not feel alone. And without leaving their home they have a way above and beyond social media and using your thumbs; they have a way of connecting with people and in an uplifting way.
On why DS9 still endures as perhaps the best Star Trek series of all time …
COMBS: Time caught up. I lay the trophy at the feet of Ira Behr. He was visionary in his concept that, ‘I’m going to tell a long story with many chapters, a saga, and you need to follow along, kids.’ That didn’t really work as well as it does now with streaming. You can immediately go to the next episode and carry on. You don’t have to wait a week. If you miss an episode, you’re not lost anymore, and it’s more fitting with the longer-arc storytelling. … I think time caught up. He got a lot of flak for going with that concept. Most of the Star Trek’s are stand-alone, shuffle the cards, put them in any order, it doesn’t really matter, but he didn’t see it that way and got a lot of guff for it. But redemption I think is the word.
BIGGS: We were the black sheep of the whole Star Trek family for a long time, which was good in one sense because they could write whatever they wanted then. They just left him alone.
COMBS: We were sandwiched between Voyager being launched and also the movies going into production, so everybody’s focus up higher was on those two big events. That left Deep Space Nine kind of like the free child that wasn’t helicoptered.
BIGGS: So they could really write some fascinating arcs without having to answer to anybody, which is great. It was great for me and Jeff because both of us had these story arcs. …
COMBS: It was sassy, audacious, brave and bold. We cherished it.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Jeffrey Combs and Casey Biggs will participate in a virtual Q&A on the StageIt platform, courtesy of Creation Entertainment. That event is scheduled for Sunday, June 7 at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST). They will also participate in an exclusive meet-and-greet Wednesday, June 10 at 4 p.m. PST (7 p.m. EST). Click here for more information and tickets.
