Happy Birthday Robert Picardo!

Even though my face has gotten more familiar with doing 'China Beach' and 'The Wonder Years,' I'm the kind of actor that people thought, 'Gee, that guy looks familiar. He must have put my storm windows in. He works at my bank or something.' 

I've always had a particular affinity for father-son dramas.

My family was pretty solidly middle-class. We had a furniture store out near Connie Mack Stadium, and when Dad died, my mom took it over.

'Star Trek' posited a better future.

Science fiction fans are great, but they just aren't the same as groupies. 

I have played some wonderful leading roles on stage and had the whole 'China Beach' years where I really played a leading man on that. That was a fun change for a character actor. But I'm perfectly happy going back to building my gallery of memorable character roles.

Science fiction's been good to me. The fans are the most loyal fans in the world. 

I didn't realize it at first, but the Doctor is in the same spirit as those natural 'outsider' characters 'Star Trek' series have, like Spock and Data.

I really used my own imagination a lot and made a number of suggestions during my tenure on 'Star Trek.'

I'm not a futurist, and my taste in science fiction was sort of in the gothic horror vein, not space movies and futuristic stuff.

When an actor gets a role, especially in series television where he really is the part, the audience never thinks of another actor playing that role. If they accept you in the role, then they can't separate the actor from the character.

The fact that we were encouraged to follow our conscience and not to follow the crowds - that's something I really miss. On the other hand, there were things that drove me nuts in the '60s. There was an aspect of the hippie movement that everyone is an artist, which is lethal. 

Nobody wants to play - I've talked to Brent Spiner about this. You don't want to play a character indefinitely who's not supposed to age.

We were second-generation immigrants, and it was luxury enough to go to college. The luxury of the arts was still a generation away.

Let's face it: Amanda Tapping's shoes are difficult to fill. She's a great actress and a popular character on 'Stargate'; she's just a lovely person. 

I think there's something inherently interesting in the Monday morning quarterback: the guy who, you know, sits at one end of the briefing room and tells everyone what they should've done and how they've screwed up.

I love to play humorous moments in dramatic shows. That's always the most fun: to keep the logic of the character in a show that's basically action-adventure and then play the comedy moments.

I was part of the generation that was supposed to become doctors. 

We had great comic mileage in the 'SG-1' episode 'The Swarm,' where Woolsey is running away faster than anybody else.

I'm not really shy. 

I could not play a straight-ahead courageous hero. It's not what I do. 

As an actor, you're never supposed to complain about being too busy because it can go the other way real fast.

'Star Trek' tends to take itself a little too seriously. They were either very dramatic shows, or if we did a humorous show, it was always a little like, 'Oh, we're doing humor on 'Star Trek,'' especially on the original series. 

Doing 'Star Trek,' I got to learn about it from the inside out. I got to learn what appealed to them, why sci-fi meant so much to people, why 'Star Trek' meant so much to people.

My character on 'Voyager,' because of the way he was presented, I could go either way. I could be a real buffoon, a windbag, be self-involved, and we could get a lot of comic mileage from him. However, the audience accepted me with gravity when I was in a dire situation, so they would follow me in comic or dramatic stories.

People admire a screen actor if they have theatre skills, but it's looked down upon by the industry as being not a 'real job,' in the way it isn't in New York or the U.K. 

'Star Trek' is still my signature role because once you do a 'Star Trek' series, it's never really out of the marketplace. 

My agent loves me.

I think I've been pretty fortunate.

For two consecutive Broadway seasons, I had probably the best juvenile roles there were for an actor. Then I moved to California to recreate my role in the film version of 'Tribute.' I started working in film and television after that, and 38 years blew by! 

After 'Star Trek,' I was the commander on 'Stargate Atlantis,' the final season, and once my character had become a good commander, I was sorry that the show didn't last beyond that. 

If you're looking at my other major science fiction roles - the Doctor on 'Star Trek' and certainly Woolsey on 'Stargate' - I often play characters that might be good theorists and good thinkers, but you wouldn't call either of them very macho characters.

Sometimes I have little movies that I've made that I wish would be seen by a larger audience. I have a horror movie called 'Sensored' which I'm very creepy and disgusting in, and then I have a family drama called 'The Legends of Nethiah' which has a science-fiction B-story. 

Jerry Goldsmith's 'Voyager' theme is a brilliant reworking of the original material. 

Most of my major roles have been to play characters that the audience does not initially like or warm up to and then they grow to like in spite of that.

So many articles said, ''China Beach' is uncancellable,' but when they dragged it on, I started to have doubts.

It was hard to make a living as an actor in New York if you did not do soap operas or commercials.

For me, the ideal job as an actor would be something that is intrinsically a drama but to which I could bring in as much humor as possible.

It's nice to have a signature role. 

I'll never forget my first moment of looking out on a convention audience with my mouth open like they were kidding me.

No one likes to think of themselves as a one-trick pony as an actor, but on the other hand, it's nice to be part of something that has an international popularity, that is seen literally everywhere in the world and stays in the marketplace forever.

When we shot the pilot for 'Voyager,' Armin Shimmerman, who played Quark on 'Deep Space Nine,' was very gracious and outgoing about preparing us for these personal appearances. Still, nothing really can prepare you for the first time when you walk out on stage and 2,000 people in a room stand up and applaud simply because you're there.

No one can replace Amanda Tapping. 

'Twin Peaks' is like a movie; 'China Beach' is like a movie. These are two of the most cinematic shows on television, and they belong together. 

You play a hologram on 'Star Trek,' and you have to spew line after line. I spoke in paragraphs on 'Star Trek.'

Yuri's Night is a world celebration for everyone who's interested in a human presence in space - without concern for politics, the Cold War, countries that do and don't have space programs.

My favorite thing that I can do with my iPhone is dictate a letter. 

I went to the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, where I had a teacher really named Edward Shakespeare. He was a very influential figure in my childhood - I acted in high school a few times, but Mr. Shakespeare got me to lead in 'The Crucible.' I played John Proctor.

I like some science in my science fiction. 

The best way to tell an actor he's going to be working more and much harder is to appeal to his ego.

I don't get 'Star Wars.' I just don't.

Being on 'Star Trek,' you have a funny relationship with fame. 

Working with J. J. Abrams would be absolutely great.

Why wouldn't I like to walk into a room full of people who are dying to hear everything I say? 

What's wonderful about 'Star Trek' having been rebooted so successfully by the J. J. Abrams movie franchise is that - the corollary effect is that it creates a new generation of fans, and they're interested in all of it. They don't just sit around and wait for the next movie to come out; they'll go back and re-examine episodes. 

I can walk down the street, and 85 percent of the people on the block are really quite oblivious to me. They either think I'm probably an actor or else I installed their storm windows two years ago, or I work at their bank, or maybe I'm their cousin Marie's gynecologist. Then, to the other 15 percent of those people on the street, I'm a rock star. 

'Trek' is probably more cerebral and philosophical. 'Stargate' does seat-of-the-pants adventure and humor better.

Happy Birthday Seth MacFarlane

Science has become politicized, and that's an embarrassment.

I can't believe I am hosting the Oscars. It's an honor everyone else said no. 

I have a car that I like - an Aston Martin - for Sunday drives in the country. 

I love the English. My God, they brought us 'Benny Hill,' 'Monty Python,' 'The Office,' Neville Chamberlain. 

Believe it or not, I have about the same success rate as anyone else. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss.

There have to be people who are vocal about the advancement of knowledge over faith.

People do that on Facebook and it's the dumbest thing in the world. I don't care what your dinner looks like. Stop cluttering up the Internet with pictures of your dinner. 

The average person has eight different jobs over the course of their lifetime. You get a little antsy doing the same thing.

If something sticks around long enough that it makes it to seasonal D.V.D. release, I'll watch it. That's how I watched 'The Sopranos'.

I was a big Fred Flintstone fan.

If I were to do a musical, I think I would rather make a film musical. 

The way Disney characters move, they're very kind of slow and fluid and flowing; one pose kind of eases into the next. If you look at a show like 'The Simpsons' and subsequently a show like 'Family Guy' - the characters will jerk from pose to pose a lot, a bit more snappy. Which sort of goes along with the writing tone of the show.

'The Brady Bunch' asks nothing of you as a viewer. Sometimes is just what the doctor ordered.

I still do a lot of drawing on a daily basis.

 There was no joke I could make that was too offensive. I can actually remember at least one time where my mother told me something that, I was like, 'whoa!' 

What makes me happy is just keeping my brain challenged and stimulated and on its toes.

I was about two years old when I first started drawing recognizable characters. 

I cannot tell good art from bad art. I have no eye for it. 

I'm big on the importance of science, particularly right now at this point in time when there's sort of a systematic rejection of science by a lot of people in America.

'American Dad' is, by its nature, much more political. 

You don't want to be nasty for the sake of being nasty. 

The worst thing to happen at the Oscars would be if nothing happened. You want something unscripted, something to riff on, something kinda out there.

I'm sure there are close calls that we're not even aware of hundreds of times a year. You cross the street, and if you'd crossed the street two minutes later, you'd have been hit by a car, but you'd never know it. I'm sure that kind of stuff happens all the time.

I'm wide open to getting married, but actors are not easy people to date. You end up sharing that person with this other mistress that is their career. I very much like the traditional courtship method of making a date. That's what they do in normal places, but Hollywood's not normal. 

You would not want me on your football team.

I think at times I read too much of my own press. I wish I was better at taking in how great my life is, but that's surprisingly elusive. I tend to be very hard on myself and insecure about failing no matter what happens. 

I'm bad at golf. 

The good thing about Broadway is that you don't have to worry about an airdate. It gets done when it gets done.

I had - I was pretty hell bent on getting into the cartoon business specifically as an artist from the get-go. 

I'll tell you what I think is not okay. Have you ever seen that show on MSNBC, 'Lockup?' It's a reality show that takes place inside a prison. Do the prisoners have to sign release forms? Or do they have to be on it whether they like it or not?

We never really tried to shock for shock's sake on 'Family Guy'. If something was horribly offensive and shocking, we would put it in if it was also hysterically funny.

If something is shocking without being funny it's hard to justify. 

I'm a big fan of 'South Park', but it gets tiring at times when there's so much of it. 

I spent my entire childhood in the same town, in Kent. I went to grade school there. There was a boarding school that my mother taught at, called - appropriately enough - Kent School, that I went to. Yeah, pretty much my entire childhood was spent in that town. 

The problem with the cable networks is the lack of money, not from personal income but as far as show budget. 

The success of 'The Simpsons' really opened doors. It showed that if you were working in animation you didn't necessarily have to be working in kids' television.

I'm from Connecticut, and we don't have any dialects. Well, I don't think we have any dialects, and yeah, it's very complex. That Rhode Island/Massachusetts New England region is arguably the hardest dialect to nail. 

At one point, I was hell-bent on being a Disney animator, and sort of got over that in college and wanted to do my own stuff. You know, towards the end of college I had actually planned to go to the Boston Conservatory of Music for musical theater.

Denzel Washington has a great sense of humor. He did all those 'Nutty Professor' movies.

Everybody in my family had a real sick, twisted sense of humor. Most of the jokes we make in our house, we would just never even dream of making anywhere else. Just sick, horrible stuff. That wasn't anything new to college. 

With any half-hour comedy, it kind of takes on its own life and finds itself.

I'm one of the few people in Hollywood who actually had a good childhood. 

The only problem is time.

'Family Guy' has this weird thing of attracting people. People either hate it or can't get enough of it. There's really no one in between. 

Some of those more out-there jokes were written in the wee hours of the morning. Somehow, they remained funny the next day.

The Simpsons are ugly-looking, and they should be. That's what works. That's one of the things that's funny.

The resistance to science is idiotic. 

If a song is funny and absurd, and it sounds great, it's just going to be that much funnier. And there's no better example of that than 'Monty Python.'

When you are in a room and your job is to write jokes 10 hours a day, your mind starts going to strange places.

Fox is notorious for having a very thick skin about taking shots at themselves.

Evolution doesn't care whether you believe in it or not, no more than gravity does. I want to rekindle excitement over what we've achieved as a species with the space program. We can't afford to regress back to the days of superstition. 

I always thought it would be funny to have the Parents Television Council write an episode of 'Family Guy' and give them full creative control. Then see how good the episode is. That's something we've actually discussed in the writers' room. We haven't proposed it yet, but if somebody from the PTC reads this, it might be worth discussing. 

Chris Elliott could read the phonebook and he's funny.

There are things about the single lifestyle that are very appealing.

There are people on staff who have made that point, that the upside to a second Bush term is that it makes 'American Dad' work better. To me, the price is too high. I would gladly give up the comedy to have a President Kerry. But you work with what you have.

I was a huge 'Star Trek' fan. I loved the 'Twilight Zone' growing up. In the future, I hope to create some thoughtful, sci-fi drama.

I wrote on a show called Johnny Bravo when I was at Hanna-Barbera. 

The trend today is vampires, zombies, angels, all the stuff that puts me right to sleep. It's too bad because it's so much less interesting than the diversity of stories you can tell with science.

On a certain day, I will tweet five times, and then I'll go four days without tweeting at all. It really depends on what time allows. Twitter, priority-wise, has to come after the work is done.

There are times when I'm under the weather and the corporate machine tries to put me in the recording booth anyway. It's always up to me to say, 'Guys, listen to me, listen to what I sound like. I'm not myself.'

You gotta keep the funny intact.

I was a film major with a concentration in animation. 

When 'Family Guy' started, we wanted to make it more like a sitcom. And there was very little music.

I did a lot of theater when I was in high school and college. I also did stand-up in college, so it was always part of what I did.

The quest for Tommy Lee Jones' laugh begins now.

Every year, the Friday before the new Saturday-morning shows would premiere, the networks would do this big preview special, and I was always glued to the TV. As horrible as they were, they were entertaining at the time. There was a lot of showmanship from the networks based around the new lineup. 

Happy Birthday Anthony Rapp!

I wanted really to make it moment to moment, partly because I'm an actor and that's how I operate - actors are all about creating the moment. 

Everyone tells us you really don't know what you're capable of till you're in the middle of it.

Grief does not expire like a candle or the beacon on a lighthouse. It simply changes temperature.

Labels are for cans, not people.

It was my kind of song: fast and fun and exuberant,the lyrics tumbling out almost faster than my ears could follow them,some times rhyming,sometimes not...

Frankly, if people aren't going to cast me because I'm queer, than I don't want to work with them. 

I think it tells the truth and it cuts to the heart of so many profound aspects of human experience unlike many musicals, which cover more frivolous topics.

There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.

I think the most important cause for me is to try to represent honesty. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but it's about trying to be true to who you are.

Acting is like going to the gym. You have to keep yourself in shape and concentrate on your core. 

When we did shoot in the East Village, they had to spread around a lot of trash and put transparencies of graffiti up in front of the walls.

In our culture I think most people think of grief as sadness, and that's certainly part of it, a large part of it, but there's also this thorniness, these edges that come out.

To say it's a dream come true doesn't do it justice, because I've never dreamed this big. The film and play stand side by side -- you get the advantage of more intimacy in the film's close-ups, and the advantage of live rock onstage.

Anyone who loses a parent, you have to find those parts of yourself that your parent held true in themselves, especially if they're supportive parents.

The number of people who said that it made a difference to them that I'm out is the reason that I'm out. There are people who devote their lives to taking away the rights of gays and lesbians, and I think that visibility is very important. I'm trying to encourage more people to come out, and show everyone who they are, because it's harder to take away the rights of a human being. And this is a miracle state, because we can get married. And I think that these people working to take away our rights are going to lose, because of this generation.

I love these people and I’m proud to be on this journey with them.

This. Her hypocrisy and betrayal of her purported ideals is especially hard to fathom.

When I came forward, I was believed & supported & my story made a difference. I was fortunate. As upsetting & triggering as witnessing this current awful moment is for me, I can only imagine how much more traumatizing it is for the millions out there who were not so fortunate.

Making this film was a wonderful experience, and I have always been deeply proud to have been a part of it.

If you like good books, you’d be smart to do this thing.

As always, I proudly celebrate the great gift that being a part of the StarTrek universe is. Happy StarTrekDay indeed.

I’ve been a proud member of 2 unions — Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA — for 37 years. I thank the brave men & women who first brought the idea of organized labor to life many decades ago, & stand with all those who continue to fight for fair work practices. 

A wonderful acknowledgement of the decades of visionary, hard work that have gone into creating stories that have always tried to make the world a better place. I remain deeply honored and proud to be a part of this incredible legacy.

Nightmarish images like this can never be normal.

This family. An amazing group of people full of artistry, courage, love, and passion for bringing stories in the Trek universe to life.

Thank you to all of the many many many people who have been supportive and compassionate. I highlight the rare trolls to share examples of what those of us who have come forward in the MeToo movement have to deal with. 99% of the response has been positive, though.

Super high quality stuff for sure. I don’t dole these out willy nilly!

Thank you to all who voted in my little book poll. After the 1st chapter of All the Birds in the Sky, I can tell it was a perfect choice. It’s delightful.

I’ve been tagged in a large stream of messages around RKelly and CancelRKelly and I’ve learned a great deal about the decades of work black women and their allies have been doing to bring his atrocious behavior to light. It’s terrible that it took so long to have an effect.

Stunningly moving and honest. A must read for anyone who’s been through trauma or knows anyone who’s been through trauma. Which means it’s pretty much a must read for everyone.

Sounds like a good reason to share something!

I have been collecting comics since I was 10 years old. I am going to be collecting this. AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!

The people have spoken. Witcher 3 it is! I’ll play all of them eventually anyway. And I’ll go ahead and stream but I am not going to get a camera and I’m not going to comment about the game as I’m playing it. I will periodically refer to comments though.

Gaming related question: I was asked to stream my gaming on @Twitch but when I play I get really immersed. I don’t think I’d be entertaining to watch; I wouldn’t be commenting or anything, I’d just be staring at my screen. I also don’t have a camera anyway. Thoughts?

So these 4 seemed to be the most suggested choices of the next game to play. And then I realized I’ve never done a Twitter poll! So here goes. Which game should I play next? Vote quickly!

All right my gamer folks, I have a quandary: which game do I play next? I have so many in my queue. Candidates are Witcher 3, Prey, South Park (1st one), Dark Souls 3, Shadow of the Colossus, Rime, Uncharted 4, Res Evil (1st one), Nioh, Banner Saga, Evil Within

I appreciate RosimoToby ‘s apology and I have accepted it. I do believe that everyone’s responses made a difference. Thanks for stepping up, and there’s no need to hammer anything home anymore. Growth is possible!

Come on, young folks in the USA. We need you to vote this year and always. You will make all the difference.

I just learned about Brendan Fraser’s story. I worked with him on School Ties and found him to be an extremely kind, hardworking, and conscientious man, as well as a wonderful actor. My heart goes out to him and I applaud his courage in coming forward to share his experience.

Life keeps getting wilder. Now I’m a card in the StarTrek_CCG online game Star Trek Adversaries.

The best cast in the world. How lucky am I to be a part of it???!!!?

Zoom in on my badge and you can see I got a promotion!

How’d I do with my efforts in the LiveTweetDiscoParty ? It zooms by! Thanks for joining in, everyone!

What the whaaaaaaa???!!!??? Is that... could it be...???? It is!!! (Some folks anticipated this, but nonetheless here it is!) The USS Enterprise!!! 

I don’t normally amplify the kind things people say to me, but I was so very touched by this. Thank you MarcelineDepot for articulating so beautifully what I was attempting to do with my book. I really appreciate it.

Yeah, tomorrow night for the startrekcbs season 1 finale, a bunch of us are going to be LIVE TWEETING. I find it intimidating to think about what I’m going to tweet about but I’ve been assured it’s going to be ok for everyone involved.

I haven’t sung the praises of ActressJayneB enough. She’s so fierce as Admiral Cornwell, and — as is the case with everyone else on startrekcbs  — is a delight to be around.

I still cannot believe I’m going to be in a real live comic book. Aaaaahhhhh my 10-year-old self is FREAKING OUT!!!!

I’m late in seeing it, but I’m so grateful that I finally watched the ava film The 13th. It’s powerful, tragic, illuminating, & essential. It’s packed w/ vital information about our country’s shameful history — and its shameful present — of oppression. I’m shook & wiser for it.

I’m a firm believer in putting bullies and haters on blast. This boxer is a bully and hater and therefore: ON BLAST

On the 22nd anniversary of the day we lost Jonathan Larson, I share this photo I took of him during a rehearsal. I thank him for all that he has given to me, and all he has given to the world. RIP

Thank you marisatomei for your kind words and acknowledgment. I wish you and everyone involved in this movement strength and courage. All the very best wishes to you.

I’m a ridiculously lucky man. I got to work with jonathansfrakes on startrekcbs *and* on an episode of AfterTrek

Date night for our second anniversary. So many journeys this past year. Here’s to many many more with this man I love.

I applaud his leadership, which is so vital, and especially impressive as he’s doing this at the beginning of what promises to be a remarkable career. RealChalamet deserves our respect for this gesture, in addition to what he’d already earned through his great performances.

The world continues to move forward even as our moron-in-chief and his cronies try to set us back.

This is so chilling. How many others did Weinstein smear? How many other careers did he derail or squash? It’s so important that Peter Jackson and others are being honest in looking back and seeing the damage Weinstein wrought.

You don’t even understand. I’ve been a comic book geek since I was a child and now I AM ON THE COVER OF A COMIC BOOK AND GHDJDKSNHEBEKsbbdvFfcCzghsjdndbxzb!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!  That is all.

This is so unsettling. I believe a great deal of the reason the #MeToo movement has gained so much traction and power is that we have no other way to directly impact the fact that we have an admitted sexual predator as POTUS.

Not. Ok. In fact, quite horrifying. The fight just never ends.

I’m very gratified to learn that the many folks who’ve been in limbo this past month will in fact have the chance to complete their work that had been interrupted. I wish them all the very best on HouseofCards Season 6.

Here’s one. Oh, and AWriterNamedPam I didn’t know it at the time, but I have since learned that he did indeed break a law in this case. Namely sexual assault of a minor. FYI.

This thread, though. There is so much to dismantle in the corridors of power, so much of the status quo to expose and eradicate. Kudos to IjeomaOluo for her integrity and clarity of mind and heart in the face of nonsense.

I feel that I also need to say a couple of things: 1, I do not believe these trolls and harassers are right. 2, their words do not sting deeply, but they do wound slightly. 3, I have gotten so many more positive messages than negative. Thank you v much.

Um...no...that would never have led to a proper resolution. He was contacted by BuzzFeedNews and declined the opportunity to speak. Then released his statement hours after the story broke... And truly it wasn’t about me getting something off my chest. Read the article.

Here are some comments on Instagram. I’ve decided I want to share some of them because these people need to be outed for their harassment.

Proud to be joining some other talented people in raising money for a good cause.

Thank you to all of you who have been expressing support and solidarity. Your kindness is felt and much appreciated. And I have experienced such support far more than I have experienced negativity.

That was by far one of the milder negative tweets I’ve been tagged in. I’ve been doing a fair amount of reporting and muting of folks, but if you’re interested, take a look through the replies to my tweets on 10/30/17 to see for yourself what some folks say.

I haven’t amplified any of the tweets I’ve been tagged in over these past few weeks, and the vast majority of them have been incredibly supportive, but then there are tweets such as these that just boggle my mind... 

Agh. If you pitched this story in a writers’ room you’d be laughed out of said room because no one would ever believe such a plot was realistic.  And yet here we are.

I was honored to bring their brilliant words to life. They were so open to collaboration, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Love them.

I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out 1/3

to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me.  2/3

Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time.

Thanks to the folks at disco_trek for another lively podcast. And I do know you have my back! It’s much appreciated!

Your methods of insults followed by praise to get my attention are working, startrekpod gang. You ain’t no buncha jerks! Great show again.

This is an incredibly powerful article. Much has been written in the past couple of weeks, and much more is to come.

Happy Birthday Scott Bakula!

I've shot a lot of places, and I've produced. I always thought, 'Gosh, when you shoot in a big city, it's so difficult.' And New York, I always think, 'Where are you going to park the trucks? How are you going to stop the traffic?'

Clive Barker is just genius, and he's incredibly gifted in so many different ways. He can write and direct and paint and do all these different things, and he can do them all extremely well.

I've done great theatre, great films and had a lot of opportunities in television. I also love to sing, and I've been able to do that once or twice in the television shows.

You want to try and bring a character to life in an honest a way as you possibly can. It doesn't matter whether he's a doctor, an actor, a car salesman or a captain of a starship. If you can bring truth and honesty to that character, then your audience will believe you.

I like pop, rock n' roll, big band, Broadway - I like all those elements.

Years ago, I did a CBS audition. I was nervous. They introduced me as 'Scott Bakoola.' Not a good sign. I also didn't get the show. 

The longer you are in acting business, the more you cherish the times when you're working with people that do great work, and can figure out how to enjoy themselves while they're doing the great work.

It's a joyful, humbling feeling to be in different places around the planet, and people have seen shows that I'm proud of being a part of, that do have things to say about the human condition, the planet, and who we are and where we've come from, that will sustain.

When you get into any kind of period work, or any kind of prosthetic work, or anything that alters what your 8×10 looks like, it's the joy of escaping and becoming somebody else. And it is definitely freeing.

I get nervous even guesting on other people's shows.

I never intended to be on television or in a movie. The theater was all I ever dreamed about, once I decided to try to make it as a business profession. All this other stuff has just been icing.

In the fantasy, sci-fi world, the fans are so discerning and they're so tough and they're so intelligent, and they're so critical.

When I used to do tours, I'd be anxious and nervous on the plane returning to New York. I now realize the reaction was because I was coming back unemployed. Actors are constantly being put to the test.

If I can avoid looking at myself, I will. I don't care to examine myself or see much of what I do. I never care how I look. 

Being an actor opened doors for me to explore my emotions as different people and characters, and expand my own inner soul.

I was a huge fan of the original 'Star Trek,' and I'd never even dreamed that I would someday be captain of a starship.

By all standards, except for 'Star Trek' standards, 98 episodes of any television show is a wildly successful run.

Well, I'm... first and foremost I'm a theater guy and everything that I know comes from the theater. 

'Behind The Candelabra' is an HBO movie. It's the Liberace story. Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. I play a small part in it. I play a choreographer who introduces, brings Matt Damon to Las Vegas for the first time.

I am very much against weapons in space. And I wish we could be spearheading that program to come to some kind of international agreement so that doesn't happen. That is my only - fear - in further space exploration like always, we hope it doesn't get abused.

If you're a fan of Shirley MacLaine just like I am, I'd kinda go anywhere to work with her.

I'm constantly involved in theater, looking at theater, trying to do work in theater, support theater. And that's kind of my creative passion.

I've composed a fair amount in my life, and some of them have made it on to the screen, some compositions that I've done, a few. And I like doing that. I had never really considered doing a full-length thing. I've worked with other people creating full-length pieces.

The biggest challenge for everybody to realize out there is that we're in a very complicated business world and that were all under one umbrella and it's very challenging for everybody to figure out where the priorities lie and where the loyalties lie.

My favorite thing about running is running when it's as hot as it can be, which is a little odd.

I've always had an affinity for lawyers. My dad is a lawyer. He's retired now. My brother is a lawyer. 

I'm a runner from sports. I've been a runner, but I wasn't a cross-country runner or anything like that. I played a lot of soccer growing up.

I don't think that a company should own a studio and the network, and program for their own network. It hurts the creativity - it is not a level playing field.

My kids are good athletes and runners. They run in a bunch of sports. 

And I've always felt comfortable certainly in a courtroom because you're just performing. And there was a time in my life when I thought when I grew up I'd be a trial lawyer myself.

Running for me has always been a great place to get away. It's a great stress reliever for me. It's great if I need to be working on something in my mind, whether it's things I need to be memorizing or thinking about, or I have some presentation coming up.

I love 'White Christmas.' That's one of my favorites just because I love the music. I love the story, Bing Crosby. It's just one of my all time favorites. And it's hard to have a Christmas without seeing a little bit of Jimmy Stewart and angels running around town.

For actors, we always feel like there shouldn't be any divide for anybody. The industry is the one that kind of creates the idea that if you're such-and-such an actor, you can't be on the big screen.

What we are as actors, for better and for worse, is visible. Scott Bakula Better, Worse, Visible To do something for other people when they need it most just feels good.

The movies are about big tent pole movies and big action and effects.

I went into show business because I love to work with people, and what I enjoy most about acting is rehearsing and getting to know people and their talents, forming relationships. Working in this business, barriers drop and you get into people real quickly.

Sunday night was such a big night for television when I was growing up - you know, 'The Wonderful World of Disney.' 

The end of shows are a nightmare for everybody because there is so much pressure to satisfy everyone, which of course you can't do.

For a long-running TV show, you're looking for a character who is interesting and vibrant and you can imagine going into all kinds of different areas. 

The great thing about show business is that there's no mandatory retirement age.

The reality of our business is that for every actor who's rolled up his tent and given up and gone home, the next day you hear about some shoe salesman at Macy's who had this audition and now he's Harrison Ford. There's always that carrot out there in our business.

I've always been told I had an old face. So when I was in my 20s, I never got to play a teenager.

The guy that picked me up at the airport in 1985 when I was out in L.A. for my first audition was selling a script. I was a nobody coming off a plane to read for a new show. 

Ideally, people find mates with whom they can express both their masculine and feminine sides.

The further away you can get away from yourself as an actor, the more fun you have. 

I don't even know how many times I auditioned for Danny Zuko in 'Grease.' 

 Liberace was a miracle. You talk about who he was and what he did, and then you look at who he inspired, from Elton John to Cher to Michael Jackson to Bette Midler. There are so many people that came to see him. Elvis was there, watching his shows.

The longest show I've ever done was four and a half years, so I can only imagine what ending an eight year show is like. 

One of the hardest things to do is to be present and open and clear about who you are and what you stand for. We all have issues with that.

My daughter, when she was younger, was crazy about 'The X-Files,' so I'd watch that with her. 

To be quite honest, I find that it's easier to do parts that are wrapped up in different hair and wardrobe and eras, and different period behavior, than it is to play closer to the present.

On the whole, show business is a hard business in which to be married. 

I think the challenge in hour television or half-hour television is that the more it's around, certainly on commercial television, the less time you have to tell stories these days, because the more commercials they're putting in.

My oldest son started to like 'South Park' and 'Family Guy,' so we'd watch together so I could spend time with him. 

'Certainly Men of a Certain Age' was different for me and allowed people to see me in a different light. Maybe that opened up minds a little bit. 

I've always been a big fan of time travel, and I'm very into the notion that some day we'll be able to do it. Beam me up!

I'm a musical theater guy. That's where I came from. That's where I go whenever I have the chance. It's my first love.

These sci-fi fans are phenomenal in the standards that they hold you to.

After 'Quantum Leap,' a lot of sci-fi things came my way, and I had to say, 'I can't do that right now.'

I like fantasy. I've always been the kind of kid who likes to dream about other things I could be and exotic situations I could be in. 

With any kind of sci-fi, the imagination continues, and the world exists, and you create that in your own mind, and it lives in you. 

The 'NCIS' franchise is beyond successful. 

'Quantum Leap' gave me a huge opportunity as an actor. The nature of the role and it's demands allowed people to perceive me as a versatile actor, and the wide success of the show around the planet gave me a certain notoriety that helped me get other work.

New Orleans has a unique history as a great melting pot of all kinds of cultures, and that manifests itself now through the food, the music, and the kinds of people who live there. 

I've done a lot of work other than sci-fi, and between half-hour comedy, stage, and various movie roles, I've really tried to avoid being typecast. 

I grew up in St. Louis, and I don't know if you've ever been to St. Louis in the middle of summer. There are days in the summer sometimes, weeks in the summer, where the temperature can be over 100 degrees and the humidity can be 100 percent.

I haven't really thought about where to scatter my ashes when the time comes, but I doubt that it would be in space. 

A lot of people don't know that I'm a singer - that's my thing, really.

I've always had an affinity for lawyers. My dad is a lawyer. He's retired now. My brother is a lawyer. It's always been easy, the legalese. 

I was actually cut out of 'L.A. Story'... and rightfully so. 

I'd really like to play bad guys or guys that have something a little bit off about them. And I get to do that periodically.