As a die-hard Star Trek fan, I can’t help but feel a deep appreciation for the unsung heroes who graced our screens with their performances, even if those roles were fleeting. One such individual is Mickey Cottrell, an actor whose brief yet memorable stint in Star Trek left an indelible mark on the franchise.
In an interview after his stroke in 2016, Mickey Cottrell shared that when he talked about his long Hollywood career, it was his acting roles that people showed the most interest in, rather than his work as a PR executive for indie films. Unfortunately, he missed out on major roles to more prominent actors. However, he expressed satisfaction that Steve Buscemi played the lead in one of the roles he helped create for “In the Soup,” praising him as a sweet individual. Despite having small roles in movies like “My Own Private Idaho,” “Volcano,” “Ed Wood,” and “Shortbus,” it’s his performances in “Star Trek” that he is most likely to be remembered for.
In the Star Trek universe, it’s quite common for actors to don various characters. For instance, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who was married to the creator of Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry, portrayed at least four distinct roles, including Number One in the pilot episode of The Original Series. Similarly, James Cromwell played five roles, one of which was Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of the warp drive. The actor with the most roles to his name is Vaughn Dale Armstrong Jr., boasting a remarkable twelve characters under his acting belt, such as Admiral Maxwell Forrest on Enterprise. Cottrell, while having a more modest number of roles, left an indelible impression with the characters he played.
Alrik in The Next Generation
In Season 5, Episode 21 of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” titled “The Perfect Mate,” Captain Picard plays a crucial role in brokering a peace treaty between long-feuding planets Krios and Valt Minor. Notably, Kamala, portrayed by Famke Janssen (famous for her character Jean Grey from the “X-Men” series), is the first female metamorph born on Krios in many generations. Her entire life has been dedicated to becoming the perfect bride for the Valtese Chancellor, a role played by Cottrell as Chancellor Alrik.
Before Alrik arrives, Picard spends the episode bonding with Kamala and doing his best to resist her charms. He is determined to fulfill his duty as host and not interfere with the peace negotiations. However, Picard becomes conflicted when he meets Alrik and discovers that he’s more interested in trade agreements than his bride-to-be. In the end, Picard stands by as Kamala marries Arlik, despite the fact that she has made a lifelong impact on Picard. Still, since she insists before the wedding that she still has her empathetic abilities and can please Alrik without him knowing the difference. While he’s meant to be drab and dull in comparison to the Renaissance man that Picard is, Cottrell still manages to imbue Alrik with presence throughout his performance.
Dumah in Voyager
In the 6th episode of Season 4 from Star Trek: Voyager titled “The Raven,” the story primarily revolves around Seven of Nine encountering recurring memories. Meanwhile, Councilor Gaumen and another B’omar Sovereignty representative, Councilor Dumah (portrayed by Cottrell), engage in discussions with Janeway, Chakotay, and Paris to determine a potential passage for Voyager through their territory.
Despite shaving three months off its travel time by taking a direct route, the xenophobic B’omar refused to allow Voyager to traverse any populated areas or exceed warp 3 speed. Instead, they demanded seventeen checkpoints along the way, which ultimately extended Voyager’s journey further. Later, Dumah – who had previously suffered at the hands of the Borg – attempted to prevent Seven of Nine from departing Voyager as he feared she was being summoned back to the Borg Collective. However, he failed, and the crew successfully returned her to the safety of their own ship.
Although he played a minor role in an episode that focused mainly on Seven of Nine’s backstory from before she was assimilated, Cottrell was a great addition as the polite, but firm Dumah. The name of his character was chosen by Bryan Fuller, the writer of the episode, who picked his name from a list of angels. This episode was also directed by LeVar Burton, who played Geordi LaForge in The Next Generation.
Cottrell’s Film & TV Legacy
Mickey Cottrell called his 2016 stroke a “fortunate event.” It wasn’t until then that he truly appreciated the number of friends he had built throughout his career in Hollywood PR, acting, and the Grey Quill Society writing club. He played a significant role in three films directed by Gus Van Sant, and he was particularly proud of his efforts to back numerous independent films that may not have been produced without his assistance.
Despite departing Los Angeles in 2016 following a 36-year stay, Cottrell returned to the city in 2019. Even toward the end, Hollywood remained his desired destination, as evidenced by his social media posts that portrayed a grateful man. Regrettably, Cottrell passed away on New Year’s Day 2024. Although he is no longer with us, his memory will endure. He will be remembered not just by his friends or those who benefited from his PR skills, but also by Star Trek fans for the minor yet impactful roles he played.
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2024-09-23 19:04