Star Trek: Wesley Snipes Was Almost Cast For The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation almost cast Wesley Snipes as one of the main Enterprise crew, Geordi La Forge; here’s who else almost got the part.

You Are Reading :Star Trek Wesley Snipes Was Almost Cast For The Next Generation

Wesley Snipes was almost cast as one of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Snipes is an accomplished martial artist and actor, best remembered for playing the titular vampire-hunter in the Blade movies, beginning with Blade in 1998, and followed by the 2002 Blade II and the 2004 Blade: Trinity. Had things worked out differently, the actor would be iconic for a completely different kind of role — although there are some striking similarities between the two parts.

TNG was the second major series in the Star Trek franchise, debuting in 1987. It was the last show created by Gene Roddenberry before his death in 1991. According to the oral history The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Roddenberry felt that it was important to include a crew member with a disability. During the character development stage for Next Generation, David Gerrold — a veteran Star Trek writer who had been brought on for the pre-production team — suggested that the character should be black, and that he should be named after the late quadriplegic fan George La Forge — an avid fan of the series and had passed away in 1975.

The TNG character, Geordi La Forge, would go on to become one of the most beloved in the franchise, thanks in no small part to the performance of acclaimed-actor LeVar Burton. Geordi used a medical device called a VISOR (Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement) to perform his duties onboard the Enterprise. The part required Burton to communicate emotion in his acting without the audience being able to see his eyes — a challenge that he rose to. However, there were other actors who were strongly considered for the part — including Wesley Snipes.

According to a Paramount memo posted to Letters of Note, Wesley Snipes was one of several actors reading for the part of “Geordi.” Why Wesley Snipes was ultimately rejected for the role of Geordi La Forge is unclear, although the choice isn’t surprising: the original Star Trek: The Next Generation Writer/Director’s Guide listed Geordi as being a regular away-missions crew member who worked particularly well with Data. Initial plans even had Geordi specializing in working with children (perhaps part of the reason why Burton, the star of Reading Rainbow, got the part). Given the scientific lean of the character, he comes across as innately gentle — not exactly fitting with the high-energy fighting spirit possessed by Snipes. Snipes would go on to star in a number of villain roles before landing his gig as Blade. In an interesting parallel, Blade also had his eyes covered — although for the case of this character, it’s to hide his eyes (which reveal that he’s part vampire).

Eagle-eyed Trekkers will notice another familiar name under the list of prospective actors to play Geordi: Tim Russ. The actor has played a number of Star Trek characters, most famously Tuvok in Star Trek; Voyager. Russ may have missed out on the opportunity to be a part of the main TNG cast, but he did eventually land a guest role as Devor in the episode “Starship Mine.” He must have made a good impression on the production team, because he was hired again to be the Klingon T’Kar in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Invasive Procedures,” as well as a small part as a lieutenant in the movie Star Trek: Generations, before landing his own iconic role as Voyager’s Vulcan Starfleet officer, Tuvok.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/star-trek-wesley-snipes-next-generation-geordi/