Strange New Worlds (ST Pike series) casting ideas for Dr. Boyce
Data1001
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A recent post in The Bridge suggesting Dr. Boyce would be a good crew to be added to the game if he appears in the new Pike series got me to thinking.
In the past, I've suggested adding the "original recipe" version (played by John Hoyt, as seen below). And I would still love to see him at some point.
But if they do add that character to the show, who would you like to see play him? I'd assume they would have already cast that role, if he'll be appearing, but here are a few choices I came up with. (There are probably many others I'd have considered, this was just after a quick run through of some character actor lists. So I'd love to hear & see your choices, as well!)
My criteria: the actor shouldn't be too young to play the part, but also not too old to be able to stand the rigors of a weekly TV show, one that would probably require many very long days of shooting. He also needs to be someone who I think would meld well with the energy of Anson Mount's Pike, and be able to deliver the proper mix of support, camaraderie, a dash of occasional chastisement, probably a soupçon of stubbornness, and a little spice of humor (which all ST docs seem to have to varying degrees).
Zeljko Ivanek
Matt Frewer
Enrico Colantoni
Lastly — and how cool would this be? — Jeffrey Combs
In the past, I've suggested adding the "original recipe" version (played by John Hoyt, as seen below). And I would still love to see him at some point.
But if they do add that character to the show, who would you like to see play him? I'd assume they would have already cast that role, if he'll be appearing, but here are a few choices I came up with. (There are probably many others I'd have considered, this was just after a quick run through of some character actor lists. So I'd love to hear & see your choices, as well!)
My criteria: the actor shouldn't be too young to play the part, but also not too old to be able to stand the rigors of a weekly TV show, one that would probably require many very long days of shooting. He also needs to be someone who I think would meld well with the energy of Anson Mount's Pike, and be able to deliver the proper mix of support, camaraderie, a dash of occasional chastisement, probably a soupçon of stubbornness, and a little spice of humor (which all ST docs seem to have to varying degrees).
Zeljko Ivanek
Matt Frewer
Enrico Colantoni
Lastly — and how cool would this be? — Jeffrey Combs
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
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Comments
Leslie Nielson was one of my favorite actors. If he were still alive, he would be right up there with Combs, in my book. Kelsey Grammar is another who I would consider. I mean, maybe he still likes Star Trek and would take a role a little more significant than Captain Morgan Bateson. I think that's all I got. Combs would still be my first choice. I am just throwing names out in the spirit of participation, really.
My initial thought went to Henry Gibson, as someone who kind of looks like John Hoyt and was excellent in Boston Legal and The Blues Brothers, but I didn’t realize he was as old as he was nor that he passed away in 2009.
My second thought went to Brian Downey (of Lexx “fame”) but he’s getting on in years as well and I think his last major acting credit was all the way back in 2011.
My third and final off-the-wall suggestion would be Haig Sutherland, most notable for roles on The Flash and Stargate Universe with a smattering of guest appearances elsewhere.
Also, and this isn't in response to the suggestions so far, I just forgot to mention it in my initial post: as part of my criteria, I wasn't doing a "dream casting" of the role, so in other words, any character actors whose careers were so big that they probably wouldn't consider something like this were eliminated. But a lot of those actors also have a very powerful screen presence that might not work as part of this particular ensemble. And of course certain actors are known for particular "types" that would overshadow the part.
One other person who popped up in my searches, who I thought could be interesting:
Alan Ruck
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
I actually thought of that with Kelsey Grammar. But then I thought about the Bateson role and realized that I haven't seen him in anything lately. ... Of course... I also chuckled at the thought of him as ship's councilor.
My mind is stuck on actors that I liked when I was younger. Some crazy names come to mind: Ethan Phillips, Val Kilmer, Michael Keaton, Carey Elwes, and Corbin Bernsen.
Keaton is probably too famous, but I like him in pretty much everything, and as I said, my mind was wandering. Kilmer can't be that busy. Elwes is another that I like in everything. He might be on the young side, but I'm sure they can fix that. Ethan and Corbin didn't have very big roles when they appeared the first time (sorry, Neelix fans), but maybe they would be up for something bigger.
Second: I've heard others propose Jeffrey Coombs and I love that idea even more.
Third: John Hoyt was 21 years older than Jeffrey Hunter. If we presume the same age gap between Dr. Boyce and Captain Pike (neither has a canonically established birth year per Memory Alpha), then whoever plays Boyce ought to have been born circa 1952. I scanned Wikipedia, and decided that my favorite would be Mitch Pileggi. I enjoyed his work on Dallas as Harris Ryland. I think he could be a solid contrast to Anson Mount's ridiculously nice guy Pike and to Ethan Peck's still-learning Spock.
I think most of the rest of the actors on that list would take me out of the story. Though if they're gonna go with someone to take me out of the story, they may as well go for broke and cast Mr. T. "I pity the fool who don't beam me up right now!"
Mitch Pileggi is a great choice. Slap a convincing wig on him and I think he would shine in that role.
Is there anyone noteworthy within 5 years before or after 1952? It wouldn't be hard for to play off a 5-year difference in Hollywood.
Heck, Len Cariou and Tom Selleck play father/son and they are only 6 years apart in age.
See, I feel the same way about Mitch Pileggi. He has way too much of a "tough guy" vibe for me to ever believe him in that role. And while he's a good actor, the type of humor he's known for in his roles is mean-spirited, rather than lighthearted, which, for my money, doesn't fit the role of a ship's doctor (except the occasional vibe we got from Pulaski, who rubbed me the wrong way from time to time for that very reason).
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
I don't think it's about real life canonical age difference, but more so (as with so many things in casting) what ages the actors look like.
I always kinda figured there could be anywhere from fifteen to twenty years between the characters of Pike and Dr. Boyce. And I also think Anson Mount looks anywhere from early to mid-forties, even though he's late 40s.
In my own searches, I was typically going with actors who I thought looked the part, doing a search for images of them from the past year or so to confirm what they currently looked like; and that list pretty much came from actors who were born sometime in the 1950s.
But there will no doubt be actors born in that decade who look too old, and others who look too young. Plus all the rest who for whatever reason would "take someone out of the story", to paraphrase your comment, which of course explains why so many tough-to-cast roles are filled by relative unknowns, who don't come with a lot of viewer preconceptions. There are, obviously, exceptions which work out great — one recent one that comes to mind was the casting of Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor on Supergirl, which a ton of people online were not happy with when it was announced, but which I always felt confident he could pull off with flying colors... and I think he did just that. All it takes, many times, is for the CD to see the actor in one role — perhaps a very obscure one, and perhaps totally atypical to the rest of their career — in which they show the same type of range and character persona that's needed for the role that's being cast. And then expectations are completely upended.
Could you please continue the petty bickering? I find it most intriguing.
~ Data, ST:TNG "Haven"
I know exactly what you mean there - Ben Affleck being cast as Batman was a huge concern for me and many of my friends, and he then surprised us all with a really impressive performance in an otherwise bland film.
I've kind of liked Ben Affleck ever since Mallrats, lol.