The man who started it all.
You are the real Star Trek actor.
Bruce Macefield was a big star in the 1960s and 70s.
He played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on the original Star Trek, and played the title role in the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1979.
But his biggest role was playing the voice of the alien Kel-Morian in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and he also did the voice for Spock’s father, James T. Kirk, in Star Wars, and the voice on the voice-over for The Borg Invasion.
Macefields career is well documented, but there are some details that are less clear than others.
We decided to track down the man behind the mask.
He was born in England and raised in England.
He has a degree in English literature from Oxford University.
He’s also a former television producer and has been a guest on TV shows including The X Factor and Doctor Who.
He does, however, have a degree from an American university.
He spoke to us via Skype and spoke about his upbringing, his career, and his life as a Star Trek voice actor.
Thanks for taking the time.
I’m a fan of the Star Trek franchise, so I’m very curious to know about your background.
First, where did you grow up?
I grew up in the South West of England.
My parents were the owners of a small dairy farm and I’m from the West Midlands.
I was in school, so when I was 11 or 12 I got my first TV job at a local station.
I worked for a year, then got a second job at my local station, so in the early 80s I moved to London.
Did you know that Star Trek was going to be made?
No.
I knew I was going on TV when I saw the news.
But the thing that caught my attention was that the new Star Trek movie was going into cinemas in August.
So I went to the theatre and the cast and crew were at the stage when I went in.
I think they were wearing costumes and I think it was going in at around 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
What did you think when you saw that the movie was coming out?
It was great.
The film was just terrific.
I loved it.
It had great acting.
I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to see what they had been working on.
What are some of your favourite Star Trek characters?
I’m not going to get into it here, but I’ll just say, I’m definitely a fan.
I love Captain Kirk and Spock, but they’re also very much a part of my family.
I’ve got my two boys, a daughter, and I’ve never really had the opportunity to meet him.
I don’t think he’s the best character to be the face of the franchise.
I have seen a lot of films about the Enterprise, and it was really quite lovely to see the new film with them.
But it was nice to see that there was a real bond between them.
Did the first movie help you become a better actor?
Absolutely.
I can tell you that I went from being a novice in the acting business to the head of a very successful, very successful company.
I am still the only one in my family who is a certified actor.
My children are all very experienced actors and I always encourage them to go and be more successful.
I still believe that if you want to be a better acting person, you’ve got to be involved in the film industry, but you’ve also got to make it a good career and a good family life.
You mentioned that the first film, Enterprise, was one of the best films ever made.
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently in that first film?
I would definitely say that I would have had more time to relax.
The crew were always very happy.
It was a really nice break from the normal routine.
I got to see them go to work and to see a new set and a new location, and they were very happy with it.
Did your wife, Annabelle, get to see this film as well?
Yes, she did.
I remember being on the set, and she said to me, “Is this all you can see?”
She said, “Yes, we’re seeing the film, but we’ve got a lot more to do, so we’ll go home and watch a movie”.
That’s how she felt.
Did it take a lot to bring him back to Star Trek?
Well, yes, it was definitely a bit of a surprise to me.
The first time he was brought back was the same day he was cast.
But I think the audience just loved him.
Was he really a better performer than Picard?
Yes.
He got a little bit more depth and a little more emotion.
