June 2, 2003

Perth Australia

Convention Report & Photos by Simon 

Why is it that the best things that happen are usually unexpected? Such was my first meeting Dominic Keating. It was not at the convention centre, but in an Irish pub. I had just eaten lunch there when someone told me he was on the opposite side of the bar, tucked away in a cosy little nook. I popped my head around, and there he was casually dressed in jeans, jacket and Guinness t-shirt drinking a pint of Irish Guinness. He looked very relaxed chatting away with two Trek fans, luckier than I in that they happened upon him much earlier quite by chance. I introduced myself, shook his hand and took the liberty of saying “Hi” from the Peeps. He responded by asking me to pass on my thanks, and promised that he would post again on the message board in the not-too-distant future. We chatted a little, and he explained to the other two fans how we became known as Peeps. Yet as is the case with such chance encounters, it didn’t last long and it was soon time to head back to the convention centre.

When Dominic came on stage he immediately went into his convention routine, opening up with the first few lines of “Faith of the Heart”, the theme song of “Enterprise”. He was a true raconteur and dynamo: full of energy and vitality, telling us stories, cracking jokes, and imitating the cast and crew of ‘Enterprise’. He used his whole body to tell stories. His buoyant physicality, gestures and expressions conveyed more than his words, and the simple expressions of a guilty pleasure or mock-horror were a treat to see. Though there was a podium I don’t think he ever stood behind it. He moved about the stage at such a rapid pace, that it was sometimes hard taking a photograph of him. When one fan with a camera asked if he could lower the mike away from his mouth, Dominic looked to an empty space at the back of the hall, pointed to the offender and called out, “Security”. I found his sense of humour an excellent antidote to the seriousness that sometimes surrounds the show amongst us fans. And he carried it off in such a way that was simultaneously respectful to the fans while intimating that some things shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Many of the stories most of you will have heard: such as how he landed the part of Malcolm Reed; how he read in TV Guide that his character was to be gay; and how he tried to open up the character of Reed from this buttoned-down, stiff-upper-lip Brit into someone more enigmatic. What you may not have heard is that he is now a Director-in-Training and intends to make a short film based on a true story: a funny and engaging tale about a boy who has just learnt to tell the time. He also pitched a story idea to Brannon Braga about saving the rainforest or environment of an Earth-like planet. While most of his convention talk consisted of light-hearted anecdotes, he became serious for a moment when reflecting upon the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and its effect upon the people there. When he thought of what he could do about it, his mind turned to a story idea for “Enterprise”. As things stand, it’s “on the table”, meaning it is neither rejected nor in the stage of being scripted. So we’ll see what happens.

When it came to answering fans’ questions, Dominic was in the habit of calling all the women “Darling” or “Love” and all the men “Mate”. It all added to the friendly atmosphere which he engendered. In response to a fan’s question about Jolene Blalock, he said that she was a very down-to-earth person with a good sense of humour. Another person asked him why Trip seemed to be getting all the young women and whether there would be any loving in store for Reed next season. “You noticed that too?” responded Dominic. He then said he had no idea what was in store for his character from episode to episode let alone next season. He joked that it seemed to him that the audience knew more than he did. He then asked us if he still had a job to go back too. The only thing the line producers told him was not to change his hair. He quipped that they told him that if he goes back blonde he’s fired. One fan then asked a question about Porthos not having a loo (yeah I know, but what can you do?). Dominic turned it around, and told how the two female Beagles playing Porthos have a bigger trailer than he does, and one of them doesn’t “speak” to him as she’s far too grand.

Though many of you may have heard the story about how Dominic landed the role of Reed, he did give a funny twist to it that I haven’t heard before. He related how he and John Billingsley auditioned for their parts on the same day, and that John was up first and had attempted to portray his species, Denobulans, as having evolved from birds. To that end, he interspersed his lines with squawks, which Dominic thought was pretty “ballsy”. Next up was Dominic, and at first he put on his best BBC English accent. The producers then asked him if he could be more down-to-earth. That’s when he played Reed as a Yorkshireman. One producer thought it was a Scots accent and another swore it was Welsh. Dominic, probably feeling that the part was slipping away from him, then asked Rick Berman if he might use his own accent. So that’s what he did, and that was the accent Reed ended up with. Half an hour after telling this story, Dominic reflected on how things might have been if Phlox was a squawker and Reed a Yorkshireman. He soon had the audience in stitches by staging a hilarious impromptu performance of these two wacky characters.

I didn’t take any notes at the conference, and this report doesn’t do Dominic justice. Still, I hope I caught a little spark of his fire. I’m glad I went. He made it all worthwhile.

By the way, if you’re wondering what question to ask Dominic when you see him at a convention, you could ask him whether or not he has learnt to play the didgeridoo that he bought in Australia.