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Clifton Collins Jr on Playing a Romulan Villain and Working with J.J. Abrams

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By GustavoLeao / 08:17, 18 June 2009 / Star Trek: Nemesis

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RAMA's Screen posted a new interview with Star Trek actor Clifton Collins Jr, who played Romulan villain Ayel in J. J. Abrams Star Trek movie. Here are few excerpts.

RS: Let's talk about STAR TREK, man. How did you get the part?


CC: J.J. Abrams called me at home about STAR TREK,..he wrote a role for me based off of a Frankie Flores from my character in the movie Traffic, for Alias. He went to the casting director and said ‘I got this great role that I wrote and do you think Clifton Collins could do this?.. Do you think he'd even do it?, does he still do TV? And she said ‘yeah he'll do it' Abrams asked ‘are you sure?' and she said ‘yeah I'm positive' and Abrams asked again ‘why are you so positive?' and she was like ‘because he's my brother'. Abrams didn't know she was related to me (laugh) So I did 3 episodes

With STAR TREK, I heard my name my name being thrown around,

I heard my name and I heard Eric Bana's name. No real offer being made. So J.J. Abrams called me, pitched me the character, he pitched me Ayel in essence and he said ‘what do you think?' and I told him to call me again the next day. Just kidding (laugh)

I said ‘hell yeah!' I'd walk off a cliff for J.J. Abrams. he's a badasss. He has such a love for storytelling he's a loving person. There was not a single attitude on that set. There was no diva. We were working 18 hour days. This is a testament for J.J. and the entire team, the kind of set where the producer would walk on a set early morning, 4 in the morning, they were wrapping or something and he'd give this full speech of how hard we'd worked this week and how hard it's been but the difference between this producer and the producers I've worked in the past is that we really believed this guy, the kind of speeches that would make you cry like a little b*tch, trying to hold it back ya know (laugh)... it feels good to be appreciated at the end of the day.


RS: Were you a trekkie?


CC: Nobody on that whole set was a Trekkie


RS: Now true STAR TREK fans would know that this is not exactly an origin story, not the Shatner's Kirk origin story, it's J.J. Abrams version of origins story, the alternate parallel universe so did you get any negative comments from fans saying ‘hey you guys are doing it wrong, man!'


CC: No they didn't know about it, they had no clue. That thing was so tightly under wraps.


RS: It was well done that's why


CC: J.J. is just such a good storyteller, he just knows how to tell stories, man. he's a kid at heart, every great filmmaker is. He's approachable. He's just fun to work with

The full interview is here.



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Clifton Collins Jr.: Myspace Friend? | Report this post to moderator
By: Maverick128 (Odo's file, contact) @ 00:39:02 on Jun 19, 2009

Okay, I got a question for you all. Did any of you receive a Myspace invite from Mr. Collins? I know it's common practice for a fan to ask an actor to be friends, but the other way around was pretty weird. This was the message I got. The profile looked legit so I said ok.

Clifton Collins Jr. (Official) - Actor would like to be added to your MySpace friends list.

-----------------
Full name: Clifton Collins Jr.

Note from Clifton Collins Jr. (Official) - Actor:
-----------------

To accept the friend request, go to MySpace:
http://collect.myspace.com/reloc.cfm?c=1&id=

View Clifton Collins Jr. (Official) - Actor's profile:
http://www.myspace.com/clifton_collins_jr

Find more people that you may know, just click below:
http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=peopleyoumayknow&orig=friend_request-autoemail


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  • RE: Clifton Collins Jr.: Myspace Friend? | Report this post to moderator
    By: Locutus (Odo's file, contact) @ 03:26:54 on Jun 19, 2009

    Let's face it. I doubt people are pounding down this guy's door to be in movies. He's an OKAY actor, not particularly charismatic...certainly not A-list.

    I'm sure he's desperate to increase his friend count because he thinks it will raise his profile or something. Kinda pathetic.

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    "What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived."
    ~Picard


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    • RE: Clifton Collins Jr.: Myspace Friend? | Report this post to moderator
      By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 09:00:30 on Jun 19, 2009

      Quote:
      Let's face it. I doubt people are pounding down this guy's door to be in movies ... I'm sure he's desperate to increase his friend count because he thinks it will raise his profile or something. Kinda pathetic.

      Image

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      -- Steve
      "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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Where is that picture from? | Report this post to moderator
By: Bucky (Odo's file, contact) @ 18:13:41 on Jun 18, 2009

It doesn't look like it's set on the Narada. Was there a shot of him on the Jellyfish? It looks like that.

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An elephant never forgets . . .TO KILL!


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  • RE: Where is that picture from? | Report this post to moderator
    By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 22:18:09 on Jun 18, 2009

    Yes, he boards the jelly fish after Nero tells him to "prepare the red matter."

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    -- Steve
    "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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Ferengi | Report this post to moderator
By: Terry212 (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 11:46:42 on Jun 18, 2009

I think this guy came off a lot more like a Ferengi than a Romulan. Of course, since he's not a Trekkie and he doesn't know any Trekkies, that probably won't offend him.

Despite the way he tells it, I'm betting he got on this movie because his sister was the casting director.

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Click here to check out my band, ego tree , and the Ego Tree site at myspace. Listen to/buy the CD for $9.99! ALSO AVAILABLE ON iTUNES!!


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  • RE: Ferengi | Report this post to moderator
    By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:22:33 on Jun 18, 2009

    Quote:
    Of course, since he's not a Trekkie and he doesn't know any Trekkies, that probably won't offend him. Despite the way he tells it, I'm betting he got on this movie because his sister was the casting director.

    I love how predictably defensive you guys get when an actor in a Star Trek production admits to "not being a fan" beforehand. Reaction like this is tired, predictable and uninformed. I guess Terry was the first one to go ahead and lay it out for us again this time.

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    -- Steve
    "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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Wrong, Mr Collins | Report this post to moderator
By: GustavoLeao (Odo's file, contact, web site) @ 09:28:57 on Jun 18, 2009

Simon Pegg, John Cho and Karl Urban are major Star Trek fans, just to name a few.

Gustavo

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  • RE: Wrong, Mr Collins | Report this post to moderator
    By: cdydatzigs (Odo's file, contact) @ 12:19:38 on Jun 18, 2009

    Quote:
    Simon Pegg, John Cho and Karl Urban are major Star Trek fans, just to name a few.

    Collins said, "none of the people on the set" were Trekkies. Seeing as he never worked with Pegg, Cho or Urban during the entire production, this could still be tecnhically true -- J.J. included.

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    -- Steve
    "If a sixth Star Trek television series is ever realized, it will be set in the new universe." -- cdydatzigs, June 15, 2009.


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