Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather on Star Trek Enterprise. Photo copyright of UPN.
In today's Sci-Fi Blast From The Past, actor Anthony Montgomery talks about his tour of duty playing Ensign Travis Mayweather on Star Trek Enterprise.
Four years ago, Anthony Montgomery became a part of TV history when he was hired to play Ensign Travis Mayweather on the fourth Star Trek spin-off, Star Trek Enterprise. Sadly, unlike most of its predecessors, this incarnation of Trekreceived a somewhat lukewarm response from both fans and critics. Also, with such a large ensemble cast, a few of the characters, including Mayweather, sometimes became lost in the shuffle. None of this, however, put a damper on Montgomery’s enthusiasm for and commitment to the series.
“No matter what your job is, there’s always a danger of falling into the occasional rut,” says the actor. “Having said that, it’s my responsibility to show up on-set, read the script and do my best to bring whatever dialogue and scenes I’m given to life. If I allow things to become boring for me, then it’s going to be a bore for the audience, and that’s not good.
“In every interview I did when I was on Enterprise, people would ask me, ‘Are you still excited about the job?’ I’d tell them, ‘Yes, of course, and I’ve gotten even more so as time has gone on.’ True, there was a downside to not having all that much written for Travis. I didn’t get to see my character develop as much as I’d have liked. On the positive side, though, there are millions of people out there who know I was on the show. They saw my face and watched me at work, both of which will count for something. Believe me when I say I don’t feel at all like I’m going to be pigeonholed or stereotyped as ‘the guy from Star Trek.’”
Seasons one and two of Enterprise were devoted mainly to standalone stories. By the end of the second year, Earth was the target of a devastating attack by an alien race called the Xindi. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 were assigned to find these creatures and stop them from completely destroying Earth along with humankind. Their mission culminated at the end of the show’s third year and helped propel Enterprise into its fourth and, without question, best season.
“I can understand what the concern was in our first two years about the show not being, perhaps, as action-packed as some of our viewers might have liked,” notes Montgomery. “The writers and producers then introduced the Xindi arc at the end of year two and we went that whole route for the entire third season which, I feel, raised the bar as far as storytelling. And that continued on from there.
“Season four turned out to be so much fun for me and, I think, the rest of the cast as well. We got to take the series in so many different directions, and as far as Travis was concerned, I was able to explore some new facets of my character. With the various story arcs, be they two or three-parters, or even just an intense single story, we got back to telling true Trek adventures. So year four was definitely a winner for us, and that’s what most people told me would happen when I first began this job. They said the majority of TV shows start to hit their stride in season three and by year four they’re on solid ground and know where they’re going. That’s what happened with Enterprise.”
A fourth season episode that gave Montgomery some much-needed airtime was Observer Effect, in which the bodies of certain Enterprise crew members were taken over by non-corporeal entities. “This story was interesting to me because I was curious to see how we were all going to play First and Second, who were the aliens,” says Montgomery. “Because we didn’t have table-reads, we didn’t get together as a cast and tell each other, ‘OK, I’m going to play First with this type of intent,’ or, ‘In this scene, this is the tone I’m going for with Second.’ Everyone just did their own thing, and when it all came together it was still obvious who was First and who was Second based on what Dominic Keating [Lt. Malcolm Reed] and I established in the opening teaser.
“It was an incredible and fascinating creative process to go through because I had never done anything quite like that before. In fact, it was a treat to sit down and watch the actual episode because I stopped watching dailies during the first year as I was becoming much too critical of myself. My feeling was, ‘The producers will have to tell me if they want me to do something different. I have to stop trying to judge myself. Perhaps when I’m as seasoned an actor as Scott Bakula, I can look at dailies and be more objective, but I’ve a ways to go yet.’”
Having previously directed episodes of Enterprise, LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge) returned to the set in season four to direct The Augments as well as Demons. “LeVar is nothing short of a genius,” says Montgomery. “He’s a veteran and a true professional in this business, is incredibly well-read and gives all of himself and more to the job at hand, which on our show was directing.
“One of the things I appreciated about LeVar’s style is that he and I didn’t talk too much about the scenes I was in before he filmed them. We sat down and he gave me one or two notes, but for the most part he allowed me to bring what I wanted to the table. If I ended up going little too far in one direction then, of course, LeVar would pull me back. However, he kept his guidance to a minimum and trusted me as an actor to use my own instincts.”
One of Montgomery’s favourite season four stories is the two-part alternate universe saga In a Mirror, Darkly. “What a blast,” he enthuses. “Over the years I’ve read various interviews where actors have said it’s a hoot to play the bad guy. That’s what the mirror episode was for us. The Travis we know is fun-loving, adventurous and gets along with most everyone. You can’t say that about the mirror-image Travis. I liken him to Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello in that he was always in the know. The mirror Travis didn’t necessarily have to be manipulating a situation, but he was privy to what was happening behind-the-scenes. So whenever he was required to step up to the plate he was more than ready.”
Despite the efforts of everyone involved in the production of Enterprise, the series came to an end in May 2005 after four seasons. “It was sad, but you know what, if we had to go out, at least we did so after one hell of a year,” says Montgomery. “I feel bad for all those people who had and will continue to have such respect and admiration for the Star Trek franchise. It’s something that has influenced and inspired not just one nation, but an entire planet. I don’t know of any other TV show that can boast such an accomplishment. We’ve become one big extended family, and there’s no reason why we have to let that go.”
Regular watchers of Enterprise will no doubt be familiar with the now-infamous series finale, These Are the Voyages…, which featured the return of two characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although it was meant to be a farewell to Captain Archer and his crew, many felt the story focused a bit too much on TNG. What are Montgomery’s thoughts on this?
“First off, I don’t want anyone to think I’m speaking negatively about our franchise or Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, who wrote the finale,” explains the actor. “However, I feel there could have been a more effective way to wrap things up for our show as well as the franchise as a whole. It just seemed to take a little bit away from what the Enterprise cast and crew worked so diligently to achieve over the past four years, do you know what I mean?
“As for Travis, his presence in the finale was minimal, which was OK by me. I wasn’t at all concerned about my character’s lack of involvement because I’d had some really wonderful scenes written for me in other episodes throughout the season. Funnily enough, I was used more in the last season than in the three years prior.”
Montgomery has been anything but bored since the Enterprise NX-01 went into dry dock. Besides his acting, he’s been pursuing his musical interests as well as getting the ball rolling on feature film and TV ventures involving his production company, Naptonic. The actor is also spearheading a project that’s very close to his heart.
“I’m starting the Montgomery Foundation this year,” he says. “I’ve never tried to do anything like this before, but I have a passion to help empower inner city kids. I’m an inner city person. I didn’t grow up in a ghetto but I was raised in the inner city of Indianapolis, so I feel like I can at least relate to them. My main purpose is to get them to understand that no matter what you want to be in life, just try to be the best you possibly can.”
While his stint on Enterprise might not have turned out quite as he hoped, Montgomery would not trade his experience on the show for anything. “I feel truly blessed that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga [series creators/executive producers took a chance on me and allowed me to take part in the incredible journey that is Star Trek,” says the actor.
Steve Eramo
As noted above, photo copyright of UPN, so please no unauthorized copying or duplicating of any kind. Thanks!
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