Geneviève Bujold as Cap'n Kate

[ray gower]

Before Kate Mulgrew took the job as Captain Janeway, the role was to be played by Geneviève Bujold. Who either walked out because of workload, or got the push after a the first day or so, depending upon whose comments you read.

I have to say I have never heard of this woman (or Mulgrew before Voyager) and the only film she has appeared in that I have seen was Earthquake, which did not do much for anybodys career, including Charlton Heston's.

Such comments I can find about her attempt in the job say she tried to put some gravitas into the corny script. Perhaps P/Mount wanted to pick up where JLP left off?

Anybody know a bit more about Bujold, could she really have made the grade?

[Dave]

I've heard that the new Voyager DVD's have her cut 'Caretaker' scenes as extras. You could then decide for yourself who was better.

The only thing I've seen her in is 'Coma' the Michael Crichton SF/thriller.

Her IMDB entry shows that she didn't leave 'Voyager' to do better things: http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0000991/

[ray gower]

Not enthusiastic enough to blow £60 on the set of discs

Looking at the IMDB comments about the better films Bujold was in, many seem to be 'heavy' and moody, almost Film Noire.

Maybe PTB wanted to add some gravitas to Voyager, but couldn't make the scripts fit her, or what they wanted?

Certainly none of the rest of the cast have a history in that genre of film.

[Jolinar]

I do think that Kate Mulgrew made a better Captain Janeway without a doubt!!
But now after watching the entire series (many many times!! lol) its hard to imagine Janeway being anyone else.


Hi to everyone..been a while since i've been on-line!

[ray gower]

Indeed, welcome back! :wave:

I would agree it is difficult to think of anybody but Mulgrew as Cap'n Kate now. But that does not mean they couldn't have chosen better, just that she is who we expected. Just like Patrick Stewart is JLP in TNG?

But if Ms Bujold had settled to the role, perhaps she would have been good too?

[Jolinar]

I guess we'll never knwo if she would have een a better choice... I found a web site you might want to have a look at... http://www.uss-voyager.bravepages.co...jold_index.htm

It has pics from the original pilot and also audition pics.

[ray gower]

Thanks for that

Strikes me that for any ship to survive in Voyager's position. The Captain must be of such arrogance that he/she firmly believes "I am God, who is your second choice?"
From the write up, Bujold certainly did not appear to hit that mark.

I don't recognise some of the other pictures there either, so I suspect there were a couple of others written out too?

Considering that few if anybody has ever heard of Bujold, let alone quote the films she has stared in, what clown at P'Mount decided she was a big screen name?

[Jolinar]

No problem

LOL at "what clown at P'Mount decided she was a big screen name?"

I had never heard of her until I read about her being the original choice for Janeway, I've never seen her before.

Yeah think you're right there was a few that I didn't revognise either.
Just from looking at the pics I didn't think she had the look of a captain..strange lol!!

[Beverly]

She was axed. They got to the scene where Janeway destroys the array and apparently she looked really bored and she muttered "fire" at the most important point of the big scene. Rick Berman said that was the point they decided to ask her to move on.(polite way of saying your fired)

Rick Berman also comented on how differently they played the scene's. On entrance to the bridge Bujold looked lost, Mulgrew looked like she owned the place. On destroying the array Bujold slumped in her chair and meekly uttered "fire" Mulgrew was fiery and thats what they wanted. I believe that Rick told this to author Stephen E Poe and appears in one of his books.

Also because they had to re-shoot so many scene's it put them way behind schedule hence some of the errors in the episode like Janeways hair up one minute down the next lol.