Open Gates

Data's Day
"I had been pushing for that for a long time - to do that kind of relationship and the tap dancing thing. Since my first season, in fact: there was a day when I was killing time tap dancing in the parking lot in my uniform, and I thought it would be great to have Beverly tap dancing. I also really wanted to work with Data, where suddenly you'd see this other side of the doctor - she's perfect to be set up as the teacher who knows it all, and then the tables get turned. You then see a more vulnerable and clownesque side of her, because she's always so serious. I've tried any chance I get to be less reverent with Data than some people - I was also the first person who knew about his on and off switch - so I'd like to do more." (Bye the way, that is definitely not the hand of Gates in Datalore when the anatomically reticent android shares the secret of his on-off switch, supposedly with the Chief Medical Officer.)
"I got to choreograph the dancing. We worked that whole little scene out, which was fun. It was me dancing, as I've tap danced for over sixteen years, but we had to have a double to stand in for Brent for some of the harder things. Brent can do some hoofing, but it had to be someone who could better me. We had one of the best tap dancers in the United States, who happened to look a lot like Brent when he was made up."

Data's Day

"I had been pushing for that for a long time - to do that kind of relationship and the tap dancing thing. Since my first season, in fact: there was a day when I was killing time tap dancing in the parking lot in my uniform, and I thought it would be great to have Beverly tap dancing. I also really wanted to work with Data, where suddenly you'd see this other side of the doctor - she's perfect to be set up as the teacher who knows it all, and then the tables get turned. You then see a more vulnerable and clownesque side of her, because she's always so serious. I've tried any chance I get to be less reverent with Data than some people - I was also the first person who knew about his on and off switch - so I'd like to do more." (Bye the way, that is definitely not the hand of Gates in Datalore when the anatomically reticent android shares the secret of his on-off switch, supposedly with the Chief Medical Officer.)

"I got to choreograph the dancing. We worked that whole little scene out, which was fun. It was me dancing, as I've tap danced for over sixteen years, but we had to have a double to stand in for Brent for some of the harder things. Brent can do some hoofing, but it had to be someone who could better me. We had one of the best tap dancers in the United States, who happened to look a lot like Brent when he was made up."

Acting lessons (Nth Degree)
"Wasn't that great ! Having not had any hobbies it was really a laugh because I was beginning to wonder if I'd be a boxing instructor come the next episode. It was fun, and anything that gives a different side to her is terrific as far as I'm concerned. Also in another episode I was seen growing fungus - suddenly I'm a fungus expert. It's funny."

Cause and Effect
"That was a lot of fun. I love working with Jonathan - I think he's a terrific director, and I love that story in particular because we were all really relaxed, laughing and having a good time between takes. I think he got wonderful performances from all of us. It was a difficult one because we were doing the same scenes over and over, then finally they were just slightly different. It was challenging for him as a director; we kept thinking "Wow, what's he going to do?" The camera crew were coming up and inventing apparatus to hold the camera from all these different angles. It was actually an extremely collaborative episode and I think of it fondly because of that. I also like playing poker ! The first time when I saw the explosion of the ship it was really something. I thought it had great impact."
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Cause and Effect

"That was a lot of fun. I love working with Jonathan - I think he's a terrific director, and I love that story in particular because we were all really relaxed, laughing and having a good time between takes. I think he got wonderful performances from all of us. It was a difficult one because we were doing the same scenes over and over, then finally they were just slightly different. It was challenging for him as a director; we kept thinking "Wow, what's he going to do?" The camera crew were coming up and inventing apparatus to hold the camera from all these different angles. It was actually an extremely collaborative episode and I think of it fondly because of that. I also like playing poker ! The first time when I saw the explosion of the ship it was really something. I thought it had great impact."

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