Robert Picardo

Working with J. J. Abrams would be absolutely great.

would absolutely working great

I have played some wonderful leading roles on stage and had the whole 'China Beach' years where I really played a leading man on that. That was a fun change for a character actor. But I'm perfectly happy going back to building my gallery of memorable character roles.

man change happy character

As an actor, you're never supposed to complain about being too busy because it can go the other way real fast.

never you busy way

I think there's something inherently interesting in the Monday morning quarterback: the guy who, you know, sits at one end of the briefing room and tells everyone what they should've done and how they've screwed up.

end think you morning

Doing 'Star Trek,' I got to learn about it from the inside out. I got to learn what appealed to them, why sci-fi meant so much to people, why 'Star Trek' meant so much to people.

inside why doing people

I'll never forget my first moment of looking out on a convention audience with my mouth open like they were kidding me.

looking me moment never-forget

Why wouldn't I like to walk into a room full of people who are dying to hear everything I say?

walk say everything people

'Star Trek' posited a better future.

star better better-future future

The fact that we were encouraged to follow our conscience and not to follow the crowds - that's something I really miss. On the other hand, there were things that drove me nuts in the '60s. There was an aspect of the hippie movement that everyone is an artist, which is lethal.

follow everyone me artist

I'm not really shy.

really shy

My agent loves me.

agent loves me

So many articles said, ''China Beach' is uncancellable,' but when they dragged it on, I started to have doubts.

started china said beach

'Twin Peaks' is like a movie; 'China Beach' is like a movie. These are two of the most cinematic shows on television, and they belong together.

like together beach television

Being on 'Star Trek,' you have a funny relationship with fame.

you fame relationship funny

I can walk down the street, and 85 percent of the people on the block are really quite oblivious to me. They either think I'm probably an actor or else I installed their storm windows two years ago, or I work at their bank, or maybe I'm their cousin Marie's gynecologist. Then, to the other 15 percent of those people on the street, I'm a rock star.

walk me work people

I've always had a particular affinity for father-son dramas.

had always affinity particular

I'm not a futurist, and my taste in science fiction was sort of in the gothic horror vein, not space movies and futuristic stuff.

movies horror space science

We were second-generation immigrants, and it was luxury enough to go to college. The luxury of the arts was still a generation away.

generation go luxury college

I was part of the generation that was supposed to become doctors.

generation become part doctors

People admire a screen actor if they have theatre skills, but it's looked down upon by the industry as being not a 'real job,' in the way it isn't in New York or the U.K.

down job people way