pressconnects.com | Sept 21, 2016
Sci-fi convention returns to Binghamton with panels, authors, costume contest and more
Earlier this month, “Star Trek” celebrated 50 years since Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and the intrepid crew of the starship Enterprise first appeared on American television screens.
Even the cancellation of the original series after only three seasons couldn’t stop “Trek” and its optimistic spirit. The franchise currently stands at 13 films (including the most recent “Star Trek Beyond” this summer), four additional TV series (with a fifth one coming out in 2017) and millions of devoted fans worldwide.
One of the memorable characters from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” was Leeta, an attractive Bajoran casino worker at Quark’s Bar tasked to relieve travelers of their money through a roulette-style game called dabo.
And although the character wasn’t the main focus of the frontier outpost’s space saga, it proved to be a pivotal role for actress Chase Masterson, who played Leeta over five of the seven seasons that “Deep Space Nine” aired.
This weekend, Masterson will be the guest of honor at the fourth annual RoberCon, the science fiction / media convention held at Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton. She’ll participate in interview panels, sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and discuss the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an anti-bullying group she founded that uses heroes onscreen to inspire heroism in real life.
Since “Deep Space Nine” ended in 1999, Masterson has gravitated toward a number of sci-fi roles, including one in the first Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie, “Terminal Invasion” (opposite “Evil Dead” actor Bruce Campbell) and leads in “Manticore” for Syfy and “Creature Unknown” for STARZ. She also starred in the award-winning sci-fi noir “Yesterday Was a Lie” and the critically acclaimed short “R.U.R.: Genesis,” currently in development as a feature film. Most recently, she was a guest star on CW’s “The Flash.”
This weekend, Masterson will be the guest of honor at the fourth annual RoberCon, the science fiction / media convention held at Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton. She’ll participate in interview panels, sign autographs, pose for photos with fans and discuss the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an anti-bullying group she founded that uses heroes onscreen to inspire heroism in real life.
Since “Deep Space Nine” ended in 1999, Masterson has gravitated toward a number of sci-fi roles, including one in the first Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie, “Terminal Invasion” (opposite “Evil Dead” actor Bruce Campbell) and leads in “Manticore” for Syfy and “Creature Unknown” for STARZ. She also starred in the award-winning sci-fi noir “Yesterday Was a Lie” and the critically acclaimed short “R.U.R.: Genesis,” currently in development as a feature film. Most recently, she was a guest star on CW’s “The Flash.”
Among her current projects are her lead role as an intergalactic assassin in Big Finish Productions’ audio series “Vienna” (a spinoff of Big Finish’s “Doctor Who” range) as well as Big Finish’s “Survivors” series, which was nominated in the BBC Audio Drama Awards.
Still, it’s through “Star Trek” that most fans know her best, and this year has been especially busy.
“It’s phenomenal to be part of the 50th anniversary,” she said. “This show has such a legacy and is such a powerful thing to be a part of. I relish my time with the other actors and the fans of the show, largely because of the history of it and how much has gone on through ‘Star Trek’ and because of ‘Star Trek.’ It certainly has enveloped 50 years of reinventing itself and making a difference in the world.”
In an interview earlier this month, Masterson talked about interacting with “Star Trek” fans, her role on “Deep Space Nine” and why she started the Pop Culture Hero Coalition.
QUESTION: You’re attending many conventions and events this year to celebrate the anniversary. What have been some of your favorite experiences this year so far?
MASTERSON: People often ask me about my favorite moments from “Star Trek,” and I think they usually are referring to stuff onscreen — but my very, very favorite moments have happened offscreen, even just recently.
For instance, last week at a convention in Cherry Hill [N.J.], there were two soldiers who came up who had fought in the Gulf War. They told me that when they would come back from a mission, if there was a new episode of “Deep Space Nine” that they hadn’t seen yet — because the show was running live at the time — they would drop everything and watch the show before they’d even change their clothes or take a shower. They said that it reminded them about what was important, that peace was possible. They said it reminded them of where they came from and that they would be going home.
To hear that the show held that kind of meaning for people and was so powerful not just in terms of its story and intrigue and entertainment, but to make a difference in the lives of people who were themselves in dangerous situations, it really means a lot. The show had such strong themes about war and peace and family. “Star Trek” has always had transcendent themes, but “Deep Space Nine” particularly had stories that took a risk and really made a difference, especially during its time.
Q: I imagine that getting to meet fans like that is one of the special parts of being part of “Star Trek” and other roles you’ve done over the years.
MASTERSON: Yes, people do open up to us. If you think about it, it’s because we’re in their living rooms. They often feel like they know us because they’ve invited us into their homes. There’s an intimacy to television when you’re all sitting around in your pajamas and you watch a show together. You really do feel like it’s closer to you than a lot of films when you see them in the theater. It’s a really cool relationship we have with our audience.
Read more of this interview at (original source): http://www.pressconnects.com/story/entertainment/2016/09/20/meet-trek-actress-chase-masterson-robercon/90750078/