Tag: Chase Masterson

Posted on

Chase Masterson Hosts the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival’s 6th Edition Live Events April 23-25, 2021.

Chase Masterson & Artemis Key Art

AWIAFF 2021 announces the host of their virtual film festival; the founders Melanie Wise and Zac Baldwin talk about what to expect for the 6th edition; and Artemis Women in Action Film Festival welcomes Ameri Law PC, Final Draft, Action Factory, and AXTionWear as sponsors.

As the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival (AWIAFF) gears up for their 6thedition, hosting for the second year is Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space 9, The Flash, ER). Masterson is an award-winning actress and a singer who has amassed a growing list of credits that also include founder and spokesperson of the Pop Culture Hero Coalition: a charity with the mission to teach real-life heroism over bullying, racism, misogyny, and more. Chase Masterson divides her time between her nonprofit and her busy career in entertainment.

“Women are still unsung heroes in so many capacities. The Artemis Women In Action Film Fest is the exception to that rule with a brilliant celebration of filmmakers who feature brave and exciting women onscreen, highlighting both individuals and this vital area of the entertainment industry as a whole. This type of entertainment would not exist as we know it without these intrepid souls, and it is an honor to host the AWAIFF, to hear their stories and to celebrate their spectacular work.” –Chase Masterson

About the Festival’s Activities

From binge watching to leisurely enjoying the content in the 6th edition, the $29.95 all-access pass holders will be able to watch approximately 26 hours of streaming content, available to view for 30 days, and includes narrative and documentaries in many genres both feature length and short.  Audience members can congregate with Artemis and festival participants for the scheduled live events between April 23-25, 2021. The Artemis Welcome is set for Friday evening, April 23rd. The All-Stars of Stunts panel, screenwriter and music roundtables are set for Saturday and Sunday (24-25th). Live events will conclude with competition awards presentation on Sunday evening, April 25th. Advance ticket sales begin on April 1, and content will be available approximately April 9, 2021, through May 10, 2021.

All edition details: Artemis Streaming Menu

“It’s been a pleasure for me to look at all the projects coming in from all over the world.  Through all different genres and styles is the running theme of strong women kickin’ ass in a variety of ways.  This year was especially hard to pare down hundreds of entries to 80 creators this year with 52 films, 12 screenplay finalists, and 16 music finalists.” Artemis Co-Founder Zac Baldwin

“I’m incredibly excited about this year’s live virtual events (happening Apr 23-25, 2021).  We are placing this year’s focus squarely upon the creators in 2021 Official Selections. Our hope is to offer our audience members an amazing opportunity to see these works and get to know the creators.  Additionally, we are offering our signature panel, ‘The All-Stars of Stunts,’ because the stunt community is the bedrock that brings female action and empowerment heroes to life; it has been a staple of the festival since its inception, and one that we could not forego!” – Artemis Executive Director & Founder, Melanie Wise

Artemis Women in Action Film Festival is pleased to announce the following sponsors:

• Ameri Law, PC to provide legal consultation to a winning feature film
• Final Draft, a Cast & Crew Company to provide winning screenwriters with their award-winning screenplay software
• Action Factory to provide custom swag to winning films in action categories
• AXTionWear to provide AW gear for winning films in action categories

“Ameri Law, PC is proud to announce we will be an official sponsor of the 6th edition of The Artemis Women in Action Film Festival. We are excited to meet this year’s contestants and patrons, and to be offering a free consultation prize to this year’s feature film winner.” – Owner & Founder Nina Ameri

“We have women that are capable, men, little people, big people, Black, white, Asian, Iranian, whatever you want to call it, we have it. It’s our responsibility to keep up to date with the growing [stunt] population. We can’t rely on what used to work for those guys in the past. We need to create our own for the future.” –AXTionWear founder and Stuntwoman Crystal Michelle, Agenda Collector’s Issue 2019: “Artemis Women Kick Ass!”

About the Sponsors:

AMERI LAW, PC

Ameri Law, PC is a hands-on law firm dedicated to helping those navigate the entertainment industry and achieve all creative and business goals through a holistic, cost-effective approach. With extensive experience from matters involving talent representation, production legal, film finance to intellectual property. Ameri Law, PC protects interests by handling legal needs in a conscientious and cost-effective manner by demystifying legalese and red tape, leaving creators free to focus on what’s important through providing strategic guidance on all things entertainment, intellectual property, and business. With significant experience in several practice areas, Ameri Law, PC is positioned to provide clients with a holistic approach to legal issues while fiercely protecting legal interests without compromising business goals. Constantly adapting to the rapidly changing entertainment industry, Ameri Law, PC takes into account short and long-term goals to provide the best legal guidance. Whether the niche is in the traditional media universe of films and television or the new media world of digital content – Ameri Law, PC has it covered.

Visit Ameri Laws, PC to learn more.

FINAL DRAFT, A CAST & CREW COMPANY

Final Draft, A Cast & Crew Company has published Final Draft® software—the number one screenwriting application in the world—for 30 years. Final Draft automatically paginates and formats your script to industry standards, allowing writers to focus on what they do best, writing scripts. Used by such industry giants as J.J. Abrams, James Cameron, and Aaron Sorkin, Final Draft software is the professional’s choice and the entertainment industry standard. In addition to its flagship software product, Final Draft offers the annual Big Break® Contest, a screenwriting competition that launches careers and awards over $100,000 in cash and prizes. Final Draft also offers Final Draft Mobile for iPhone and iPad, making creativity truly portable.

To learn more about Final Draft and its products and services, visit Final Draft.

ACTION FACTORY

Action Factory is a one-stop action resource providing equipment sales, rentals, and services to the Entertainment Industry. Born out of necessity, Action Factory was created to fulfill a need for better technologically designed products for stunt professionals by stunt professionals. Using exact sciences across multiple platforms, coupled with real life experience, the design process ensures that AF delivers products that will be of great benefit and improvement to professional stuntmen and women.

Visit: Action Factory

AXTIONWEAR

Stunt professionals know all too well just how hard it can be to find truly reliable safety pads. That’s why AXTionWear has developed a line of state-of-the-art stunt pads designed with the unique needs of female stunt performers in mind. Created specifically for women’s bodies — and also offering men’s designs — AXTionWear’s safety pads enable the wearer to take on even the most complex stunts with confidence: Visit AxtionWear

“When we put a full body suit together for you, we give you a “barcode” that tells us exactly how your body is shaped. Next time you need a suit, we have your exact measurements and dimensions on file. Our suits are currently available online and will soon be featured at the specialty safety store AMSPEC, Inc., Southwest Costume Rentals, and more.” – Crystal Michelle, AXTionWear’s Founder & Award-Winner Stuntwoman

About Chase Masterson:

Chase Masterson’s credits include Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Doctor Who Big Finish, VIENNA, and The Flash. She hosted Sci-Fi Entertainment opposite Bruce Campbell in Terminal Invasion for SyFy, played opposite Jerry O’Connell in Sliders, and co-hosted NBC Sunday Night at the Movies with Ryan Seacrest and the renowned STARMUS Gala in Zurich. Her guest-star credits include the Emmy-winning episode of ER and Presidio Med, and a recurring role on General Hospital. Masterson’s feature film lead roles include a mysterious jazz singer in eOne’s acclaimed sci-fi noir, Yesterday Was a Lie and the title role in Je Suis Auto. Chase is also singer with several CDs, including Thrill of the Chase, Ad Astra, Jazz Cocktail, and Rendezvous. In 2013, she founded the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, the first nonprofit organization to teach real-life heroism over bullying, racism, misogyny, LGBTQI-bullying, and cyberbullying; using stories from pop culture TV, comics, and film. The Coalition works in schools, pop culture cons, and children’s hospitals.

For more information on Chase Masterson and the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, please visit Chase Masterson Twitter and PopCultureHero.org

About Artemis Women In Action Film Festival:

Melanie Wise and Zac Baldwin, two filmmakers with a longtime love of female-driven action films, together founded the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival. Wise and Baldwin have produced shorts and features, focusing on female action projects. They saw that audiences around the world loved the genre despite the fact that studios (for many years) claimed female action films were box office poison. In 2014, the idea of Artemis was born with the intent to create a space where these types of films could play for audiences with an unsatisfied hunger of female-driven action films.

And for the 6th Edition, Artemis is proud to include for the second year women-powered music, sponsored by Bella Composers: Visit AWIAFF

Posted on

“Real” Jazz and the Inspiration Behind “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook”

Kaylene-Peoples-StandardStories-April2-2017-6-21

By Sean McKenzie | The Indie Hotspot | April 11, 2017

“I wanted to let people know more about some of these well-known songs, many of which have evolved into jazz standards. Every song has a backstory.  I also thought it would be a good way to introduce real jazz to a young audience, too. I really think that was accomplished with this recent private concert,” states Kaylene Peoples

kaylene-peoples-stories-and-standards-the-great-american-songbook
Kaylene Peoples performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Kaylene Peoples does a lot of things.  She has been called a renaissance woman more than once in the press and her musical disciplines are varied. These disciplines range from jazz, classical, and even pop.  Since her release of her first jazz album All Jazzed Up!, Kaylene has embraced “real” jazz with a bear hug. Kaylene released her second jazz masterpiece titled My Man, and with that she invited legends Hubert Laws, Bunny Brunel, and Bobby Lyle to guest perform, seeming to further make her point . . . “It’s all about the ‘real’ jazz.” Between these two albums, the performances and new arrangements of songs from the Great American Songbook have been the theme with the exception of “Run Away with Me,” “My only Crime,” and the song that charted independently back in 2005 “Do You Remember?” . . . her three originals that could easily be mistaken for standards off of All Jazzed Up!  

host-chase-masterson-at-kaylene-peoples-stories-and-standards-the-great-american-songbook
Host Chase Masterson performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Ultimately, Kaylene started a private Facebook group just for real jazz lovers.Back in 2012, she created the Indie Hotspot Jazz Series to bring more ‘real’ jazz to Los Angeles on a regular basis. And it’s not so hard to understand why her live performances consist of only ‘real’ jazz. What is real jazz? The term defines when the medium became popular in the United States. Many songs that were featured in classic Old Hollywood films by a well-known group of composers and performed by popular singers of the time. This practice continued for almost a century now, but has broken up into many different styles of jazz.

bunny-brunel-at-standards-standards-the-great-american-songbook
Bunny Brunel performs at “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook,” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Jazz is defined as an improvisational discipline, where the instrumentalists use modal jazz changes as their guide. Classic vocal jazz consisted of jazz chords with subtle to extreme vocal improvisation, sometimes incorporating scatting. Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook was a concept Kaylene Peoples had to marry standards with real jazz. [Footnote: Today we have a genre called smooth jazz, which is often confused with real jazz. The theory of the two genres are very different, yet they both have their own unique appeal. And sometimes these two genres cross over into the other genre’s style.]

Larry-Dunn-Luisa-Dunn-at-Kaylene-Peoples-Standard-Stories-April2-2017
Larry Dunn and Luisa Dunn attend “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook” April 2, 2017 (Photo: Robert Fisher)

Kaylene Peoples Standards and Stories from the Great American Songbook premiered April 2nd, 2017 at the Mouse House Studio in Altadena, the third private concert put on by The Indie Hotspot. It was an intimate setting with an impressive lineup: Kaylene Peoples (vocals/flute), Bunny Brunel (acoustic bass), Mahesh Balasooriya (grand piano), and Bryan Cabrera (drums). Chase Masterson narrated and sang three Peggy Lee standards. Using a traditional trio and old-fashion storytelling, the audience was captivated by the stories and performances by this mega-talented ensemble.

Continue reading ““Real” Jazz and the Inspiration Behind “Kaylene Peoples – Standards & Stories from the Great American Songbook””

Posted on

Trek Stars Team Up To Fight Bullying in “Be Kind” Campaign

trekmovies.com | Jan 4, 2017

This year, the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an anti-bullying non-profit founded by Chase Masterson (Leeta, DS9), has teamed up with Star Trek stars who ask that you start 2017 with a resolution to Be Kind to one another. You can join the fight and be a real life hero by pledging to be kind, and you can do it in style with a Be Kind tee shirt.

“Think before you type. Start 2017 with the resolution to #BeKind,” reads the description for one of the Pop Culture Hero Coalition’s holiday fundraiser tee shirts.

Star Trek, like other modern pop culture franchises, is at its core a message to understand one another, embrace diversity, and overall be excellent to each other. Chase Masterson, the coalition’s founder, saw this as an opportunity to create the first-ever organization that uses the universal appeal of comics, film & TV to create anti-bullying programs at pop culture events, and in schools and communities.

Their mission is simple:

To educate and support children, teens and adults to overcome bullying and social injustice, and to transform their struggles into strengths, using stories and characters from pop culture TV, film, and comics.

They do this by hosting events, organizing convention panels, and even developing lesson plans for schools. They’ve had huge successes helping kids affected by the San Bernardino mass shooting, those suffering from PTSD and bullying and inner city kids in places like Chicago. Currently, they are working to teach Trek’s ideal of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (IDIC) in schools.

“We love our onscreen heroes. Why not be heroes, too? So many people have told us, ‘I wish you had this when I was in school.’” says Masterson. “Roddenberry created a powerful key to social justice, and we are continuing that work in real life. We have the opportunity to teach IDIC to kids, before it’s too late… before there are any more suicides, or broken hearts, or battered psyches due to bullying — and we truly appreciate your support in this crucial work”

You can help support the cause by purchasing a Be Kind tee, sweatshirt, or tank. Proceeds from sales will go directly to help the Coalition’s mission. Learn more about the Coalition’s work on their official website.

Original Source: http://trekmovie.com/2016/12/28/trek-stars-team-up-to-fight-bullying-in-be-kind-campaign/

Posted on

“Star Trek” actress brings anti-bullying message to local middle schoolers

binghamtonhomepage.com | Sept. 23, 2016

BINGHAMTON, N.Y.

A former Star Trek actress brought an important message of her own to our area Friday.

Chase Masterson, who portrayed Leeta on Star Trek Deep Space Nine, gave an anti-bullying presentation at Chenango Valley Middle School.

She is founder of the organization Pop Culture Hero Coalition which uses stories and celebrities from television, film and comics to speak out against bullying and other forms of hate and prejudice.

Masterson says she was picked on herself in school.

She says bullying is a universal problem.

“Whether it’s in kindergarten, first grade, or high school or the work place or relationships, or economic bullying or terrorism or war, it’s oppression.  It’s the same issue.  So, if we can teach kids how to overcome that, how to be heroes and how to find the joy of being heroes at an early age, we really can change the world,” she said.

Middle schoolers from other local districts also attended.

Masterson is in Binghamton this weekend as a special guest of the 2-day RoberCon sci-fi convention where she’ll participate in a number of panels discussing both her acting career as well as her work to combat bullying.

(Original Source: http://www.binghamtonhomepage.com/news/local-news/star-trek-actress-brings-anti-bullying-message-to-local-middle-schoolers/563232570

Posted on

Meet ‘Trek’ actress Chase Masterson at RoberCon

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.

Continue reading “Meet ‘Trek’ actress Chase Masterson at RoberCon”

Posted on

Chase Masterson to be guest of honor at RoberCon

pressconnects.com | Apr 6, 2016

Actress Chase Masterson — best known to science fiction fans for playing Leeta on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” — will be this year’s guest of honor atRoberCon in Binghamton.

The media convention’s fourth year, set for Sept. 24-25 at the Roberson Museum and Science Center, also will include vendors, authors, discussion panels and fan groups covering a wide variety of geeky topics, as well as gaming, cosplay and a costume contest.

In addition to her role on “Star Trek,” Masterson has most recently been seen guest starring on CW’s “The Flash,” which won the People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Drama. She also plays the title role in the Big Finish’s “Doctor Who” audio spin-off “Vienna,” currently in Season 3, after originating the role opposite seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy in 2012. She also stars in “Survivors,” a Big Finish production currently in Season 2 that was nominated for a 2015 BBC Audio Drama Award.

Over her career, she has held recurring roles on “General Hospital” and “Live Shot”; guest-starred on programs such as “The Flash,” “E.R.”, “Presidio Med,” “Sweet Justice,” “Sci-Fi Vortex,” “Sliders” and “Acapulco H.E.A.T.”; and served as host of “Sci-Fi Entertainment,” “Showtime: Nighttime” and Encore’s STARZ On Demand. Her film credits include Stephen King’s “Sometimes They Come Back For More,” “Robin Hood: Men In Tights” for director Mel Brooks, “In a Moment of Passion,” “Married People Single Sex,” “Sammyville,” “Manticore,” “Chastity,” “Terminal Invasion,” “Creature Unknown” and a cameo as herself in “Comic Book: The Movie.” She will play the title role in “Vendetta Vette,” currently in development.

In 2013, Masterson — along with “heroism experts” Carrie Goldman and Matt Langdon — founded the Pop Culture Hero Coalition. It is the first-ever organization that uses the universal appeal of comics, film and TV to create anti-bullying programs at pop culture events as well as in schools and communities. Continue reading “Chase Masterson to be guest of honor at RoberCon”

Posted on

DS9’s Chase Masterson To Guest Star On ‘The Flash’

treknews.net | Feb 4, 2015

Chase Masterson, best known to Star Trek fans for her role as the Bajoran Dabo Girl Leeta on Deep Space Nine, will guest star on The CW’s hit genre show The Flash.

Masterson, who turns 52 later this month, will play “Sherry” — a character written for her by Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg — in the thirteenth episode of the show’s first season. The episode, entitled “The Nuclear Man,” airs next Tuesday, February 10. You can watch a trailer for the episode embedded below.

Upon hearing the news, William Shatner promised to live-tweet during the episode.

(Original Source below)

Continue reading “DS9’s Chase Masterson To Guest Star On ‘The Flash’”

Posted on

Chase Masterson On Learning Her Craft On The Set Of Deep Space Nine, The Ministry of Acting And Her Doctor Who Spinoff

Forbes |Michael Venables | Aug 12, 2013

I had the rare chance at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention to interview Chase Masterson, the actor who is well-known for portraying the character Leeta, the Bajoran Dabo girl who works at Quark’s Bar, Grill, Gaming House and Holosuite Arcade, better known as Quark’s to its regular patrons. She shared some very introspective thoughts about learning the ropes on the set of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, what her craft means to her and the awesome creative projects this last year that have been keeping her very busy.

Michael Venables: Tell me the story of your start on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Chase Masterson: I originally met the casting director of Deep Space Nine through a pay-to-meet showcase. They have these things where you can pay thirty dollars and do a mock audition for a casting director. And if they like you, hopefully, they’ll remember you and call you in for an audition. And, that’s exactly what happened. I auditioned first for the role of Marta, who was a guest star in the second season. I got down to the final two of that role, and then they went the other way. And then, they wrote the role of Leeta for me. I didn’t realize that. I didn’t know that until the fifth season. But Ira Behr, the co-executive producer, told me that when I wasn’t right for the first role, they decided they wanted to use me somewhere. So that’s been a huge honor on a show like this to have something created for you. That’s pretty wow!

Venables: Coming in as a fresh cast member, how was the experience of integrating with the rest of the actors already immersed in the show?

Masterson: Armin Shimerman was quite wonderful. He was like an older brother, frankly to Max Grodénchik, who played Rom, and to myself. I had worked quite a lot in the theater and a certain amount in film and TV beforeDeep Space Nine. Armin was much more experienced and would take Max and I aside and explain “Oh, here’s what they’re doing” and “they’re lining up this shot for this reason” and “here’s a tip or two.” It was so comforting and so generous of him. You know, a lot of times actors on shows really don’t want the guest stars to be that good. It’s their show and they don’t want anyone else coming in week to week. And that didn’t happen on Deep Space Nine. The cast was very welcoming and generous. I think that speaks very highly of the producing team who put the show together. And, it certainly fits with the heart of the show. So it was really a blessing.

Venables: Do you think you learned from watching Armin and Avery and the other cast members? How did that influence your craft and enhance your own process?

Masterson: I do. I really loved the daily process at work. Even after a ten or eleven-hour day, I would stay and watch the scenes after mine, because just being there was an education. And, seeing these actors who had done this work for so long, there’s just a certain amount of it that just rubs off on you, so being the new kid on the block was a great thing among this very experienced cast.

Venables: What was your most favorable memory about being onDeep Space Nine?

Masterson: There are so many amazing memories, but I think the most powerful and profound is on the final day of shooting. We were all having lunch together on a sound stage. Usually everyone went to their trailer or the commissary. But that day we all gathered in one place. And even those cast members who were not in the final episode were there, just to be together for one last time. And the co-executive producer, Ira Behr, got up, and he actually climbed half-way up the wall of the scaffold so that everyone could see him. And he told us, with tears in his eyes and his voice, how much it meant to him to be a part of this show. And I tell you, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. We loved working with him and with each other. And for a man like Ira, who was truly the heart and soul of Deep Space Nine, along with Michael Piller, who unfortunately passed away — for a man like that to say such generous and humble things about his experience, it was extremely profound. And we were all so grateful beyond words. We knew what we had when we had it. Deep Space Nine was a bit of a Camelot, because a show like that, in that way, taking those risks, can never happen again. It was a groundbreaking show to be a part of, because it was serialized drama on television which had never really happened to that extent. And because Ira and his team took that risk, we knew we were creating something – unique. Continue reading “Chase Masterson On Learning Her Craft On The Set Of Deep Space Nine, The Ministry of Acting And Her Doctor Who Spinoff”

Proudly powered by WordPress