Marina Sirtis’ Emotional Journey From Star Trek: TNG To Generations

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Filming Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Generations consecutively for seven years was emotionally draining for Marina Sirtis. She played Counselor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation from 1987 until 1994. Then, in November 1994, the cast of TNG appeared in Star Trek Generations, the first of four Star Trek movies.

Initially, Star Trek: The Next Generation faced challenges in finding its footing and wasn’t immediately embraced by established Star Trek fans. However, by its third season, the show found its rhythm and became widely regarded as one of the best science fiction series on television. In its seventh and final season, The Next Generation received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Dramatic Series, coinciding with the cast members beginning their work in feature films.

I was listening to The Show People Podcast the other day, and Marina Sirtis was on talking about how she felt when Star Trek: The Next Generation wrapped up after seven seasons. It was really interesting – she said it didn’t fully hit her until after they finished filming Star Trek Generations that she was truly devastated. That’s when it dawned on her that Star Trek had been such a huge, daily part of her life, and it was over. I’ve included a link to the clip and a quote from her – it’s worth checking out if you’re a fan!

Marina Sirtis recalled having only three days off between finishing the TV series and starting filming for ‘Generations.’ She described being deeply upset when ‘Generations’ wrapped, to the point where she found it incredibly difficult to leave the set as they were shutting down production. She was truly devastated by the end of it all.

Michael Dorn was the most outspoken about being finished with the show, saying he was actually relieved it was over. He’d spent seven years wearing makeup for the role.

Andrew Keates: “How little he knew.”

Absolutely. I remember hearing a story about how he cried so much during filming that his nose started bleeding! But honestly, I was heartbroken when Star Trek ended. It had become my whole life. I moved to America and within six months, I was filming the show, and that’s what I did for seven years. I practically lived at the studio and the cast and crew became my family – they were really the only people I knew well in America, so it was incredibly tough when it all finished.

Andrew Keates made a humorous reference to the running joke about women drivers, connecting it to a scene in Star Trek Generations where Counselor Troi’s spaceship, the USS Enterprise-D, crashes. Marina Sirtis playfully explained the crash by saying the planet appeared unexpectedly. You can watch the moment in the clip provided.

Marina Sirtis shared that the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, “All Good Things,” was filmed right after Star Trek Generations in 1994. This was done so the first TNG movie could be released in theaters in November. So, for the actors, TNG didn’t actually end until they finished filming that first movie.

The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation hoped to continue working together on films every few years, and they did, releasing Star Trek: First Contact in 1996, Star Trek: Insurrection in 1998, and Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002. Beyond those movies, the actors remained close – they became like a family and have stayed in touch consistently since the show began in 1987.

Marina Sirtis often playfully references the famous scene in Star Trek Generations where her character, Counselor Troi, was at the helm when the USS Enterprise-D crashed. For years, fans blamed Troi for the crash, but it’s also fair to say the ship was destined to be damaged, and Deanna actually steered it to a safe landing on Veridian III, saving everyone on board.

The main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation came together again in the third season of Star Trek: Picard, giving the crew of the USS Enterprise-D a satisfying conclusion thanks to showrunner Terry Matalas. However, Marina Sirtis found the experience of the Picard reunion “quite depressing” because she missed the fun and camaraderie the cast always shared behind the scenes.

As Star Trek approaches its 60th anniversary in 2026, many fans consider Star Trek: The Next Generation to be the best series in the franchise. 2027 will mark the 40th anniversary of TNG, and will be another opportunity for Marina Sirtis to reunite with her fellow cast members.

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2026-03-27 04:34