Yesterday afternoon, I worked with Rod Roddenberry (Gene’s son) at my favorite pub in the world, which just happens to be in Old Town Pasadena. Rod is shooting a documentary called “Trek Nation,” that was originally about how Star Trek has positively impacted all sorts of people all over the world . . . but has become, he told me, about a son’s efforts to understand his father, and grok his father’s legacy. He’s got an incredible story to tell, and I am really happy that I got to be part of it.
Even though we both worked on TNG (he was a PA one summer, and I was, well, Wesley), and we’re about the same age, we never actually sat down and talked about anything important — or got to know each other — until last night. It’s good that we didn’t meet earlier in our lives, because from about 17 to 21, I was too busy being A Really Big Asshole™ to get to know him, anyway. It was really cool to compare our memories of Gene, and the diferences — and similarities — in our relationship with him.
We had an incredible conversation, that I’d love to recount here, but that would sort of steal Rod’s thunder, wouldn’t it? When the documentary is released, I think it will be of great interest to WWdN readers, even (especially?) those of you who are not Star Trek fans.