Nov. 3, 2020

Triple Digits with The Orville's Tom Constantino

Triple Digits with The Orville's Tom Constantino

On the sci-fi edition, It's a super editon as we celebrate 100 episodes of the podcast. With news about Star Wars' New Padawan learners, Kate Mulgrew immortalized in Indiana, an interview with Tom Constantino, Producer of The Orville and we remember Sir Sean Connery   All that and more on this edition of Multiverse Tonight!

https://multiversetonight.wordpress.com

https://mtpodcast.com

Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/multiverse)

Support the show (https://ko-fi.com/multiverse)

 Multiverse Tonight is a production of Half-Baked Genre Productions. Copyright 2022  All Rights Reserved

Transcript

Tonight New Padawans, Kate Mulgrew immortalized in Indiana, we remember Sir Sean Connery and a special interview with Producer Tom Costantino of The Orville. All that and more on the one hundredth edition of Multiverse Tonight!

Hello and Welcome to Episode one hundred of Multiverse Tonight. I’m happy to have made it this far and I’m glad you’re listening to the show. 





Star Wars

Lucasfilm Publishing Executive Editor Jennifer Heddle unveiled on Star Wars dot com a few of the Padawans that will be seen in The High Republic books and more that are coming next year. Included were Burryaga AgaBurry, a Wookie described by writer Charles Soule as quote "While he is skilled with his two-handed lightsaber, it is Burryaga’s natural, effortless ability to sense the emotions of others that sets him apart from other members of the Order." unquote. Reath Silas, padawan to Jedi Council member Jora Malli, Lula Talisola described by Daniel Jose Older the writer for IDW’s The High Republic Adventures as quote "all about the Jedi Order." "She loves it, can hardly wait to get Knighted, and wants to be the best Jedi that ever was. Besides being amazing and top of her class with a lightsaber, she’s loyal and compassionate and looks out for her two best friends, Farzala and Qort. Especially when they’re causing mischief." unquote and Bell Zettifar, who is stationed on the Jedi Outpost of Elphrona in the Outer Rim with Jedi Master Loden Greatstorm. The High Republic kicks off on January fifth with Star Wars: The High Republic -- Light of the Jedi, by Charles Soule.

Star Wars attraction, the Galaxy’s Edge is going through rough times as the cast members in the park are being laid off due to the pandemic’s effects on park attendance. Layoffs are based on seniority and unfortunately, those that transferred from Disneyland’s California Adventure to the Galaxy’s Edge are some of the first to get the layoff notices. 

Gamestop may have “accidentally” leaked the release date for Lego Star Wars The Skywalker Saga. The game which will be released for PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. was originally going to be released this year, but was delayed. Gamestop’s website lists the date as May 31, 2021. However, that date might just be a placeholder since it’s odd for a game to be released on a Monday.

Speaking of accidental leaks, News of a new Star Wars action game from EA Motive has leaked out, there’s scant details about it other than the studio, the leak came from a listing from EA Motive for a programmer, it mentioned that quote "the team is starting immediately on an upcoming Star Wars action game and will also be building original IP." unquote 

Star Trek

Star Trek Prodigy will have music from Nami Melumad according to Film Music Reporter. Nami previously scored the Short Trek episode Q&A. She will have the honor of scoring new moments with a known starship captain, as also joining the show is Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway and at a Q&A for our next story, she revealed what brought her back to Trek quote "Well, frankly, the negotiations took quite a long time," Mulgrew said. "When Alex Kurtzman presented me with this idea, I wasn't entirely sure, and then over the months, the conversation evolved into what we could bring to an entirely new demographic of watchers. I thought the idea of bringing this to young minds was just too exciting, too evocative, and too promising." unquote

She answered during a Q&A for the unveiling of the Captain Kathryn Janeway statue in the Captain’s future hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. Kate Mulgrew attended the unveiling virtually of course and Robert Picardo sent a video. The Statue is of the character from the waste up atop  a pedestal that says “Future Birthplace of Captain Kathryn Janeway, Bloomington, Indiana, Earth May 20, 2336.”  Ms. Mulgrew said about the honor quote I’m not often rendered speechless, but in this moment I am. How many people have such a marvelous thing done in their honor, in their memory. It’s a wonderful comment on Janeway’s legacy… And hearing you all speak today is deeply moving to me. To realize that Janeway has had such an important role in your lives, and I think in cultural history, it not only terribly affecting for me, but makes me want to go forth in a new way. And I am doing that with Prodigy. But this recognition is something extraordinary to me and I am deeply proud to be honored in this way. Unquote  The statue is on the B-Line Trail next to the Wonderlab Museum in Downtown Bloomington.

A new Star Trek Picard novel will give us some backstory on what happened on the Titan after the attack on Mars that eventually saw Picard forced into retirement.  Star Trek Picard The Dark Veil will be written by James Swallow. Here’s the synopsis quote "The Alpha Quadrant is mired in crisis. Within the United Federation of Planets, a terrorist strike on the shipyards of Mars has led to the shutdown of all relief efforts for millions of Romulans facing certain doom from an impending super­nova. But when the USS Titan is drawn into a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border, Captain William Riker, his family, and his crew find themselves caught between the shocking secrets of an enigmatic alien species and the deadly agenda of a ruthless Tal Shiar operative. Forced into a wary alliance with a Romulan starship commander, Riker and the Titan crew must uncover the truth to stop a dev­astating attack—but one wrong move could plunge the entire sector into open conflict!" unquote The novel goes on sale on January fifth. 

This piece of news goes out to my European listeners, The British Royal Mail announced that they will issue a twelve stamp collection of stamps celebrating Star Trek. The stamps, with art by artist Freya Betts depict Captain James T. Kirk, Spock, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Commander Deanna Troi, Captain Benjamin Sisko, Doctor Julian Bashir, Captain Kathryn Janeway, Captain Jonathan Archer, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Captain Gabriel Lorca, Lieutenant Ash Tyler, and Commander Michael Burnham. There will also be an additional short sheet of six stamps with characters played by British and British Commonwealth actors Those characters are Montgomery Scott, Shinzon, Tolian Soran, Klingon Chancellor Gorkon, Carol Marcus, and Krall.

Amazon has announced that November is Star Trek Month on the shopping site, on sale will be Star Trek: Discovery: Season One (Blu-ray™, DVD) – The collection includes all 15 episodes from the first season of the CBS All Access original series, along with a trove of compelling featurettes and additional special features. The series stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Isaacs, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Mary Wiseman, Anthony Rapp and more.

  • Star Trek: Discovery: Season Two (Blu-ray, DVD) – “Certified Fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, the CBS All Access series returns with all 14 episodes from the second season and over four hours of exclusive special features, plus two series-related Short Treks: “Runaway” and “The Brightest Star.”
  • Star Trek: Picard Season One (Blu-ray, DVD, Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook) – Patrick Stewart reprises his iconic role as Jean-Luc Picard in the premiere season of the CBS All Access release, which boasts over two hours of exclusive special features, including never-before-seen interview footage of Patrick Stewart. Also includes the Short Trek “Children of Mars.”
  • Star Trek: Short Treks (Blu-ray, DVD) – Dive deeper into key themes and characters that fit into Star Trek: Discovery and the expanding Star Trek universe with all nine of the CBS All Access original short stories, including three U.S.S. Enterprise shorts featuring Star Trek: Discovery: Season Two favorites and two animated shorts unlike any other from the Star Trek universe. The complete collection also includes more than 50 minutes of exclusive special features.
  • Star Trek 10-Movie Stardate Collection (Blu-ray) – Experience every unforgettable moment from Captain Kirk's triumphant return to the U.S.S. Enterprise with this brilliant collection, including: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. The set also includes access to Digital copies of all 10 films.
  • Star Trek Picard Movie & TV Collection (Blu-ray) – Relive Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s greatest adventures with the six-disc collection, including two feature-length TV episodes, Star Trek: The Next Generation “Chain of Command” and “Best of Both Worlds,” and four Next Generation films – Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. The collection is packed with over 10 hours of previously released special features.
  • Complete Series Collections:
    • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Complete Series
    • Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    • Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    • Star Trek: The Original Series: The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    • Star Trek: Voyager: The Complete Series

And now let’s get to that interview with Tom Costantino

[background conversation]

00:24 Thomas Townley: My guest today is one of my favorites from the past 100 episodes. And I'm so glad that he's graciously come back to talk sci-fi with us. Please welcome, producer of The Orville, Tom Constantino.

00:37 Tom Constantino: Thanks for having me. Sorry. I am looking like I just got out of bed. Even though I didn't. [chuckle]

00:44 Thomas Townley: Oh. That's great, and I mean, my hair needs cutting and everything too.

00:51 TC: Quarantine edition, right? 

00:54 Thomas Townley: Yeah. Unfortunately, I haven't had to quarantine. I'm an essential worker at Walmart.

01:00 TC: Oh god, yeah, okay. So you've been in, huh? 

01:04 Thomas Townley: Yes. Yeah, the protocol to get into my work is busy; I gotta go in and have temperature check, I answer questions. I mean, it's dangerous.

01:17 TC: Reduced capacity in the whole thing or...

01:20 Thomas Townley: We were going at reduced capacity for a while. It was... They reduced the store to, I think, a third, which is like 600 people can be in at once. We never have 600 people.

01:29 TC: No, oh yeah, of course.

01:30 Thomas Townley: No, not at our store. Lately, they've gone away with that but they'll probably snap that right back, especially this month because we have all our black Friday stuff, so they're gonna...

01:41 TC: Oh yeah.

01:42 Thomas Townley: Re-introduce that.

01:43 TC: Keep forgetting it's November. [chuckle]

01:45 Thomas Townley: Yep. So how's everything else gone this year for you? 

01:51 TC: Aside from the world [chuckle] quasi coming to an end, you know? No, I won't make jokes. I mean, I'm just... Everyone on my end is healthy, and just trying to live in this new homeschooling, Zooming, not being at... Not having normalcy, kind of thing. So...

02:13 Thomas Townley: Well, that's good. You've been away from fires this year? Because last year you had fires around.

02:20 TC: Oh, yes. I forgot about that. I actually... Did we interview when it was like literally on fire? 

02:27 Thomas Townley: Yeah.

02:28 TC: I'm trying to remember that. Yeah, no. It just smells like smoke outside all the time but I've had friends who've had to evacuate, and the AQI's an average of 50 points higher this year every day. [chuckle] Sunny California. [chuckle]

02:44 Thomas Townley: Yeah. Alright. Well, I know there's not much you can tell me about The Orville, is there anything? Just a little hint? Nothing? 

02:56 TC: Blessed, the thing I can say is, I think, hopefully, things will be back on track very soon.

03:06 Thomas Townley: Excellent, excellent.

03:07 TC: For shooting. Yeah, no, nothing's official but hopefully, everyone can rest easy with good safety protocols in place. So I think there's good news coming down the pike. I would say more than cautiously optimistic.

03:25 Thomas Townley: Excellent. Excellent.

03:27 TC: Alright? 

03:28 Thomas Townley: Now, of course, I brought you here to talk about sci-fi in general. What have you been watching? 

03:33 TC: What have I been watching; you mean in terms of sci-fi as of late? 

03:38 Thomas Townley: Yeah. Sci-fi, you know, geeky things.

03:41 TC: Well, it's funny 'cause I've sort of been taking a little break from sci-fi, I still obviously have to watch The Mandalorian season two. What have I... I sat down and watched all of Rogue One the other day, just out of nowhere, it just was on and so I did that. But I've been doing things like I watched The Vow, [chuckle] which is about the NXIVM cult. I'm late to the game but the show Alone, the survival. I don't know, there's like a cult survival theme going on but I watched that as well. I have to catch up on Lost In Space, 'cause I have been dying to check that out. But yeah, there hasn't been too much of sci-fi. I mean honestly, I end up watching old clips of Wrath of Kahn on the YouTube and sorta... Yeah, I go to the comfort food right away. You know, there's been some T&G on BBC that I've... That's on and suddenly I'm watching whole episode. That's kinda where I'm at.

04:40 Thomas Townley: Have you been watching any of the new Star Trek shows lately? 

04:43 TC: Oh, I have watched a little bit. I have to catch up with the new Discovery season. I finally watched Picard, obviously, I loved it. It's hard for me because as a person making space TV, I have feelings, and as a strict fan, I can't just... I don't feel like I have the privilege to just love or dump something. It's a whole different experience for me. But no, I will watch it eventually. But I mean I was just like, Picard finished and then two months later I watched. It's just the way my life runs. But obviously, it was great. I'm very much for comfort food, so the best part of Picard was obviously seeing Frakes and [05:21] ____ show up with... That's the kind of stuff that just gets me going, and Jeri Ryan and all that stuff.

05:31 Thomas Townley: So if CBS and Viacom showed up at your door and said pitch me a new star Trek show, do you have any idea what you would wanna pitch? 

05:40 TC: Oh my god, that's a good question. What would I want to pitch? I would go call Michael Dorn and he'd be like, "Who the hell are you?" And I would do the Worf series. I would watch that all day long. I don't need to make up... I would do a Worf series and I would do anything... You know, you know, obviously seeing Jane way back, I would love to... I'd watch her read the phone book. So those would be the two. I would need to think about if I wanted to do something original original, but yeah, I would be very much into the Worf series.

06:15 TC: I just think that that's a lot of mileage and obviously, you know, George Takei too. You know, I would've loved the Sulu series; that would have been the other one. Oh, I will say, randomly I went down a deep rabbit hole about, I can't remember the name of the episode from Voyager where they had to re-shoot... They redid the whole Praxis explosion. I went down that rabbit hole for a while, you know, and comparing the shots and doing that. Like, that's what I do, I look like side by side comparisons. Like I end up watching old... For no reason, I'll watch the old V effects, you know, comparison from the original series one to the updated ones that [06:50] ____ and those gang did. That's how I spend my time. It's pathetic. [chuckle]

06:55 Thomas Townley: Well, on totally a different topic but dealing with the character of Worf, who would win a fight between Bortus and Worf? 

07:08 TC: With weapons or without? 

07:11 Thomas Townley: Let's go without.

07:14 TC: I think Bortus, 'cause Moclans are very strong and Peter is a real big guy. If there was a bat'leth or guns, I mean Peter's got good aim but Worf with a sword I would be scared of. That would be my... You couldn't just run the table.

07:33 Thomas Townley: Yeah, I see your point there. Now, speaking of other sci-fi's, The Mandalorian has those virtual sets. What could you use those virtual sets for? 

07:45 TC: Well, we did, actually. We had it for our view screen in Season 1. As a matter of fact, it was Jon, I believe, who had the idea along with another producer, Jason Clark, and it wasn't because we... It locked us in too early. We ended up going to green screen because we had more flexibility but basically, our huge view screen was basically The Mandalorian [08:10] ____, and obviously The Mandalorian expanded, it's more 360. So if we were to have it back, I'm sure there's a couple of planets, it'd be great for the simulator room, but we... A lot of ours takes place in the ship, we're a fundamentally different show, we go to planets sometimes, and we usually find a location. So it's a different methodology, but we experience it. I mean, the way they've used it is great, obviously, and... The other time I ever thought that that worked was like in, once again, Rogue One where they used it for the cockpit stuff. But yeah, that's what I would say. I would probably use it for the simulator room if we could.

08:55 Thomas Townley: I would love to see that. And you know, they're Disney or...

08:58 TC: Yeah, it's super... They're bright as hell. They have their issues, this is a lot of technical, but you end up there's a lot of tears and a lot of technical issues with them. They're really great for interactive lighting and landscapes. As a view screen, having finished battle shots, it was not always practical.

09:23 Thomas Townley: When you're watching shows like The Mandalorian, do you think about, "Ooh, how did they do that?" Or...

09:29 TC: Yes, yes, all the time, and sometimes I know how they did it 'cause we're doing what they're doing. Yeah, yes, but I'm always... Yeah. It's always fun to see what other people are coming up with but then sometimes I just get stressed out. [laughter] Yeah, it just reminds me of not sleeping and working a hundred hours a week. [chuckle] But yeah, no, there's some pretty... Not just The Mandalorian, I mean they do some great stuff, but even on some great things on Discovery, and you know even like, I'm a big fan of shows that you need to do the real hidden visual effects. Set extensions and creating worlds that they did through virtual production versus going out and shooting it. That stuff gets me too.

10:17 Thomas Townley: Yeah. Now with... I was thinking the other day, with shows having smaller and smaller episode counts per season...

10:24 TC: Yeah.

10:25 Thomas Townley: Is 100 episodes really an achievable milestone for most shows anymore? 

10:33 TC: No. Yes, but you're gonna have to think about your 10 or eight or 12 episodes, you gotta go seven, eight, nine, 10 seasons, and at a certain point... Everything's at a quasi-feature level now, I mean the Marvel shows are feature level.

10:49 Thomas Townley: Mm-hmm.

10:50 TC: Everybody's... There's probably 25-30 shows of this scale and magnitude. It's... I know people complain about the 22-episode thing. We would literally die. [chuckle] It's just too much. So I don't know if it's achievable. If you're a comedy or something, maybe, but even like HBO, they run 13 eps. You can't go... You start getting beyond six, seven seasons, it's... You just run out of steam.

11:15 Thomas Townley: Yeah, if you look at shows like The Next Generation and all the... They had a lot of good shows but they had a lot of filler shows too to stretch out the season. So in other words...

11:27 TC: Less coverage, less effects, different methodology. They were great shows but the demand is now... Anything, everything gets scrutinized. Which is great 'cause it keeps you on your toes but it keeps you on your toes.

11:43 Thomas Townley: And here's a thought. Should sci-fi shows have a message and a moral to them? 'Cause some of the shows nowadays, it's just kind of more action than anything else.

12:01 TC: I'm part of the optimistic sci-fi crowd. If I wanna go... I don't like the two mixing. I like my Battlestar Galactica's and I like my Star Treks. I like the optimistic, happy, fun stuff. And then when I wanna go dark, I wanna go dark. I have trouble mixing the two. But like I said, I'm very... I'm an old man, I'm very into old school. Do I think it needs to have a message? No. Does it help? Yeah, I think it's add some layering storytelling to the complexity of it all. But not necessarily... Different strokes for different folks, I guess. [chuckle] You know what I mean? Different... I don't bemoan somebody loving something that I don't. There's only a few things that I have true hatred for, which you can ask me another time, 'cause that's a thing about it. But anyway, long story, I think that was a long answer, but I think a message helps but isn't necessarily the key. Take Cobra Kai, for example. That show's got heart and that's why it works. It's not just seeing the characters... If it was just all Johnny and Ralph Macchio fighting or stuff, it wouldn't have it, but it's all the heart that's layered underneath. And I feel like your sci-fi needs that as well.

13:13 Thomas Townley: Now, thinking about crews and sci-fi and everything, who'd win in a battle between The Orville crew and The Next Generation crew? 

13:22 TC: Oh my god, don't make me answer that. [chuckle] I work for them. Orville's scrappy but, you know, I don't know, I think the Enterprise-D would probably cut right through the damn thing. [chuckle] I am a non-impartial. [chuckle] I can't... Yeah. Although, Ed has been... Acquitted himself quite a good captain. So I actually... I don't actually know. You know, funny enough, I don't know the answer. Orville's got some tricks up her sleeve but I can't go against my Next Generation crew. You're wounding me. [chuckle]

14:04 Thomas Townley: By the way, how does Seth have all this time? I mean, he just recently announced that he and Dan McBride are doing a revival of Smokey and the Bandit. He's doing these jazz concerts on Instagram. The Orville. The animated shows. Is he human? 

14:17 TC: I question that sometimes, I think he's superhuman. No, he's just smart... No, he's a super-smart guy and likes to keep active. And, no, I know he loves the show, so obviously that's one of his priorities, but he's a man of... I always joke on Twitter, I said, multi-hyphenate, but he really is. I learn a lot from him every day, from a production standpoint. And he tends to think three or four moves ahead, and sometimes you can keep up with him and sometimes you're arguing move number two but he's actually at move number five, and then you catch up with him and go, "Oh, I see what you were doing there. That made complete sense. You were just way ahead of it."

14:56 Thomas Townley: That's cool. And finally, what are you looking forward to on the horizon? In 2021, what are you looking forward to? 

15:06 TC: Going to a restaurant again, hopefully. [chuckle] The new normal. And hopefully finishing up production of season three of the show, so people can finally see it. But no, just a little more peace in the world and health for everybody; I can't be trivial about that, it would be nice to be... It's been a long road so far for everyone, I believe, on planet earth.

15:38 Thomas Townley: It's been a long road getting from there to here.

15:42 TC: Yeah. And we're not even there. We're still on the here.

[chuckle]

15:46 Thomas Townley: Alright, well, I know you have other things to do and I have podcasts to record today as well. So thank you very much for joining me today.

15:56 TC: Oh no, thank you. Sorry again about the t-shirt, the 911, I'm just like a train wreck but I appreciate you having me. It was fun talking to you.

16:03 Thomas Townley: That's okay. Tom Constantino, I wish you the best of luck, the best of health.

16:07 TC: Thank you. You too.

16:08 Thomas Townley: Stay safe, and we'll see you next time.

16:12 TC: Yeah, we'll talk again soon.

16:13 Thomas Townley: Okay.

16:13 TC: Bye.

Geek

Amazon has ordered a new SciFi Drama from Legendary television. Lightyears centers around a couple named Franklin and Irene York who years earlier discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which leads to a strange deserted planet. Since then they’ve guarded the secret until an enigmatic young man enters their lives, their life is upended and the mysterious chamber turns out to be much more than they could have possibly imagined.  No word on when it’s expected on the service.

Actor Jeff Bridges has announced that he’s been diagnosed with lymphoma, which is the cancer of the lymphatic system. He posted on twitter quote “As the Dude would say… New sh– has come to light.”

“I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good,” “I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.”“I’m profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes,” “And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together.” unquote I think we all wish him the best of health.

Ghostbusters Afterlife has been pushed back another three months to June eleventh, almost a year after it was originally supposed to be released this past July. The sequel to Don’t Breathe has been given a date of August thirteenth, 2021. The same date as twentieth century’s Deep Water starring Ben Affleck.

Spectrum Originals and AMC are producing a new series based on the Beacon 23 novel by Hugh Howey. The story, described as a suspenseful thriller slash love story is set in the farthest reaches of space and is about a couple trapped on a lighthouse at teh end of teh known univese. The show will be created, executive produced and showrun by Alphas showrunner and The Avengers co-writer Zak Penn along with Ira Steven Behr, Katie O’Connell Marsh and Elisa Ellis.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is recovering from surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to replace his aortic valve. The actor tweeted quote "Thanks to the team at the Cleveland Clinic, I have a new aortic valve to go along with my new pulmonary valve from my last surgery," "I feel fantastic and have already been walking the streets of Cleveland enjoying yo when ur amazing statues. Thank you to every doc and nurse on my team!" unquote This isn’t his first heart surgery, he had a valve replaced in 1997 and emergency open heart surgery to replace that valve.

Sir Sean Connery has passed away in his sleep at this in Nassau in the Bahamas. He was born THomas Sean Connery in Edinburgh, Scotland on August twenty fifth, 1930. He left school at the age of 13 and delivered milk, polished coffins and laid bricks before joining the royal navy in 1946, He was discharged three years later because of a duodenal ulcer. He would then work as a lorry driver, lifeguard, artists model and in his spare time did bodybuilding, he could have played soccer for Manchester United, but he decided to go pursue acting instead. In 1953, while he was competing in the Mr Universe competition, he heard that South Pacific was looking for parts in the chorus, by the next year he landed the role of Lieutenant Buzz Adams, encouraged by American actor Robert Henderson, he educated himself on works by Ibsen, Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw and began taking elocution lessons. In 1957, he got his first leading role in Blood Money, a BBC reworking of Requiem for a Heavyweight. And then came the role that would make him famous world wide when producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, began searching for an actor to play the lead character in Ian Fleming’s novels, James Bond. It was Cubby’s wife Dana who persuaded her husband that Connery had the magnetism and sex appeal for the park. Ian Fleming on the other hand was not that impressed at first, however once he saw him on screen, the author made James Bond half scottish in some of the later novels. Sean would play the secret agent in a total of seven movies, Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever and Never Say Never again. However the role and pressure of that the role put onto him would eventually drive him to walk away, only to return once for for Never Say Never again, He would go on to do other movies like The Name of the Rose, Time Bandits, The Man Who Would Be King, Zardoz, Highlander, The Untouchables, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt for Red October , The rock, Dragonheart, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, First Knight, The Avengers, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and more. He was even offered the role of Gandalf, but he declined claiming not to have understood the script.. He also turned down the role of the Architect in The Matrix for similar reasons. He moved to the Bahamas in the 1990’s and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth the Second in 2000, which had been held up by the Labour party because of his support of Scottish Independence. Sean Connery retired from acting in 2006. Over his career he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Untouchables, The British Academy Film Award for Best Actor for The Name of the Rose, as well as the BAFTA Fellowship, Two Golden Globe Awards one for Best Supporting Actor for The Untouchables and the World Film Favorite Male aka The Henrietta Award as Well as the Cecil B Demille Award. On top of being knighted by the Queen, he was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, The Kennedy Center Honors, The European Film Awards Lifetime Achievement Award and The AFI Life Achievement Award. He was married twice. The first time to actress Diane Cilento, they had one son, Jason Connery and his second and last marriage to Moroccan-French painter Micheline Roquebrune. The greatest James Bond, Sir Sean Connery passed away in his sleep, on Halloween, A life well lived, he was ninety years old.

And that brings us to the end of the scifi news. *Show Ender*

Now be sure to check us out on social media, we’re at Twitter @multiverseTom also on Facebook and Instagram as well. 

*Ko-Fi button*

And If you’d like to contribute some money, please visit mtpodcast.com to go to our Ko-fi, Patreon  and now Glow.fm as well just go to MultiverseTonight and hit the Support Me link at the top of the page and be sure to visit Multiverse Tonight dot com and check out our affiliate marketplace links, the link to our TeePublic store show notes, and so much more.

*Show Ender*

 

If you’re a subscriber, be sure to share with your friends and if you’re brand new to the show, please be sure to subscribe. And leave us some feedback and let us know how we’re doing.

Special thanks to Shane Ivers for our intro music and Lobo Loco for our outro music theme music.

Thanks for watching the SciFi edition of Multiverse Tonight,  we will be back in two weeks with the comic book edition. Now please exit the universe in an orderly fashion. Good Night!  Multiverse Tonight is a production of Half-Baked Genre Productions. Copyright 2020  All Rights Reserved.



Tom Constantino

Producer on The Orville