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Shepherd: Being Morn

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In the first of a two-part interview, Mark Allen Shepherd shares what it was like to play one of more amusing characters on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

 

A Star Trek fan, Shepherd was always happy when there was another episode in which Morn was to appear. “I grew up watching the original Star Trek series,” he said. “Kirk and Spock were my heroes. So whenever I got a call to come in I was excited to be there.”

 

Morn041211.gif

 

Shepherd didn’t know at first if the role was a one-time job, or if he would return, but being willing and able to work in full makeup as Morn helped to make the role a recurring one. “I think that they always had in the back of their minds that if I worked out that they would continue to use the character,” he said. “Working in a full makeup like that for twelve hours is challenging for anyone, but finding someone to work for seven years in that kind of outfit with makeup is difficult. Most actors don’t want to do it.”

 

Some actors make up a backstory for their characters in their head, but this wasn’t the case with Shepherd. “I didn’t have any preconceived notions about Morn,” he said. “Whenever the writers talked to me I was always interested in what they would tell me next. I think mostly I just tried to keep an open mind and have a good sense of humor about the role.”

 

Once, Shepherd stepped out of the role of Morn, and instead played a Bajoran sitting in Morn’s seat (Who Mourns for Morn?). “You know it’s funny, to this day I don’t know whose idea that was,” he said. “…being a fan of the original show since I was old enough to pick up a phaser, I must say that every time I had a chance to act or just watch and learn, it was a tremendous opportunity for me, which fascinated me to no end. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the actors and the level of concentration and organization that the production company must on a daily basis achieve to reach such outstanding production values. I would not hesitate for a moment to do something like that again.”

 

SOURCE

 

Mark Allen Shepherd on Memory Alpha

 

The Official (Mark Allen Shepherd) Morn Website

 

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Easist acting job in the world! Get in costume and have absolutely no lines and mainly just sit on a barstool for 7 years. Lucky Guy!

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PART TWO

 

Even though Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has been over for years, fans still remember and love the character of Morn.

 

Mark Allen Shepherd, who portrayed the silent character, was surprised and gratified at how popular Morn became. “I was so amazed that I had to collect at least one copy of every magazine that had Morn on the cover or featured somehow inside: covers of Entertainment Weekly, Starburst, MAD magazine, Fangoria, DS9 comic books, as well as Newsweek, TV Guide, Star Trek Magazine, Starlog, Deep Space Nine Magazine, etc. It was unbelievable when the studio started delivering me large manila envelopes filled with fan mail.”

 

Morn0412111.gif

 

Receiving over a thousand pieces of fan mail meant that many more fans loved Morn. “I’m told that every piece of fan mail represents an estimated fifteen-thousand fans,” said Shepherd, “and when I received one thousand pieces of fan mail that means that some fifteen million fans love Morn, a character that never said a word in the seven years that he was on the show.”

 

In fact, the character became so popular that a publicist told Shepherd something rather surprising. “I was told by a publicist for the show ‘Did you know that we’ve been told by production to tone down your character a bit because we are starting to get more requests for pictures of Morn in print than some of the stars of the show?’”

 

The character still draws interest even today. “In Germany, where I live now, there was a Star Trek 50th anniversary feature done in the local TV Guide & Movie magazine that had Morn listed number five in a top 10 list of the Most Curious Stories in Star Trek History,” explained Shepherd. “It’s just one of those things that has almost a magical quality to it and seems to take on a life of its own, and it’s something I’m very grateful for.”

 

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