Raleigh Supercon, the south’s biggest pop culture con, rocked the Raleigh Convention Center over the weekend. Supercon prides itself on being a show for any fandom as it draws guests from all kinds of shows, films, video games, comics, etc. The show also boasts an impressive guest list that surely left some empty pockets as fans lined up for photos and autographs. Michael Dorn was one such guest, having earned an impressive fan base for his work on ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and ‘Deep Space 9’ as the gentile giant Klingon, Worf.
Dorn gave a Q&A Friday and photo ops throughout the weekend. His many years on ‘Star Trek’ have come with countless trips to fan conventions, which he generally tends to enjoy. While he has had some bad experiences, Dorn says he tries to engage with ‘Star Trek’ fans politely. In a recent interview about his experiences, Dorn said:
“For me, I don’t really try to do anything different other than just be polite. I understand that it means something more than it means to me, so I’m very respectful of them and their feelings and what they’re going through. I get it — there’s actors that I’ve worked with and that I see that I am in awe of. … I just treat (fans) like anybody else that I would run into.”
Dorn was in good ‘Trek’ company at Supercon, as William Shatner and Walter Koenig, the original Kirk and Chekov, also appeared at the convention.
If Dorn has his way, Worf will be seen on screen again, not just on the convention floor. Since 2012, he has been pitching a ‘Star Trek’ series with Worf as the captain. There’s even an accompanying hashtag: #WeWantWorf.
‘Star Trek’ returns to the small screen with the second season of ‘Discovery’ on CBS All Access later this year. Fans will remember the recent announcement that ‘Discovery’ executive producer Alex Kurtzman will have a hand in creating an extended universe with new shows and short films. While it is unclear whether Worf will appear in the franchise again, Dorn remains hopeful, saying:
“I think this Worf thing would be perfect — I mean, really perfect. It’s just a matter of getting the phone number of the right guy or getting the email of the right person that can actually get you in there. It’s a little early in the game right now, but I still think there’s hope for it.”