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Report on Michael O'Hare (Sinclair) at the Big E C

Report on Michael O'Hare at the Big E Con in Norfolk, Virginia, on
10/29/94, by Barbara S. Parker (Compuserve ID 71041,1517 or Prodigy
ID GGBX52B). Some of this report may be incorrect because Mr. O'Hare
had the microphone so close to his mouth that some words were difficult to
understand.

Michael O'Hare appeared on stage following Terry Farrell. They
exchanged some playful gestures to the delight of the audience. Ms. Farrell
then left the stage and Mr. O'Hare took questions from the crowd. As he
looked into the faces seated before him he said "oh my God, it's Londo,"
pointing to a person who was masquerading as the Centauri Ambassador (a
good look alike I might add). The Londo impersonator was remarkable
and even sounded exactly like Peter Jurasik, the actor who actually
portrays that character. Mr. O'Hare definitely got a big kick out of this,
laughed and then told the man how hard it is to have a serious conversation
with someone who has hair like his (Londo's). The look alike shot back
and said "it could be worse, it could be RED!" O'Hare exchanged some
light conversation and said to the crowd "all right, let's hear it for this guy,"
and everyone cheered.
Mr. O'Hare came to the convention with his mother and father. He
introduced his parents to the audience. He told everyone he grew up in
Chicago, went away to college, played football and "all that stuff." He
wasn't always the "Commander Sinclair type" wearing a patch over his eye
when he was a little kid and used to make his mom nervous with the
asthma he had. O'Hare was the "kind of guy who stayed alone in a room,
watched t.v. and read books." He was not "Mr. Action" at that time of his
life. Thanks to his mom and dad he got out and got around, and
eventually "chased attractive things down hallways carrying a ray gun."
They (his parents) must be very proud he said. [audience laughter] He can
also do Shakespeare and teased the crowd with some lines, including a high
speed version of "to be or not to be." He is very grateful to the loyal fans
because "this" is a whole new phenomenon to him. People say that he
worships Joe Straczynski which is indeed true, he does.
Then O'Hare talked about the watch he was wearing. He's got the
watch because his son has the same one. When his son came out to
California they bought the same watch so that wherever each of them was
they could look at their watches and think of each other.
In December or early January DC Comics will come out with a Babylon
5 comic book and in it you will see an explanation of something that is
inside Sinclair that he has in common with Delenn. It is the reason that he
is a seeker and moves on past the station.
One of the keys to Sinclair is the poem of Ulysses. Ulysses is a seeker,
a traveler. He only spends part of his time on his ship. It's also in keeping
with the military that you change posts. In Star Trek you've got audiences
conditioned to the idea of one man or woman in the position of leadership
who stays there forever. In the Babylon universe there can be an exchange
of command and you have Sinclair who has the hint to gain something
inside him that he has encountered with Delenn, and it can lead to him
seeking in a way that takes him past just a post of command on Babylon 5.
The commander in the power of dreams listening to the poem Ulysses is
a hint of that.
O'Hare plays his character Sinclair as a person who has post-traumatic
stress syndrome. Sinclair is a warrior who was involved in a war, lost
everybody and shown little mercy. Many men came back from Viet Nam
(and O'Hare acknowledged men in the audience) who know what it means
to come back from something like that. O'Hare said he did not and won't
pretend that he did. So he did the best that he could to show a man coming
back from that experience. It could be a woman, but in this case it was a
man. There were two ways to go, to act out the rage even more which you
can see in Sinclair or work his way toward a more spiritual frame of
reference. There wasn't much choice, one way or the other, so Sinclair
works toward the spiritual direction. Hence Delenn is of the utmost
importance to Sinclair because she is far more developed in that way. That
is also connected to something that Sinclair has inside him, that he has
encountered with Ambassador Delenn.
Possible future projects could include a film being shot in Thailand. As
far as contracts are concerned, until everything is "signed on the dotted
line" he can't say anything. There's also possible involvement in a play.
O'Hare then explained his big gripe with "people in show business," what
he calls "a lot of bulls--t." Actors who go on and on about things they
shouldn't. O'Hare has had his share of b.s. and tells one good example.
There's a guy who's the executive producer of a big television series
running right now. This producer thinks O'Hare is one of the best actors in
New York and wants to build a series around O'Hare and another guy.
"Now that and a bucket of quarters will get you a ride on the subway," said
O'Hare. It's a good line, "but until things are in concrete . . . " On talk
shows haven't you ever noticed how the actors all say the same thing, that
they really, really had a lot fun making that film. O'Hare prefers to avoid
those type of general answers. The film may have been fun, but it was also
hard work.
Mr. O'Hare then asked the audience to lighten things up a little and a
girl asked him "if that person on Babylon 5" got on his nerves. To which
O'Hare replied, "which one?" [laughter] The girl said "the one with the
ponytail." O'Hare said "I don't know what you mean dear girl, you
mean Claudia, Ivanova?" His answer was "no, not particularly."
To lighten up the mood even further an audience member wanted to
know how they (the characters of Sinclair and Garibaldi) shot the
"bathroom scene" where both men are chatting at urinals. The bathroom is
considered more a "male's room" since aliens, other than humans, make
use of it. When some big furry thing walks in Sinclair and Garibaldi have
to act as if it's "no big deal." They go to the bathroom like everybody else.
Is there more than just a spiritual friendship between Sinclair and
Delenn? In the episode involving religious beliefs ("Parliament of
Dreams") Delenn performs a ceremony and apparently she and Sinclair got
married without him even knowing it. Again, that is connected to what is
inside Sinclair and what is inside Delenn. There's "quite a connection
between the two."
Working with Mira Furlan is a great joy. O'Hare thinks she's the "best
actor in the show." She is Jewish and had to get out of Yugoslavia or they
were going to kill her. So when she talks as Ambassador Delenn she
knows what she's talking about. On the lighter side, as great an actress as
Mira Furlan is, she cannot drive a car. Actually she can drive a car she just
doesn't drive it all the time.
They work under an unbelievable schedule for the show (B5). They've
"got every single penny on that screen." The budget is nothing compared
to other science fiction shows. What is done in seven days doesn't leave
much room for horsing around.
Are they going to leave it open so that Sinclair can return to Babylon 5?
All O'Hare would say is this is what Garibaldi will see on the vid-screen
from Sinclair: "Hello old friend (to Garibaldi), it's been awhile. I'm
entrusting this message to an associate of mine who has sworn to bring it
to you at any cost, including his own life. I don't know if he'll succeed.
There are forces rising against us and no wonder they should with our
activities." That's all O'Hare would say. It is up to Joe Straczynski and
"the powers that be" as to how many future episodes, if any, O'Hare will
appear in.
Does Mr. O'Hare have any free time to spend with his family or
children? His son has his mother's last name and he met him when the boy
was three and a half. His son doesn't have that much contact with his
biological father and O'Hare is very careful to not have his son connected
to him (O'Hare)unless he so chooses. Sometimes his son will come with
him to conventions and he was invited to come to Norfolk, but wanted to
be with his girlfriend.
Mr. O'Hare is a workaholic type of person without much time for
hobbies. He's thought about golf and used to be a caddy many years ago.
Someone stood up to ask a question wearing a Michael O'Hare fan club
teeshirt. O'Hare said he's not used to that kind of thing but he is very
grateful. He is not interested in any kind of negative comment about
Sinclair leaving the show, just positive things, please.
Has Sinclair ever had a strong desire to use Garibaldi's head as a push
broom? O'Hare thinks the reason Sinclair stays with Garibaldi is that
Garibaldi reminds Sinclair about keeping his sense of humor and they get to
kid around. Where else can someone in a leadership position get to ride a
motorcycle down the hall? In real life you would be fired from your job,
but on television you're applauded for doing that. No, he wouldn't like to
use his head (Garibaldi's) as a push broom. He's the friend who gives you a
hard time and you're better for it.
How did O'Hare get started in acting? He came out east to Harvard
"on a scholarship and financial aid thing." Then he studied acting in New
York City and worked as a guard in a bank sleeping on the floors. He has
also worked as a cashier, in the steel mills, in construction, and "worked
for a living just like everybody else." He said his parents took very good
care of him, but to go out on dates you needed money. O'Hare suggested
that anyone going to college that you pay for at least part of your college
education and don't consider your parents doing you a favor by paying for
all of it. You've got to learn what it takes up front, just a little bit. He
worked odd jobs, studied hard and got a job on Broadway with Fred
Gwynn. It was "up and down" and he took part-time jobs while this went
on. The story is the same as it is in any business, you have to work hard
and persevere, turn every slip into a triumph somehow.
Does O'Hare actually wear the white shirt under his uniform jacket all
the time? Yes, he does, or "a little pink thing." He always dresses in the
entire uniform to get in character. The jacket is comfortable, but the "pink
thing" binds (pointing to his middle).
Mr. O'Hare said he would be more than happy to return as Sinclair
should Babylon 5 be made into a movie.
His personal favorite episode of Babylon 5 is "Babylon Squared."

...end of report...
 
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