Jason Kempin/Getty Images Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis speak during the Star Trek: Mission New York event at Javits Center
Marina Sirtis became a star when she landed the role of ship’s counselor Deanna Troi on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” She played the character in all seven seasons of the show and reprised the role in “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Star Trek: Enterprise,” “Star Trek: Picard,” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”
“Star Trek” has been a central part of Sirtis’ life for more than 30 years. In addition to appearing in nearly every show the franchise has put out, she’s a fixture at fan conventions all over the world. Sirtis loves going to the events and interacting with her fans.
However, in a recent interview with the British publication Express, Sirtis revealed that she’s not afraid to put fans in their place when it needs to be done. In fact, she’s even punched a fan!
Getting Physical With Her Fans
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Sirtis detailed the incident for Express.
“I think I may be the only cast member ever in ‘Star Trek’ to actually punch a fan. I was at a convention and I was signing autographs… I was going for a loo break and I walked past this fella and he stopped me. He said, ‘Why did they make you look so ugly on NCIS?’ So I punched him in the arm.”
She continued, saying that she “just went off on him.” Sirtis recalled that she told him how inappropriate his comment was and added that it must be hard for him to date since he clearly didn’t know how to respect women.
Sirtis insisted that not all her encounters with fans go that way.
“Poor fella. I saw him shrink in front of my eyes… Generally, there are better meetings than that one. But don’t cross me.”
Most Fans Had Better Interactions With Sirtis
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This was clearly a pretty bad meeting, for both Sirtis and the fan. Other fans who’ve met Sirtis have vastly different accounts of what she’s like at conventions.
Many Trekkers who have met the TNG actress said that she was kind and accommodating. Multiple fans mentioned that she’s always willing to have a chat with her fans, sometimes for quite a while. A few also commented that she seemed particularly tolerant of their nerdy conversation. She even took a smoke break with one fan on “Star Trek: The Cruise.”
Other Trek fans said that they loved seeing Sirtis at “Star Trek” conventions because she always has a hilarious story to share, and she’s never afraid to speak her mind.
Only a few fans said they hadn’t enjoyed their experiences with Sirtis. Overall, she seems to be a convention favorite.
Sirtis Truly Loves Conventions
Over the years, Sirtis has spoken many times about how much she loves appearing at “Star Trek” conventions. In an interview with News-Press in 2018, Sirtis explained why she looks forward to attending each convention.
“I would come back from a convention and [the Star Trek cast] would be like, ‘What’s it like, what’s it like?’ And I’d say, OK, I can put it in one sentence: ‘If you have a problem being adored, don’t go.’ You’re just adored for two or three days. So if you have a problem with that, then you should stay home… I love being adored! How could you not? It’s like a little boost to your ego… to think these people have driven and paid money just to see you. It’s kind of awesome.”
Sirtis doesn’t just soak up the love when she attends conventions. She also tries to give love back to the fans who’ve adored her for decades.
Unless, of course, they “cross” her.
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