Jonathan Frakes Interview On 'Leverage,' Brent Spiner, J.J. Abrams, 'Star Trek'

They asked me if I’d like to direct an episode of Leverage, and I said I’d love to. If you are a director on episodic TV, it’s the luck of the draw, but I got a good hand with this one. And I got a chance to work with some people I’ve worked with before!

Impossible! Brent and I have only worked together for 18 years. So there’s a bit of a short hand there. Armin has never forgiven me for cutting him out of Insurrection, which is the second Star Trek movie I did. So I was glad to actually give him a part where he made it to the screen. They are wonderful, reliable, clever actors. I was glad to give them something that didn’t involve rubber ears and gold painting!

One character is assigned jury duty as one of their Leverage aliases. He discovers that there is, in fact, more to the case than it appears. So, in true Leverage fashion, he takes on this huge corporate entity. With all different points of leverage, they find a hook. This is a courtroom drama taken over by our heroes. There’s always a bit of tongue-in-cheek which is always a big part of the show.

He did do quite a few impressions of Patrick Stewart. I think he does the best Patrick Stewart of any of us. It's really part of the package when you hire Brent.

I like to move fast. I think you have to move fast on TV. I know you have to if they are going ask you back. As important as telling the story well, is getting it done on-time and on-budget. I believe if you prepare well in advance, you can recognize what you want and move on and do the next set up. The cast and crew love to move fast.

That’s a great question. The rise of reality shows has made it difficult for audiences to latch on to a new drama. People have such short attention spans that it is hard to get people to watch a new show, which makes Leverage all the more successful for having done that. You need a cast that people can hook on to and Leverage has got it.

I’m actually very pro-J.J. Abrams. I had the privilege of visiting him on the Bridge. We also have a Maine connection: I live in Maine, he’s married to a women from Maine. J.J. is a huge fan of the Star Trek franchise. He’s a great storyteller as you can tell by Lost. He knows how to use a camera. He’s the hottest thing in town right now. And they gave him a fortune [laughs] — not that I’m bitter!

I think if J.J.'s film is successful, and I believe it will be, then four years from now they will do another one.