First Contact’s James Crowell Turns 74: Today In Science & Science Fiction
Actor James Cromwell already had a long and respectable Hollywood career when Star Trek: First Contact released in 1996, but that film assured him a place in the Geek Pantheon by casting him as Zefram Cochrane, the first human to invent warp drive. In First Contact, the Next Gen crew crosses paths with Cochrane after some shenanigans involving time travel and the Borg, and the film’s conclusion has Cochrane completing his first warp flight and in the process attracting the attention of the Vulcans, thus leading to the first contact of the title.
Cromwell is actually the second actor to play Cochrane within Trek’s long history. Glenn Corbett played the role in the 1967 Original Series episode “Metamorphosis.” Cromwell has him beat by one appearance, though, having also played Cochrane briefly in the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot “Broken Bow.” And with all due respect to Corbett, Cromwell will always be Zefram to me. (Or, alternately, the devious Dudley Smith from L.A. Confidential.)
Nor is First Contact Cromwell’s only foray into science fiction. Over the years he’s put in appearances in movies like Surrogates and I, Robot, not to mention an episode of Deep Space Nine (not playing Cochrane, mind you). Crowell is celebrating his 74th birthday today, so GFR wishes him good health and continued success. (And if he could hurry up and invent the warp drive, that would be awesome.)
Today on Television
Intelligence (CBS, 10/9c) — “Secrets of the Secret Service”
Riley ends up working with her ex-boyfriend, whom she encounters when she and Gabriel travel to Syria and pose as Secret Service agents in order to free two American journalists being held hostage.
