Many Thanks! to my transcriber,  to Future's Voice and the Galileo Double 7 Convention organizers and to Totally Kate contributors!

Links to this page are welcome but please do not repost or reproduce.

Kate Mulgrew:  (After a 'voice over' from her 'German voice, Gertie Honeck) Meine Damen und Herren – nothing wonderful is ever accomplished alone.  My German voice, Gertie Honeck!

(Gertie arrives on stage)

Kate Mulgrew: Danke.

We have big problem!  Her voice is both more beautiful, and so is her face!  Was ist das?  Huh?  How do you feel?

Gertie Honeck:  Wonderful! It's a wonderful evening.  Thank you.  Thank you very much for being here.

Kate Mulgrew:  And how did it feel doing my voice for seven years?

Gertie Honeck:  Oh well… it was a hard job for me.

Kate Mulgrew:  It was a hard job for you?

Gertie Honeck:  Yes it was a really hard job for me.

Kate Mulgrew:  You can imagine what it was like for me!!  Why was it so hard for you to do?

Gertie Honeck:  Because I had some very special words…

Kate Mulgrew:  Like what?

Gertie Honeck:  …In German to say.  You know the English is much smaller than the German and I had to speak very fast, you know?

Kate Mulgrew:  Well let's do some!

Gertie Honeck:  Oh no!

Kate Mulgrew:  Red alert!

Gertie Honeck:  Red alert?

Kate Mulgrew:  Red alert…

Gertie Honeck:  Red alert?

Kate Mulgrew:  You didn't say red alert?

Gertie Honeck:  No, I didn't say it.

Kate Mulgrew:  I said red alert every two seconds.  Red alert!

Gertie Honeck:  Red alert!

Kate Mulgrew:  Torpedoes close…(Gertie doesn't respond – much to the audience's amusement) Was ist das en Deutsch?  Nobody said anything I said!  At impulse?

Gertie Honeck:  (responds in German with the correct phrase much to the audience's pleasure!)

Kate Mulgrew:  How about this one?  How about this one? Did you ever say: "Commander Chakotay. In my ready room.  Now!"

Gertie Honeck:  Commander Chakotay….

Kate Mulgrew:  But he never came!

Gertie Honeck:  Oh no! Yesterday I had two poems from a twin, you know.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yah?

Gertie Honeck:  They wrote about Chakotay and Janeway.  The love story.  The love story… which never starts.

Kate Mulgrew:  No.  The love story – it never started.

Gertie Honeck:  It never…

Kate Mulgrew:  And I will be eighty-five and they'll still be talking about this love story!  Why do you think I did not have a love affair with Commander Chakotay?  Do you not know the American expression "Don't rock the boat"? The Captain was too busy.  Can you imagine what that ship would have been like if I had been saying: (in a wispy voice) "Commander Chakotay…"  (Audience responds with cheers and laughter)

I want you all to understand that this was a very difficult job for Gertie to do.  First of all it was difficult to I'm sure to embrace the technobabble. And then to do it so beautifully in your native tongue.  I can only congratulate you.  And to meet you and hear the timber of your voice and to see how absolutely lovely you are makes me very proud to be here.  So I thank you.

She's a wonderful actress. Let's hear it for her.

I am so happy to be here.  Somebody asked me earlier… hello Pinky, how are you?  I'm trying to get Pinky married.  Anybody want to get married tonight?  Nein?  Somebody asked me why I've come to Germany now, three times.   I will answer this directly and succinctly.  First of all, I was asked! But secondly, it has been my experience that the German people are categorically courteous, intelligent and a lot of fun!  I understand you were all up until five o'clock this morning.  Talking about God, no doubt.  You are a wonderful people – a wonderful country.  I thank you for having me.  I have a few thank-yous, and then I would like to take some questions and have a little talk with you.

First I would like to thank my host and the co-owner of this event, René Ahlberg.  Could we have a hand for him?  I would very much like to thank the young man who has been driving me around and getting me coffee and talking to me no end about silly things – the divine – the handsome – the witty – and the single – Michael "Pinky" Kramer! A thank you quickly to Richard Arnold and his lovely wife Fiona for looking after me so well.  And lastly – to my divine husband – who has come with me on this trip after a very sad beginning. His best friend died on Thursday and he gave the eulogy at the funeral mass and then jumped on this plane with me.  So he is nothing if not a very good husband in whom I am well pleased.  But… all I have to do is find the beautiful women in the room to find my husband!  Darling – stand up and wave to the people.  Tim Hagan.

I have been asked what I've been doing lately.  I had a play in New York which closed in July. A very hard play about the life of Katharine Hepburn. (Audience applauds).  Thank you. Some of you have seen it, and I'm very happy to be able to say that I have seen you in Hartford, in Boston, in Cleveland and in New York.  But after my New York run I had two months alone with my husband.  Now some of you might find this curious – some of you might find it bizarre. But all of you will find it, I think, intriguing that this is the first time I have spent more than three weeks with my husband in five years of marriage. Why are you smiling, darling?  So I've been doing… nothing! And I have been loving every minute of it. Cooking the meals.  Doing the cleaning. Doing the washing. Milking the cows… slaughtering the pigs!  It's been a wonderful life.  In two weeks I have to go back on the stage, I'm afraid.  In West Palm Beach, Florida, which I'll do for the winter, and then we'll see about the springtime. But what is so marvelous to me is that where ever I go I have a support system in most of you. And certainly there are groups of you whom I see again and again.  And I just want to acknowledge two of those groups tonight, and then we will take questions and we'll have a good talk.  And you can ask me… anything… except…oh… 'but what of Commander Chakotay… Commander Chakotay!'  Why does everybody always want to talk about Chakotay!?   Yes, he is cute!

First of all, there is a group here – they're actually from all over Western Europe and England.  They have been wonderfully supportive of me – terribly kind, lovely intelligent women – will you please stand ladies.  Would you give them a hand – they've been so great. (Audience applauds)  Thank you.  Thank you for coming.  Look at Miss Barcelonan in the black, isn't she divine?  She's free!  Pinky!

My second group, who asked to meet me just before I came, to give me this present – look what they gave me – this (indicates the scarf she is wearing).  Oh Pinky – did you meet the lady from Barcelona?  I thought you were going to take care of her! Why are you over there and she's over there?  All right.  We'll talk about this later! He's not a bit sorry! They gave me this beautiful present and they said something to me that means more to me, I think, than anything else. It's wonderful to play a role like this and you only get a chance once in a lifetime. But when women like this come to me and say, "If it weren't for you we would not have made friends because we are all from such different cities, and in some cases different countries.  This to me is what endures.  And this is the legacy of Star Trek: Voyager. Where are those marvelous women?  Stand up… (audience applauds).  Thank you so much.

So life goes on after Voyager. But I really must tell you I have a wonderful life. I have children, whom I adore – when they're not driving me completely mad! And guess what?  They're both in college and I survived! I do adore my sons. And, as I said, my husband. I have a wonderfully interesting and fulfilling private and solitary life.  I love to read. I love to cook. I love to have dinner parties. Doesn't everybody love to have dinner parties? And then, I guess, I love to go back to work. But this time it's a little hard, because I really have had a good time with my darling husband.  What's your name again?!  And so I hope, if some of you are coming to the USA, you will come to Palm Beach and see me.  And I will come on the national tour… I will begin the national tour of "Tea at Five" in 2004, and I am going to try to bring this play to London and to Germany. (Enthusiastic applause!)

You know… I love my husband's company, but he does come up with some very bizarre ideas. "Oh that's great honey, take it to Germany.  But of course you'll have to do it in German." I said, "Das ist nein gut." Can you imagine?  It's a very difficult play because in Act 1 I'm very young, and in Act 2 I'm very old. (In the older Hepburn's voice)  And it's hard enough that I have to talk like that – can you imagine if I had to do it in German?!

But I'm having a wonderful life!  Because I realize the longer I live, how lucky I've been. Probably one of the luckiest people I've ever met.  I have been blessed with a marvelous family – adore my brothers, my sisters.  I have an extraordinary relationship with my mother, who is very sick and dying of Alzheimer's right now.  That's probably the toughest thing… probably the toughest thing I've ever had to deal with.  But the work lifts me up and I'm continually challenged and stimulated to try to be a little bit better.  And that is, after all, all we have.

You must know, before I start to take questions, that I could not possibly have done this as successfully or as happily as I have without you. What a remarkable audience you have been. Really supportive.  And do you think it was easy walking onto that bridge – the first female captain?  With fifty Paramount business men. 'Let's see if the fraulein can do it, huh?'  I was nervous.  I was nervous.  Not only because I was the first female, but I was so young and so pretty…That really was a concern that the men – the demographic – the target demographic for Star Trek is fifteen to twenty-five year old men. Well it's one thing to be an alien species, right?  It's another to be thirty-nine years old and the captain when you really could be their mother. So my job was to convince them that I was not in any way to be interpreted as their mother. But they were to mind me as their captain. And that took about a full season. And once that happened, it all took wing and it was absolutely marvelous after that.  So I would have… I would say that I had six years of unmitigated creative freedom within the rigors and the constraints of the work.  And the work was hard.  But thank God I'm Irish Catholic and I know how to stand on my feet. And I know when to get to my knees.  And I made the greatest friends of a lifetime. Bob Picardo, John Ethan Phillips, Roxann Dawson, Robbie McNeill.  Dear to my heart.  Abiding friendships. This, you cannot replace. And as an actress, an invaluable experience.  Who else gets to make television history in quite this way? Getting 165 people lost in the Delta Quadrant? For once in my life I was happy there were no gas stations! You call them petrol stations.

Let's take questions so that I can answer whatever queries you have. Are you in line here?  Is there a line?  Are you understanding what I'm saying?  Is my English clear? Is it?  This is the other thing I admire so much, as I said to my husband at dinner. The Americans could take a page out of your book.  Everybody in this room speaks English.  (In response to the audience's reaction) Almost everybody in this room speaks English! We need to do that in the United States. We need to encourage that.  That's called international communication, right?  You speak my tongue – I should speak your tongue.

Yes darling?  You have a question for me?

Q 1:  First and foremost I would like to say good evening and thank you for being here, it's really a pleasure to meet with you. And my question was almost answered because I wanted to ask you about "Tea at Five" and I did hear of a possibility that you will play it in Europe but that's really a…

Kate Mulgrew:  I answered you.

Q 1:  Yes…

Kate Mulgrew:  As best I can, yes.

Q 1:  And… well… could you perform a little of it?

Kate Mulgrew:  (In the older Hepburn's voice) I thought I just did!  Katharine Hepburn said something very interesting, before she died.  I'll do this for you.  She said, (again in the older Hepburn's voice) "I'm not afraid of death, it must be wonderful, like a long sleep.  But let's face it.  It's how you live that really counts."  And she lived, didn't she?

You know what?  You know what? You're really scaring me, I'm so rusty. I'm so rusty.  (In the older Hepburn's voice) But you see that's what I have to do for all of Act 2. (In the younger Hepburn's voice)  And in Act 1 she's very much like that. And then I just take a little gun and go 'pow' at the end of it!

Thank you.  Thank you sweetheart.  Yes.  Yes.  So many beautiful girls here.  Look at this one.  One after another.  Yes?

Q 2:  Hi Kate.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hi.

Q 2:  It's nice to see you. And first of all I wanted to do something that actually I wanted to do for a long time.  I wanted to thank you for the guest panel you did back five years ago in Bonn.  Because that was like the longest and most intense guest panel I ever experienced.

Kate Mulgrew:  You're very welcome.

Q 2:  And my question is about your theater work that you're doing right now.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes.

Q 2:  And I understand that that involved a lot of traveling.  And how does it feel to do something in the same place for seven years and then start moving all over places and doing stuff in different cities.  What's the difference and how do you feel about it?

Kate Mulgrew:  That's a good question.  But don't forget that we are inherently gypsies.  Actors.  We never have one place. So I got a little spoiled when I was doing Voyager. 'Cause I came home to my house every night. This bit of touring and going on the road is really what's common among actors. But to answer your question directly – it's hard. It's hard.  You know, when you're young, you want to do all that a lot. But when you get to be my age, you become more and more sort of… domestic. And more and more inclined to get more and more into your bed and more and more go to sleep. And more and more stay there. Yes.  So.  To answer that – harder.  Harder.

Q 2:  Thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you.  Yes?

Q 3: Hi Kate.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hi.

Q 3: Last year I was able to talk to your husband and he spoke about your vacation.

Kate Mulgrew:  You devil!  Where did he take you for cocktails?!

Q 3: I won't tell you!

Kate Mulgrew:  (laughs) Very good! What did he say to you?

Q 3:  We talked about your vacation in Cornwall in 2001…

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh yes…

Q 3:  And I would like to know what's a typical holiday for you?  Are you going to see the sights when you're out of the country or do you just sit (on) the pool or something or do you try to learn as much as possible?

Kate Mulgrew:  Well… as a Roman Catholic do I tell you the truth – of what I do on my holidays?  We don't take holidays. Cornwall was a very unusual two weeks. And we did go to Angola after the gubernatorial campaign.  We are voracious readers.  But if it were up to my husband, we would never leave the 'you know what'.  However I say 'let's go and see the sights. There's the ocean.  Have you tried to jump in the ocean?' Did you even put your big toe in the ocean, darling? We were there for three weeks.  Is he gone? He's gone.  He's with some beauty, somewhere!  I believe in getting out and seeing, but mostly, it's talking. A lot of talking.  Long dinners. Long walks. That's the best, isn't it?

Q 3:  Yes.  I think so.

Kate Mulgrew:  I would go back to what I said earlier. Yes - there's no question that life is fascinating. So many things to see. If we were here longer I would insist that we go touring. But what's more important to me is the tiny window we have to love, and love deeply.  This tiny – before we die. And I reeeaally would like to see if I can love as unconditionally as possible. So that really happens just by being with somebody.  Do you know?

Q 3:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  It doesn't generally happen when you're distracted.

Q 3:  No.

Kate Mulgrew: It usually happens when your lips are locked together in bliss. Thank you!

Q 3:  Okay, thank you very much.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes?

Q 4:  Hello?

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh!  (Tim Hagan arrives on stage and kisses his wife, to the delight of the audience)  Very gut huh?

Tim Hagan:  Very gut!

Q 4:  It's an honor for me to see you and I am excited because … and I have a question for you.  How was it to wear a Borg costume?  Was it nice because it was something special or was it uncomfortable… So how did you think about wearing a Borg costume?

Kate Mulgrew:  How did I feel about what?

Q 4:  Wearing a Borg costume?

Kate Mulgrew:  How did I feel about wearing the Borg costume?  She's trying to rope me in, isn't she?!  She's the queen! Where are the drones?

Q 4:  No, I’m just Three of Five.

Kate Mulgrew:  I didn't mind it at all.  I was in and out of that costume in four hours. You know they sort of have to paint it on you. I'm an impossible person about makeup.  Have you heard this about me? That out of all the actors on Star Trek I have the worst reputation.  I can't stand it.  I don't want makeup. I don't want you to touch my hair. I had to get away from it.  But becoming a Borg was fascinating to me.  Because for once in my life they weren't putting a little bun on my head.  And I could really be… mean! Which is fun sometimes, isn't it?

Tim Hagan:  Let me…let me just tell you the truth about that!  You notice she kisses John de Lancie a lot better than she kisses me!  I want to remind you that somebody got engaged…

Kate Mulgrew:  I was …

Tim Hagan:  Where the hell have you been?

Kate Mulgrew:  I was… I was going to do it!

Tim Hagan:  Well let's get it going…

Kate Mulgrew:  I was going to leave the last till best… the best till last…

Tim Hagan:  No, they want to make sure that we…

Kate Mulgrew:  Something extraordinary happened today.  I want your full and undivided attention. And I want the two people whom I'm about to introduce to be very close.  Just before I walked on this stage a man came to me and asked my husband and I to come over – he had something to say to his girlfriend. He turned to her, he got down on his knee, and he asked her to marry him. And she said yes.  And this was an unprecedented display of courage. So ladies and gentlemen – please come forward and congratulate the future Mr. and Mrs. Greichter.

Tim Hagan:  There they are…

Kate Mulgrew:  Where are you?  Where are you?  Where are you?

Tim Hagan:  Where are they?

Kate Mulgrew:  I think they went directly to their room!  Here they are, ladies and gentlemen!  Bravo! Now… do you have something to say?

Mr. Greichter:  Well it's a wonderful moment and it's… wonderful to be here and… wow!

Kate Mulgrew:  How do you feel?

Mr. Greichter:  Almost like … scared!

Tim Hagan:  Too late!

Mr. Greichter:  But it was wonderful to have Miss Mulgrew here and…

Kate Mulgrew:  She had no idea! None!  Tell them.

Fiancé:  It was incredible. I never (would have) thought of this and …

Kate Mulgrew:  Well… it's a very rare thing, isn't it? You will seldom meet such a brave man.

Tim Hagan:  Congratulations.

Kate Mulgrew: Let's hear it for these two.  Bravo!

Do you have a question for my husband?

Q 5:  No, but I hope to see you…

Kate Mulgrew:  I'm sorry, what was your question?

Q 5:  My question was how was how it was to wear a Borg costume.

Kate Mulgrew:  Well then we got distracted, didn't we!

Q 5: Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  It was fine to wear a Borg costume.  But probably not as much fun as you're having in it.  Thank you.

Q 5: Yes and … maybe you can be at the party this evening.  I think many fans would be happy about this.

Kate Mulgrew:  Ah… yes… I bet they would!  (In response to applause) Thank you.  But you know, don't you – the Borg don't drink alcohol.

Tim Hagan:  Sometimes she asks me to wear that Borg costume at night when we go to bed!  I don't know what… I don't know what that's about!

Kate Mulgrew:  What that's about is when you ask me to wear Seven of Nine's costume.

Tim Hagan:  Everybody has a fantasy!

Kate Mulgrew: Oh yes they do! And then there's the reality!  Does anybody have a question for my dear husband?

Q 6:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  Ah, yes.

Q 6:  I'm going to ask you, but I want him to stay because I think he'll have to answer the question.

Kate Mulgrew:  All right.

Q 6:  I understand that Tim is a politician and he supports gay men and lesbians.  I know for a fact that right now quite a few lesbians who are in love with you are listening.  I was wondering – is Tim okay with this?

Kate Mulgrew:  I'm getting turned on just listening to you!  More than okay.  Are you crazy? Are you gay?

Q 6: Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  You are.  How are you with it?  It's just life, isn't it?  It's the beauty of life. We're all in this together.  And I must say (over applause)… I will say very selfishly – it's one thing to be attractive to the opposite sex, but it's a double whammy when you're attractive to both. (Applause)  I thank you!

But my husband has done more in this arena politically than I could ever hope to do as an actress. So why don't you speak to that issue, honey.

Tim Hagan:  It doubles the chance for a date on a Saturday night, I know that!  I think it's so important, and I'm glad you raised the question. The American mentality is not as sophisticated as the European mentality in many ways.  One of the things that we need to do, and we've tried to do in America, is make people clearly understand that gay people are our brothers and sisters and are part of our families and are certainly a part of what we believe in the sanctity of our communities. So it's very important that we speak with real conviction about our sharing our lives together as human beings.  And so I think we should all stand together on these kinds of issues and not let those sick minds divide us.  And I think that's so important to… not only for the United States and for the world, but for our sense of sharing our lives as citizens of the world together.  So important – I'm glad you raised the question.

Kate Mulgrew:  (in response to the applause that greeted Tim's words) Thank you.

Yes? Ahhh… la senorita Barcelona!  ¿Qué pasa, senorita?

Q 7:  Nada!  I wanted to ask (to) Tim what does he think about Mr. Schwarzenneger winning the election in Florida (California)?

Tim Hagan:  I am a Democrat. I proudly cast my vote for Al Gore for president in 2000. Let me take one second on this because I think it's important. I had the great honor, thirty-five years ago, of coming to this country as a United States… in the United States military – in the army.  So I spent a year here in Germany. I love the German people.  What breaks my heart, is that many of you in this room believe that George Bush is representative of the American people totally.  That is not true.

What I think is important is for all of you to clearly understand is that more than fifty percent of the American people believed that if anything was going to happen in Iraq, that we needed to go in as the world community through the United Nations.  All of us believed that.

There's an impression…there's an impression given that Bush, who I know most of you refer to as The Cowboy… represents America. I hope that you will clearly understand that there are Americans who desperately want to be a part of the world community, and desperately understand our obligations to each other. And that if we're going to have a world of peace, that we all have to work towards that, and that nor the Germans nor the French nor anyone else should follow the lead of the United States, but should be in co-operation with all the world in trying to resolve these terrible problems that we're confronted with.  And I think… today I had a great discussion with someone in this room, as a matter of fact, about this issue. It's so important – and I hope that you will watch over the next year – because there are a lot of Americans who are hell-bent right now in offering the world a different president in 2004.  We're going to all work to see that that happens because we think it's underlying clearly our relationships with people around the world. So if I can leave one message – and that is this to my friends here in Germany:  There are many Americans who see this posture – who see this division – as very, very disturbing to what we truly believe in as a country.  And one of the great things about democracy is that I can stand before you here in Germany as I can in America and say that the president of the United States is wrong on this policy and that we intend to defeat him next year and have a new leader. 'Cause I think the only way we're going to change your views, and many people around this world's view, is to have a president who is sensitive to the world's concerns and acts in concert with the leadership of the world, including Germany and France and the other countries.  So please give us some patience and we'll be there.

Kate Mulgrew:  I think that explains everything… about my marriage and the kind of man I love. I agree with everything he says.  Thank you darling.

Q 7:  I also wanted to add that I really like your husband's idea about doing "Tea at Five" in another language, but doing it in Spanish is easier than German!

Kate Mulgrew:  Gracias!  Adios!

Yes?

Q 8:  Hello Kate.  One of my favorite Star Trek: Voyager episodes was 'Good Shepherd'…

Kate Mulgrew:  Which one?

Q 8: 'Good Shepherd'?

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes.

Q 8: I'd just like to know – if Kate Mulgrew had the chance to up any three people past or future or present into a shuttle craft to get to know them better, who would it be, and why?

Kate Mulgrew:  That was the young people, wasn't it?

Q 8:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  I really… I liked that one too.  You know people mention an episode to me, and do it with the assumption that I remember it immediately.  I don't. How many did we do in seven years? It's all … You're asking me if I could take anybody on the shuttle craft…

Q 8:  Any three. Past, present or future that you would like to get to know better.  Who would they be and why?

Kate Mulgrew: That I'd like to get to know better?

Q 8:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew: In the world?

Q 8:  Yes, because you felt they needed a good shepherd and you didn't know them well enough to … if you had a chance to take up any three people and get to know them better…

Kate Mulgrew:  In the entire world?

Q 8: Anybody.

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh.  You'd have to let me think about that. I have to think about that.

Q 8:  I'll come back to you later.

Kate Mulgrew:  All right.  Good!  The people who spring to mind I don't think would be very comfortable for a shuttle craft!  I'll think about that and come back to you.

Yes:

Q 9: Good evening Miss Mulgrew:

Kate Mulgrew:  Good evening!

Q 9:  I'm very, very, very happy to be here and see you and all my friends are very jealous that I am here and they are not!

Kate Mulgrew:  Ohhh…. Why are they not here?

Q 9:  They couldn't afford it – they could not get the time off, you know.

Kate Mulgrew:  Awww…. Thank you for coming, of course.

Q 9:  First of all, I would like to say that I'm very sorry that your husband lost the race, and I really think you should get a new president.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes, well…

Q 9:  Okay.  The question - I have two questions for you. Well, actually, one is for your husband – he's not here any more.  Does he have any problems with being called Mr. Mulgrew?

Kate Mulgrew:  Did you leave, darling?  He'll have to answer that one.  I have a problem with it.  Because then what does that make me?

Q 9:  Mrs. Mulgrew!?

Kate Mulgrew:  (laughs) Yeah… but I can't be.  I should think he does. But why don't you get to the next part of your question and by the time he gets back he can answer that.

Q 9: Okay…

(Tim Hagan reappears)

Kate Mulgrew:  He's never far!  She has a good question for you, honey.

Tim Hagan: Oh… did she?

Kate Mulgrew:  She wants to know if it bothers you when you are called Mr. Mulgrew. I stand behind him!

Tim Hagan:  As long as you call me General Mulgrew, it's all right!  No, not really.  I'm so proud of my wife and what she's done.  And I have to tell you I've come to bask in the glow of all of her fans and when she says to all of you what she means to all of you, I've learned how much she really deeply cares about that. And one of the things that you have to do in a lifetime is celebrate, I think, your spouse's success and her professionalism and her art.  And so I'm just very proud and if somebody wants to call me Mr. Mulgrew I don't particularly care about that…

Kate Mulgrew:  I think you should tell the truth…can we… do you want to hear him tell… Does anybody want to hear his story?

Of course I fell in love with him years ago.  Years ago.  And we lost each other and it's a  bad sad long story.  And we found each other again five years later. And I was in the middle of doing Star Trek: Voyager.  Well he had no idea that I was an actress.  'Oh yes, she's an actress.'  It didn't mean anything to him. I only had one lunch this entire month – one day when I could meet with him.  He said to me when he met me, "Who's leg are you pulling?  Nobody has just one day out of a month.  You're exaggerating what you do. What do you – some little actress?"  I said, "Yeah, I'm just a little actress.  Why don't you come to work with me and see what kind of a little actress I am?"

When I woke him up at 3:30 for my 5:00 Monday call, he had his first glimpse.  When I stood on my feet for eighteen hours that day, he had his second glimpse. And what did you say to me when we got home? Oh… I'm sorry.  You were in a coma!

Tim Hagan:  She gets paid one hell of a good buck to do this stuff!  Now let me tell you my side of the true story, now that she's given you that story!

Kate Mulgrew:  I see…

Tim Hagan:  Sit down!  Sit down, Captain, and relax.

Kate Mulgrew:  Tell the story.

Tim Hagan:  So it's true that we had this relationship and it ended and I had two daughters in Ohio – Cleveland – and she got this part in Star Trek, and I have to tell all you fans I wasn't a big fan of the … I didn't have much time…

Kate Mulgrew: Booooo….

Tim Hagan:  So…so I got this call…  Her mother and I were friends for years, and her mother's the one that introduced us.  But in any event, I got this call from her mother saying why don't you call… why don't you call Kate.  Okay, fine, I'll call, but I know she's not going to talk to me anymore cause it was five years ago.  Anyhow she did talk to me.  But for all of you who've spent all this money to come to this convention – let me tell you my story.

It was a Monday… Can I tell this story?

Kate Mulgrew:  Well yeah, go ahead but what about the good story?

Tim Hagan:  I'm going to tell the bad story!

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh, God.  All right.

Tim Hagan:  So it was Monday and I'm working and she says to me, "Yeah, you can come and see me on Friday."  Well I live in Ohio, and she's in Los Angeles.  And it cost $1700 to fly if you don't give two weeks notice.  Is that true here in Europe too – if you do it in advance you get cheaper…

Audience:  Yes…

Tim Hagan:  So I had five days to make up my mind…

Kate Mulgrew:  Awwww….

Tim Hagan:  And then…

Kate Mulgrew:  Awwwwwwww….

Time Hagan:  And then she wanted me to stay at this hotel that I never heard of but it was pretty expensive…

Kate Mulgrew:  What does this story have to do with anything…

Tim Hagan:  It has to do with this…The next time I saw her it cost me $2000 and you've never given it back to me!!

Kate Mulgrew:  Darling… my question was – you thought that what I did for a living was a joke!

Tim Hagan:  Well…

Kate Mulgrew:  Admit it.

Tim Hagan:  I know honey. It's a wonderful thing you do, but…

Kate Mulgrew:  And when you spent one day…

Tim Hagan: It is true… it is true about one thing.  For those of you that… how many   have had any opportunity to watch these kind of things put into…

Kate Mulgrew:  Anybody ever been to a closed studio and watched it actually happening?

Tim Hagan:  Studio?  Hands up.  It is unbelievable, because I would think, you know, 'so what, you did an hour show and how quickly it could be done and it's not a big deal…'  There are two hundred people working on the set.  And it's clip after clip and hour after hour, and repetition and demand.  And I learned that the hard way, after she dragged me to the studio – part of the story.  And I came to respect the fact that the people that work in these kind of things, work very hard, and work long hours.  And so you're entitled to my respect in that regard.

Kate Mulgrew:  And only that regard.

Tim Hagan:  That's it!  That's it!

Kate Mulgrew:  That's a gooood lesson for you – thank you sweetheart.

Tim Hagan:  Welcome. Any more questions?

Kate Mulgrew:  I don't know…yes?

Q 9:  I just have another have another one.

Kate Mulgrew: Yeah.

Q 9:  You already told us that you're going to take "Tea at Five" to Europe and Germany.  Please do it in English – I would really prefer that.

Kate Mulgrew:  Don't worry.

Q 9:  I'm very happy that my favorite actress is portraying my all time favorite actress.

Kate Mulgrew:  Ah.  How wonderful.  All right.

Q 9:  And are there any plans to turn this play into a movie?

Kate Mulgrew:  Actually, yes, they are talking about that right now.

Q 9:  Oh.  Good.

Kate Mulgrew:  They are.  But first I just have to get through the tour. I'll bring it here if I can. In English!

Q 9: Yes.

Kate Mulgrew: Thank you.

Yes darling?  Two more beauties! Yes?

Q 10: Hello!  First of all, me and my twin sister, we're very happy to see you here…

Kate Mulgrew:  I can see that!

Q 10: We've waited so long for this…

Kate Mulgrew:  So cute… yes…

Q 10:  You're just absolutely incredible…

Kate Mulgrew:  How old are you, darling?

Q 10: We're nineteen.

Kate Mulgrew:  Where are my sons when I need them?  What's your name?

Q 10:  My name is Sabina.

Kate Mulgrew:  Sabina, yes.  And you?

Q 10:  Andrea.

Kate Mulgrew:  Ah… very nice to meet you.  Aren't they lovely?

Tim Hagan:  Beautiful honey.

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh, you're still here.  Yes… what is your question?

Q 10:  I would like to know – when you were at my age and you went to New York to become an actress, did you ever have any doubts to become a very good actress?

Kate Mulgrew:  When I was your age…

Q 10:  Yes…

Kate Mulgrew:  Now… that's not so long ago…

Tim Hagan:  That's what you think!

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh!  Boooooo... When I went to New York to become an actress, did I doubt that I would? No. But of course I was your age then, wasn't I? It gets harder as you get older. I was fearless when I was nineteen. And you have to be.  You have to be in order to survive it.  Why?  Do you want to be an actress?

Q 10:  No, not really, but I really wanted to know that.

Kate Mulgrew:  You did?  Aren't they adorable? Yes… well, that's the answer!  Anything else?  Do you have a boyfriend?  You don't have a boyfriend?

Q 10:  No, not at the moment.

Kate Mulgrew:  Pinky!

All right ladies, thank you very much!

Q 10: Thank you very much!

Kate Mulgrew:  Did you see these two?  Come – did you meet Michael Kramer?  His alias is Pinky. Very dangerous man!  They're nineteen.  And how old are you?

Pinky:  I'm twenty-eight.

Kate Mulgrew:  Put it together! Maybe you'll have a beer with Pinky later on.  Danke schön Pinky. Thank you ladies.

Q 10:  Thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Bye.  Bye. I forget how young that is.  Nineteen is young, isn't it?  Or shall I say, I forget how old forty-eight is. Does that sound old?

Audience:  No!

Kate Mulgrew: (in response to someone in the back of the room) Whaaat? I can't hear!

Yes, darling?

Q 11: Good evening.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good evening, how are you?

Q 11:  I'm fine, thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good.  Good.

Q 11:  I hope you liked my card, I gave you.

Kate Mulgrew:  I did, thank you.

Q 11: With the picture…

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes, I did, thank you very much.

Q 11:  I have a question about "Ryan's Hope".

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh… I was only nineteen when I did that.

Q 11:  Well I hope you remember.  In Holland we have a soap opera called (says the name in Dutch), which is based on "Ryan's Hope".

Kate Mulgrew:  What's it called?

Q 11:  Have you seen it? On to Tomorrow.

Kate Mulgrew:  Until Tomorrow.  Based on "Ryan's Hope".

Q 11:  On to Tomorrow.

Kate Mulgrew:  On to Tomorrow.

Q 11:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good.

Q 11:  So you don't know it.

Kate Mulgrew:  No. (Kate says something in Dutch)  That's all I know!

What did you want to ask me?

Q 11:  Well, I wanted to ask you if you have seen it and if you might be able to tell us which character is based upon the one you played.

Kate Mulgrew:  On "Ryan's Hope"?

Q 11: Yah.

Kate Mulgrew:  But you mean the Dutch version of "Ryan's Hope".

Q 11:  Yah.

Kate Mulgrew: But I've never seen it.  So… On to tomorrow!

Q 11:  Okay.

Kate Mulgrew:  I'm sorry.

Q 11:  I had one more question.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes?

Q 11:  Ummm…

Kate Mulgrew:  You wrote it down?

Q 11:  I had loads of questions but I'll limit it to two…

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh you do.  Shall I pull up a chair?!  What's your question, dear?

Q 11:  Well a short one is – are you going to take "Tea at Five" to Canada?

Kate Mulgrew:  If it were up to this crowd, I'd be doing "Tea at Five" until I crawl into my grave.  Now I'm coming to Germany for a year, in English and in German!  Then I jump over to London, and then Canada!  Are you a Canadian?

Q 11:  No, my husband and I want to move to Canada.

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh!  Just in case you might want to move to Canada…!!! I'll tell you what.  You email me when you're ready to move to Canada and I'll get up there and have that play running for you by the time you get there!   Thank you!

Q 12:  Hello.

Kate Mulgrew:  I love a mind like that, don't you? She might one day want to live in Canada, so she's covering all of her bases!

Yes darling?

Q 12:  Hello.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hello, how are you?

Q 12: I was going to ask about Chakotay, but…

Kate Mulgrew:  Why don't you just ask… ask.

Q 12:  I have a very serious question to give…

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh yah?

Q 12: After the death of Katharine Hepburn, is it hard for you to go on stage again and play her …

Kate Mulgrew:  No…

Q 12:  I mean it's hard to miss a person…

Kate Mulgrew:  No.  Because you have to remember that I was not her personal friend. And what is most important when I am on the stage is that I know the audience is with me.  And fortunately or unfortunately, it is very true about human nature, that when someone very famous dies there is a sudden resurgence of curiosity about that person.  So what I'm getting is a high degree of attention and attentiveness in the audience.  So no – that's delightful and wonderful to play to.  To be honest.

Q 12:  Okay… thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you.  Don't be polite about Chakotay, ladies, because you don't fool me. Not one of you in this room fools me!  You all want to know how!

Hi!  Who are you?  Who is that masked man?  Yes darling?

Q 13: Hello.

Kate Mulgrew:  Honey – either you go up, or somebody bring it down.  She's too little. Go up on your tip toes.

Q 13:  Oh… my English is not very good.  I have a present for you.

Kate Mulgrew:  You have a what for me?

Q 13:  A present.

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh you do?  Oh… where is she going?

She's like my husband!  He says, "I have a present for you" and he disappears!

Come on up here.  Oh… pretty. Another pretty one, aren't you? Oh, verrry pretty! What is this?  Did you do this? What's your name?

Q 13:  Irene.

Kate Mulgrew:  Irene.  How old are you?

Irene:  Eighteen.

Kate Mulgrew:  You're eighteen. Irene is here – she did a wonderful picture of… a wonderful drawing of me. Let's give her a hand.  Irene… Pinky!  You're going to go off stage with Pinky now!   Pinky – come and get her… Take her off stage!  Go with him!  Go with him!  And may God have mercy on you, Irene!  Wonderful!

Who else has a question?  Yes, madam?  Hello.  Oh… there is one of my girls.  Look at this, this one's really…  You're from Austria…

Q 14: Sure.

Kate Mulgrew:  Maybe, maybe not?  All right, what's your question.

Q 14:  I have a gift for you, could I bring it…

Kate Mulgrew:  A gift for me?

Q 14: Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes you may, but I want to answer some questions too.  Come on, who's got another question for me?  Come on, darling.

Q 15:  Hi.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hi.

Q 15:  I'm a great fan of you and…

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you…

Q 15:  I'd like to thank you because of you I got to like the movies of Katharine Hepburn…

Kate Mulgrew:  Uh huh…

Q 15:  And my question is which one is your favorite movie of Katharine Hepburn?

Kate Mulgrew:  Well she did so many – that's a tough one.  When she was young, I would have to say "Alice Adams".  And nothing beats "Lion in Winter".

(Kate accepts the gift from Q 14)  Oh… from him?  I will put it on when I'm finished, thank you very much.  I'd call you … oh… Pinky!  Pinky has to take you off stage! Thank you very much.  Thank you darling… bye…good luck!  I feel like we're in Utah, if anybody gets my meaning on that one.

Now… yes?

Q 16:  Hi Kate.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hello, how are you?

Q 16: It's a pleasure to meet you, and I'm so nervous I'm trembling. And I thought the only way to get your attention focused on me for a few seconds was to ask you a very, very good question. And I actually came across with a question that I'm really interested in. So.  You are my big role model. I always tried… looked up at you and tried to be like Captain Janeway.

Kate Mulgrew:  Yah.

Q 16:  So did you have a role model when you were my age – like someone you really said – I really adore her?

Kate Mulgrew:  My mother.

I never fell in love… with an actress in that way. I had a very extraordinary mother. I mean you couldn't ask for a more dramatic, complicated, profound, funny, extraordinary personality to have in one's life.  So no.  And it's my mother who encouraged me every inch and step of the way.

But my teacher, Stella Adler, was my mentor and my guru. She taught me to become epic. She raised me above it. So of all the people who defined me, it was probably Stella Adler.  Thank you.

Q 16:  I want to thank this woman…

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes. Thank you.

Q 16:  Thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Very nice… no really.

Yes?  Finally – a man!  Yes sir?

Q 17: Good evening Miss Mulgrew:

Kate Mulgrew:  Good evening, how are you?

Q 17:  I'm a very big fan for 10 years to Star Trek – (You're my) favorite Captain of Star Trek Voyager – the very best.

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you very much.

Q 17: What (do you think of the new) Enterprise.

Kate Mulgrew:  I have never seen it.  That is the truth. That is not an excuse and that's bad of me to say that, I should have seen it by now.  But I have not seen it. So I have no… But I will say this:  Every captain thinks theirs was the best ship and the best show. So let's just be frank.  Every captain thinks that – and some of us have hair! I just can't resist that! I get so jealous of him – Patrick Stewart.  Nobody touched his hair for seven years! Guess why?! They didn't stop… do you know how many hairdos I had in the first season? Nine hairdos!  I almost killed somebody. Drove me crazy.  And it was because they couldn't figure out what to do with a female.  I'm coming back to you… hang on. But they couldn't figure it out, could they? What do we do with her hair?  What do we do with her bosom? What do we do with her hips? They were scrunching and squishing and masking and… I finally said, "Stop it. Just stop it.  Go to impulse, stand down, drop dead, I'll handle it."  And they let me go.

Do you have another question, sir?

Q 17: What…um…

Kate Mulgrew:  Are you nervous?

Q 17: What?

Kate Mulgrew:  Are you a little nervous?

Q 17: … um…

Kate Mulgrew:  You're adorable.  Why are you nervous?  Don't be nervous. There's nothing to be nervous about. What's your question?

Q 17:  What's you…

Kate Mulgrew:  I want to know your question so I can answer it!! What?  Oh… now he has a translator! What is it, sweetheart?

Q 17:  What's your favorite episode of Star Trek Voyager?

Kate Mulgrew: That's like asking who's your favorite child.  It's too tough.  Certain things spring to mind.  Love "Death Wish".  Love "Deadlock".  All of the two-parters, I loved.  Everything with a social or philosophical dilemma, I loved. Whenever the (?) characters were involved with one another – I loved that.  All of the Doctor shows, I loved, because Bob Picardo is so marvelous, isn't he?  Isn't he wonderful?

Q 17: I thank you so much, Miss Mulgrew.

Kate Mulgrew: I thank you. I guess that's the end of that, huh?

Yes, madam?  Or sir!  It's not my fault!  Look!  It's not my fault!  Beautiful hair!

Q 18: Thank you.  So.  Good evening ma'am.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good evening sir.

Q 18:  I have a question.  Maybe it's interesting for your husband, too.  Is your opinion about the world politics that it should be more like the Federation politics? The Federation politics should be like an example for our…

Kate Mulgrew:  The Federation…

Q 18:  Yes, the Federation.

Kate Mulgrew:  Starfleet should be an example all of our universe.

Q 18:  Yes.

Kate Mulgrew:  Absolutely. Absolutely. But – having said that – where would be without the Borg? The violation of the Prime Directive, Species 8472, the Vidiians.  If we don't have the conflict, we don't have the story. And this is also the story of humanity. But it is something to strive for, and that's why Star Trek has endured for as long as it has. Thank you very much.

Q 18:  You're welcome.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good night… gut (nacht).  Take care.  No more questions – just waving good bye… very nice man.

Yes madam?

Q 19: First, I just wanted to say I'm very happy that you're here in Germany…

Kate Mulgrew:  That you what… go slowly!

Q 19:  Sorry. I wanted to say that I'm really happy that you're here in Germany…

Kate Mulgrew:  So am I.

Q 19:  And then I wanted to ask you if you think that our future will be a little bit like Star Trek?

Kate Mulgrew:  Do I think our future will be like the future of Star Trek?

Q 19:  A little bit…

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes.  Now here's something else. Before I got this part, I was… how would you put it… wonder what the word for that would be?  A strict humanist. I didn't think very much about science. I certainly was not that interested in space. In the seven years of doing Voyager, in my effort to realize this role, and to make it significant on many levels – in other words, I felt if I had to speak – I had to know exactly what it was I was saying, and I had to endow it with meaning. In order to do that, I started to study physics and the great physicists of our time. Richard Fineman, of course Albert Einstein – and I began to learn on a very small level, what a vast universe this is. And anybody in this room who tells me they can have an answer – a definite answer – as to whether or not there is life in space – is telling me a lie. We don't know.  It's out there. And I also think that philosophically humanity will only become better. We can't get much worse, can we?
I don't mean us!  I don't mean… let's hope we have learned that lesson. Right?  And we continue to be better and better.

So yes.  That is my speculation. Thank you.

You see what happens?  She's young. All the young people have questions about hope. So my adjuration to the young people is don't become like most old people – don't get bitter.  And certainly don't become opinionated and silly as you get older.  Continue to nurture your hope. It's really all we have. Our hope, our innocence and our communication.

Yes, sweetheart?

Q 20: Hello Kate.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hello.

Q 20: You look beautiful tonight.

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh how nice of you.  That's so sweet.

Q 20:  I'm young as well…but I have a question…

Kate Mulgrew:  You're young as well?

Q 20:  Yeah.  But I don't have a question about hope, but about …

Kate Mulgrew:  Wait a minute.  Wait a minute. You're an interesting person. You came to the microphone and you said, 'Good evening Kate, you're beautiful, but I'm young as well!'  Is this an alien species at the microphone? You don't have a question either?  What's your… yes, you do.

Q 20:  Yah.  Can I ask a question?

Kate Mulgrew:  Go on… you can ask it.

Q 20:  I know you like books…

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes.

Q 20:  And I think you read "Angela's Ashes"?

Kate Mulgrew:  Sure. Frank McCourt.

Q 20:  Yeah.  And I was searching the internet for Frank McCourt and I found something out about his brother…

Kate Mulgrew:  Malachy's a friend of mine.

Q 20:  Malachy McCourt.

Kate Mulgrew:  My neighbor. And my friend.

Q 20:  Oh, really!

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes.

Q 20:  Yes, because I wanted to ask you if you knew him because he was in "Ryan's Hope".

Kate Mulgrew:  He was on "Ryan's Hope" - he is a great friend of mine. He too is an author in his own right.

Q 20:  Yes he did a lot of things…

Kate Mulgrew:  Yes, Malachy's a terrific guy. I do know him.

Q 20:  Thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Thank you.  Boy – the computer is fantastic, isn't it?

Yes.  I notice that not very many men are asking me questions.  Why is that? They're afraid. (audience laughs)  I'm afraid you're right.

Yes darling?

Q 21: Hi Kate.

Kate Mulgrew:  Hi, how are you?

Q 21:  I'm fine thank you.

Kate Mulgrew:  Good.  How old are you – let's get that over with!?

Q 21:  I'm only nineteen…

Kate Mulgrew:  How old are you?

Q 21:  Nineteen.  No… no…First – welcome to Germany and you should be here more often.

Kate Mulgrew:  I will try.  But I don't know… because I have to go to Canada first!

Q 21:  We know that especially the guys on Voyager like to play tricks on the set, so my question is …

Kate Mulgrew:  Oh… you have no idea. Oh, suddenly a man pipes up!  Oh yeah! Yes?

Q 21:  Did you ever become the victim obviously and did you ever play a trick on some of the others?

Kate Mulgrew:  Did I ever become a victim? Of their appalling jokes? Because you know what happens to men after midnight – on a Friday?  After sixty-five hours of work?  You know what happens to men? They become twelve years old. And… you know what else happens to them when they're confined to the bridge and it's 2 a.m.?  They become naked twelve-year-olds. With spitballs. Food fights. Dirty jokes and dirty socks. I lived through this for seven years. It shouldn't be Captain Janeway, it should be Saint Janeway!

But the worst thing they did – the worst and most unforgivable thing those guys did to me – and they got me every time. They would make me laugh so hard that I had to you know what!  And that is impossible to do in a space suit!

Long Friday nights, ladies and gentlemen.  Long and agonizing. But we laughed through seven seasons. They made me die with laughter. Robbie McNeill was merciless. You think Tim Russ, don't you, was standing behind tactical being a great lieutenant.  He had his underpants on! And his slippers!  And nothing else!  That's what I knew – and you didn't know! Robert Beltran would wake up to become Frank Sinatra for four hours. And go back to sleep! They were outrageous – and they were great. And that's what saved us.  It was fabulous.

Do you have another question, sweetheart.

René Ahlberg:  Excuse me, I'm very sorry…

Kate Mulgrew:  Is it time to go?

René Ahlberg:  Okay… call me the bad guy but I have to…

(Audience boos!)

Kate Mulgrew:  You of course know Mr. Ahlberg, but I would like to thank him personally and in front of you.  So would you give him a big hand - I had such a wonderful time. René, thank you.

René Ahlberg:  (Unintelligible.)

Kate Mulgrew: Now. So.  We've got it straight!  "Tea at Five" all over Germany. Then I jump to Holland, right? I'll do the soap opera and then "Tea at Five", then we'll go to London with "Tea at Five", and then of course  (Kate sings) "Oh Canada!"

You are wonderful. Thank you very, very much!