Michael Dorn Reveals Lie That Prevented Him From Directing More Star Trek: Enterprise Episodes

“Scott Bakula Hated Michael”: Star Trek: TNG Actor Exposes Enterprise Producers' Lie By  John Orquiola Published 17 minutes ago John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 4,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Star Trek: The Next Generation icon Michael Dorn exposes a lie that prevented him from directing Star Trek: Enterprise. Along with playing Worf, Star Trek's greatest Klingon, Michael Dorn directed three episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine while also starring in the series.

Michael Dorn directed Star Trek: Enterprise season 1, episode 25, "Two Days and Two Nights." Unfortunately, the comedic romp on the pleasure planet Risa turned out to be the only episode of the Star Trek prequel starring Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer that Dorn was hired to direct.

Appearing on The D-Con Chamber podcast, Michael Dorn explained to hosts and Star Trek: Enterprise castmates Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer that he was lied to about why "Two Days and Two Nights" was the only Enterprise episode Dorn directed.

Michael Dorn reveals how his directing Enterprise was born from his negotiations to appear in Star Trek: Nemesis, and producers used Scott Bakula's name to lie to him. Read Dorn's quote below:

This came about, and interestingly enough, this adds something to it, when they came out with our last movie [Star Trek: Nemesis], that was the movie that we weren’t contracted for… And so, in our negotiation, and this is the facts, I read the script, and I wasn’t very happy with the script. Number one… there wasn’t much Worf in it at all…

But they said, ‘Well, what do you want?’ And I said I want to direct... And I was supposed to do three episodes of Enterprise… Three or four… And it was my fault, because… They said, ‘Look, we’ll give you one guaranteed and three pay-or-play.’ And I should’ve said, ‘No. Guarantee.’ And so, I did the one [episode], and they paid me off for the other three.

[It was] extremely disappointing, because you kinda go, ‘You mean I was that bad?’ That they’re like, ‘We don’t wanna see him ever again.’ It was just terrible… And then also… my agents called them and said, ‘Look, what the hell is going on?’ And they said, ‘Scott Bakula hated Michael.’ It’s bulls***. So that’s why they didn’t want [me directing more Enterprise].

When Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer expressed how Scott Bakula could never have said that, Michael Dorn agreed and said he talked to Scott about it years ago:

Michael Dorn: You know what, I had talked to Scott. He was in London at Patrick [Stewart’s] place, and [we] had a lovely time. And I knew it wasn’t true. Scott [and] everybody on [Enterprise], the actors, were consummate professionals. There wasn’t ‘stuff’ going on.

Watch Michael Dorn's full appearance on The D-Con Chamber below:

As a class act, Michael Dorn didn't name who lied to his agents that Scott Bakula supposedly "hated" him. Regardless, Dorn, Connor Trinneer, and Dominic Keating all know Scott Bakula personally, and they agree that Scott would never have said he "hated" Michael Dorn or used his clout to prevent Dorn from directing more episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Scott Bakula's stellar reputation is well-known throughout Hollywood. Countless actors and crews who have worked with Bakula have hailed him as a consummate professional and an excellent leader who cares about every person in each production Scott works on. After directing Bakula, Michael Dorn never believed the lie that Scott "hated" him.

Along with being the only episode of Star Trek: Enterprise that Michael Dorn directed, "Two Days and Two Nights" also turned out to be the last time that Dorn directed any Star Trek. After Star Trek: Nemesis, Dorn would not return to the franchise until Star Trek: Picard season 3, when he reprised Captain Worf.

With 283 appearances as Worf in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series and movies, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Picard, Michael Dorn holds a record that will never be broken. Michael Dorn can also be proud that his episode of Star Trek: Enterprise is one of the most entertaining outings of season 1.

134 9.1/10 6/10

Star Trek: Enterprise

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Drama Action Adventure Science Fiction Fantasy Release Date 2001 - 2005-00-00 Network UPN Showrunner Brannon Braga Directors David Livingston, Allan Kroeker, Michael Vejar, David Straiton, Roxann Dawson, LeVar Burton, James A. Contner, Robert Duncan McNeill, James L. Conway, James Whitmore Jr., Michael Grossman, Marvin V. Rush, Patrick R. Norris, David Barrett, Jim Charleston, Michael Dorn, Rob Hedden, Terry Windell, Winrich Kolbe, Les Landau, Manny Coto Writers Chris Black, Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Judith Reeves-Stevens, David A. Goodman, Alan Brennert, André Jacquemetton, Brent V. Friedman, Fred Dekker, Ken LaZebnik, Maria Jacquemetton, James Duff, Jonathan Fernandez, Paul Brown, Stephen Beck, André Bormanis, Manny Coto, Michael Sussman, Allan Kroeker, Brannon Braga, David Wilcox, John Shiban, Judith Reeves-Stevens, Phyllis Strong, Rick Berman, Tim Finch 6 Images Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer on the bridge of the NX-01 Enterprise in Star Trek EnterpriseRiker in the Star Trek Enterprise finaleCaptain Archer giving a speech in Star Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek Enterprise Crew promotional still.T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) looks at a Frankenstein toy in Star Trek Enterprise finaleClose

Cast

See All

• Scott Bakula Jonathan Archer
• Jolene Blalock T'Pol

Franchise(s) Star Trek Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy Creator(s) Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Gene Roddenberry Powered by Expand Collapse

• Star Trek: Enterprise
• Star Trek

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