Movies - TV
Star Trek’s Colm Meaney Didn’t Want O’Brien To Have An Irish Accent
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
The character of Chief Miles O'Brien first appeared in the pilot episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Encounter at Farpoint" (September 28, 1987).
O'Brien was played by reliable Irish actor Colm Meany, who once revealed that he often butted heads with casting directors over his accent.
As an actor in Los Angeles, Meany wanted to prove his range and “didn't want to be playing Irish parts all the time.” He tried to make Chief O'Brien American.
However, “Star Trek: TNG” executive producer Rick Berman disagreed and felt that the U.S.S. Enterprise-D should have a definitive Irish voice.
This was perhaps an effort to keep “Star Trek: The Next Generation” multicultural like its 1966 forebear. The original series, after all, featured Scottish and Russian accents.