(Jeffrey Combs)
The master in tellling and spotting lies ...
Odo: "Who's trying to kill you?"
Weyoun 6: "Everybody."
Odo: "Aren't you being paranoid about this?"
Weyoun 6: "Of course I am - everybody is trying to kill me!"
Oops, sorry, wrong movie ... yes, Herbert West has come a looooong way ... though one has to admit that Jeffrey Combs' performance of the "master in spotting and tellling lies" does have some resemblance to the - uhm - special characters he used and uses to give in masterpieces of the movie history like "Re-Animator", "Castle Freak", "Lurking Fear", "The Frighteners" and others ... there is a certain lunacy about Weyoun, no doubt!
I've never been a big fan of DS9. I've grown up with TOS, and it took me quite some time to get to like TNG. Even today, I can't watch the first shows of DS9 without yawning. Not to talk about VOY which I try to avoid wherever I can. Maybe I'm too old. Sigh. However, Weyoun is one of the most interesting characters in the DS9 universe, and he sure was the reason I tuned into DS9 on a regular basis.
But I gotta say that the last two seasons of the show were really good, and I didn't miss out on a single one. All actors and actresses sure were characters, not just beautiful or handsome decoration to sell advertising time, like VOY seems to be. Garak, Weyoun, Damar, Gul Dukat ... these sure were characters that were more than just side figures and line droppers for the main cast.
Yes, I admit it, Vorta are far away from being a likable kind. You can't trust them, they are real weasels, they cheat, they lie - in other words, they are not much different from most politicians these days. A wonderful example is the scene between Weyoun and Sisko when they both assure the other one with a smile that they are both sensible men and wouldn't start a war for all the tea in China, both knowing the war will start any minute. Great acting, from both guys.
But compared to let's say Tony Blair there is one thing that should make us like them, though: they are cute. Ok, that's not really a reason to let them rule the quadrant, but though ... it's interesting how these characters developed. Just take Weyoun in "Ties of Blood and Water" - here he gave his stereotype next-door madman (just take the scene where Gul Dukat and Sisko exchange polite little insults). Hey, did those writers really think any of us would believe that a race as mighty and powerfull as the Founders would let Herbert West run the place?
OK, I admit it: I got a weak spot for this guy. He's cool (yeah, I know, everything is called "cool" today, but he really is), and I love his voice ( I think Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio are downright ugly. So not much of a surprise.) What if his audition for the part of Will Riker had been successfull? We'd gotten around that bearded Casanova that got the part, ok. But then we'd never had Weyoun - and what a lost THAT had been! I
t's not sheer pleasure for an actor to be typecasted on one character - specially if it's the one of Mad Scientist, Mad Killer or plainly mad anybody.
I don't like splatter movies. In fact I prefer the more "gothic" and subtile horror of the old horror movies from the 30ies (ah - Bela ...), but being a great admirer of H.P. Lovecrafts works ever since I was a child (in fact I read "The Lurking Fear" at the age of nine - still wondering why I am the way I am?) it was only a matter of time to be confronted with Mr Combs. And I don't know anybody who's able to add class to even the worst piece of celluloid in such a fine way as he does.
If you wanna read more about the man behind Weyoun's lug ears, please go to
BRUSH'N'COMBS
and read all about it!
I might not make myself a lot of fans with this remark, but from my point of view the "side characters" delivered some of the best acting in this show, sometimes more than the whole "main cast". Less Bashir and more Garak, I'd say. Specially Casey Biggs aka Damar (Gul? Legate? Titles - keeping track of them is a full-time job ...) did some outstanding work here. They sure shot the wrong guy at the end of the show (and at the beginning, just to state this at least once ...) Maybe some cloning could help?
JUST FOUND A GREAT PAGE ON DAMAR - ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK BELOW!
