Star Trek: Enterprise’s Connor Trinneer recalls the time Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates visited the set and took a photo with the cast.
Summary
- Bill Gates visited the set of Star Trek: Enterprise and took a photo with the cast, including Connor Trinneer in his robe.
- The first Star Trek prequel series, originally named Enterprise, premiered in 2001 and ran for 4 seasons on UPN.
- Other high-profile visitors who were Star Trek fans included Stephen Hawking, who made a cameo on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Enterprise‘s Connor Trinneer recalls the time Microsoft founder Bill Gates visited the set, and Trinneer kept his robe on during Gates’ photo with the cast. Originally named simply Enterprise, the first Star Trek prequel series premiered in 2001 on UPN and ran for 4 seasons. Bill Gates was one of many high-profile visitors who were also Star Trek fans, and this included Stephen Hawking, who came to the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation and cameoed in an episode.
At ST-SF: Trek to San Francisco, Star Trek: Enterprise actors Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating joined moderator Ryan T. Husk, host of The 7th Rule podcast, for a lively panel. As reported by TrekMovie, Trinneer told the funny story of how he met Bill Gates when the billionaire Microsoft CEO and Star Trek fan came by Enterprise‘s set during season 1. Read his quote below:
Early on in season 1, I was taking a nap in my trailer and a PA knocked on the door and said, ‘Bill Gates is here.’ I was sleeping and I was like, ‘Who?’ ‘Bill Gates, he wants to take a picture.’ And I was like, ‘Can I stay in my robe?’ And I did.
Here is the photo of Bill Gates with Star Trek: Enterprise actors Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Anthony Montgomery, Dominic Keating, and Connor Trinneer:
Star Trek: Enterprise introduced new faces to the prequel series set a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Why Star Trek: Enterprise Was Canceled In Season 4
Many bad decisions and circumstances sank Enterprise prematurely
Star Trek: Enterprise launched with aspirations of running for 7 seasons like Star Trek: The Next Generation, and even making the jump to feature films, but the prequel’s ratings were already falling in season 1. Star Trek: Enterprise‘s cancelation was due to a mixture of factors, such as overall Star Trek franchise fatigue, the decision to launch Enterprise just 4 months after the similarly ratings-challenged Star Trek: Voyager ended, and other decisions like UPN airing two episodes on the same night and Enterprise often getting pre-empted in many local markets. Enterprise also didn’t catch on with the wider Star Trek fanbase or general audiences as everyone hoped.
Star Trek: Enterprise ended on a sour note with the controversial and widely disliked series finale, “These Are The Voyages…”
A switch to a more serialized format and a new showrunner, the late Manny Coto, made Star Trek: Enterprise seasons 3 and 4 creatively stronger, but the writing was on the wall for the prequel. Enterprise was fortunate to get a fourth season, but a regime change at UPN with incoming execs not being supporters of Star Trek doomed Enterprise season 5 from happening. Still, Star Trek: Enterprise has legions of fans, including Bill Gates, who came by the set and met the cast during the show’s promising beginning in season 1.
