The Benzites are one of my favorite aliens in Star Trek, and on this episode of “Trek Untold,” we speak with the man behind the makeup of the very first one ever seen onscreen, John Putch.
Putch was in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” twice, first as Mordock in the first season episode “Coming of Age” and returned as Mendon in “A Matter of Honor” in season two. We learn about the makeup process and origins of this alien and what it was like working with Wil Wheaton, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and others from TNG.
John was also in the opening scenes of the “Star Trek: Generations” movie as a journalist with a video camera running on his head. He was there for when William Shatner, James Doohan, and Walter Koenig boarded the Enterprise-B with Alan Ruck, and he has A LOT of Shatner stories to tell you about!
Plus, stories of his mother Jean Stapleton AKA Edith Bunker from “All in The Family” and growing up around Norman Lear, Bea Arthur, Sherman Hemsley, Bill Macy, and others, being on the original “One Day At A Time,” “Jaws 3-D”, his work today as a director for many well-known films and television shows, including tips on how to be a micro-budget filmmaker.
- Check out some of John’s work on his official website - Putchfilms.com
- Learn more about the Route 30 series of films here - Route30trilogy.com
- Check out the award-winning “Father and The Bear” - Fatherandthebear.com
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Trek Untold is sponsored by Triple-Fiction Productions, a US-based company that 3-D prints Trek-inspired prop replicas for fan films and cosplayers, as well as accessories and playsets for all iterations of Trek figures through the years. Visit them at Triple-Fictionproductions.net.
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