Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) has an accent in the early seasons of Star Trek: The Next GenerationBut it becomes less pronounced as the series goes on. As a half-Betazoid and half-human, Troi can sense the emotions of those around her, which made her perfect for the role of counselor on the USS Enterprise-D. Not only did Troy help the Enterprise crew work through their problems, she also acted as an advisor to Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Troy’s abilities allowed her to tell when potential enemies were lying down, which proved useful on many occasions.
Originally, Troy was meant to be the outsider character, like Leonard Nimoy’s Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series, But her characterization shifted after Marina Sirtis landed the role. She was still a half-stranger, though She was more sympathetic and emotional than Spock had ever been. Troy intensely experiences the emotions of an alien creature in Star Trek: The Next Generations First episode, causing her great distress. This would be toned down in later episodes, as Troy can sense others’ emotions without being consumed by them. However, while these traits are fascinating, they do not explain her inconsistent accent.
Marina Sirtis was asked to create an accent for Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Troy
Sirtis combined elements of an Eastern European and Israeli accent
When creating the characters of Deanna Troi, Gene Roddenberry and the Star Trek: The Next Generation Team wanted you to appear something foreign. This eventually led to her half-Betazoid heritage, which manifested in her dark eyes and empathic abilities. They wanted Troy to sound foreign, though Leave it to Marina Sirtis to determine the exact accent. Born to Greek parents in London, Sirtis wanted to develop an accent that would not be associated with any particular country.
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In a special feature on the TNG season 1 dvd set, Sirits said she adopted elements of an Eastern European accent and was also inspired by the accent of an Israeli friend. When Majel Barrett appeared on TNG As Dianna’s mother, Lwaxana Troi, she spoke with a distinct American accent. This raised the question of why Dinah would speak with an accent if her Betazoid mother did not. Marina Sirtis later reflected that if she could go back, she would have stuck with an American accent for Troy. ;
Troy gradually loses its accent as Star Trek: The Next Generation goes on
And she changes a lot as a character
Lwaxana Troi and other Betazoids that appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation Always had American accents, making Diana’s stand out as strange. Because of this, Counselor Troy slowly lost her accent TNG increased, and At the end of the show, she blew America. The change was so gradual that most viewers probably did not notice the inconsistencies in the way Troy spoke. Troy’s accent wasn’t the only aspect of her character that changed over the course of TNG. Her hairstyle and costumes also went through several iterations over the seven seasons of the show.
Counselor Troy wore civilian clothes for much of tng, Before she finally got to upgrade to a proper Starfleet uniform for the show’s final season. Troy has always been a vital part of the Enterprise-D crew, but she is often relegated to storylines involving her love life, many of which strip her character of agency. Wearing a Starfleet uniform and taking the bridge officer’s test made her a stronger character and allowed her to occasionally step into command of the Enterprise-D. Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers didn’t always know what to do with Deanna Troi, but she eventually became the heart of the show.
- Release date
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September 28, 1987
- Seasons
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7
- Showrunner
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Gene Roddenberry