Rene Auberjonois said that he is very proud to be on a show dealing with topical issues like Boston Legal and finds it amazing that the producers can keep the material fresh, particularly after having witnessed recycled storylines on Star Trek.

In an interview with TV Guide, the Odo actor said that working with William Shatner (Kirk) is one of the delights of his current role. "I just adore the man," he explained. "If you had asked me five years ago — his reputation as a diva had preceded him and not to his best advantage. But then I started to meet him at conventions and I was completely charmed by him."

Auberjonois, who plays the rather formal Paul Lewiston on Boston Legal — a frequent combatant with Shatner's Denny Crane — said that Shatner's interest in other people impresses him. "He asks questions, as if he's Larry King. He has this insatiable curiosity about people, whether it's the grip or a craft-services guy or a makeup person." He also finds it amusing that Denny's cell phone plays the Star Trek communicator sound effects and that there are jokes about Klingons.

"I came off seven years on a Star Trek series that constantly amazed me," he added, explaining that when he went to make a guest appearance on Enterprise after his long run on Deep Space Nine, "Scott Bakula and I were on the set talking one day and he said, 'This is a good script.' I said, 'Yeah, yeah, we did this one in Season 3.'" Auberjonois credits Boston Legal producer David E. Kelley with keeping the series interesting "by dealing with the present and things that are happening in the news every day...David has a very strong sense of his civil responsibility." Auberjonois added that he was proud to be involved in such a show

Currently Paul Lewiston's character is involved in a storyline with a daughter he has not seen in many years, the biggest arc the character has yet had on the series. "It's the happiest gig of my life and I love to have challenging and interesting things to do. But I also don't mind if I'm just being grumpy Paul Lewiston, keeping everybody in line," the actor explained. In future episodes, he added, he would seek custody of his character's granddaughter.

For more, including Auberjonois' hardest role, see the full interview at TVGuide.com.

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