Continuation to "Janitor to Commander: 'Star Trek: Voyager' Commander Chakotay, Robert Beltran Shares Past and Hollywood Insider Perspective [INTERVIEW]"

Not too long ago, Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Beltran, famed for his role as Commander Chakotay, participated in a Reddit AMA where people asked the actor dozens upon dozens of questions about his film career and his upcoming feature (former Kickstarter project) Resilient 3-D, which will begin filming sometime this month.

"We've been trying to publicize Resilient as much as possible, and we began working with a publicity company to set up interviews ... and Reddit was anxious to do a session with me, and Prodigy organized it. It was 3 hours, and I had a great time," Beltran said in an interview with Latin Post. "There were still a lot of questions, and we could have gone for a few more hours easily. People were actually still asking questions for hours after the Reddit session ended. It was a fun thing to do ... I enjoy talking to the fans. Even at Comic Con; but you have to get invited to those... because they pay you. Because if they didn't, none of us would go," Beltran said to Latin Post with a laugh. "You don't fly halfway across the world to do the conventions for free.

"But, you get paid and you get to meet the fans, and they stay interested in your whole career. Star Trek: Voyager fans are really loyal. But, I have had exchanges with fans who've shown up at my door uninvited. And, I've had to extricate myself from the arms of some of the overly affectionate, rather aggressive ladies ... but that's just a small minority of Star Trek fans. Most of them are very respectful of your personal space."

While fans watch Beltan on television from their homes, Beltran himself doesn't have much time for television due to his 3-year-old daughter and his four-year marriage. His viewership is very limited.

"These women in my life are insatiable, as far as seeking my time. They can never get enough of my time," Beltran said with a reflective laugh. "By the time I go to sleep, I don't even know who I am anymore. When I do watch TV, there's rarely anything on the networks ... though I do like Modern Family, if I can find it... I think they do a good job and they're funny, and there are a couple of Latinos on that show, which is pretty nice. Occasionally, I'll watch the sports, though I don't watch the Lakers as much since Kobe hasn't been playing. We don't have a football team here in L.A., so I follow the 49ers."

The long-term bachelor, who married in his later years, met a woman who he said liked him in spite of his bad qualities. She also managed to insert some good qualities, and his daughter was able to inject additional good qualities into him as well. His 3-year-old is his only child... that he knows of, Beltran joked. He then expressed, "I'm really happy, my life is filled with joy."

"So, when I get a chance to watch a quarter of football... then my daughter wants to play, or my wife wants to play...or they both want to play at the same time. Occasionally, of course, I try to catch up with current events, which means you can't watch American television for news at all, unless you want to believe a bunch of lies. So, consequently, I watch Al Jazeera America and RT ... Russian Television. And, I find myself watching MSNBC or CNN, which are mouthpieces for the administration and propaganda, it makes me sick... so I don't watch it."

Beltran also shared his opinions on Congress, stating that people should stop thinking of themselves as democrats and republicans, as everyone in congress are funded by big corporations, who are interested in fracking and infrastructure development. Beltran stated that an overhaul of the system is sorely needed because the nation is courting disaster.

Beltran's upcoming film happens to be about global disaster. Resilient 3-D is set in 2052, and is about a Theoretical Physicist Dermot Turner (Beltran) who is charged with leading a program to move the human race from the growingly inhabitable earth to a new planet, Europa, Jupiter's moon.

Earlier on in the story, Turner's pregnant wife dies -- though she was never able to tell him that she was with child. The two loved one another, but Turner's job required a lot of work, which resulted in him being away from home often and cause trouble in their relationship. Her death left a hole in his life; and just on the tail of her death, Turner is tasked to save civilization. In many ways, the story is greatly about Turner being able to move forward. The relocation to a new planet is metaphor for reconciliation and being able to leave behind memories in order to survive and thrive. The film, which was written and will be directed by Apartment 1303 3D's Michael Taverna, attempted to utilize the fan-driven power of Kickstarter, but unfortunately did not meet their goal.

"The Kickstarter was a difficult thing to pull off. We were trying to raise $200,000, but we didn't get there. Kickstarter is better for a smaller amount. And, another problem is getting people to know that it's out there, and hopefully catching some money. It's a real job to raise that money. It can be very valuable, because I think that fans like to feel like they're a part of getting something started with a film. And, I think in the future, it'll be very valuable for small films and independent films ... that just aren't being made by the studios anymore."

"It's a 3-D film, so there are some expensive costs that go along if you want the film to be high quality. If you want your special effects to be really good... to really pop. We're trying to make the best of being short of $200,000 in cash. It's got a $5.8 million budget. The best special effects that are available to filmmakers right now are very expensive."

Even while shooting, the film will still be raising money to reach its goal. Taverna, a good friend of Beltran, called him, telling him that he had a role that he would be perfect for. Beltran, taken by the story, called it "beautiful." Taverna and Beltran have been working together for two years to get the film off of the ground. Shooting for the film will take place in Montreal.

Known best for his appearance in front of the camera, Beltran shared that he's tried screenwriting in the past, and would like to do more of it. Also, he's directed theater, and has directed a short film. Despite his magnitude of other abilities, Beltran doesn't feel compelled to be a writer or a director; he enjoys being an actor.

Beltran is also a recognized poet, and has loved poetry since he was a boy. He's performed at the Museum of Latin American Poetry for four or five years, and featured an album entitled Latino Poetry, which includes readings of works written by Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Judith Ortiz Coffer, and other great Latinos from the past until present day. Latino American poets of all flavors are represented.

Please be sure to show Beltran's upcoming film support on Twitter and on Facebook. And, be sure to follow the wonderful actor, also.

Tweets by @robertbeltran74

Tweets by @Resilient3D

Post by Resilient 3D The Movie.

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