This Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star learned funny filming secret from Jonathan Frakes

When Howie Seago guest-starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a deaf mediator on season 2's episode, "Loud as a Whisper," the actor learned an interesting way to ensure that a bad take wasn't used, thanks to Jonathan Frakes.

In an interview in the Trek Untold Podcast [via Screenrant], Seago shared that he made a mistake in one of the scenes, but he continued to film. Afterwards, he told Frakes that he hoped the scene wasn't used because of the mistake. Then Frakes shared the secret to making sure that didn't happen. He told the actor that if he made a mistake to swear long and loud. That way, the take could not be used since certain curse words were not allowed on television during the time when Star Trek: The Next Generation aired.

"One thing that I did learn from, I think it was Jonathan Frakes. This is his sign, [uses hands to mimic a beard on his face] cause he had a big ole’ beard. I made a mistake in one of the scenes, but I kept going. I said, ‘Jonathan, I hope they don’t use that in the scene. I hope they don’t use that take.’ And Jonathan said, ‘If you make a mistake, swear. That’s the secret.’ Swear! Long and loud. ‘Excuse me, why?’ ‘Then they can’t use the take.’ Ah ha! I didn’t know that. And that’s something I’ve learned. So if I made a mistake, I have to really belt one out, you know? And Jonathan looked at me like, ‘yeah, you got it, buddy.’ So I learned so many important things from Star Trek."

- Howie Seago

Of course, the advice Frakes shared back then wouldn't work as well today as even the strongest curse words have been used on the newer iterations of Star Trek, including the shocking time when Admiral Picard dropped the f-bomb. A lot of fans weren't pleased, but it's not uncommon nowadays to heard that word and others cropping up on any streaming channel. While network television still regulates what words are allowed, there is a much more leeway for streamers who just provide an MA warning on the episodes, letting the audience know it's for mature audiences only.