Marina Sirtis Cinzano Bianco television commercial starring Leonard Rossiter and Joan Collins, in which Collins was splattered with drink. In 1986, Sirtis relocated to the United States. When casting "", Gene Roddenberry was inspired to ask the exotic-looking Sirtis to audition for a role after seeing the film "Aliens" with Bob Justman, which featured the prominent Latina character Vasquez, played by Jenette Goldstein. Sirtis and Denise Crosby initially tried out for each other's eventual roles on "The Next Generation". Sirtis' character was going to be named Lt. Macha Hernandez, the Security Chief. Gene Roddenberry decided to switch them, and Macha Hernandez became
Leonard Rossiter by film director Alan Parker and, at Rossiter's suggestion, used an old music hall joke where he spills a drink over his wife (played by Joan Collins). In the Channel 4 programme "The 100 Greatest TV Ads" (2000) Terry Lovelock, the director of two of the commercials, said that Rossiter used to refer jokingly to Collins as "The Prop". In the animated adaptation of "The Perishers" (1978) Rossiter provided the voice for Boot the dog. He reprised Rigsby for a film version of "Rising Damp" in 1980, thus achieving the distinction of playing the same role on stage, television and