Leonard Nimoy tweeted on Jan 20 that he missed DeForest Kelley on his birthday (De's birthday was Jan 20) and I thought I'd make a Happy Birthday thread for De, and for Leonard, who seems to a little on the blue side these days. So anyone wanting to wish De a "Happy Birthday" and maybe tell a story or two about him, please do. And Leonard, if you're out there, we wouldn't mind hearing a story or two about your good friend...
Maybe that's another reason I liked De. We were both preacher's kids, his background inspired me to try acting in high school, and his birthday was right before mine (today). Only got to meet him once, but saw him several times.
I don't really have a De story, sadly, I never met him, but I am currently in the middle of a TOS re-watch, which I started on Jan. 19, and I watched "The Man Trap" the morning of the 20th. Not the best episode, but it IS a McCoy story, sort of. And yeah, the timing was intentional.
When I was a child, Spock was my favorite character. In my 30s, I wanted to be Kirk. Now that I'm (ahem) older, I identify most with McCoy. Which is a fine place to be, I assure you. Happy birthday to a fine actor whose broad range of work happily intersected our own interests, courtesy of Star Trek.
Here's a screen capture of DeForest Kelley in a minor role in an episode of THE FUGITIVE ("Three Cheers For Little Boy Blue"). Happy Birthday De - thanks for all the great work. Harry
In 1966, I was unfamiliar with the regular cast members. It was sort of strange for me to then see them in contemporary clothes during the show's first run. Shatner appeared on a morning talk show (Lloyd Thaxton Show?) in a open-collared shirt but had his pointy sideburns. Nimoy showed up on a game show (perhaps You Don't Say!) with the haircut, normal ears, and penciled-in rounded eyebrows. And he was laughing!
Sadly, I never got the honor of meeting De, but I did get to see him in person at several conventions and other events. What I do remember was how he seemed to genuinely enjoy being with the fans almost as much as we enjoyed being with him. Just an old, country doctor.
I've alway had a soft spot for De. We share a birthday and a birth state. He also looks and sounds like a member of my family.