Most interesting casting choice

I recall reading somewhere, maybe in TMOST, that casting director Joe D'Agosta found himself being credited in the industry for very inventive casting -- when the truth was that he was just winging it, and didn't know better! William Campbell himself thought it was marvelous that a guy from the Bronx had a chance to play Trelane, a fop.

D'Agosta often did cast performers against type, for example eternal one-note bad guy Morgan Woodward as Simon Van Gelder, at the very least a complex portrayal. More casting trivia: T'Pau was played by Peter Lorre's ex-wife! My favorite unusual casting was Paul Fix, a verteran of countless Westerns, as Kirk's first chief medical officer. He had a very long career, later turning up on "The Rockford Files."

Belli's casting was unfortunate, but it was just stunt casting, just as Joe Piscopo was placed on TNG.

(Incidentally, it's well known that all Sikhs involved in the Eugenics War were beardless, long-haired Mexicans. That's why Marla and the rest all recognized him as Khan so easily.)

 

Fix - and John Hoyt - were both network choices to play the ship's doctor. Roddenberry wanted Kelley both times, but the network was too conscious of Kelley's history of playing baddies. By the time NBC picked up the show as a series, De had done the Police Story pilot, and had tested very well with the preview audiences, so when it was time to put the show in production, Roddenberry could sell them on him being the doctor - thank God! Grace Lee Whitney had been in that pilot as well, so it was easy to get her for Rand.

One of the interesting casting stories in TATV 1, is how there almost was no James Doohan/Scotty in the series! GR was looking at a pretty bloated cast budget, was looking to eliminate a character! However, Doohan had signed a pretty good deal for WNMHGB, and had a guaranteed option for 5 or 6 of 13, in case of series pickup. So his agent 'reminded' GR and Desilu of the option - and we got Montgomery Scott!

 

More like a non-stunt. They originally wanted Jerry Lewis, but there was a scheduling conflict because he was doing a different show.

 

I lost track of where to quote, but as far as both Lenard and Montaigne are concerned, before Amok Time and Babel, both had been on the shortlist of 'replacement Vulcans' when Nimoy was having his post Season One contract hissy fit.

This business alone should make TATV II worth the price of admission! Not to mention GR's infamous memos to the cast regarding egos.

 

Inside Star Trek: The Real Story pretty much covered it concerning the Nimoy situation. Throw in I Am Not Spock and I doubt there's anything new on the subject that Cushman will turn up.

 

Joan Collins as Edith Keeler was very interesting to me. Collins was very beautiful - yes. But for one thing, I find it odd that Keeler should have a British accent, without her country of origin being mentioned, at all ... especially to her "Young Man" Kirk. It's also interesting casting considering what a Power House she eventually became. The 40s had no shortage of Femme Fatales, but Collins made being a bitch socially acceptable, for the 80s ... and beyond! For all of her beauty, flaunting her wares and playing bitch roles, the one thing that makes her stand out in STAR TREK is that she's damn good in her role! This woman can really act and I like how Shatner plays against her. Once she shows up, he stops acting hammy. Only Joan Collins ...