Absolutely Right(TM). Alley asked for quite a bit of money to do ST III - a bit of a deliberate deal-breaker: the other actors made the work experience so unpleasant on TWOK that either she was going to get paid an awful lot to repeat it, or she wasn't gonna do it. Frankly, her failure to play Saavik again was scarcely a huge missed opportunity or a blow to the career that she actually has managed - where's Robin Curtis these days?
How can this be the case when Kirstie Alley was the first to be the character? Setting aside acting ability, looks, takes on the character, whatever, Kirstie was first. This logic makes about as much sense as "Chris Pine will always be Krik because he's better looking and not an emoting ham like Shatner! "
I agree. Gene Rodenberry was wrong to over rule Nick Myers. It was Myers who came up with the character after all.
WHAT IF it had not been Kirstie Alley, but, oh, say, Rosie O'Donnell? You would still say that she'd be your choice for best Saavik merely because she'd been the first? You logic is in question here, I think.
A good deal more so, in fact, since Alley went on to have a successful television career and is still well-known. Curtis...not so much. In fact, can one even describe Curtis as "washed up?" It's like Shatner sang - "it's better to be a has-been than a never-was"...Curtis is closer to the latter.
I just like the way Curtis portrayed the character better. Just because someone was first in a role, doesn't necessarily mean they're the best. I think Dirk Benedict did the best job as Faceman in The A-Team, but he was the second person to play the role. I also liked the second Becky in Roseanne better than the first.
I preferred Robin Curtis by a wide margin. She was WAY more convincing as a Vulcan IMO. Alley's performance would have been fine had it actually been stated that she was a hybrid and had not been raised as a Vulcan but they did not.
I wonder if she regrets it now. A secure place in the Star Trek Universe is worth something in your old age.
She had more Trek time (two movies) so I think of Curtis as Saavik more than Alley. But Alley gave a more memorable performance, though she was helped by a better script.
I think she may have nixed two possible returns (possibly due to scheduling though): one on STVI and one in a TNG episode where the role of the captain went to her Cheers cast mate, Kelsey Grammar, instead.
I really doubt it. It's a while yet before she has to sit at conventions signing autographs for money. Wow - that's interesting, if so.