Martin Landau as Spock?

Over the years, we've all read more than a few times that Martin Landau was originally considered for Spock, usually by Landau himself (and in some of the less reliable reference books), who usually says he turned it down because "I can't play unemotional." But according to DC Fontana, and backed up by Herb Solow in his and Bob Justman's "The Real Story" book, Gene Roddenberry never wanted anyone but Nimoy from the start, remembering him from Gene's own The Lieutenant series. Laudau's name never even comes up.

When Nimoy was having his salary fight in the 2nd year, Landau was already starring in Mission: Impossible, so that's not it either. By the way Landau wouldn't even commit to a long term contract to that series, he signed up year by year, so why would he have taken the Spock role anyway? He never mentions that part.

So what the real scoop? Personally, I side with with Fontana and Solow. I smell bullshit, honestly, some stuff dreamed up to further connect the actors and their series since Nimoy replaced Landau on M:I once Trek ended. And the fact that both men were (are?) friends and both shows were Desilu produced and started at the same time.

 

Anyone who's seen Space: 1999 might disagree with Landau's contention that he can't play unemotional...

 

Actually, I enjoyed his work on 1999. His wife however....

 

I think Martin would've done a good job as well.

 

Fontana was Roddenberry's secretary during The Lieutenant, and was involved with Star Trek from the very beginning. She was definitely around when "The Cage" was being cast.

 

DC Fontana worked with Roddenberry as his secretary while doing freelance writing, did she not? She was with him in that capacity until she devoted her career to writing and left that position when Star Trek was in production. So she would know what was going on.

Of course there would be other actors in mind as backups. But Nimoy didn't decline. So if your first choice agrees, you don't offer another actor the role. Landau is noted as having been offered the role first. That is what I question, because I never heard it from anyone on staff (not counting the actors). I think something of that weight would have been mentioned by Solow and Justman. Of course, just because I don't believe it doesn't make it so. I just don't believe it.

He was listed as a potential replacement, along with Mark Lenard during the salary disputes in the second year.

Because the actors construct these stories all the time, repeating them for so long they become part of the truth to them. Shatner, Doohan, Nicholls, Takei all have done it. Why not Martin Landau? There have been so many holes shot in the Star Trek Legends over the years, what's one more? But, fine, I wasn't there and I've met Landau and I know he's a hell of a nice guy. And I admire him as an actor, so I won't say he's lying. Maybe he just got caught up in the stories. Just that in 40+ years, I've never read or heard from anyone other than the actors about Landau being the first choice.

So given a choice of believing actors who would have heard it after the fact (Star Trek's cast - with the possible exception of Nimoy himself) or people who were there at the time (the Desilu guys like Solow), I'll go with the people who were there at the time.

But if someone wants to produce a memo or even an interview with Solow, Justman or someone on staff from that period backing up the Landau claim, I am more than happy to go with the evidence. Had even Roddenberry said "I originally wanted Marty Landau?" If he did, I missed it.

 

In her introduction to the recent book, "Star Trek 365," D.C. Fontana mentions that Nimoy was Roddenberry's choice for the role when gave her his eleven page proposal for the series to read in April of 1964.

By mid-October, 1964, an inter-office memo lists Nimoy as one of four potential actors to play Spock. Note that "Number One," which was written specifically for Majel Barrett, has the same number of names listed as the Spock role, and that Barrett and Nimoy are both listed first.

 

^I'm trying to wrap my brain around Deforest Kelly as Spock. It's not easy to imagine, to say the least.

 

Very true!

I'm also quite intrigued by the idea of Bruce Dern in Star Trek.

 

He would have been great as Joe in "Naked Time".

 

^^^
Yes!

 

Get off me! You don't rank me and you don't have pointed ears, so just get off my neck!

 

Well done, Sir. Well done.

 

I'm impressed with the photoshop skills...

 

Thank you. I was lucky to find two photos that worked together with minimal trouble.

 

I mean, he was a fine actor and all, and I’ve got nothing against dwarfs, but Michael Dunn as Spock? Seriously?

Yvette Mimieux would have been a good choice for Vina.



But Jill St. John? Naaah.

BTW, notice how many actors’ names are misspelled in that memo.

 

Probably not too seriously. Roddenberry wanted Nimoy for the role. Any effort expended looking for another choice appears to be minimal.

 

Michael Dunn as Spock certainly would have made him even more alien if all Vulcans were small statured. An interesting idea.

I think I might've liked seeing Lee Meriwether as Number One. Certainly moreso than Majel.

Ross Martin would have been wasted as Tyler, given the thinness of the character.

 

Isn't it possible that Solow and Justman could be mistaken and/or lying?