Chekov Replacement?

TOS director Joe Pevney recommended Walter Koenig for the role of Chekov, even though Pevney said Koenig had the worst Russian accent he ever heard. I am not a huge fan of Koenig's portrayal of Chekov. So, are there any other actors from the 1960's who you think could have filled the part better?

 

Honestly, I have no idea-Koenig took the role and made it his own. An established 'better' actor might not have done such a good job.

 

The way I heard it, Walter was the only actor seen for the role. He gave his reading and they hired him. [I think that's true of Walter, George, and Nichelle; correct me if I'm wrong.] I think he interprets that as a mark of pride, because they cast him on the spot, but I wonder if they put enough time and care into the casting process. I wonder if he would have won a more competitive audition.

You hear about important roles where 200 actors are read for the part, with many call-backs to work through, and the job goes to what amounts to a tournament winner, a champion who was just right and really nailed it. When that happens, you get a good performance. I can see Jimmy Doohan possibly winning a competitive audition for Scotty, but for our other five supporting parts, namely Sulu, Uhura, Chekov, Rand, and Chapel, it doesn't seem like we got tournament-winning material. For some, it was literally first come, first served.

 

Wrong about Nichelle. Whilst perusing some of the old TOS production docs I ran across the a memo—there's no day listed on it, but it appears to be May 1966—that lists four actresses all to appear at 11:00 am on "Thursday" for the as yet unnamed "Communications" role for "The Corbomite Maneuver". They were:

Mittie Lawrence (photo)
Ena Hartman (photos)
Nichelle Nichols
Gloria Calomee (photos)​

 

Thanks, that's informative. But since GR had a prior relationship with NN, and they were intimate (to put it delicately) during the run of TOS, I doubt if the other women up for the role ever had a real chance. Therefore I still think that her part was not competitively cast, unless the competition involved a willingness to hide naked under GR's desk.

 

Koenig says there was at least one other person considered. https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/the-other-possible-chekov.283844/

 

I've heard similar criticism before, and I've always wondered how it could be the case when Koenig actually based the accent on the way his own real-life Russian immigrant father spoke?

Kor

 

Whatever the circumstances, I find it interesting that all the candidates were Black - and so was Lloyd Haynes, who played the (male) communications officer in "Where No Man..." I'd think today an as-yet-unnamed role of this sort would be open to all races, and the character developed in harmony with the person who got the role. Looks like back then you had to decide a character's race up front.

I'm reminded of a story David Gerrold had in one of his books about when he was writing "Tribbles". He told himself he should deliberately put in a part for an African-American, and then realized that Nichelle Nichols was already in the cast. This led to a further realization that characters should be human beings first, and "types" second.

 

I thought he said it was Lithuanian grandparents. Perhaps I misremember. Anyway, my downstairs neighbors are Russian and their accents are nothing like Valter's.

 

"Vere are da nuklear wessels?"

 

Wikipedia says his parents were Russian immigrants who lived in Lithuania.

 

Re. Gerrold, I do see the GR/casting side, where in 1965/6 you're wanting to make a point to a very torn nation that the different "races" will in the future live in harmony (and by implication, can do so in 1966).

Wow, and 2017, actually. I am 51 and just heartbroken, if I may add, about how we are regressing in race relations.

 

Walter's risible, faux-Russian accent is probably what pushed his character into comic relief. That, and what turned out to be his complete lack of heart-throb potential.

Notice that George Takei was not expected to do a thick Japanese accent, and especially not for comic effect. Gilligan's Island tried that with Vito Scotti as a Japanese sailor, and the hilarious result was not cool, man. Not cool.

 

"OK, Walter. Time to film your big, love scene. Ready.....Action!"

 

"Cut! Let's try that again. Chekov love scene, Take 2."

 

Unless Roddenberry also had a similar relationship with all four of the women.

 

Judging from what Solow, Justman and other associates of GR have said, I wouldn't be surprised if that was true.

 

Well, if anyone still believes the time-worn "The Monkees was so popular, that Chekov was created to be a Davy Jones type" story, then why not go to the source...



Hey, Davy even has a pullover with a black collar in that episode...

 

Chekov :
"Hey (pause)
Hey (pause)
Ve're da Mon-kees."

 

Sulu wasn't originally intended to be Japanese as indicated in a productions memo and the non-Japanese Sulu moniker. He was conceived as pan-asian. Everything else is a retcon.