A Matter of Shatner's Perspective

We need 'TJ Hooker Memories'

 

I need heather locklear ...er... stories. She was in her prime back then, truly one of the most beautiful women on the planet. (Sorry, not a very pc statement these days)

 

Douglas Adams said much the same thing with his 'lying drunk in a field outside Innsbruck' story. He'd had to repeat it so many times for interviews and articles, he eventually wasn't even sure if it had happened or if he'd just made it up for journalists.

 

Maybe we should be as forgiving of Nicholls and her Dr King story.
I saw Christopher LLoyd at a supernova in Australia and you know he was asked some questions about Adams Family and Back to the Future and then someone asked him about Kruge and he said who?

 

Supernova? As in a Comic Con?

And did he not remember the role or just the character's name?

 

We used t have a 'Supernova' and a 'ComicCon' - same thing - maybe different organisers.
He seemed to forget the role. Even when the host prompted him he didn't recover that well. I thought you know maybe he was getting dementia or something but I see that he's still working. It was some sort of cringe question like "What did it feel like when you were strangling Captain Kirk?". He sounded like he had no idea he was ever in the film.
Maybe it was a minor role for him and maybe it was his first go at conventions.
When I saw Yvonne Craig at another or the same convention she obviously expected Star Trek related questions and gave us some good gossip on the episode.

 

Or maybe he didn't remember who Captain Kirk the admiral was. Or it was a Reverend Jim moment.

 

more Shat tweets on TOS:

 

I would have said that Christopher Lloyd may have been having a bit of fun with his audience that day by asking who is Kruge? He wanted to be in that film bad as he was a fan from what I've always read!

 

Shatner has been starring in his own real life drama, ST: TWOC.

In other words, Shatner Trek: The Wrath of CONsorts.

I was surprised when I read that Shatner had divorced from his fourth wife, which happened not that long ago. I wish him well.

 

The way I heard it, Paramount had given Christopher Lloyd a "pay or play" contract to keep him on the sitcom Taxi. Lloyd was contractually entitled to get a major motion picture part, or else a bunch of cash, by a certain date. And when it came time to pay up, Paramount didn't want to give Lloyd the money, so they forced Nimoy to give him a juicy role in Star Trek III.

Nimoy wanted Edward James Olmos (later of Battlestar Galactica fame) for Kruge. He wanted a serious vibe. Didn't matter. He got a sitcom actor whose distinctive voice was indelibly comical to the audience.

 

Except....I loved Lloyd in the role. I thought he brought a wonderfully layered performance to it and made the underwritten part very interesting. He was an inspired choice. I’m not saying Olmos wouldn’t have been excellent, but I never regretted Lloyd being cast.

 

That would indeed explain the account's weird fascination with things like the Supernatural fandom, and some of the bizarre spats he gets in. None of it looks like anything a guy his age would give a damn about.

 

I always though that Lloyd was perfectly fine in the role of Kruge.

 

*wrestles a giant worm*
KRUGE: Bridge, ...nothing happening here. Am resuming search.

 

I think it would be a totally different film with Olmos. Much more serious. I think better.
Not that I have anything against Lloyd just that Olmos is a better serious actor IMO.

However I thought I remember an interview with Olmos saying something like he didn't want aliens appearing on BSG as it would be too cringe. OK not his exact words. Did anyone else see that interview or am I just imagining it (you know chucking a Takei)?
So he probably wouldn't have accepted a role as an alien you'd think.

 

I am pretty sure I read that Olmos agreed to to BSG on the condition there wouldn't be any aliens. He wasn't interested in sci-fi as much as he was having a well written series with a meaty role to play.

I think Olmos would have brought a real scary intensity to Kruge.

 

Right down to his epicanthic eyebrows!
JB

 

I think it depends on the 'universe'. They sold Edward almost on NuBSG by saying It would be a serious drama set in space - I'm sure he knew of BSG 1978 and didn't want to get into three-eyed/thee-mouthed singers and stuff like that.

Star Trek already had aliens a plenty by the time Star Trek 3 was in production; so I doubt Edward Olmos would have much of an issue with it.

 

As I'm sure others probably do on here, I've dabbled in bits of acting in the past. Some for money, others for fun. I know if I had to go into a hall in front of a large crowd to answer questions relating to something I did years ago, I would probably dread it a little. Some actors love or are happy to embrace the convention atmosphere, others are simply there for a bit of extra cash. I understand both positions.