The cast that wasn't

[gomtuu20]

I think that the success of TOS proves that it got the best cast possible for the series. I have read about other actors considered for various roles though and can't help but wonder what the show might have been like if they had been cast.

Martin Landau was, at one time, considered for the role of Spock. Leonard Nimoy's performances were in no small way part of the reason why the show was so successful. But I think Landau would have been a really excellent choice too. I'm suprised they didn't use him for someone like Ston.

I think I read that Jack Lord was considered for the role of Kirk. I think he would have been a good choice too, but I don't think Trek would have been as successful in the all-out-comedy episodes. I think it would have probably remained more serious with Jeffrey Hunter too, but who knows.

TOS actors were so good in their Trek roles, that it was difficult to picture anyone else in those roles for about 30 years. The cast of Jar Jar's, I mean J.J.'s Trek, I think, shows just how good the original cast really was and how difficult it has been to replace them.

Anyway, some of you will no doubt be aware of some other cast considerations that never came to be. I would be interested in hearing about them and hearing your opinions on how the show would have been diffferent if they had been cast. I almost called this "The cast that got away", but that wouldn't really be appropriate for what I had in mind. The TOS had the best possible cast, but what if.......?

 

[Nerys Myk]

I think you could have made your point without this. Makes you sound petty and juvenile.

The cast of Jar Jar's, I mean J.J.'s Trek,

Shatner and Nimoy helped define Kirk and Spock. Kelly and to a lesser extend Doohan did the same for McCoy and Scott. In the hands of other actors they would have gone along a different path. Possibly a less memorable one. The rest of the cast were pretty replaceable and were replaced in several episodes with out the show skipping a beat.

The real key was chemistry. Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly had that. And I think Pine, Quinto and Urban have it too. Outside of nostalgic considerations, the folks in the movie playing Scott, Uhura, Chekov and Sulu are probably better than the originals.


IIRC, Lloyd Bridges was also considered for Kirk. Mark Lenard was a possible Spock. McCoy was written with Kelly in mind.
Landau was busy with Mission Impossible and I doubt he would consider Stonn a meaty enough role. Mostly Stonn stood there looking like a wounded puppy.

 

[gomtuu20]

I don't think Lloyd Bridges would have been a good choice.
Mark Leonard had the acting chops to make Spock very good too.

 

[YARN]

Kirk - Jeffrey Hunter (he did just fine with his turn as Captain).

Spock - Martin Landau (he had an exotic enough look and the acting chops)

Spock (alternate) - James Coburn.

McCoy - Kelly (hard to think of a suitable replacement)

Scotty - Michael Caine (he would've knocked it out of the park)

Chekhov - Roddy McDowall

Nurse Chapel - Anne Margaret

Sulu - Takei was fine

Uhura - Diana Rigg

 

[Nerys Myk]

Bridges seems the type they were looking at. Serious stoic types. He, Lord and even Hunter were older than Shatner. One could speculate they wanted something closer to "Picard" than Kirk. Shatner, especially in the second pilot had a baby face that didn't quite say ''seasoned officer'' like the other three actors did. Early in season one Shatner usually played Kirk without that mischievous glint in the eye that would become more prominent later on. Though casting against type was some Gene did. Kelly was known for playing heavies not Doctors who wear their hearts on their sleaves.

More speculation: If Doohan had done a Russian accent that caught Gene's ear would we be talking about Lt Commander Chekov, Chief Engineer of the Enterprise and an English navigator?

 

[Timewalker]

Kirk - Jeffrey Hunter (he did just fine with his turn as Captain).

Spock - Martin Landau (he had an exotic enough look and the acting chops)

Spock (alternate) - James Coburn.

McCoy - Kelly (hard to think of a suitable replacement)

Scotty - Michael Caine (he would've knocked it out of the park)

Chekhov - Roddy McDowall

Nurse Chapel - Anne Margaret

Sulu - Takei was fine

Uhura - Diana Rigg

Roddy McDowall as Chekov... yep, nothing like an iconic English actor yakking on about "Russian inwentions."

I don't recall when the first Planet of the Apes movie was made, but ONLY Roddy McDowall could have done justice to the roles of Cornelius/Caesar.

It's too bad Jeffrey Hunter couldn't have done a turn as a guest star, playing the Captain of another starship. Mind you, if that had happened, we might not have gotten the magnificent two-parter of "Menagerie" and seen Captain Pike.

I don't understand why Jack Lord was considered. I saw him in most of the episodes of Hawaii Five-O, and he seemed so wooden. He never got his hair mussed or his suit dirty. Even Jack McCoy in Law & Order was more like a real person with a real off-duty life! (and Sam Waterston is a much better actor)

 

[YARN]

Roddy McDowall as Chekov... yep, nothing like an iconic English actor yakking on about "Russian inwentions."

I don't recall when the first Planet of the Apes movie was made, but ONLY Roddy McDowall could have done justice to the roles of Cornelius/Caesar.

Well, that's the idea. With Roddy you have him play Chekov as, you know, a real character and not a cutural bumper sticker.

 

[Timewalker]

You really think Shatner would have agreed to share the limelight with an actor of McDowall's calibre?

 

[Nerys Myk]

I don't think McDowell would want to be a day player.

 

[Mysterion]

Leslie Neilson as Kirk. That'd get the Forbidden Planet conspiracy theorists in twist, wouldn't it?

 

[YARN]

I don't think McDowell would want to be a day player.

That's pretty much what he was. He never really broke through. He did a lot of bad TV and movies for years. Horror, blacksploitation, didn't matter - he apparently needed the money.

 

[Christopher]

I don't recall when the first Planet of the Apes movie was made, but ONLY Roddy McDowall could have done justice to the roles of Cornelius/Caesar.

It was filmed in May-August 1967 and released in April 1968.

And McDowall actually didn't play Cornelius in the second film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes in 1970. David Watson played the role there, though the mask made it harder to tell the difference. McDowall returned in the third film in 1971 and was the linchpin of the franchise from then on, playing Caesar in the fourth and fifth films and Galen in the TV series.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Leslie Neilson as Kirk. That'd get the Forbidden Planet conspiracy theorists in twist, wouldn't it?

I've always said Leslie Nielsen shoulda played a live-action Commodore Robert April (from TAS).

And John Phillip Law as a guest or regular Andorian crewman.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I don't think McDowell would want to be a day player.

That's pretty much what he was. He never really broke through. He did a lot of bad TV and movies for years. Horror, blacksploitation, didn't matter - he apparently needed the money.

I think co starring in films and guest starring in TV dramas is higher on the food chain that being a day player in failing TV series. When Trek was filming/on the air he was in films like Inside Daisy Clover, Five Card Stud and Planet of the Apes. Not sure he'd trade those for Chekov.

 

[YARN]

I don't think McDowell would want to be a day player.

That's pretty much what he was. He never really broke through. He did a lot of bad TV and movies for years. Horror, blacksploitation, didn't matter - he apparently needed the money.

I think co starring in films and guest starring in TV dramas is higher on the food chain that being a day player in failing TV series. When Trek was filming/on the air he was in films like Inside Daisy Clover, Five Card Stud and Planet of the Apes. Not sure he'd trade those for Chekov.

It's not beyond the pale. Strictly speaking, no one other than the original cast and crew could have done it given the original timeline of events. And he would've have been a good actor for Trek.

 

[Nerys Myk]

That's pretty much what he was. He never really broke through. He did a lot of bad TV and movies for years. Horror, blacksploitation, didn't matter - he apparently needed the money.

I think co starring in films and guest starring in TV dramas is higher on the food chain that being a day player in failing TV series. When Trek was filming/on the air he was in films like Inside Daisy Clover, Five Card Stud and Planet of the Apes. Not sure he'd trade those for Chekov.

It's not beyond the pale. Strictly speaking, no one other than the original cast and crew could have done it given the original timeline of events. And he would've have been a good actor for Trek.

Love his work. His career at the time just wouldn't match up to the type of role Chekov was. A guest starring role would be more in line with the time frame.

 

[Gary7]

It's too bad Jeffrey Hunter couldn't have done a turn as a guest star, playing the Captain of another starship. Mind you, if that had happened, we might not have gotten the magnificent two-parter of "Menagerie" and seen Captain Pike.

Jeffrey Hunter passed away on May 27, 1969, so he was alive for most of TOS. His acting credits were rather sparse in 67-69. I really think having him as a guest starship captain on TOS would have been terrific. But, given the constrained budgets, we were lucky to get who we did for guest stars and I think Hunter's wife would have insisted on too high a payment.

 

[A.V.I.A.F.]

Landau would definitely have been an asset to the show. If you haven't already, check out his performance in the 1963 Outer Limits episode entitled, "The Man Who Was Never Born."

I don't know about Landau playing Spock only because Nimoy was so great. I think Landau would have made an excellent captain, but then would we have had the same chemistry? Maybe Landau in a meaty role as a villain or alien that the crew encounters. Something of the same caliber as Khan or Flint in terms of screen time.

 

[Harvey]

IIRC, James Coburn was briefly considered to play the lead, but eventually the idea was dropped, for whatever reason. That would have been an interesting choice, and a bit different than Shatner or Hunter's version of the Captain.

 

[scotpens]

Nurse Chapel - Anne Margaret

Yeah, I can see that . . .

(Any excuse to Photoshop a pic of Ann-Margret.)