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The Guardian of Forever

You know, if Harlan had been alive when that episode was filmed, he might have done well playing Carl himself!

FWIW: In the hardback collected version of the IDW comic adaptation of his original "City" script, he stated that he wrote the part of Trooper, the legless WWI veteran, hoping to play the part himself.

Sir Rhosis
 
Also FWIW, and IIRC, TNG novel The Devil's Heart centers around archaeologist discoveries at the Guardian of Forever site leading Picard on an adventure eventually discovering GoFs were
grown from crystal seeds. I think Iconians are also involved.
 
FWIW: In the hardback collected version of the IDW comic adaptation of his original "City" script, he stated that he wrote the part of Trooper, the legless WWI veteran, hoping to play the part himself.
I just checked IMDb, and I don't see any acting credits for Ellison prior to 1971. Was he a SAG member? Would casting him in a speaking role have been problematic?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255196/
 
I just checked IMDb, and I don't see any acting credits for Ellison prior to 1971. Was he a SAG member? Would casting him in a speaking role have been problematic?
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255196/

That was the point of writing the Trooper character, I'd say: so a TV series producer would ask the actors' union to admit Harlan Ellison. That's a way in, and another means of earning money from then on.
 
IIRC, Ellison acted as a child and teenager in Cleveland, Ohio, and he claims that he sang in the chorus on some Broadway musical album, the name of which escapes me. Other than that, no credits I'm aware of.

Sir Rhosis

EDIT; The show/album was KISMET. See the Whitewolf Edgeworks Vol 3 bio on this page: Harlan Ellison Webderland: Surreal Biographies Although some of the bio is acknowledged as false, members on his FB fan page assert that the Kismet entry is true.
 
IIRC, Ellison acted as a child and teenager in Cleveland, Ohio, and he claims that he sang in the chorus on some Broadway musical album, the name of which escapes me. Other than that, no credits I'm aware of.

Sir Rhosis

EDIT; The show/album was KISMET. See the Whitewolf Edgeworks Vol 3 bio on this page: Harlan Ellison Webderland: Surreal Biographies Although some of the bio is acknowledged as false, members on his FB fan page assert that the Kismet entry is true.

IMDB cites him nine acting credits, so I think it was something he wanted to do for the extra money when he could get it:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255196/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1
 
David Gerrold wrote the part of Ensign Freeman (and his two lines) in "The Trouble with Tribbles" so that he could make a semi-cameo -- stuntman Paul Baxley got the role. The part of Trooper was more important speaking part, I wonder if the producers would have given it to someone with limited acting experience.
eltr1.jpg

elt2.jpg
 
The part of Trooper was more important speaking part, I wonder if the producers would have given it to someone with limited acting experience.
eltr1.jpg

elt2.jpg
I hadn’t ever heard that Ellison wanted to play Trooper, nor did I notice that the artist drew Ellison in that comic, lol.
 
A friend once wrote a spoof for his college film class.
Kirk et al are standing before the Guardian, staring in wonder.
Spock says "It is strangely beautiful."
"A COMPLIMENT! Since before your sun burned bright in..."
 
David Gerrold wrote the part of Ensign Freeman (and his two lines) in "The Trouble with Tribbles" so that he could make a semi-cameo -- stuntman Paul Baxley got the role. The part of Trooper was more important speaking part, I wonder if the producers would have given it to someone with limited acting experience.
eltr1.jpg

elt2.jpg

I thought it was Danzig
 
David Gerrold wrote the part of Ensign Freeman (and his two lines) in "The Trouble with Tribbles" so that he could make a semi-cameo -- stuntman Paul Baxley got the role.

Although Gerrold finally got the walk-on he wanted when DS9 did Trials and Tribble-ations (he was one of the security guards on K-7).
 
So, what was the agenda of the Guardian of Forever? Why did he allow random passers-by such as Spock, Kirk and McCoy access to their planet's past, risking them to change everything?

(That he didn't have one, that he was simply a device created to do so, I don't believe, given that the Guardian himself indicates that he is far beyond their 'primitive' classifications of machine and being. I could live with his motives being beyond our primitive understanding).
 
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