What actor would you have liked to see?
- Thread starter PCz911
- Start date
Robert Conrad and Anne Francis as starship captains.
Carole Bouquet (as a Romulan)
Morgan Freeman (as a Starfleet captain)
Sir Christopher Lee (as a Starfleet flag officer)
Paul Winfield (as a young Clark Terrell)
--Sran
Morgan Freeman (as a Starfleet captain)
Sir Christopher Lee (as a Starfleet flag officer)
Paul Winfield (as a young Clark Terrell)
--Sran
There are a lot of actors that would've been great, but here are my top choices that come to mind:
1) David Carradine
2) Philip Ahn---This is clearly not a household name, so allow me to explain: He was a Korean actor known for playing Master Kan in the show "Kung Fu". He had a lot of stature and had a great, authoritative voice that was at the same time quiet. His was a quiet, reflective authority. Would've been a PHENOMENAL Vulcan, or even a great Starfleet Bureaucrat of the week.
3) Bruce Lee---His energy was through the roof. Would've made a memorable Red Shirt, possibly fighting Khan's underlings. Can you imagine Kirk and Lee fighting side-by-side? I know there's a copy of this episode waiting for me in Heaven.
4) Van Williams---Good looking guy, who might've made a great contemporary ship captain or commander for Kirk to team up with or even have a rivalry with.
5) Keye Luke---Already played Gov. Cory in "Whom Gods Destroy", but I would've enjoyed seeing him come back in another episode in a more expanded role, ala Mark Lenard or Morgan Woodward.
1) David Carradine
2) Philip Ahn---This is clearly not a household name, so allow me to explain: He was a Korean actor known for playing Master Kan in the show "Kung Fu". He had a lot of stature and had a great, authoritative voice that was at the same time quiet. His was a quiet, reflective authority. Would've been a PHENOMENAL Vulcan, or even a great Starfleet Bureaucrat of the week.
3) Bruce Lee---His energy was through the roof. Would've made a memorable Red Shirt, possibly fighting Khan's underlings. Can you imagine Kirk and Lee fighting side-by-side? I know there's a copy of this episode waiting for me in Heaven.
4) Van Williams---Good looking guy, who might've made a great contemporary ship captain or commander for Kirk to team up with or even have a rivalry with.
5) Keye Luke---Already played Gov. Cory in "Whom Gods Destroy", but I would've enjoyed seeing him come back in another episode in a more expanded role, ala Mark Lenard or Morgan Woodward.
Loved TOBL's Robert Conrad suggestion.
Here are some more good ones I thought of:
1) Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith each could've done either a good or bad guy. I see Romero doing a straightforward Starfleet type, but I could also see him as an alien. I see Meredith as more of the Starfleet type. I would've liked to have seen Eartha Kitt as an old flame of Kirk, McCoy, or Scotty. Victor Buono, who played King Tut on Batman, might've made a good eccentric villain for Star Trek. Is there room in the Trek universe for both Roger Carmel and Buono?
2) Robert Vaughn---I think he had the right attitude to compete (and eventually team up) with Kirk.
3) Leo Carroll---Perfect Starfleet Admiral.
4) Bernard Lee, who played "M" in the Bond series.
Here are some more good ones I thought of:
1) Cesar Romero and Burgess Meredith each could've done either a good or bad guy. I see Romero doing a straightforward Starfleet type, but I could also see him as an alien. I see Meredith as more of the Starfleet type. I would've liked to have seen Eartha Kitt as an old flame of Kirk, McCoy, or Scotty. Victor Buono, who played King Tut on Batman, might've made a good eccentric villain for Star Trek. Is there room in the Trek universe for both Roger Carmel and Buono?
2) Robert Vaughn---I think he had the right attitude to compete (and eventually team up) with Kirk.
3) Leo Carroll---Perfect Starfleet Admiral.
4) Bernard Lee, who played "M" in the Bond series.
Suzanne Pleshette as one of Kirk's conquests at a space age Go Go bar?
Robert Culp as a senior Starfleet officer or even Vincent Beck as a Klingon!
JB
Robert Culp as a senior Starfleet officer or even Vincent Beck as a Klingon!
JB
The two names I always mention for this question are:
Leslie Nielsen-- modern audiences only know him as a comedian, but in the 60s he was often playing corrupt cops, unscrupulous businessmen, and other bad guys. Then there's his credentials of Forbidden Planet. He would have been perfect for one of those many crazy Starfleet captains or admirals.
Ed Asner-- If anyone should have played a Klingon but didn't, it's Ed.
Honorable Mention:
Russell Johnson-- that's right, the Professor on Gilligan's Island. Another actor with sci-fi experience, notably with the classics It Came from Outer Space and This Island Earth, 2 appearances on The Twilight Zone dealing with time travel ("Back There" and "Execution"), and The Outer Limits. Johnson actually wanted to do a Star Trek, but never got to audition. He would have been good in any role-- crewman, scientist, villain, alien ruler, etc. At least he got to be the local stud on a deserted island with three women and little male competition.
Leslie Nielsen-- modern audiences only know him as a comedian, but in the 60s he was often playing corrupt cops, unscrupulous businessmen, and other bad guys. Then there's his credentials of Forbidden Planet. He would have been perfect for one of those many crazy Starfleet captains or admirals.
Ed Asner-- If anyone should have played a Klingon but didn't, it's Ed.
Honorable Mention:
Russell Johnson-- that's right, the Professor on Gilligan's Island. Another actor with sci-fi experience, notably with the classics It Came from Outer Space and This Island Earth, 2 appearances on The Twilight Zone dealing with time travel ("Back There" and "Execution"), and The Outer Limits. Johnson actually wanted to do a Star Trek, but never got to audition. He would have been good in any role-- crewman, scientist, villain, alien ruler, etc. At least he got to be the local stud on a deserted island with three women and little male competition.
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If there's room for Roger C. Carmel and Stanley Adams, why not add Victor Buono?
I read recently that he auditioned for the part of Marvick in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" but didn't get the part.
Too bad. That would've been neat.
He was also a prince in the early "Buck Rogers" serial.
A
Amaris
Guest
Burt Reynolds - Perhaps as a space pirate or smuggler, which would have been awesome.
Sidney Poitier - An Ambassador or Starfleet Admiral.
John Wayne - The leader of some small federation colony somewhere.
Kirk Douglas - Rogue Captain. Definitely a rogue Captain.
Sidney Poitier - An Ambassador or Starfleet Admiral.
John Wayne - The leader of some small federation colony somewhere.
Kirk Douglas - Rogue Captain. Definitely a rogue Captain.
Carole was a few months shy of 12 when Star Trek went off the air in 1969. I don't know when she became a fashion model, but her first film and television credits didn't arrive until 1977.
I've long misplaced my copy of his autobiography, so may be misremembering about the audition. But he did say he'd wanted to do an episode.
I'll second Russell Johnson, Robert Conrad and Leslie Nielsen.
Bob Crane would have made a good rival starship captain that got on Kirk's nerves, sort of like crossing Frank Burns with Finnegan.
Bob Crane would have made a good rival starship captain that got on Kirk's nerves, sort of like crossing Frank Burns with Finnegan.
I'm sitting here trying to think of actors who were around during the same time period as TOS, that could have potentially been cast (and there was a realistically chance for them to accept, as well) for TOS as a guest star, not just a wish list, per se. Kind of hard for me to think of, but here are some who come to mind....
James Earl Jones would have been an intense antagonist role.
Julie Newmar would have been an interesting Romulan Commander.
Also, I think TV cowboy actors like Lee Van Kleef, Chuck Conners, Hugh O'Brien, Lee Majors, and Richard Boone might have been fun to see.
Movie stars who were TV actors during the 1960s like Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Lloyd Bridges, Jack Klugman, might have been interesting to see on TOS.
James Earl Jones would have been an intense antagonist role.
Julie Newmar would have been an interesting Romulan Commander.
Also, I think TV cowboy actors like Lee Van Kleef, Chuck Conners, Hugh O'Brien, Lee Majors, and Richard Boone might have been fun to see.
Movie stars who were TV actors during the 1960s like Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper, Robert Duvall, Lloyd Bridges, Jack Klugman, might have been interesting to see on TOS.
I don't have an official source, but both Robert Culp and Jack Lord were supposed to be in the running to play Kirk. While I'd rather Shatner keep the role, it would have been interesting to see the other two on the show in some capacity. Perhaps as other ship captains.
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