What Guest Star Should NOT Have Been In ST?

[KirksStuntMan]

John Fiedler, the actor who played Mr. Hengist in "Wolf In The Fold", just didn't fit the ST guest star image for me. He always sounded like Piglet from Winnie the Pooh. That's probably because he was the voice of Piglet. I know, I know...they cast an actor who would be the least suspicious looking murder suspect, but Piglet as Jack the Ripper?!?!?!

 

[Captain Tracy]

Elinore Donahue as Commissioner Nancy Hedford,... "whine, whine, whine, bitch, bitch, moan",... Stuff some dirty socks in her mouth and get her into the Transporter,... FAST LOL!

 

[Michael]

^ Are you guys kidding? John Fiedler and Elinore Donahue were perfect!

Personally, I can't think of any guest star who should not haven been on the show. And although I was never really a fan of Roger C. Carmel, I think he was perfect for the role of Mudd.

 

[KirksStuntMan]

Personally, I can't think of any guest star who should not haven been on the show.

 

[Christopher]

John Fiedler, the actor who played Mr. Hengist in "Wolf In The Fold", just didn't fit the ST guest star image for me. He always sounded like Piglet from Winnie the Pooh. That's probably because he was the voice of Piglet. I know, I know...they cast an actor who would be the least suspicious looking murder suspect, but Piglet as Jack the Ripper?!?!?!

Fiedler didn't play Piglet for the first time until 1968, a year after "Wolf in the Fold." At the time he was a well-known and prolific character actor in film and television, familiar from many sitcoms and dramas, and his repertoire included petty, officious little bureaucrats like Hengist (see the famous Twilight Zone Christmas episode "Night of the Meek," for instance) as well as more diffident and nervous types (like Juror #2 in Twelve Angry Men). Casting him as Hengist/Redjac was an inspired choice. TV viewers would've accepted him as a nervous, petulant, but basically harmless bureaucrat, and thus been taken by surprise when he turned out to be the embodiment of evil.


When it comes to "who should not have been in ST," the first name that comes to mind is Melvin Belli as Gorgon in "And the Children Shall Lead." Why cast a famous lawyer as your villain (the obvious jokes aside) rather than someone who could actually act? Then again, that's just one of many "should not have beens" about that episode.

Robert Brown as Lazarus also occurs to me, since he actually wasn't supposed to play the role but was a last-minute replacement when John Drew Barrymore failed to show up for shooting due to his substance-abuse problem. Brown didn't really work in the role (although the fault was probably more with the role than with the actor) and the fake beard was ridiculous.

 

[Timewalker]

Clint Howard. Gah, they could have found a kid who could actually ACT!

 

[KirksStuntMan]

Clint Howard. Gah, they could have found a kid who could actually ACT!

That's a good one! An advanced alien who still has his baby teeth, plus a voice supplied by Walker Edmiston. Hilarious!

 

[TOSalltheway]

Elinore Donahue as Commissioner Nancy Hedford,... "whine, whine, whine, bitch, bitch, moan",... Stuff some dirty socks in her mouth and get her into the Transporter,... FAST LOL!


Clearly he did not get the point. She was supposed to be unlikeable. Her observing and melding with Cochrane and Companion taught her what she had been missing in her life.

 

[Captain Tracy]

Clearly he did not get the point. She was supposed to be unlikeable. Her observing and melding with Cochrane and Companion taught her what she had been missing in her life.

Really..... ???

Actually, my choosing Elinore Donahue as MY least favorite casting choice for this role was that they could have at least cast a female with some ASSESTS to off-set all that complaining,... instead of a skinny chicken.

Hence, she is my least favorite TOS guest star.

 

[Harvey]

When it comes to "who should not have been in ST," the first name that comes to mind is Melvin Belli as Gorgon in "And the Children Shall Lead." Why cast a famous lawyer as your villain (the obvious jokes aside) rather than someone who could actually act?

I've always been curious about that casting choice.

Honestly, I'm surprised it took five posts to come up with. It's easily the worst casting choice of the series.

 

[T'Girl]

Melvin Belli

I've thought for some time now, that the role should have gone to a kindly, slightly plump, grandmother type actress. Someone like present day Betty White. Someone who you could accept as being able to beguile the children.

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Who should have been left out is Yvonne Craig, in terms of raw animal sexuality, she just didn't cut it as a Orion woman. If Susan Oliver set the standard of Orion sensuality, Ms. Craig was unable to follow it.

 

[Captain Tracy]

T'Girl,... that is a WONDERFULLY TWISTED idea!!!! The classic Wolf in Sheeps clothing!

Betty White, guest starring as Vanth, classical female demon of the Etruscan underworld, now inhabiting the planet of TRIACUS,... freaking BRILLINAT T'Girl!

 

[Christopher]

Melvin Belli

I've thought for some time now, that the role should have gone to a kindly, slightly plump, grandmother type actress. Someone like present day Betty White. Someone who you could accept as being able to beguile the children.

How about Angela Lansbury in Manchurian Candidate mode?

Who should have been left out is Yvonne Craig, in terms of raw animal sexuality, she just didn't cut it as a Orion woman. If Susan Oliver set the standard of Orion sensuality, Ms. Craig was unable to follow it.

Blasphemy. Maybe she wasn't an animal, but Yvonne Craig lacking sexuality? Those words don't even go together.

And who says Orion women can only be one thing? I'd prefer to say that Yvonne Craig expanded the standard of Orion sensuality, establishing that they could be more than the mindless animals "The Cage" implied. And that set a precedent for how Orion females have been portrayed ever since, both onscreen (Devna, the trio in "Bound," Gaila) and in tie-in novels and comics.

 

[Captain Tracy]

Yvonne Craig would have been a far SUPERIOR candidate casting choice in the role of Commission Nancy Hedford!

PERFECT in her Barbara Gordon persona,... then when the Companion "fixes" Hedford's overwhelmingly annoying pesonality,...

Good ol' ZEPH, gets not just a kind, loving, Non-hysterical, appreciative woman,... he gets a hottie girlfriend to boot!!,..

The guy has been living on a rock for 150 years,.. ALONE,... and casting wants to 'reward' him with a 'Sunday School Teacher',.. give the guy (and us) a BREAK!

Seriously,.. alone on a floating island of rock, to live out the last of your days,.. after 150 years of self-uh,.... uh, 'companionship',... who are YOU going to want??????

Let's look at the choices for Cochran:

Eleanore as HEDFORD

AND NEXT,......
Yvonne Craig as dower Commissioner NANCY HEDFORD

And Now,... the ACT IV Elenore as the 'fixed' 'Mrs. Cochran'

And now,.. Yvonne Craig as the 'fixed' ACT IV 'Mrs. C'

And Finally,... Eleanore as the New Mrs. Cochran "After Dark Playtime"

And Yvonne, as Mrs.Cochran "After Dark Play Time"

"Zephran,.. the safe-word is: WARP DRIVE

LOL!!!! I rest my case.

 

[Timewalker]

Melvin Belli

I've thought for some time now, that the role should have gone to a kindly, slightly plump, grandmother type actress. Someone like present day Betty White. Someone who you could accept as being able to beguile the children.

I have never thought of Betty White as a "grandmother" type. Especially since seeing her in Boston Legal.

 

[Christopher]

Elinor Donahue may have been no Yvonne Craig, but she was still quite pretty. And Craig wasn't the right personality type for the character anyway.