I think in this occassion, I would mind if they replaced him wiht someone else in the original series remasters.
He's not worthy.
He's not worthy.
What William Windom thought of working on "Star Trek"
- Thread starter Admiral Buzzkill
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Good Will Riker
Admiral
He is worthy. He just happens to be not a fan.
I was forced to appear in a The Sound of Music dramatic showcase in college once, and it happens to be one of my least favorite films or plays of all-time. The cruel irony is that someone tried to recruit me into doing it as a 17 year old when I was in high school, which I found to be "sissy boyish." I even told my ESL students while teaching English overseas last year that The Sound of Music is my least favorite "good film" out there, when the girls in class of course loved it. Worse of all, after living overseas for 2.5 years, and I returned home, there resting on my DVD shelf was a copy of The Sound of Music: 40th Anniversary Special Edition DVD left by a guest alongside her Little Women DVD. Blech!
So, I know where William Windom is coming from.
?
Why does a ST actor have to love ST to play a ST character?
In that same old "Starlog" interview, he went on an anti-fan rant that rivalled Teri Garr. Windom slammed "the editor of the Australian Star Trek club newsletter" for daring to be so fannish as to send what William Windom claimed was very long, handwritten set of interview questions that included asking if he was a science fiction fan, or if he believed in UFOs.
Now, whether those are appropriate questions or not, the sad thing was, the person who'd sent him the questionnaire was just a regular member of our club acting on his own volition, not the President or the Editor and - while the guy regularly sent these questions out to almost everyone who'd ever been in ST prior to 1980 and got very few responses - Mr Windom did actually take the time to answer the questions.
But, because we also knew the standard questionnaire so well, the rest of us on the committee knew that were only about eight questions on the one sheet, not pages and pages of them. But why let the truth get in the way of a rant!
Other replies the guy did get - and forwarded to the club newsletter - included Meg Wylie (Talosian), John Wheeler (Gav), Paula Crist (alien Worene the "Crew woman" in TMP), Stephen Collins (Will Decker) and a scathing non-reply* from writer Theodore Sturgeon. We often wondered if Teri Garr also got the same list of questions.
(* Mr Sturgeon replied to a follow-up letter: "My lack of reply was my reply.")
To Windom it was just another job. Why should it be revered, or regarded, any more than that? For him, it wasn't what made his career but just another week where the bills got paid. He did it, moved on and when anyone asks about it, he's straight up.
Anthony
Lieutenant Commander
It was just another job, not adventure to him, and nothing more. There's no law that says he has to like either his colleagues and/or surroundings, then or now. I always gathered that he just didn't like Shatner, which, was a widespread sentiment at that time, confirmed by The Man himself. Thankfully, he and his co-stars have come to a modicum of civility over the years.
it is ironic that Windom wasnt their first choice to play Decker....the part was written for another actor who couldnt do it. I do know the Shat/Nimoy thing was true. Spinrad told me that Shatner was cutting key lines of Spock dialog out of the script right on the set because he thought Nimoy had too many....which made some scenes not make as much sense.
...but I guess they patched things up later
...but I guess they patched things up later
Well, that means Nimoy is humbler than most actors. Shatner was afraid of no longer being the star. While his problem was with the character of Spock getting so much praise, his actions were at the expense of Nimoy. If they became friends because of that, wonderful. But Shatner couldn't have been pleasent to deal with at the time.
Why do we always make a big deal about a guest star who doesn't praise TOS as if it's the greatest show ever and somewhat trashes it?
Yeah, not for anything, but I'm willing to guess that gret majority of the guest stars considered it just a job. Yet another guest shot out of hundreds of guest shots. I also love how people (like Harlan Ellison and many fans) get really ticked at Joan Collins for totally misremembering a role she played for 6 days 40 years ago.
Star Trek was special to the fans, crew and the regulars actors. For most everyone else, it was just another forgettable TV show.
Star Trek was special to the fans, crew and the regulars actors. For most everyone else, it was just another forgettable TV show.
"I mean, how do you think the chick that played Kara feels? Or the guy who played Harry Mudd?"
I think he feels dead.
Perhaps Windom should be thrown in the maw of a giant planet killer for not worshiping at the altar of Trekdom.
I think he feels dead.
Perhaps Windom should be thrown in the maw of a giant planet killer for not worshiping at the altar of Trekdom.
If they didn't like being on the show, how can we be sure they put all the effort into it that they could? People generally do better at jobs they actually enjoy. If they hate doing something, they're not going to work as hard at it.
Too true.
Boy, some of the comments in this thread are guaranteed to reinforce a lot of negative stereotypes about trek fans.
Because a real professional will give his best work even if the job stinks. An actor who does crap work because a part stinks is not going to have a long career. Many actors who get guest shots in SF shows don't necessarily believe in the material or enjoy the working conditions. But the better ones will make the best of a bad situation and do good work because it's only 5 days out of their life and another paycheck to deposit.
Just because you don't like your job doesn't m,ean you'll do badly at it. I hated my job for 15 years and got all sorts of raises and promotions for good work. I finally quit and got a great job. And I still work just as hard. It's just a sign of being a mature professional.
Oy Gevalt.
He's MORE thatn worthy. He gave one of the best guest performances, ever. ("I..I..SAW it!" still gives me goosebumps).
I don't require than an actor be a fanboy. So we are to excise good performances because of an actor's real life behavior? That would leave Trek as watered down as, well, TNG (ducks).
Windom did a great job, and I think we can all be grown up enough to allow him his opinion. Besides, I didn't see it as trashing the show as much as being honest about the work conditions.
He did a good job. Let it be done with that.
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