Meeting the Trekkies: Behind the Scenes with Star Trek Cast
Star Trek has captured the hearts of generations, with its visionary storytelling and beloved characters. For many, a chance to meet the cast of these iconic series would be a dream come true. That was certainly the case for one producer in the 1990s, who got the rare opportunity to interact with the old series cast, including Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig.
The Production Behind the Scenes
In the mid-1990s, the producer was involved in a Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) video game project. As part of the upgrade from floppy discs to CDs, the producer decided to bring in the old series cast to re-record their lines for the new format. This was not just a simple recording session; it was an exciting chance to meet the very actors who brought those characters to life.
The producer recalls, 'Doing so I got to meet all the old series cast except George Takei. I was out that day for some reason I don’t remember why.' Despite missing George Takei, the experience with the other actors was exceptional. 'My absolute favorites were Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and Walter Koenig mainly because I was able to spend 15–20 minutes quality time with each of them,' the producer shares.
Walter Koenig, in particular, left a lasting impression. 'Koenig sat down with the whole crew at lunch in fact, and his behind-the-scenes stories were hilarious. All were perfectly gracious and professional, yes even Shatner. One point, though, we had an argument about a line reading,' the producer adds with a chuckle.
A Conversation with Majel Barrett-Roddenberry
Another memorable encounter was with Majel Roddenberry, who played Nurse Chapel in Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) and provided the computer voice in the TNG TV series and the video games the producer worked on. During a hotel bar chat at the GenCon game conference in Milwaukee, either 1994 or 1995, the producer had the opportunity to converse with Majel about fandom, video games, and more.
The producer describes Majel as 'a very bright and articulate person who was a bit bemused by the success of Star Trek but very appreciative of the fans. It was a great conversation, and we chatted for an hour,' the producer recalls fondly.
A Cat Conundrum
Well, a sudden turn of events brought the producer to a completely different realm: a cat show. Shortly after Star Trek: The Next Generation ended, the producer attended a cat show at the Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, New York. Here, the producer had the chance to meet the cat Monster Mash, which played Spot in the video game. With twin tabby Brandy, Monster Mash was a rambunctious cat for his owner.
Curiously, the producer then pondered if the character of Spot was modeled after Monster Mash. 'Most likely they looked at Monster Mash and said something to the effect of "Cat: fine,"' the producer guessed with a smile.
The experience of meeting the Star Trek cast and the unexpected encounter with a rambunctious cat show cat remain memorable moments, weaving together the human and the animal world in the world of Star Trek fandom.