A Brief Guide to Star Trek

descriptions in his series outline to suitable actors drew on all his television experience and resulted in characters that would go on to become international icons.
    Key to Roddenberry’s vision of the forward-looking, optimistic characters he wanted exploring deep space in his ‘
Wagon Train
to the stars’ was the captain of the
Enterprise
. This character was a leader, a man’s man, but one who had human weaknesses and frailties that he carried with him out to the final frontier of unknown space. Although the captain certainly had an eye for the ladies, his only true love would be his ship, the
Enterprise
.
    The original 1964 pitch document defined Captain Robert K. April as ‘the “skipper”, about thirty-four, Academy graduate, rank of captain. Clearly the leading man and central character. This role is designed for an actor of top repute and ability. A shorthand sketch of Robert April might be “A space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower”, lean and capable both mentally and physically. A colourfully complex personality, he is capable of action and decision which can verge on the heroic – and at the same time lives a continual battle with self-doubt and the loneliness of command.’
    In ‘The Cage’, movie actor Jeffrey Hunter played Captain Christopher Pike (also named James Winter in early drafts). He was then best known for playing Jesus Christ in
King of Kings
(1961). Roddenberry was pleased to have secured the services of a well-known film actor for his potential TV series on the basis of his pilot script alone. Hunter had guest starred in various TV shows, but
Star Trek
was to be his first commitment to taking on a leading role in a series, following the failure of his 1963–4 Western/legal series
Temple Houston
. Other actors who’d been considered for the leading role included Peter Graves(soon to become the star of
Mission: Impossible
),
The Time Machine
’s Rod Taylor, Jack Lord (later famous for his long run on
Hawaii 5-0
),
Forbidden Planet
’s Leslie Nielsen (casting that would have done much to highlight the similarities between that movie and
Star Trek
), Ed Kemmer (Commander Corry in
Space Patrol
) and Canadian actor William Shatner.
    With Hunter in place, attention turned to the other roles. Roddenberry and his casting team were looking at ‘The Cage’ not as a one-off TV movie but as the template for their ongoing series, so it was important to fill the key roles with the right actors: after all, they could be playing these parts for a good number of years if the show was a success.
    The easiest part to fill – at least for Roddenberry – was the role of Number One, the emotionless female second-in-command on the
Enterprise
. The pitch document had billed this character as the Executive Officer, ‘never referred to as anything but “Number One”, this officer is female. Almost mysteriously female, in fact – slim and dark in a Nile Valley way, age uncertain, one of those women who will always look the same between years twenty to fifty. An extraordinarily efficient officer, “Number One” enjoys playing it expressionless, cool – [she] is probably April’s superior in detailed knowledge of the multiple equipment systems, departments and crewmembers aboard the vessel.’ The role was gifted to Majel Barrett without any serious consideration being given to any other actresses. Roddenberry’s blatant favouritism (his weakness for women would be transferred to the character of the captain of the
Enterprise
) would be used against him by the network when it was time to cast important roles in
Star Trek
’s second pilot episode.
    Perhaps the most important single decision made in the casting choices during pre-production in early November 1964 was the choice of Leonard Nimoy to portray the
Enterprise
’s alien science officer, Mr Spock. The pitch document focused on the First Lieutenant’s alien appearance, but his later ‘emotionless’ character had already been given to Number One. Mr Spock is ‘the captain’s right hand man, the working level commander ofall the ship’s functions . . . the first view of him can be almost frightening – a face so heavy-lidded and satanic, you might almost expect him to have a forked tail. Probably half-Martian, he has a slightly reddish complexion and semi-pointed ears. But strangely, Mr. Spock’s quiet temperament is in dramatic contrast to his satanic look. His primary weakness is an almost cat-like curiosity over anything