William Shatner and James Doohan
Both William Shatner and James Doohan hailed from Canada, and there the similarities between the two end. Theirs was the first of the squabbles among the Star Trek cast to appear to the public, and it was among the more bitter. Doohan, who was a bona fide hero from World War II, did not mince his words when he described the relationship he had with his fellow Canadian. “I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don’t like Bill”, he said. “He’s so insecure that all he can think about is himself”. When Shatner wrote his books about the original series and cast, Doohan refused to be interviewed, and for the most part refused to appear with his former castmate at events until near the end of his life. Their differences began during filming of the original series, when Shatner frequently had scripts rewritten to shift lines from Scotty to Kirk.
Despite the rivalries and differences between members of the original cast, Star Trek went on to become one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. Spock, Scotty, “Bones” McCoy, Uhura, and Captain Kirk are instantly recognizable by name and reputation, even by those few who have never seen an episode of the show. “Beam me up Scotty” is nearly everywhere recognized as an expression of exasperation (though Scotty never said it), while “I’m a doctor, not a (insert profession here) tells of one’s incompetence to deal with troubling circumstances. Troubles and petty differences on the set of Star Trek have become part of its lore and legend. No doubt Spock would call it illogical, though fascinating.
