Some Trekkies may tell you that filming Star Trek: The Original Series was not always a pleasant experience for the cast. In fact, stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were both notorious spotlight addicts, and Shatner was known to copy other actors’ dialogue onto himself, usually pestering directors until they agreed. Nimoy, on the other hand, knew his character Spock was the show’s most recognizable element and was happy to present himself as the star of the series. The clash of egos reportedly got so bad that series creator Gene Roddenberry had to write the two leads (also DeForest Kelley) an angry letter reprimanding them for their brash behavior. “You’ve divided up the market for selfishness and egocentrism pretty well,” Roddenberry wrote.
Trekkies will be quick to point out that while Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley were the only three cast members credited in the show’s opening credits, Star Trek works best when viewed as an ensemble drama. The same bridge crew members appeared every week, and many found it heartening to see characters like Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Lieutenant Sulu (George Takei) and Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig) join in the adventures each week. Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley, one might expect, were paid more than their co-stars – a fact that, over time, grew a little irked by Nimoy.
The website TrekMovie once reached out to Nimoy to discuss the pay discrepancy and how the actor eventually became an advocate for his co-stars. After Star Trek ended in 1969, Nimoy was much more understanding that Nichols, Takei and Koenig weren’t getting enough money, and he frequently stood up to the franchise’s stingy overseers in hopes of helping them. Because of this, Nimoy soon became the moral center of the cast.
Star Trek: Desilu Years
It should be remembered that Star Trek only became very popular after the series had to be canceled and put on television. It was through reruns that the series found its audience. The reruns became popular enough to bring in a lot of royalties for the actors, and also inspired a series of Star Trek conventions that have been held regularly since the early 1970s. Finally, an animated Star Trek TV spin-off was produced in 1973. By this time, Nimoy was much more sensitive to the pay structure and fame dynamics when it came to casting. He also knew he would have to fight to ensure that Nichols, Koenig and Takei were included in the ensemble. During what he called the “Desilu years,” Nimoy says he fought back very strongly. In his own words:
“There was also the case that George and Nichelle were not hired to do their voices in the animated series. I refused to do Spock until they were hired. Mr. Roddenberry started calling me the conscience of ‘Star Trek.'”
Although Nichols and Takei eventually reprised their roles for Star Trek: The Animated Series, Koenig was unfortunately dropped from the contract and Chekov did not appear in the series. However, Koenig recalled in a 2014 interview with the Las Vegas Sun that Nimoy had his back from the start (especially Nichols):
“When the cast became aware that there was a pay discrepancy because George and I were getting the same salary but Nichelle wasn’t getting as much, I pointed it out to Leonard and he passed it on to management and they corrected it.”
Despite his infuriating ego, Nimoy proved to be a decent guy. Or, as Koenig put it, he was “a very good man. Solid ethics and a strong sense of morality.”
