Movies - TV
Star Trek’s Gene Roddenberry Sent A Threat To Leonard Nimoy & William Shatner
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
In 1967, “Star Trek” series creator Gene Roddenberry wrote a threatening letter to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy after learning that they were on their worst behavior on set.
Shatner and Nimoy were seemingly swapping lines, taking dialogue from co-stars, and going all-out to get as much screen time as possible.
“Star Trek” had an open-door policy at NBC, allowing actors to air grievances, explore ideas, and examine characters earnestly with network executives at the top.
According to Roddenberry, this privilege was being abused on set by Shatner and Nimoy. They were causing delays in shooting, and their egos were leaking into the fabric of the show.
Roddenberry wrote to Shatner and Nimoy to let them know that their directors were going to be much stricter moving forward, and the directors would be fired if they weren't.
He penned, “There will be no more line switches from one to another. No more of the long discussions about scenes which lose us approximately a half day of production a show.”
Roddenberry continued, “The director will permit it only when there is a valid dramatic story or interpretation point at stake which he believes makes it necessary.”
The showrunner sternly concluded, “The director will be told he is also replaceable, and failure to stay on top and in charge of the set will be grounds for his dismissal.”