I always love interviews with Walter Koenig, he's very well documented with interviews so you can trace out his development from a slightly embittered younger man to the passionate older man he is today.
@@silvereagle2061 Assuming its real - I love George, but not a few celebrities have used these "fueds" to keep themselves in the public eye. "Ultimately, the only bad publicity is an obituary" - Hollywood maxim
1985 was a great year. In fact, pretty much most of the 80's was a terrific time to be alive. I was young, healthy, jobs were plentiful, at least reasonably so, the world was relatively calm and life was good. More than three decades have gone by and many are no longer with us and the world has changed tremendously. I've gotten older, have Parkinson's Disease and unsure of so many things now. God I wish I could go back in time... the 80's was the best time of my life . . .
Best time of mine too. I will cherish the Awesome 80s. Coolest decade to date. And the music from that time was a sweet spot that experienced disco to pop to rap. The electronic high power techno bass beat also began in the late 80's that was made popular by Techotronic.
and the 80s had the best movies. pick any 80s year. at least 4 or 5 classic movies each year if not more. now they just like theme park rides (even the JJTrek movies)
They most likely did. I'd imagine it would be pretty impossible to keep it secret after being so close with them for so long. It just struck me as an interesting tidbit, with the gift of having our current hindsight.
@@silvereagle2061 , Had to look for the exact dates. Deforest Kelley in June of 1999 and himself 5 years later. I'd say without either of them any further films wouldn't have been the same. It was an ensemble cast that worked so well together after all those years. Hard to imagine it has been so long already.
Here in 2020! Time has marched on since this interview. Jimmy died 20 years later, Walter is grayhaired but balding & George oddly looks more or less the same, although also with gray on the sides.
Yea I can't believe it as well. I look at me and my mom in the studio we're so much younger. My mom has alzheimers and dementia now. I have no hair. The times, they have changed.
Richard Conner Its quite well-known that Murphy was supposed to be playing the role that eventually became the female "Gillian" character. Would have been even more comical had he been in it.
I knew he was in the running for it, but I think it would be an even worse shoehorn that Richard Pryor in Superman III. I just don't think of those two actors for a sci-fi or comic book film (I know Mr Murphy did a few remakes like the Absent Minded Professor and Dr Dolittle after this, but I wasn't really a fan of those, and especially in the '80s, they were both known for rated R, foul language movies
It wasn't beyond possibility. Murphy was a hot commodity back then with his "48 Hours" and "Beverly Hills Cop" films. From what I understand he would have played a detective following the landing party.
Walter's toupee, is terrible. He was balding slightly at the top of his head, even in the series they used a special hairspray, too thicken up his hair, with a combover. Shatner was all toupee.
My thinking is their 'handlers' recommended this. As for Doohan, his uniform was also used by Shatner when Shatner gained weight so he might not have had it at the time.
Was James Doohan saying he wanted them to stop numbering the movies, like they eventually did in the Next Generation movies, or was he saying he wanted them to go back to TV?
It was my belief that he wanted to have "episodic" films. A different theme every movie but here we are in 2014 and we have yet to see any of that take place.
+Robert Dambeck No, he wanted them to do a new series instead of the films. That's because they (the actors) would have made a lot more money doing another series as opposed doing films. Also, the supporting actors, Nicols, Takei, Koenig and Doohan would have gotten a lot more screen time in a series because invariably there would have been episodes where the various characters took center stage.
they actually almost did a second series (google star trek phase ii) but at last minute was turned into "star trek the motion picture". so it not too far out there was james doohan is wanting considering just 4 or5 years earlier thy had all except nimoy signed on to the new tv series
+Nick Searle Well I think it was because these guys were running around promoting the series on VHS. I had gone from the studio right over to a Blockbuster store where they were signing and all so I'm sure it was a rigorous schedule and some of the shine must have rubbed off some.
Regarding the sparkling comment, I like to point out to my now grown boys how Star Trek was right at the end of the era where people didn’t tell all about fellow actors personal life styles. So when Walter said that, I felt it was more like a “finally, I can make a public joke about George” than anything else. After all, this was around 1984 or 85.
I don't know what was going on behind the scenes during this promotional tour. I don't know why they're in uniform to begin with. Maybe it was part of the contract. Koenig's obvously wearing a hairpiece as he went bald many years ago.
so .... you're on a show for 3 years and it ends. spinoffs then propagate the franchise and suddenly you're a legend? the word has lost all meaning, like so many other words have. he's a legend? big deal!
As you say, minor characters on an old show that didn't run very long............yet, today, they are household names. Yup, "legend" is a pretty apt description.
She's deliberating how to address Chekov... "How about Walter?"
Classy Koenig
Aw this interview is so cute 😍💜 thank you so much for sharing this! I appreciate it wery much!
I always love interviews with Walter Koenig, he's very well documented with interviews so you can trace out his development from a slightly embittered younger man to the passionate older man he is today.
Yea I just wish George could let go of his anger towards Shatner after all these years.
@@silvereagle2061 Assuming its real - I love George, but not a few celebrities have used these "fueds" to keep themselves in the public eye.
"Ultimately, the only bad publicity is an obituary" - Hollywood maxim
1985 was a great year. In fact, pretty much most of the 80's was a terrific time to be alive. I was young, healthy, jobs were plentiful, at least reasonably so, the world was relatively calm and life was good. More than three decades have gone by and many are no longer with us and the world has changed tremendously. I've gotten older, have Parkinson's Disease and unsure of so many things now. God I wish I could go back in time... the 80's was the best time of my life . . .
Best time of mine too. I will cherish the Awesome 80s. Coolest decade to date. And the music from that time was a sweet spot that experienced disco to pop to rap. The electronic high power techno bass beat also began in the late 80's that was made popular by Techotronic.
The 1980's was the last best decade. Period, end of story.
foskten10 for me to time flies
and the 80s had the best movies. pick any 80s year. at least 4 or 5 classic movies each year if not more. now they just like theme park rides (even the JJTrek movies)
At 45, I was they're too, and many fond memories; Star Treks's continued success was one of them.
When Walter said that George was always sparkling, my immediate reaction was "Ohhhh Myyyy!" ;-D
I'm sure they knew his sexual orientation long before he publicly came out.
They most likely did. I'd imagine it would be pretty impossible to keep it secret after being so close with them for so long. It just struck me as an interesting tidbit, with the gift of having our current hindsight.
Chuckled at one person calling in just to ask what the original pilot's title was. Truly a pre-Internet age.
In 15 years, whoever is still alive at that time. Pretty close. Just a couple years off Mr. Doohan :-(
He did cut it pretty close.
@@silvereagle2061 , Had to look for the exact dates. Deforest Kelley in June of 1999 and himself 5 years later. I'd say without either of them any further films wouldn't have been the same. It was an ensemble cast that worked so well together after all those years. Hard to imagine it has been so long already.
It is so trippy hearing Walter talk without a Russian accent
Walter Koenig is a very talented actor . and writer. His Chekov character is " wery. legendary."
Imagine the my surprise seeing him in Babylon 5.
There is still some accent but that's due to his Lithuanian background
I've met them on and off in my life. It was quite the pleasure. Thank you for responding.
Nice to see Jimmy dressed up for the interview.
Here in 2020! Time has marched on since this interview. Jimmy died 20 years later, Walter is grayhaired but balding & George oddly looks more or less the same, although also with gray on the sides.
Walter and James sound so different in real life. The Joy of Acting! Lol
James had quite a gift for dialects! Wish we could have heard more of them!
Just watch TAS. James does a lot of different voices.
I watched this live, can't believe it's been almost 35 years.
Yea I can't believe it as well. I look at me and my mom in the studio we're so much younger. My mom has alzheimers and dementia now. I have no hair. The times, they have changed.
I loved this interview! So nice to see them being focused on, instead of Shatner!
I have to agree with you there
Thank the lady for saying, "Trekker."
I was very happy when she said that.
The SNES Man - I think the spin is “Trekkie” sounds like “groupie”, so for that reason “trekker” is the preferred reference.
lol Eddie Murphy was going to be in Star Trek 4, never knew that
Richard Conner Its quite well-known that Murphy was supposed to be playing the role that eventually became the female "Gillian" character. Would have been even more comical had he been in it.
The Cage.pilot 1 where no man has gone before pilot 2 , late 1964, early 1965.
I knew he was in the running for it, but I think it would be an even worse shoehorn that Richard Pryor in Superman III. I just don't think of those two actors for a sci-fi or comic book film (I know Mr Murphy did a few remakes like the Absent Minded Professor and Dr Dolittle after this, but I wasn't really a fan of those, and especially in the '80s, they were both known for rated R, foul language movies
you can see Doohan's hand with the missing finger as he holds up the tribble @1:50, got shot off during D-Day.
"How about saying Walter?" says the guy wearing a Starfleet uniform to a talk show.
I don't know what you mean, but I wasn't wearing a uniform.
@@silvereagle2061 lol... sorry Robert. I wasn't talking about you. 0:23
Thank God Eddie Murphy wasn't able to weasel his way into a Star Trek movie.
absolutely incredible!
@gsaum It looks like it might be a comb-forward rather than a wig.
You sparkle all the time George. Hah!
Picard maneuver @ 06:34 !!!
Marina always called it the Riker maneuver.
Eddie Murphy in a Star Trek film? Now that would have been strange!
It wasn't beyond possibility. Murphy was a hot commodity back then with his "48 Hours" and "Beverly Hills Cop" films. From what I understand he would have played a detective following the landing party.
Interesting!
MonsterHobbiesABCA when we get to the Neutral Zone . . . I'm making waffles.
Wahaha
Like Richard Pryor in a Superman movie.
Was Walter always bald? When he first appeared as ensign, that was an awful rug, too.
lol no hes not.
I think he was as even when Mr Koenig auditioned for Star Trek his hair was short enough to try on multiple Chekov wigs.
Walter's toupee, is terrible. He was balding slightly at the top of his head, even in the series they used a special hairspray, too thicken up his hair, with a combover. Shatner was all toupee.
I can't imagine Eddie Murphy in Trek.
He has yet to appear in any Trek related movie or series.
Oh my, you met these three in Orlando? If only I was alive in '85...
Yes in an Orlando TV station. The 80s were a great time.
This is amazing. Is Doohan high? Thanks for posting, what a fun memory! Glad mom still has the blouse...
yea I can't believe she saved it all these years.
what a gem. nice uniform BTW, always wanted to get a TWOK costume!
I still want to get a more screen accurate one. It took me a year or so to get the one I'm wearing even close to what I want.
holy smokes, that audience
Why are two of them in uniform but James Doohan not? AWKWARD
My thinking is their 'handlers' recommended this. As for Doohan, his uniform was also used by Shatner when Shatner gained weight so he might not have had it at the time.
@@silvereagle2061 or he didnt want to.
@@purefoldnz3070 That's also a possibility. Doohan was a very demanding man but in a good way.
Rank hath its privileges. Jimmy outranks both those guys (on the Enterprise and in real life-he's older) he can do what he wants.
phone number is disconnected now if you are curious! lol
+Matt Albrecht That's funny. The station is still there though. lol
+Matt James I have to give you cuddos for your ingenuity.
I time traveled back in time and its still connected on old code (305) new code (407) 933-4225.
might be the difference
EDDIE WAS GOING TO BE
NEVER CAME TO PASS
Was James Doohan saying he wanted them to stop numbering the movies, like they eventually did in the Next Generation movies, or was he saying he wanted them to go back to TV?
It was my belief that he wanted to have "episodic" films. A different theme every movie but here we are in 2014 and we have yet to see any of that take place.
+Robert Dambeck No, he wanted them to do a new series instead of the films. That's because they (the actors) would have made a lot more money doing another series as opposed doing films. Also, the supporting actors, Nicols, Takei, Koenig and Doohan would have gotten a lot more screen time in a series because invariably there would have been episodes where the various characters took center stage.
No.
Star Trek V was exactly what he asked for.
they actually almost did a second series (google star trek phase ii) but at last minute was turned into "star trek the motion picture". so it not too far out there was james doohan is wanting considering just 4 or5 years earlier thy had all except nimoy signed on to the new tv series
Who are the grumps who disliked it
Probably Star Wars fans
3:10 A vulcan in disguise?
Doohan comes across quite tetchy here. You can see how him and the "Ego" didn't see eye to eye.
+Nick Searle Well I think it was because these guys were running around promoting the series on VHS. I had gone from the studio right over to a Blockbuster store where they were signing and all so I'm sure it was a rigorous schedule and some of the shine must have rubbed off some.
They were real people who lived through the toughest times. That's why I like older actors, they seem more real to me and down to earth
Robert Dambeck Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience with us . Live long and prosper Robert!🖖
You're very welcome. It was as much a shock to me to see that someone saved this event.
Thank you so much.
I had forgotten about the Eddie Murphy rumor.
Yes they should had made tv episodes Jimmy was right
Walter's wig looks pretty sad here.
chekovs hair?
@saphira1001 hehe thank you
Regarding the sparkling comment, I like to point out to my now grown boys how Star Trek was right at the end of the era where people didn’t tell all about fellow actors personal life styles. So when Walter said that, I felt it was more like a “finally, I can make a public joke about George” than anything else. After all, this was around 1984 or 85.
Could very well be. Makes sense.
Love James Doohan not giving a shit
Nice of Jimmy to dress up....
Chris Johnson 8
Mr.JackOff
He Ka mr speeeerm
I think it was his choice.
Why is Chekovs uniform so unkempt , hair a mess, collar not up.all the way?. Mr. Sulu on the other hand is nice and tidy. Mr Scott is out of uniform.
I don't know what was going on behind the scenes during this promotional tour. I don't know why they're in uniform to begin with. Maybe it was part of the contract. Koenig's obvously wearing a hairpiece as he went bald many years ago.
Awful rug on Koenig.
He'd had lost his hair early in his life as did Shatner.
I think that’s his real hair, combed forward. He only wore a wig when in character as Chekhov.
felicity4711 Thanks for playing, but he's been bald for decades.
Just as Shatner was loosing his hair as far back as TOS
Good God, it DOES look pretty bad...
So dated and cheesy. Kitch, think they call it. But, my God they make me happy!
It was an awesome experience to be in that studio.
240 dpi? no thanx....
It's 1985. What do you expect? Blu Ray?
so .... you're on a show for 3 years and it ends. spinoffs then propagate the franchise and suddenly you're a legend?
the word has lost all meaning, like so many other words have. he's a legend? big deal!
As you say, minor characters on an old show that didn't run very long............yet, today, they are household names. Yup, "legend" is a pretty apt description.
George is a PROFESSIONAL COMPLAINER.😅
Sadly that's what he'll be known for.