Over the years I interviewed a few 60s starlets that guest starred on Star Trek. Below are some of the also-rans for Trek Babe Supreme and their comments about the TV show:
ANDREA DROMM (Yeoman Smith in “Where No Man Has Gone Before” Sept. 22, 1966)
“William Shatner was very pleasant and professional. Gary Lockwood and Sally Kellerman were guest stars in the pilot. Gary was especially friendly and helpful because there were a lot of things I had to react to without dialog like the ship rocking and I did not know what to do. This was my first real acting job and this was all new to me. I was a little nervous and not quite sure of myself and did not know how to approach those scenes. The director wasn’t telling me very much but Gary helped me out and I just did my best.”
LAUREL GOODWIN (Yeoman J.M. Colt in “The Menagerie” Nov. 17 & 24, 1966)
“I went to make-up not knowing who was going to be there and who walks in but my dear pal and ex-drama coach Leonard Nimoy. I hadn’t seen him in a couple of years so we had a great reunion. At that time, Majel Barrett lived in Gene Roddenberry’s guesthouse on his estate and babysat his children. I met her on the set and I was not the least bit impressed with her. I thought, ‘My god! Why did they cast her in this? There are so many more handsome, talented, intelligent actresses out there.’ Majel had her nose in Roddenberry’s ear and her hand on his butt all the time we were there. She had no time for the rest of us and obviously had a great deal to say. She wasn’t much fun to work with either. She was civil to all of us but there was no real communication except between she and Gene Roddenberry. If you ask any of the original cast members I think they would verify that fact.”
JULIE PARRISH (Miss Piper in “The Menagerie” Nov. 17 & 24, 1966)
“I really didn’t get along with William Shatner. I’m not blaming him because he was of that generation of actors and really didn’t think that women had feelings—we were just something to use. Even though it was early on, he really played up being the star of the series.”
CELESTE YARNALL (Yeoman Martha Landon in “The Apple” Oct. 13, 1967). “The cast had a way of teasing the guest stars and playing little tricks on them. Leonard Nimoy scared me to death. I’d see him coming and start to shake. He and Bill Shatner were playing good guy/bad guy. Shatner was kind of taking care of me and we had quite an attraction to one another. He is a very handsome man and I was quite taken with him. I was married at the time we did this and though I was flattered I had to say no to his romantic interest. I believe he respected that and never felt abused by him as a guest star. He never crossed the line.”
