Watched the first episode of Star Trek: Strange New Words (which I loved) and was most surprised to see Mr. Spock’s intended T’Pring. I thought I would pay homage to 60s starlet Arlene Martel who originated the role on the original Star Trek in “Amok Time.” Below is an excerpt from my interview with her from my McFarland & Co. book, Drive-in Dream Girls: “Every time Celia Lovsky pronounced one of the Vulcan words Bill Shatner would whisper something funny about it and get me to laugh, which was terrible to do… Of course Ms. Lovsky wasn’t aware of this. But she had difficulty pronouncing the Vulcan words. Bill was like a naughty schoolboy and suddenly I became five years old. At one point, the director[Joseph Pevney] Threatened to throw us both off the set. I have very good concentration, but Bill just broke me up.” As for Leonard Nimoy, Arlene remarked, “Leonard was rather removed. Maybe he was maintaining his character–I don’t know. Or maybe he genuinely didn’t like me.”
