The Shocking Twist Behind Kim Cattrall’s Almost-Lost ‘Star Trek’ Role You Need to Know About!
You ever wonder what happens when a powerhouse like Kim Cattrall, best known for the untamable Samantha Jones from Sex and the City, steps into the futuristic world of Star Trek? Before she owned the bold, unapologetic persona on HBO, Kim was already a seasoned warrior in Hollywood’s arena, starring in classics like Porky’s and Police Academy. But in 1991, she strapped on the infamous Vulcan ears and took on the role of Lieutenant Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country—a part she almost walked away from, demanding more depth and grit for her character. It’s fascinating how this fierce actress injected not just star power but also a splash of rebellion into the sci-fi universe, even stirring some eyebrow-raising rumors along the way. So , ready to beam aboard and explore the untold saga of Kim Cattrall’s time on the Enterprise? LEARN MORE
Kim Cattrall had a long career before her signature role as Samantha Jones on Sex and the City. The 69-year-old actress, who made her screen debut over five decades ago, appeared in ’80s classics like Porky’s, Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China and Mannequin, and in 1991, she joined the Star Trek universe with a role as Spock’s protégée, Lieutenant Valeris, in the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
35 years and many more Star Trek movies and shows later, you may have forgotten about Cattrall’s role in the sci-fi franchise. The story of how she brought her star power to the film is just as fascinating as the role itself, so we’re taking a look back at her time on the Enterprise—and the racy rumors she generated on set.
Why Kim Cattrall’s ‘Star Trek’ role almost didn’t happen
Kim Cattrall almost turned down the opportunity to be in Star Trek. Originally, she was offered the role of Spock’s earlier protégée, Saavik, a character who’d previously been played by Kirstie Alley in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Robin Curtis in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, but she felt wary of stepping into a role that had already been put onscreen by other actresses.
Cattrall has always been known for playing powerful women, and she was initially skeptical of the character she was offered, telling Starlog magazine, “I think Saavik is a sympathetic character . . . but she doesn’t really do much,” and saying that too often, female characters in sci-fi lacked complexity. The actress set an ultimatum: “I’m not going to do [sci-fi] movies unless they give my character more meat.”
Becoming Valeris: ‘I didn’t want to take the ears off at the end of the day’
Once Cattrall accepted the part of Valeris, she seized creative control of the character and even helped name her. She chose the name Eris from the ancient Greek goddess of strife, creating a clever bit of foreshadowing, as Valeris, who is initially intended as Spock’s replacement, ultimately becomes a traitor.
In addition to coming up with Valeris’ name, Cattrall also helped design her character’s distinctive look—complete with a severe black bob and glamorous red lipstick. Given that Valeris was a Vulcan with a close connection to Spock, the actress took visual inspiration from Leonard Nimoy’s iconic character, telling Starlog, “I came up with a hairstyle that I thought was similar and militaristic enough to work with. We designed a headband, shaved part of my hair, to make my ears stick out, and dyed my hair and eyebrows black. I wanted to look very, very retro and different, and I think we achieved it.”
“I just thought I looked so cool,” Cattrall continued. “I didn’t want to take the ears off at the end of the day and I would actually leave them on. I wanted to go out in them . . . The first couple of nights I slept in them. Making a telephone call was a new experience for me because, if you’re not careful, you can leave half your ear on the receiver.” Evidently, she had a lot of fun playing a Vulcan.
A provocative rumor on the set of the Enterprise
On the surface, the logical, controlled Valeris couldn’t be more different from the bold, uninhibited Samantha Jones, but there’s a surprising rumor from the Star Trek VI set that sounds like it could’ve come straight from a Sex and the City script.
Shortly after the film was released, the sci-fi magazine Cinefantastique reported that after filming, Cattrall, wearing nothing but her Vulcan ears, posed for a sexy photo shoot on the bridge of the Enterprise. Supposedly, Nimoy destroyed the photos, as he feared the shoot would be bad for the franchise’s reputation, and they’ve never been seen.
Neither Cattrall nor Nimoy ever said anything about the nude photos, and while we don’t know if the shoot ever happened, the idea of it makes for an amusing contribution to Star Trek’s far-reaching lore.
Kim Cattrall’s lifelong love of ‘Star Trek’: ‘Spock was just the perfect man to me’
Whether or not she ever had a naughty moment on the Enterprise, it’s clear that Kim Cattrall genuinely loved being a part of the Star Trek world. Valeris never appeared in any other Star Trek movies or shows, and The Undiscovered Country marked the end of an era, as it was the final film to feature the complete main cast of the original series.
Cattrall grew up watching Star Trek, and described her love of the show with characteristic sass, saying, “I was a real big fan of the ’60s television show, the original one. I love the way it looked—it was sort of overlit and all the women were wearing fabulous outfits, and the men had tight pants. I thought it was just a wonderful, imaginative series.”
Playing Spock’s right-hand woman (and having chemistry with Nimoy) came naturally to Cattrall. In The Fifty-Year Mission, an oral history book by Woman’s World’s very own Star Trek expert Ed Gross, she recalled, “When I was growing up I just thought Spock was the most amazing character. He was so smart and sexy. He was just the perfect man to me, maybe a little lacking in passion but underneath all that was this incredible passion.” If you grew up loving Spock too, you know exactly what she means!
Valeris may not be the best remembered Star Trek character, but the creativity, charisma and real-life fandom Kim Cattrall brought to her role made it undeniably special.
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