Unseen & Epic: 49 Jaw-Dropping Pics of the Original Star Trek Cast That’ll Blow Your Mind From ’69 to ’79!
By the mid-to-late 1970s, Star Trek was about as far removed from just being a canceled television series as you could get. Yes, NBC had pulled the plug on the original show in 1969 after three seasons, but the fans —as their letter-writing campaign to get the show renewed for its third year had proven—refused to let it fade away.
Thanks to syndication, a growing convention scene and an ever-expanding body of fan-created content, Star Trek had experienced a renaissance that kept Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and the rest as relevant as ever. And the actors, many of whom had moved on—or attempted to—were finding themselves drawn back into a universe they thought they’d left behind, which would be irrefutable in December of 1979 with the theatrical release of the big-budget Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
These photos, ranging from candid moments to convention appearances and a press conference announcing the first movie, tell the story of that crucial transitional era, which saw Star Trek evolve from cult favorite to mainstream juggernaut. You’ll see Leonard Nimoy in early 1978, not as Spock but in promotion mode for Invasion of the Body Snatchers, standing alongside Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams—evidence of his growing presence in other genre work, even as he remained inextricably tied to the Enterprise. Elsewhere, James Doohan (Scotty) dons a futuristic uniform for his role in Jason of Star Command, a Saturday morning sci-fi show that let him flex his acting muscles for a new generation of fans.
Then there’s the aforementioned press conference for Star Trek: The Motion Picture in March 1978—a moment that signaled the franchise’s official leap to the big screen. Seated before a dramatic backdrop of the refitted Enterprise were series creator Gene Roddenberry, director Robert Wise, Paramount’s Michael Eisner and much of the original cast, all of whom faced the press with a mix of guarded optimism and palpable excitement. And just a year later, William Shatner, relaxed and grinning in athletic gear, would be photographed at NBC’s U.S. Against the World II, a celebrity sports event that reflected just how omnipresent Trek’s biggest stars had become.
These images capture a time of renewal and redefinition, when Star Trek was on the cusp of becoming something much bigger, and these are the people who would return us to the final frontier.
1969
1. The supporting cast of ‘Star Trek’
Bettmann Archives/Getty Images
From left: Walter Koenig (Chekov), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), James Doohan (Scotty) and George Takei (Sulu) in a publicity shot from the original Star Trek series in its final season. After the show’s cancellation in 1969, all four actors stayed closely connected to the franchise through fan conventions, animated voice work and public appearances—helping sustain Star Trek’s popularity during its years off the air and paving the way for its cinematic rebirth (though nobody knew it at the time).
2. Life beyond the final frontier
Getty
Leonard Nimoy (far left) joined the cast of Mission: Impossible in 1969, stepping into the role of master of disguise Paris following Martin Landau’s departure. Seen here with co-stars Greg Morris, Lesley Ann Warren, Peter Lupus and Peter Graves, Nimoy remained with the hit spy series for two seasons. The move allowed him to further distance himself from Spock while still showcasing his versatility—though the shadow of Star Trek loomed large.
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