Gene Roddenberry's FIRST CHOICE for Spock Will Blow Your Mind!

[@ShawnBean]

Leonard Nimoy's performance not only set the role for Mr. Spock, he defined the entire Vulcan race. Now, THAT’S acting!

[@kevincourtney7312]

Fact All the actors that played Vulcans were Jewish.

[@PhatTony-km3fl]

Spot on, how can anybody argue with that👍

[@michaelhotard1557]

It would’ve been something to see Mr Spock doing a Cary Grant imitation, “Judy! Judy! Judy.”🤣🤣🤣

[@jasonrodgers9063]

Well, thanks. I'll now wake up SCREAMING tonight!

[@SSgtBaloo]

😮😧😂🤣

[@leelashope8971]

​@@jasonrodgers9063😂😂😂

[@markbeauseigneur5947]

Leonard Nimoy was the best choice for the role. Hands down.👍

[@jdsundstrom]

Absolutely!

[@williamhaynes4800]

Spock was originally supposed to have been a red skinned Martian who consumed his food through a panel in his stomach.

[@hingedelephant]

🖖🏼

[@MrAranton]

Considering how much the actors in TOS got to influence the characters they were portraying (e.g. the Vulcan nerve pinch was Nimoy's idea and he convinced Roddenberry and the authors to put in the scripts instead of a fist fight), I'm not sure the role existed when the actors were chosen - at least not the way we think of them. Had someone else gotten the part, Spock would be a very different character. And as much as I love the character we got, we cannot know whether or not a different Spock co-created by a different actor would have been better or worse. It would be fascinating to see what other actors would have made of the character in Nimoy's place. But since we cannot possibly learn that, it seems illogical to assume the version of the character we got is the best possible version.

[@lobsangpadma107]

❤❤🖖🖖❤❤🖖🖖❤❤

[@robertarmstrong7410]

There is NO Spock, without Leonard Nimoy!

[@timradde4328]

If someone else had been cast we'd not know how good Nimoy would be. Just another parallel universe. We can't never know.

[@Mark-q1w9p]

You got that right!!! Live long and prosper!!!🫡

[@GoldenRAGEofTV]

Martin Landau would have worked. But Nimoy was a force of nature. Love it Dave!

[@jdsundstrom]

True! Thanks for your support Pat.

[@caeserromero3013]

Landau made Space 1999 on British TV

[@tyronehamilton588]

I agree 100%!

[@robertgandler3177]

Martin would have been a great choice. He dud win an Oscar for Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood though!

[@TLowGrrreen]

​@@caeserromero3013And Nimoy stepped into Mission Impossible after Landau left because of contract and creative differences with the production company. 😊

[@DD-uf2uo]

Hiring anyone other than Leonard Nimoy would have been " ILLOGICAL ". 🖖 .

[@rafaelperez-ep7wi]

Yes sir, Your illogical definition is totally logicall.

[@Crantock-l1v]

He's a terrible Half Vulcan Half Human. The best is the one in strange new worlds. He's believable as being mixed where as Nimoy was nearly always emotionless..way to reduce the human race to 2nd class. Anyway, I like seeing Nimoy as Spock but that's just because he was Spock in the original series. Nimoy wouldn't be missed if someone else got the part.

[@jonathanswift2251]

@@Crantock-l1v You completely missed the nuance and strategy of Nimoy's acting. Nimoy interpreted Spock as one who suppressed his emotions, but they came out in extreme moments, like at the end of 'Amok Time'. Also when he was back in time in "All Our Yesterdays" he reverted to raw emotions. And when he put his hand on the door after his mother slapped him in the face and left him in anger in "Journey To Babel"....Come on man. The new actor is another interpretation of Spock, but Nimoy invented Spock. Really...

[@Crantock-l1v]

@@jonathanswift2251 I really didn't. He IS Spock but not because he portrays what the actual person would be like. The largest problem was the constant talk of his genius and the complete lack of evidence of it except on occasional moments, Spock asportrayed by Nimoy was nothing special.

[@jonathanswift2251]

@@Crantock-l1v Your opinion. Which you have a right to have. However, it is not mine, which I have a right to have.

[@tracyroth-myers5574]

I love Leonard Nimoy. He is my only Spock ♥️

[@jdsundstrom]

Leonard was the best. No doubt about it!

[@TokyoXtreme]

“I am not Spock” - Leonard Nimoy “I am Spock” - also Leonard Nimoy

[@Grommok]

100%

[@ElCid48]

he is the guy go have us the hand sign with his fingers. and he got it when he was in temple with his dad and brother and he could not keep his eyes close when all the congregation were suppose to being young. and that is the hand signs that the people were doing doing a Jewish ceremony.

[@mikeifyouplease]

I think that not only did Leonard Nimoy play a great Mr. Spock, but he also added features to the character that were not in the original...like: the Vulcan hand grip and the Vulcan hand sign. Also, over the years, I believed he pushed back on some of the dialogue which he felt was not in line with Vulcan logic, culture or philosophy. His absence would have give us a completely different and (in my opinion) inferior Star Trek.

[@leesher1845]

The Vulcan hand sign is actually a Jewish sign that he learned as a child in the synagogue.

[@brynpookc1127]

@@leesher1845 But Leonard Nimoy was the one who introduced it to the character, and the world.

[@terryulmer969]

It's the Hebrew letter Shin. The One True Creator G_d encoded the Torah, the Hebrew letters, and the Hebrew language so there is much hidden in plain sight.

[@molarmama32]

@@leesher1845 WOW, yes we know. Not all Goys are stupid.

[@theylive4d996]

@@terryulmer969 Your One True Creator 'god' does not exist.

[@kermitefrog64]

😊I always appreciated DeForest Kelly for his portrayal of Dr. McCoy. His background in Westerners was the right mixture for his character being a Country Doctor.

[@paulhunter6742]

A Southern County Doctor, it's quite clear McCoy heritage was United States Southern region. Especially when was emotional or relaxed mood the Georgia accent pushed through

[@LaserRanger15]

Nimoy was born to play Spock and was the right choice, but actually I could see Landau in the role also. The other two, though talented, would not have pulled it off.

[@EdiaStanfordBruce]

I could see Landau as perhaps one of Spock's cousins or one of Sarek's brothers if aged only a little. He would have made a very handsome Vulcan.

[@theylive4d996]

@@EdiaStanfordBruce 😂🤣😂Landout !!!

[@Raja1938]

Though he didn't make the Spock cut, I loved Michael Dunn's guest appearance in "Plato's Stepchildren". Too bad Martin Landau hadn't done the same. He would made for a rather sharp-looking Vulcan.

[@jdsundstrom]

Totally agree! I would have loved to have seen Landau play another Vulcan.

[@sammic974]

Am not sure Landau would've made a good Vulcan. He lumbered thru Space 1999!

[@martok2112]

In truth, yes, I think Martin Landau would've made a pretty good Spock. His voice, especially, would've suited Spock's logical demeanor, as long as he didn't play Spock too stiffly, the way Ethan Peck does in STD...er, sorry, Disco...er, sorry, ....(cringe) Star Trek Discovery, and (cringe again) Star Trek Strange New Worlds.

[@dwaynejeffers1632]

I do agree with you. I cannot see George Lindsay as Spock. Martin Landau also would made an interesting Romulan foil in a few episodes.

[@peliculasperdidasyencontra5059]

I’ve heard an interview with Landau in which he said he wouldn’t have been interested in the role. He couldn’t seem to wrap his head around playing an unemotional character. Gene got the right actor with Nimoy who not only created Spock but set the bar for all of the rest of the Vulcan characters who followed. He defined what a Vulcan was and the other actors had a basis of the mannerisms.

[@dwaynesmith6340]

I cant even imagine what Star Trek would have been like without Lenard Nimoy. My favorite character on my favorite show.

[@berniecasey7592]

AGREED - Leonard was perfect for that role.

[@mrthingy9072]

I've felt that Karl Urban has done a tremendous job as Dr. McCoy, he sounds so much like DeForest Kelly it's amazing. He has the voice, mannerisms, etc., all down very well but just enough of his own take on McCoy that it's not just direct imitation.

[@glaucioreis]

I wholeheartedly agree. At first, given his physique, I thought it was a weird casting choice (I was hoping for Gary Sinise), but he was by far the best actor in the new movies.

[@billwatkins8227]

I agree.

[@TLowGrrreen]

Totally agree! I was prepared to hate the new Trek film on principle, but the casting was brilliant. The only misstep in my mind was Simon Pegg as Scotty. I'm a huge fan of Pegg. He gave solid performances, but he just didn't have Doohan's sly, crusty charm. A personal wishlist item of mine, though, would be to see Urban cast as a younger, unredeemed William Money in an Unforgiven prequel. 😊

[@richwightman3044]

Agreed.👍

[@glaucioreis]

@@TLowGrrreen I'm not so keen on the cast in general (Quinto was a disappointment as Spock), but I agree that Pegg was a bad choice. I was rooting for Paul McGillion, from "Stargate: Atlantis". I suspect he even auditioned for Scotty, as he got a very small role in the first movie.

[@infoscholar5221]

I met Martin Landau, towards the end of his life. He had a natural gravitas about him, similar to Mr. Nimoy, whom I also met briefly in his later years. (Thank you, DragonCon).

[@Donna_G]

Martin Landau could have been Mr. Spock and played him just as skillfully as Leonard Nimoy. I thought he was great in the Mission Impossible TV series with Peter Graves. But, after Leonard Nimoy, I'm not sure if the fans would have been all that eager to accept a replacement Mr. Spock.

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for sharing Donna G!

[@13thwho]

Ironically, Nimoy replaced Landau on “Mission: Impossible”.

[@tomdonahoe3539]

@@13thwho I could totally see Martin Landau as Spock.

[@nearlyretired7005]

Pretty good in Hitchcocks,North by Northwest!

[@joelake7986]

Agreed, but I sure would love to see a few test episodes featuring Gooberspock.

[@candicelitrenta8890]

The thing about Leanord Nimoy was that he brought the Vulcan culture to reality with using Hebrew symbolism such as the hand salute "Live Long and Prosper", 2 finger separated. He brought a sense of realism to the character. Had anyone else done that role I don't believe it would have been so real

[@johnminehan1148]

Landau had a Method background and also might have used such things from his life.

[@dalethelander3781]

​@@johnminehan1148 Landau was also Jewish.

[@johnminehan1148]

@@dalethelander3781 . . . and (as a Method actor) might also have brought things like that from his own life into the character (if not necessarily in the same way as Nimoy did).

[@garycarpenter6433]

Can you do the two fingers separately..... I can just barley do it

[@marksheiman1538]

​@@garycarpenter6433right hand no. Left hand yes. Of course Mark Lenard was the right choice for Sarak. In balance of terror we saw him as the romulian Commander, Vulcan and Romulus genetically similar.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

Considering Martin Landau would make sense since they both were on Mission Impossible and played non-reactionary characters, always in control of personal feelings. I think Nimoy managed to add some humanity and depth to his character over the years that others may not have done. Certainly his last 3 roles in the newer movies were both pivotal to the story and added some heart to the roles. The interchange with Zachary Quinto was warn and tearful at the same time.

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for sharing Jeff S!

[@martok2112]

Yes, I considered Zachary Quinto to be a good successor to the role of Spock, albeit a bit too emotional. But Quinto did play Spock less stiffly than the current actor on (cringe) Star Trek Strange New Worlds. I, too, got a lump in my throat when I saw Kelvin Spock on screen with Spock Prime. Leonard Nimoy's delivery was as gold as ever.

[@johnminehan1148]

Nimoy was (more or less) Landau's replacement on Mission Impossible.

[@johnbockelie3899]

Martin Landau would have made a real slick looking Vulcan. He had those classic features like Nimoy had.

[@HRConsultant_Jeff]

@@martok2112 And Nimoy and the rest of us knew this was probably his last movie and he did this with his COPD advancing. I'm sure it was not easy to deliver the lines, but there is no noticeable signs on the screen.

[@LoyaFrostwind]

We wouldn’t have the Vulcan greeting 🖖 if it weren’t for Nimoy.

[@HepCatJack]

The nanoo nanoo that Robin Williams did may have been a parody of the Vulcan Greeting. But I don't know for sure if it was.

[@charlesbrentner4611]

Nor the Vulcan nerve pinch. I gather Mr. Nimoy also came up with that. He felt that Spock being a logical being would use a less aggressive method than a fist to render an adversary unconscious. Hence the Vulcan nerve pinch.

[@Emanuela9]

And finally the mind meld. 🖖

[@maddhatter3564]

Ive heard of MANY things that Nimoy brought to Spock that wasnt written.

[@HeronCoyote1234]

The Vulcan greeting is actually the Jewish symbol for “kohen”, the highest of the three tribes in Judaism (kohen, levite, yisrolite). Kohanim are the high priests. If your dad’s surname starts with a K, you’re a kohen. My dad’s tombstone has the hand symbol engraved on it. I believe Leonard Nimoy was adopted by a Jewish family.

[@MRaadesign]

I met George Lindsay many years ago. He confirmed this rumor. He was in his 70's at the time and could remember EVERYTHING. He was a very smart man and down to earth too.

[@SenileOtaku]

And remember, George Lindsay is an actor, and wouldn't have been playing a variation of his Mayberry character. How well he would have done we don't know, you'd have to look at his other roles to get an idea. It's like Brian Cranston, who played a Ranger on "Babylon5", to Hal on "Malcom in the Middle", and then on to hisclassic role in "Breaking Bad". Or for a "Star Trek" connection, look at Walter Koenig as Pavel Checkov, and then look at him as PsiCop Alfred Bester on "Babylon5".

[@geraldscott4302]

Sometimes an actor turns out to be absolutely perfect for a role, and the actor and the role they played become inseparable. Such was the case with Leonard Nimoy/Mr. Spock. I have seen a lot of tv shows and movies where it was obvious that they cast the wrong actor.

[@northprime_unlimited]

If the rumor of the casting of Michael Dunn is true then that means Roddenberry truly didn’t have a prejudice bone in his body. He was willing to cast anybody for any role. Truly a groundbreaking person.👍🏽

[@randomcommentary6099]

A Michael Dunn casting would have completely altered the Vulcan Race I would think. There would probably never be a Kirk vs Spock battle during Pahn-Far, or the Vulcan Neck Pinch would have been a knee pinch instead. I loved Michael Dunn as Alexander in "Plato's Stepchildren" and as Dr Loveless in Wild Wild West. That said, I'm happy we got Leonard Nimoy.

[@Emanuela9]

Michael Dunn was awesome in Wild, Wild West.

[@dallastexas3471]

Dave I read your stuff everyday. It's always amazing but this one has to be one of the most mind-blowing ones you've shown us. Me being a huge Andy Griffith fan it just blows me away that goober could even be thought to play this role. I met him once in person in Tennessee and got his autograph. He was amazing

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for sharing DT. I was shocked to find this one out as well. And...I thought I knew just about everything about George Lindsey that there was to know!

[@BipolarAyatollah]

The Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic reminds me quite a bit of the Matt Dillon-Festus-Doc relationship on Gunsmoke from about the same TV time period. A totally different genre but #2 and the Doc were always going at it on that show also.

[@jdsundstrom]

Great insight!

[@nickaronschannel430]

@@jdsundstrom Good insight; yes, but actually the Dr /Captain friendship seems to first be seen in the MR. Roberts and Ensign Pulver/Henry Fonda plays/movies prior to Gunsmoke

[@natmanprime4295]

a lot of shows had that dynamic at the time. lennon mcartney harrison for exxample

[@williamrmitchell1960]

Star trek was thought of a western space opera.

[@jerrygillespie1214]

I also recall seeing George Lindsay on an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents in a heavy dramatic role as a blackmailer long before he was on Andy Griffith. So it may not have been so far fetched

[@superchicken5285]

l know that show, and I still stand by my original comment, a hillbilly Vulcan is totally out of the question.

[@buffalopatriot]

He also played a bad man on Rawhide. Very, very convincing.

[@jerrygillespie1214]

@@buffalopatriot Problem is sometimes actors are typecast and cannot shake the role that made them famous. However, sometimes they can shake that role and go on to better things. Two good examples. Sally Field. From Gidget and The Flying Nun to Norma Rae Academy Award winner to other acting roles. More recently Hugh Jackman. From Wolverine to doing Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man on Broadway currently

[@darkeyeze]

@@jerrygillespie1214 You are correct. George had a wide range of talents, especially outside of acting. Athlete, restaurant chain owner, charity worker. I believe he could have pulled off a Spock character.

[@moodydeb6814]

Goober as Spock???? LMAO!! Star Trek wouldn't be Star Trek without Leonard Nimoy. The chemistry between Shatner, Nimoy & Kelley was pure gold & unique. It couldn't be replicated. Ever.

[@russellcronk1224]

If Goober was Spock, I am afraid he would have turned the space galaxy upside down.

[@joseortiz3582]

That something I have to see!😁😁

[@phoenixriser6607]

At some point Roddenberry said to DeForest Kelley (they were already familiar from a previous project) if he would like to play Spock or the doctor. He said he'd take High Noon (what he called McCoy). Best decision he ever made 😏

[@joele.campbell1532]

No doubt Nimoy is the quintessential Spock, he made the role his own. Of those you mentioned Martin Landau activated my imagination ..... he is a very underestimated acting talent especially when it comes to Sci-Fi as in his Outer Limits roles (especially “The Man who was never born “). Thank You for this enlightenment !! 🙏🏻

[@jpboursaw4469]

I knew about Landau being up for the part, but the other two? That’s wild! Nimoy, and Landau did remain friends, even after their time on Mission: Impossible. But Michael and George? That’s really something to think about! Proof that possibility can also be stranger ~and as interesting ~ as fiction!

[@jdsundstrom]

So very true!

[@Fubar61]

I hope if Leonard McCoy ever appears in Strange New Worlds, they can get Karl Urban. He's been AWESOME in the Kelvin timeline movies. I think he actually channeled DeForest Kelly!

[@laff000]

Actor Paul Fix played Dr Piper on the enterprise along with Captain Pike in the pilot episode of Star Trek. Kelly replaced Fix later on.

[@patcandelora8496]

@@laff000Was Paul Fix Micah from the Rifleman?

[@DawnDavidson]

Unfortunately, I think Urban may be too old for the rest of the cast by the time they get there, if they ever do. But agree entirely that he was a perfect Bones!

[@nickperkins8477]

George Lindsey had acting range that arguably hasn’t really survived in the popular imagination. Mr. Lindsey had a medium-sized part in an absolutely chilling episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. The episode is entitled The Jar, coincidentally starring another iconic rural character actor in Pat Buttram. In the AHH episode, George gives a vaguely frightening small speech about his changes in perception as he has aged. As it relates to Star Trek, of course Leonard Nimoy ended up giving one of the most iconic performances ever in science fiction as Mr. Spock. But, I believe if he had gotten the role, George Lindsey would have given his own iconic performance as Mr. Spock. As an actor, he probably would have loved having another major role so different from Goober.

[@STho205]

Audiences type cast actors more than producers do. Lindsay did several serious roles prior to 1965. However a lot of them were countryfolk roles. His role as the happy to execute deputy in "I Am the Night, Color Me Black" was very convincing and gritty. In "The Jar" two mostly comedic actors gave great tragic performances, yet again in a hayseed play, but written by Ray Bradbury.

[@kirnpu]

I saw The Jar when I was about 9 and it scared the absolute crap out of me.

[@nickperkins8477]

@@kirnpu I saw The Jar when I was 42 or 43 and it scared me, too. One of the scariest TV episodes I have ever seen.

[@johnsavard7583]

Definitely, I'm sure that having George Lindsey do the part wouldn't have been as bad as it sounds!

[@STho205]

@@johnsavard7583 no, it would have been toss away. It would class the show with Daniel Boone and Wild Wild West. There already are many crosses there.

[@lifeishooey]

Wow. After more than 50 years of Leonard Nimoy's Spock, it's very hard to imagine anyone else playing that role, least of all Goober Pyle. I could see Martin Landau playing the role. He certainly had the serious face of a Vulcan, had Leonard not gotten the role.

[@constanttraveler]

It's bizarre to see Spock smile in the original pilot episode with Jeffrey Hunter as the captain. He was a superb Spock

[@jdsundstrom]

Totally agree. Leonard was the best!

[@alpha-omega2362]

in the 40th anniversary novels "Crucible" Spock explains that at that time he was "mimicking" human behavior to make them feel more comfortable. . I am a day one Star Trek fan and never really got into any the novels, but the 40th's anniversary novels were quite good especially McCoys which devotes much on his time in the past after going through the guardian of forever.... after all he spent a life time there and changed the future until his friends retrieved him....it centers on his life in which they never made it....it's kind of hard to explain but it was the best of the three novels

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

@@jdsundstrom speaking about the pilot, why did Jeffrey Hunter get replaced?

[@davidwahrheit6143]

@@WALTERBROADDUS Several sources state that his wife dissuaded him from accepting the series role because, according to her, he was a "movie star" and being on television would have been a step down.

[@Quach7]

@@WALTERBROADDUS Too cerebral, not enough action packed. Same reason Geneviève Bujold wasn't cast as Captain Janeway, too cerebral, not action-hero-like.

[@patmcbride9853]

I can just see George doing his "Judy, Judy, Judy!" line with pointy ears. I could totally see Landau in the role.

[@jankoza673]

Hard to see Goober as Spock. Your info is always thought provoking. Thanks for interesting video!

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for watching Jan!

[@rkm3]

That's a fascinating bit of trivia and I would love to see Lindsey and Landau in a screen test.

[@scottclarke2417]

Landau is or was a BEAST! He could have Definitely played Spock 🖖!!!

[@ripley_hicks_newt_86]

In an alternate universe somewhere there are Martin Landau and Jack Lord playing Spock and Kirk.

[@williamrmitchell1960]

Ironically I see sense in that choice!

[@theylied1776]

Okay, George Lindsey as Mr Spock is just pure madness.

[@jdsundstrom]

Absolutely nutty!

[@pinedelgado4743]

LOL!! I know, right??? :) :)

[@johnbockelie3899]

George Lindsey as Mr.Spock , wearing his " Jughead " crown, and Vulcan hair style.

[@johnbockelie3899]

De forest Kelley almost got the Spock part as well.

[@stephaniegormley9982]

@@johnbockelie3899 But I can see Kelley pulling it off, just barely. But George Lindsey? No.

[@docverit2668]

A guy who looked a bit like Nimoy and could have made a convincing Spock was James Coburn. Check him out in his starring role in the movie In Like Flint. Note the similar facial features, hair, etc.

[@Popeii1]

James Coburn? I enjoyed him in every roll he played.

[@AgentM79]

A fine video. We should all remember that the Speck we got was NOT Gene Roddenberry’s original concept for the Enterprise’s “First Officer”/“Science Officer”. That character (as we all know) was supposed to be A FEMALE, imposing and highly intelligent, played by his future wife, Majel Barrett. We got too see what MIGHT HAVE BEEN in “The Menagerie”/“The Cage”. Martin Landau would have been the only other suitable choice to give us the Spock the show needed. But Leonard Nimoy TRULY made the character his own, and literally developed Spock “on the fly”. It’s all amazing, in hindsight.

[@angelafrankenschloss9627]

I wold have assumed Landau and Nimoy to have been Brothers. Both insanely handsome 😍 men with pretty much similar facial structures and expression types. I even remember having a crush on either one back in the early 1970s at a mere five (5) years of age watching Mission Impossible, Space 1999 and Star Trek (Nimoy was in M:I and S.T., Landau M:I and S1999).

[@jladdyost]

Let us remember please that George Lindsey could act and made a fine villain. Nimoy was perfect, Landau would have been perfect. George Lindsey would have been good and it would have shown off his acting chops. We have to remember that in the '60s people hadn't been exposed to decades of reruns of Lindsey as Goober. He still wouldn't have been nearly as good as Nimoy. We also need to remember that the writers adjusted Spock's character to Nimoy's own sense of the character as they went along, so that HIS Spock was not exactly pre-filming Roddenberry's idea of Spock. It was better.

[@dalethelander3781]

Martin WAS asked to audition for Spock, but turned it down as he already had a job on the Desilu lot, that of Rollin Hand, the master of disguise of the Impossible Missions Force. Mission: Impossible also debuted in September, 1966. Martin did get his chance to "go into space" in 1975, as Commander John Koenig of Moonbase Alpha on Space:1999. That series lasted two seasons; cancelled following changes to the format by Star Trek's 3rd season showrunner Fred Freiberger. Or should I say, Fred "Kiss Of Death" Freiberger?

[@wiseguymaybe]

I didn't know about George Lindsy, that to me is to weird. But as a fan of the original series I did know about Martin Landau, his daughter Juliet Landau follows me and I follow her on twitter. But you forgot another actor who was offered the role of Spock. Deforest Kelly was also offered the role as well. A lot of actors got their parts on Trek who Gene remembered as guest stars on another show he produced called The Lieutenant including Nichelle Nichols, LT. Uhura.

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for sharing Larry!

[@peliculasperdidasyencontra5059]

I met Juliet once through her sister Susie who I went to college with. Both lovely women.

[@dalethelander3781]

But, luckily for us, Martin got the lead role in Space:1999. Unfortunately, that series was ruined in its' 2nd season by Star Trek 3rd season showrunner Fred Freiberger.

[@peliculasperdidasyencontra5059]

@@dalethelander3781 I went to college with Martin & Barbara’s daughter Susie. She had wonderful stories about living in London during the production of SP: 1999.

[@RaymondBCrisp]

Martin Landau would have been outstanding as Spock. He was obviously down for a space-based role, as he took on Space 1999 about a decade later. Nimoy did a stellar job though. I loved the way he portrayed the character, and at this point can't see anyone else in that role.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

He might not have been in the original running for Spock but I think Barry Atwater was an exceptionally convincing Vulcan in the Savage Curtain as Surak. The look, the voice, the manner. All very Vulcan. He might have made a good Spock and who knows what life experience he brought to the role that could have become part of the character!

[@RaymondBCrisp]

@@InformationIsTheEdge He absolutely captured what it was to be Vulcan, but I think he might have been a bit too old for the role at that point. He did fantastic as Spock's father though.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

@@RaymondBCrisp Mark Leonard is the fellow you mean, the actor that played Spock's father. Yes he was excellent too. I meant the fellow who played the founder of the Vulcan philosophy Spock follows. From the episode The Savage Curtain. Mark Leonard, as you rightly point out, was no joke! Everything I wrote about Barry Atwater goes for Mark as well!

[@supersithlord]

Wow. Thanks, Dave! I literally had no idea about the casting choices for that role.

[@jdsundstrom]

I must admit this one was a new one for me as well. You'd think I would have known this one since I'm such a big fan of both shows.

[@mikesilva3868]

@@jdsundstrom 💛interesting

[@RedHawk785]

Nimoy said Roddenberry choose him for the role of Spock because Nimoy was a guest star on "The Lieutenant" which was a Roddenberry TV show just prior to Star Trek. This is when Roddenberry decided on Nimoy for the role of Spock.

[@joetruth5924]

Mr. Nimoy made the character iconic. The absolute best choice.

[@I00kingin]

as a kid I had an S and H greenstamp star trek puzzle that had Michael Dunn as the Vulcan captain on the enterprise bridge with human crewmen

[@marcuslieberman3577]

Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly are the greatest team. George Lindsey is a stretch, but he has a lot of stager presence. Landau is one of my all-time favorites!! As far as the Kelvin Era the cast was spot on.

[@warrenny]

Star Trek was great because all of the characters on the bridge had their distinctive personalities. It is really the writers of TOS that brought the characters together. All the actors did a very good job of playing their respective roles.

[@SnarkNSass]

Can't even wrap my brain around that... 🖖🏻

[@SnarkNSass]

And it's still the worst casting idea I ever heard 😂😂😂😂

[@pgec]

What is really interesting is that when Martin Landau and his wife Barbara Bain left Mission Impossible they were replaced by Leonard Nimoy.

[@2008PLS]

Leonard Nimoy was perfect for that role, so much it became his trademark! No one could play him better than Nemoy. Star Trek Original Series was perfectly cast!

[@georgehenderson7783]

For all the criticisms of JJ Abrams' reboots, Zachary Quinto did a great job playing Spock, as did all of the other actors playing the original series characters.

[@MickPsyphon]

The casting turned out perfect, because the actors made the characters come to life. They made the characters who we witnessed on-screen; and they seemed to be organically natural, not contrived. Gene may well have conceived the characters differently in his mind, but under his direction, the actors carved the image magnificently in theirs.

[@jdsundstrom]

I agree that the original Trek cast was perfect. 🙂

[@comancheviperrrr]

So what he didn’t cover was how Leonard Nimoy ended up with the iconic role. That would’ve been the perfect way to end this video.

[@Ravenscroft82]

Wow, Goober as Spock! If I didn't know better I'd think it was April 1st! :) But hey, Dave, you delineated the appeal of Star Trek via the Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship so well. Man, it took me right back to the summer before 8th grade when I overdosed on Star Trek reruns (as well as potato chips and Pepsi). Absolutely classic show that can NEVER be equaled.

[@johnminehan1148]

Well, think about Lloyd Bridges or Jack Lord as Kirk. both of which were considered.

[@elizabethjansen2684]

Check out babylon 5

[@Ravenscroft82]

@@elizabethjansen2684 oh I loved B5, believe me.

[@markmarsh27]

GOOBER PYLE? ... Chief Science Officer? ... No bloody way in hell! ... that's hilarious!

[@janethammond5925]

As someone else commented Martin Landau as Spock might have worked...up to a point. But no one could ever have played Spock as iconically as Leonard Nimoy. End of story. 👍

[@JimMichels-dy3vm]

I'm surprised Richard Boone didn't get some kind of role on Trek since Roddenberry cast so many people from Have Gun Will Travel in guest appearances.

[@kylecurry577]

“Goober” as Mr. Spock …very interesting, as is Michael Dunn. Agreed, Martin Landau would have been a very good choice , however I believe we all agree on who become this all time iconic character was the best choice made.

[@marlonlo9661]

Live Long and Prosper wouldn't have been the same without Leonard Nimoy. RIP Mr. Spock.

[@silversurfergw]

Would love see Michael Dun doing the vulcan nerve pinch.

[@comicus6769]

Hilarious but wouldn't have happened. Nimoy invented that.

[@rony41165]

Its interesting to note that leonard replaced martin landau when he left mission impossible.

[@theophilus7422]

This is a classic case of when the producers would have destroyed a show due to bad casting. I would have enjoyed seeing Landau as Spock. Nimoy, well, he's iconic in the role, along with Shatner and Kelly in theirs. Casting is sooooo crucial.

[@yusefendure]

Exactly right. Well said

[@TerryofEnon]

Goober as Spock? That would have been truly awesome. That would have kept the show on fire years!

[@joehntr3]

I think that Martin Landau would have been great in the part. But am truly grateful that Nimoy was selected for the part.

[@txhansolo22]

Lawrence Montaigne was also considered for Spock and after season 1 might have been given the role if Nimoy's contract dispute hadn't been resolved. and Shatner got the role of Kirk after Jack Lord was actually cast in the role and did some initial costume fittings. Lord demanded a 50 percent ownership of the show which of course the notoriously control freak Roddenberry rejected. Roddenberry also demanded a cut of the appearance money from the cast after the show started getting fan conventions. the three main stars, Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley all told him to fuk off. lol.

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for sharing.

[@sandrawilliams9534]

Yes Martin Landau would have been great but he would have hated it the lack of range of emotion . It would have killed 3:36

[@mr.b4444]

Nimoy was born for the Spock role, but Landau I believe may have been just as good. Landau may have been great as Kirk as well. No way on Goober.

[@xodiaq]

Landau would have been a much more intense Spock, but so many of the Vulcan cultural traits and behaviors came from Nimoy. We got the right guy, no doubt, but it would have been fun if the Mirror Universe had an entirely alternate cast, and Landau vs Nimoy there would have been memorable!

[@theylive4d996]

He was Landout...😂

[@Mumblix]

Martin Landau would have been perfect as Spock's brother. In high school I wrote a Star Trek script that took place after Shatner died in a car accident and the new lead was Captain Jeb Stone played by Elvis Presley.

[@tammyevans7333]

Wow, can't imagine anybody else playing him

[@jdsundstrom]

Me neither Tammy!

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

I seem to recall that Gene wanted DeForest Kelley so bad, he told De he could have whichever of the big 3 he wanted. Kirk, Spock or McCoy. He picked McCoy because he thought it was a role to stretch his talents where he didn't think Spock would as much.

[@sidpheasant7585]

In other words, things were as they were meant to be...

[@patrickstewart3446]

In a different universe, there is a version of Star Trek starring Jeffery Hunter, George Lindsey and Paul Fix… though in every universe we still get James Doohan. 😁

[@johnminehan1148]

Who may have gained fame playing a Russian Chief Engineering Officer . . . .

[@adrianvanleeuwen]

Martin Landau could have worked as Spock as he has a stoic seriousness to him and was great in Space 1999. However, Leonard Nimoy nailed it as the perfect Vulcan, with brilliant subtlety and mannerisms of acting.

[@dianewilliams1125]

Bones will always be my favorite! DeForest was epic! I'm so glad that Carl Urban is doing him justice! ❤❤❤

[@robertphillips6296]

Martin Landau would have been a Logical Choice to play the Iconic Character of Mister Spock.

[@williamhaynes4800]

I was aware of Lindsey being considered as Spock but not Landau or Dunn. I remember reading somewhere that Roddenberry also wanted Lloyd Bridges to play Kirk.

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

Gene talked about Lloyd in his autobiography. His first choice was Jack Lord but he demanded 50% ownership of the show so Gene quickly skipped Jack.

[@elizabethjansen2684]

@@JohnFourtyTwo that's crazy, 50%? On a brand new show and untried concept? That's EGO, with a dash of insanity for good measure.

[@williamhaynes4800]

@@JohnFourtyTwo Thanks, I also recall that GR had named the ship Yorktown in his 1st rough draft.

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

@@williamhaynes4800 Yes he did. 👍

[@shawngregg3796]

It would have been interesting to see Mr. dunn as Spock 🖖. I loved him as the vilian, M. Loveless in "The Wild Wild West." Goober? What was his job going to be? Change the oil in the Enterprise every 2 sectors?

[@julianaylor4351]

It's interesting that Martin Landau was considered for the role of Spock, because he was cast a decade later by Gerry Anderson, as Commander John Koenig in Space 1999. So being a science fiction series as a lead happened anyway.

[@GenseesWorld]

If anyone else but Nimoy had played Spock there would have never been the "Live long and prosper" hand gesture. Unthinkable!

[@thrashpondopons2776]

GREAT factoid Dave! I'm SO glad Mr. Nimoy got the role! But having seen Mr. Lindsey do dramatic roles on other shows, I can at least see why he was considered!

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks for pointing that out TP!

[@johnminehan1148]

Even in more dramatic episodes of Any Griffith, Lindsay had obvious talent (the one where Goober meets an old friend from his training as a mechanic, who he believes has been more successful, comes to mind, especially where Goober realizes the guy has not been and Goober does not bust his chops. Great use of facial expressions on his part.).

[@wesleyhackney]

That’s a crazy thought don’t think he would have been taken seriously and show would have been a flop if George Lindsay was considered. As for crazy possible miscastings I heard Jimmy Stewart was considered to play James Bond before Connery got the role. That would have been hilarious

[@jdsundstrom]

Stewart as Bond? Yikes! Another near miss!

[@brianhoward9217]

Fascinating! I had no idea about any of these considerations by Gene. Definite thumbs up this one. Thank you very much, Live Long And Prosper!

[@jdsundstrom]

Fascinating, isn't it? I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. 🙂

[@psychonaut5921]

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Leonard Nimoy as Spock, but Martin Landau would probably have done a great job as well.

[@mousetreehouse6833]

Landau would've been a good choice, but I'm really intrigued by Michael Dunn - he would've been an excellent choice as Spock!

[@robertsanders5355]

If you think about it both Martin Landau and Leonard Nimoy both had the same look, so Landau would have made a good Spock. Incidentally both had roles on Mission Impossible.

[@MFPhoto1]

Yes. Nimoy replaced Landau.

[@davidlindsay131]

Starts at 1:00

[@garymay2801]

It would be great to see George Lindsey's audition. Watch Brent Spiner on " Night Court " and believe he could play " Data " on Next Gen.

[@tomlemery8490]

Have seen him on Night Court. Never would believe he could be Data. He was an imposter under another last name. Didn't believe that either.

[@sirotis13]

Live Long, And Prosper, it's the Logical thing to do, Indeed, R.I.P. MR SPOCK,

[@thedailydanblog247]

Omg Dave I'm gonna say it ...... now that is GOOD STUFF

[@jdsundstrom]

Thanks Danny!

[@charliechristensen4036]

Goober? That sounds like a night of speculation over beer and chicken wings.

[@tyronehamilton588]

Gene Rodenberry was known for having some off the wall not to well thought out ideas. However Martin Landau would have been an excellent Spock! Too bad he wasn't more successful as Commander John Koenig, another fine role and character. Think you should investigate what became of Rodenberry's attempt to recruit Landau.

[@rdm925]

It's an interesting possibility, but like you I'm glad it didn't happen. It's now hard to imagine any other actors for the roles. I also think that what made the series so great for me as a teenager was the interplay and relationship created between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Thanks

[@jerrygillespie1214]

There always was a first choice with new tv series. Example: Jerry Van Dyke was tagged to be Gilligan but turned it down. Instead he opted for My Mother the Car which lasted only one season. It would be nice Dave to do a segment on him his career and being in the shadow of his brother Dick

[@jdsundstrom]

I will DEFINITELY do something on JVD one of these days.

[@jerrygillespie1214]

@@jdsundstrom Thanks Dave. I am watching the full hour episode of The Carol Burnett Show with guest Andy Griffith! He was a few sketches but the funniest one was Cinderelly a country version of the fairy tale. Andy was the Prince of the hoedown. I believe this is also on KZbin

[@eloiseockert9319]

I know this is off topic... I never would have watched Gilligan's Island with Jerry Van Dyke starring. Maybe it is just me but I felt he had very little acting ability & was just following in his brother's shadow...

[@eloiseockert9319]

Don't forget I suggested Matt Vogel and am still waiting

[@jerrygillespie1214]

@@eloiseockert9319 The only thing I can say is that Jerry Van Dyke did get a costarring role on the show Coach later in his career and life

[@SCOTTBULGRIN]

Yep. They are still my three favorite actors of any TV series also. STAR TREK is still my favorite TV show of all time too.🖖

[@JohnFourtyTwo]

I’ve only seen George in the Griffith and Gomer shows so I don’t know about him playing Spock but the way Hollywood typecast people it’s possible he would be good for the role.