Star Trek Wrath of Khan Director on Shatner & Montalban

Sci-Fi Writer-Director-Producer Marc Zicree sits down with Nicholas Meyer, writer-director-producer whose credits include Wrath of Khan, Star Tre IV, Star Trek VI, Time After Time, The Seven Percent Solution and the upcoming TV series Star Trek Discovery. Nick shares great memories of directing William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban in Wrath of Khan. Not to be missed!

[@joesmoe71]

I've always heard Montalban was basically in real life a lot like the characters he tended to play, a very nice and extremely courteous guy, but also supremely confident and larger than life.

[@MTknitter22]

Yes - others who worked with him said he often played himself - courtly, eloquent

@@MTknitter22 In Mark of Zorro (1974) he was confident, courtly and eloquent but not at all nice. Definitely larger than life though.

[@therealtoxicbeast2267]

Ladies and gentlemen. The man who saved Star Trek.

[@davidtankersley7072]

Him and Harve Bennett, the producer. When Bennett agreed to take over for the second movie, he locked himself in a room at Paramount and bingewatched TOS in order to understand what he was working with.

[@Nine-Signs]

Can we give him Star Trek so he can do it again please, its in desperate need of some saving from the toilet it now resides in for the most part.

[@Travlr013]

@@Nine-Signs You do realize he's a consulting producer for "ST: Discovery", right? He *is* involved.

[@PETERJOHN101]

@@Nine-Signs Nothing about the current ST franchise appeals to me... not sets... F/X... acting... story lines... plots... nothing... it's all trash since STTMP

[@gustafsone]

@@PETERJOHN101 Wait, your comment doesn't make much sense. If I understand you correctly, you're saying everything after the very first Star Trek movie was down hill and trash? You do realize that includes "Wrath of Khan", all of TNG and the rest of the Trek series? If that is truly what you meant then I'm going to have to say you're just wrong.

[@hendriksmedia]

Montalban had such presence on the screen, and his humility and willingness to take direction are part of what made him great.

[@godfreydaniel6278]

I simply can't - ever - look at him or hear his voice and not think "Fine Corinthian Leather"...

[@ethelryan257]

@@godfreydaniel6278 None of us can - Iacocca says he probably saved Chrysler with those brilliant performances.

[@MTknitter22]

A number of the greats were very much like that -@HENDRIKS

[@nelsontoondrawer7618]

​@godfreydaniel6278 ...yeah. you realize that was a made up phrase? No such thing as Corithian Leather! Pure ad faux.

[@fanboy2015]

Montalban should've been nominated for an Oscar, for his performance in that film.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

You're right. He got betrayed by the academy >_

[@galacticmind9060]

BULLSHIT! I should have gotten one, mister!

[@jacobmanfield6758]

George Alexander Weaver is the only actor to get nominated for an Oscar for a sci fi role, Aliens.

[@MGSBigBoss77]

While the late actor; Heath Ledger got nominated for a fantasy film in 'The Dark Knight', where he famously played a version of the Batman villain; The Joker inwhich he actually won posthumously!

[@jacobmanfield6758]

MGSBigBoss77 Yeah that was a fluke and was decades after TWOK during which genre films slightly more became slightly more acceptable (the rings series, avatar ). But genre films are still looked down on hence while Ledger won, the Dark knight was nominated

[@jdryyz]

Getting the best out of Shatner was one of the reasons this is one of the best Trek movies. Thank you Mr. Meyer!

[@opinionday0079]

No the best one is when they find God and sing row row row your boat.

[@1061shrink1061]

when he's looking for the "override" he looks like Joey trying to do maths in his head!

[@dvnobles]

@@1061shrink1061 Yes, I always thought that scene was silly, zoom, pan, zoom

[@dvnobles]

Agreed. People joke about Shatner's acting, but he was dead-on in TWoK. And his acting has actually improved over time. He's best when he relaxes and doesn't get in his own way.

[@annoyed707]

@@dvnobles Sometimes he's hammy and bombastic, other times brilliant.

[@andrewdrabble8939]

Ricardo Montalban was undoubtedly one of the finest actors that ever lived

[@silverkitty2503]

yup

[@mattosullivan9687]

But, he got this role and nailed it

[@kiely4561]

he's right about Ricardo being wasted as an actor, he had so much more to give, we only saw glimpses of what he was capable of

[@CrankyGrandma]

He was great on stage, too

[@BravoGK]

Loved him on Columbo, too!

[@nilslindqvist8825]

Yeah, agree, he was underestimated in the business, but I also thought he meant the other kind of wasted there a little while.

[@leif1075]

Was ameyer implying Montalban was better than Shatner or didn't he think Shatner was as great??

[@kiely4561]

@@nilslindqvist8825 no I meant it as under utilised not drunk all the time lol

[@powerboatguy2308]

Montalban has an interview on KZbin where he gives this director a lot of credit for his success in the Wrath of Khan, seems like a really good collaboration.

[@Phineas1626]

I saw it and was surprised. Says a heck of a lot about Montalban.

[@AlanCanon2222]

The thing I most like about the Montalban story is that it completely dovetails with Montalban's own enjoyable telling of the exact same day on the set of WoK. They clearly quickly established a mutual respect and rapport, and the movie was the better for it.

[@gregoryeastwood9068]

Wrath of Kahn, best ever. Hands down.

[@CP-kb1du]

Benedict Cumberbatch hands down the Worse CASTING EVER in the History OF FILM AS KHAN

[@robd1329]

@@CP-kb1du ...Antonio Banderas should have been Kahn. Lol

[@gumdeo]

Best ST villain as well.

[@daweller]

@@robd1329 maybe Javier Bardem?

[@notintohandles]

Because of the boss.

[@somethingsomethingsomethingdar]

That last little bit where he summarized what the movie was about and how sci-fi doesn’t remove the human element. I wish more directors realized that regardless of the genre, at the end of the day you are always telling a story about the emotion behind the characters

[@jaywilson4520]

Meyer wrote about how he directed Shatner in his book that came out a few years about directing the Star Trek movies, and I remember thinking, "What a fricking genius." I always felt beneath all the posturing and artifice Shatner puts up in his acting, there really is a great actor in there capable of truly great things, and Meyer figured out how to get to that without insulting Shatner or hurting his ego. Brilliant.

[@danieljackowitz2343]

Harve Bennett says that Shatner, underneath all his stylized performance, is a really great actor.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Yeah, I don't know if Shatner is a "great" actor. He's a good character actor, and as shown, a good director can get a good performance out of him. Great? No.

[@Travlr013]

@@danieljackowitz2343 Not surprising, really. Some of his earliest roles were doing Shakespeare on the stage. With Christopher Plummer. In fact, he was Plummer's understudy for Henry V and had to actually go on one night when Plummer took ill. And got rave reviews.

[@markpmar0356]

@@Travlr013 But, by his own admission, wasn't sure what to do because he hadn't rehearsed the role with the cast. It's a story Wm. Shatner just told relative to Plummer's passing.

[@Travlr013]

@@markpmar0356 Oh yes, I'm aware of that. Which is why the reviews for his performance are all that much more impressive. As Plummer told an interviewer, Shatner did everything different: Where Plummer would have stood up, Shatner sat down, Stage left instead of Stage Right and so on. And as Plummer noted, that was probably why he got the notices, because he didn't do it as Plummer did.

[@davemiller6055]

The second film this man directed is one of the best films ever made. Absolutely the best Star Trek film of them all.

[@richardvinsen2385]

His first film was pretty damn good, too.

[@toddwalker4301]

I agree! The only thing that bothered me was the giant Chekov ear they used for the eel scene. It looked so fake. 🤣🤣

[@davemiller6055]

@@toddwalker4301 True.

[@newfrontierfilms6314]

Really a master class on directing. He's such an intelligent and articulate person.

[@HailAnts]

I love that he mentions the _"Here it comes"_ line, as it's the best line of the film! I have a wav of it on my phone!

[@AW-uh2ux]

The delivery with the look he gives is ice cold pitch perfect. You know Shatner is basically dripping with threatening irritation at Meyer but it plays in the movie wondrously.

[@kennedytaylor4783]

Two year old comment and I agree totally. "Here it comes." It's also my favorite line.

[@josephcusumano2885]

Its an FU to Khan lol. Love it!!

[@spejic1]

The story about how he got Shatner to deliver that line is also in the director's commentary on the DVD - I really recommend listening to the whole thing as it is full of worthwhile details about the craft of directing.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Wow, this was incredibly interesting. His second movie ever was Wrath of Khan. This is maybe the best Star Trek movie of all time, which makes it one of the best sci-fis ever. From Hell's heart I stab at thee!

[@Rick_Hoppe]

I was hanging on Meyer’s every word, then it stopped. “Noooo!” Please! Can we see more?!

[@Enid2Sacramento]

Watched an Emmy Legends featuring Mr. Montalban and he is very generous with his praise for Nicholas Meyer. A true gentleman.

[@dustinwaters7221]

Aah the days when hollywood stayed true to a characters backstory.

[@AllgoodthingsTv]

That man is an excellent story teller. What a great video. I've been in many a classroom setting like that at UCLA with big time directors when I was interning for Peter Guber. Brings back fond memories.

[@razmo21]

I agree. I didn’t think I wanted to watch a 9 minute video, but when it was over,I wanted another couple hours of it.

[@InCountry6970]

I disagree, there are many times he starts a thought and stops and then interjects another side comment and barely gets back to the original story he started. His thought process and uncompleted thoughts shows in his disjointed story telling

[@elingrome5853]

last of dying breed... now its the numbers guys, the diversity loons and the Chinese financeers....

[@richardclarke376]

Total respect for Nick Meyer. As he says, his second film as director. Still got wonderful performances out of Montalban and Shatner. And the films themselves have actually improved with age, especially when you compare them to the latest Trek outings! Wonderful dialogue like when Valeris says "I could only succeed you, sir". Can you remember any of the dialogue from the last Trek movie? Or even what the plot was about?

[@pilatesstudiooflittlerock8563]

Not much except that I do remember Kirk and Bones clinking glasses of Scotch stolen from Chekov's locker, sipping, and being all like "ahhh... THAT'S good". RIP Anton Yelchin.

[@davemiller6055]

I remember explosions and screaming and lens flares. Was there dialogue?

[@Slayer398]

@@davemiller6055 something something beasty boys music more lens flare is all i remember from the movies.

[@davemiller6055]

@@Slayer398 pretty much.

[@aliensoup2420]

More than anything, I remember how stupid the latest JJ Abrams Trek movies are.

[@pdoylemi]

That last part echoed arguably the greatest Sci-Fi author ever - Robert A. Heinlein. In an essay he discussed the fact that great science fiction is just great fiction. Though the plot may center around some "what if" scenario on some distant world, the STORY is still about the characters - what are they doing and WHY are they doing it.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Yep. My mind immediately went to Heinlein. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. A book about people, real people, embroiled in this "space revolution" of sorts, but they act real. Talk real. Are real.

[@pdoylemi]

@@princeofcupspoc9073 Yeah that was an interesting one. The culture he came up with for that penal colony and the and the mix of languages makes sense in the context.

[@ieatorbs]

Nicholas Meyer does the best commentaries I've ever heard. Highly recommend his commentary on WOK.

[@aliensoup2420]

Hey, I was going to say that. Include Francis Coppola in that sentiment as well. They both delve deep into the various aspects of directing and filmmaking - emotional, psychological, artistic, practical business and production relations - their commentaries are a master-class in directing.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Thanks for the tip. After seeing this clip, I'll definitely check it out.

[@bodystomp5302]

The Wrath of Khan was brilliant, by far my favorite Star Trek production.

[@ernestolombardo5811]

"Do I have to pull the boat over the mountain?" - I had no idea that Werner Herzog's grand folly had entered the lexicon. And not only did he literally pull the boat over the mountain in "Fitzcarraldo", he did it smack in the middle of the Amazon jungle. The mind boggles.

[@polyglot8]

A native Amazonian died during the filming of this scene, crushed by the boat, and they just kept filming. The other interesting thing about his comment, "Is the director crazy?" is that in this case, it wasn't the director, Werner Herzog, who was crazy, it was the actor, Klaus Kinski.

[@mikecimerian6913]

There was also violence among natives as one tribe had overstayed in the area working as extras.

[@martintimmer8574]

yeah,Herzog immediately came to my mind as well. And the offer of the natives to kill Kinski,cause they all thought he was a total nutcase.he politely denied

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

I was wondering how far down I'd have to scroll to find real cinema people...

[@esta1ful]

@@martintimmer8574 he was😳

[@ernestolombardo5811]

My two favorite Trek movies are Wrath Of Khan and Undiscovered Country, and I am far from alone in this opinion. Meyer's wife described those two movies with one weird, humorous line that's right on the money: "Nautical but nice".

[@teddykgb9971]

Sci-fi or not, those are two great stories about a director coaxing a better performance out of his actors. Great stuff.

[@franklategano1915]

What a great director. I wish more managers had his attitude.

[@3.2Carrera]

I would have to say that Mr. Meyer's attention to detail and committed direction is one of the key factors that saved Star Trek. And I do believe he got some outstanding performances out of the actors in ST:WOK

[@VA7ACG]

What an incredible director. I could listen to him for hours.

[@MadamOst]

Wow that's so interesting. I never seen Nick Meyer speak in any interviews before much less even knew what he looked like. What a wonderful and thoughtful man. I clearly recall seeing Wrath of Khan at a midnight showing in Amsterdam with a friend. Her and I were both so moved by it and need I add Wrath of Khan is still the greatest Trek film ever made? Thanks so much for sharing Mr. Sci-Fi

[@madnessbydesign1415]

Wildly different actors handled wildly differently by a great director. Brilliant... :)

[@Nine-Signs]

About a decade or maybe more ago I saw a vid of Ricardo Montalban telling exactly the same story just from his side, he was so grateful to Mr Meyer for his direction even 25 yrs later.

[@Stryyder1]

I just watched that vid he specifically talks about how Meyer let him ratchet it up right to the edge because going over would make it seem ridiculous. Also I thought how it was interesting how he got a print of space seed and watched it three times in order to put away his Fantasy Island personality and find his original perspective on Khan and how his love for his wife could turn into revenge for her death.

[@thomaspick4123]

Ricardo was superb. See KZbin clip from 1940s Neptune’s Daughter. Baby It’s Cold Outside. If you are a Ricardo fan, you will love it. Has Red Skelton in it also.

[@carolechapman731]

A great scene!! The choreography was top notch... and sooo sensual.

[@torrjpct9492]

A couple years ago our local Warner Theatre had an anniversary showing of Star Trek II, and I want to see it on the big screen. I remember during the opening credits, there was some applauding for cast names and Montalban received the loudest ovation when his name appeared, even better than Shatner, Nimoy, and others.

[@ptthunder]

...And that's why he directed the best Star Trek movie ever filmed.

[@kamuelalee]

Awesome video...love Meyer's movies, particularly Time After Time.

[@voodoochild1975az]

Meyer and Montalban are the unsung heroes of the best of all Star Trek films. It was SO good, they tried to make it again (and failed). Well, Meyer is unsung, most would say Montalban was fantastic in it. But I have a theory. The Villain really matters. Bad villain = Bad movie. Khan was by far the best Star Trek villain, and acted to perfection by Ricardo Montalban. You believed his arrogance and overconfidence in Space Seed, but he completely sells you on his rage and hatred of Kirk. And the combination of Meyer seeing/writing that, and Montalban picking up that ball and running with it, results in what is generally regarded as the best of all Star Trek films. It's Star Treks 'Empire Stikes Back'. And the reason it was fantastic was not Shatner, Nimoy or the regular cast (not to knock them, they were great in it)... the difference that set this one apart was the writing, the directing, and the villain... Montalban.

[@annoyed707]

Best villain is debatable. Gul Dukhat was also excellent in DS9. Coombs as the Weyoun and Andorian Shran was also excellent. Montalban certainly did a great job.

[@zombieshoot4318]

@@annoyed707 Best first villain. There fixed it. The others were great too but Montalban was the first.

[@the81kid]

The hero's only as good as the obstacle he overcomes.

[@chico056]

My dad's favorite film. Khan scared the crap out of me as a kid, like Vader

[@glyph2011]

Thanks to KZbin’s algorithm it’s brought me here. To hear these stories from the director of one of the finest Sci Fi movies ever made. Wonderful. It’s made my Friday. :-)

[@MGSBigBoss77]

Excellent interview/discussions with Meyer, thank you for putting this up!

[@fogartym77]

Great clip, thanks for this. Loved it.

[@Ronaldsframes]

This is such a fantastic clip. It’s good to know these kinds of stories where the people involved, you realize, are just humans.

[@ghostdog2041]

I think the woman laughing at 2:57 misunderstood "wasted actors" as "inebriated actors".

[@lewstone5430]

I thought the same thing.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Thanks for the distinction... I was wondering what he meant.

[@tmseh]

Robert Shaw comes to mind.

[@richardcollier1912]

What are you, some kind of half-assed astronaut?

[@dominickeefe2454]

Great insight into working with two very different actors, and motivating them to produce such a brilliant result

[@fogartym77]

Loved this, very insightful into the background of the film production. Thanks for posting.

[@cookiemadison8529]

Really enlightening on the process. Thanks for posting.

[@abe_froman8360]

Nicholas Meyer is a fantastic director.

[@stassia2001]

It's good to know the reason Shatner gave the best James T. Kirk performance of his career. What a great way to subtly get the best substantive performance from such a TV ham-bone as William Shatner.

[@franzhaas6889]

WOW. THIS IS AMAZING FOOTAGE. THANK YOU.🖖

[@captainmarkgray8856]

Again, fantastic fly on the wall footage! Thanks Marc. Now I can watch this with new eyes. I used the "keep doing it until they get bored or angry" director's trick myself. It is the first and only director's trick I ever needed. It even worked on myself (become ? tired of it to try to clam down when I was on camera because I hated being on camera but could not afford a host and I knew all the right questions to ask :-)

[@jdub8766]

Thank you for sharing this. I've been watching interviews and behind the scenes videos on this film and it's one of my top 5. Great to watch and listen to all involved.

[@KenwoodAnderson]

Thank you for posting this!! Mr. Meyer is one of a kind!!

[@alkoenig85]

That was excellent. Thank you.

[@TangledNana]

Excellent director! I loved his attention to detail in The Wrath of Khan. Thank you for this video!

[@markgraham2312]

Marc, I am a director and I have always admired Nicholas Meyer as a director and that was FANTASTIC! Thank you so much!

[@tylerward6723]

Still the best ST period in my books. Because of both Ricardo and Shatner. Ricardo never got his dues he was a great actor.

[@MTknitter22]

Yez @Aggr69, Ricardo & Shatner were really outstanding

[@luigivincenz3843]

"Here it comes" is one of the most underrated lines in movie history. The tone of how Kirk/Shatner says it is a mix of anger, playfulness and sarcasm. Just like real-life, it's HOW you say it.

[@davemiller6055]

Shatner is actually quite good when he lets his gaurd down.

[@HansDelbruck53]

Shatner's gord is empty

[@annoyed707]

@@HansDelbruck53 But do you know who's is full? Denny Crane!

[@HansDelbruck53]

@@annoyed707 whose

[@PETERJOHN101]

@@HansDelbruck53 I have listened to Shatner in quite a few interviews not about Star Trek and I find your comment rather ignorant. Perhaps your 'gord' is the one that's empty.

[@HansDelbruck53]

@@PETERJOHN101 Check out George Takei's take on Shatner. He worked with him and was less than impressed, as was Harlan Ellison.

[@natfoote4967]

I would be surprised to hear Senior Montalban was anything but a truly cultured, gracious gentleman. Some do wear a veneer of civility convincingly but his always seemed to go all the way through him, like a block of solid, old-world Spanish oak.

[@proffmongo]

THANK YOU!!! That was AWESOME!!!

[@thebigmalkowski]

The best installment of the series. Loved it!

[@DrEdwardDiesel1]

Fantastic anecdotes! Nic Meyer is a real pro. Love his films.

[@joelellis7035]

Interesting line from Meyer about Montalban said when Meyer gave him some direction. As I recall, Montalban said the same thing in an interview. Usually there's a slight difference between the memory between two people over the same event. There must have been a strong connection between Montalban and Meyer.

[@amcaesar]

I could listen to this all day long.

[@sednaorr3273]

Marc Zicree is an über-sci fi fan. Seeing through his eyes is very illustrative and insightful.

[@emoninjasucks]

These stories make me so excited that Nicholas Meyer may end up being involved with Star Trek again!

[@DASDmiser]

It takes a credible evil to make a good story and that is why, in my opinion, that Montalban makes Wrath of Khan the best of all Star Trek movies or TV episodes.

[@paulgee4336]

A small Master Class segment.

[@nourmourad4158]

Great video. Thanks :)

[@LaserRanger15]

Great video...I know nothing about making movies so explaining process was fascinating

[@warriorjunior1014]

I really appreciated listening to this. As Meyer explained, "The Prefix Code". If you were around (Like I was.) in '82, you know how good Star Trek II is. We all have seen the finished product, but as someone who is fascinated by the work that goes into making a film, this was quite informative.

[@enshk79]

Nicholas Meyer, you are in my top 5 of most influential people in my life. Ever. You are my hero!!!!!!

[@chromabotia]

What a gem, thanks! I too felt that Wrath of Kahn was the best. There is a scene at the end when Montalban as Kahn is in the process of detonating the genesis device, which involves turning a series of concentric rings. The lines delivered by Montalban during this process are superb. This extended arming sequence was intercut skillfully and kudos to Meyer on the editing. At the penultimate moment Montalban turns the last, innermost ring and delivers the tortured final line, "... for hate sake". At this point the shot has been moved to a MCU and Kahn's eye looks at the mirrored center of the genesis detonator at the camera. He is looking at us, and Meyer holds a beat before the cut so we can see this. Ahhh! This film also contains the worst continuity error. After the first encounter with the Defiant one of Scotty's cadets grabs Kirk's uniform and leaves a bloody hand print. Well to cut it short, that blood stain moves substantially twice, each time closer to Kirk's neck. At least it's moving in the same direction! I am willing to bet that you have seen this. All the best...

[@arthurjackson3287]

Do you realize that Khan is quoting Ahab in “Moby Dick”?

[@PhD777]

Excellent, informative video!

[@SanjuroSan]

Awesome Marc!

[@horrido666]

Say this with a heavy Spanish accent... "...with the luxury of seats available in soft Corinthian leather."

[@Qwazin]

This is brilliant! I love stuff like this. Having directed myself I completely know the feeling of having to "trick" actors who have locked themselves into "habits" that come off really forced and unnatural. I always wondered why Shatner had such a warmth and naturalness to his performance in the Star Trek films, and here's the answer!

[@erik1836]

Very interesting interview and full of excellent suggestions for how to think and act, conduct ourselves not just when one is a director but in terms of how we direct our daily lives: Always realize you don't know everything, pick the right people but in the end know that as far as your role, your responsibility in the end is to be the one calling the shots.

[@martintimmer8574]

Very interesting,very enlightening . That guy really knows how to handle an actor,how to push the right buttons in a person,without being a complete arse,but trying to make them perform at a high level.great insight ,on how different actors need a director to lead them or make them act differently,then they are used to.

[@reginaldstyles3129]

Star Trek Absolutely Brilliant Show That I Grew Up With In The 60's 💘 💘

[@princessbubblee699]

In Shatner's defense it was a role he'd started some two decades before.

[@txmetalhead82xk]

Valid point. These directors sometimes let all their power go to their head.

[@moeskido]

@@txmetalhead82xk "These" directors. Meyer had a job to do, and he chooses to not be diplomatic about discussing the biggest obstacle to getting that job done.

[@39401JLB]

Montalban too.

[@tryithere]

He's a ham actor full of his own pork.

[@slc2466]

​@@txmetalhead82xk ​ @txmetalhead82xk Yeah, I was waiting for Meyer to maybe indicate Shatner and Montalban also brought a lot of skill and intelligence in recreating their performances- kind of comes across like their work would've been really bad if he hadn't been around.

[@GA-1st]

Let's face it, Montalban's career was limited not by his talent, but by his name and accent. I had an ex who hated Star Trek. But I insisted she watch the "Space Seed" episode. She could not take her eyes off of Montalban. I distinctly recall her saying that man just oozed charisma and raw sexuality in that role. She had no idea who he was. That's acting, folks...

[@justanotherdrunk]

great stuff thanks

[@christencousins3843]

Incredible!

[@sskoog]

Herzog tells stories like this about Klaus Kinski -- he (Herzog) liked Kinski's work best when he was muted + subtle, so he'd tire him out with numerous takes, arguments, angry rants, etc. -- then, and only then, he'd get "the Klaus he wanted." 1979 Nosferatu is a prime example.

[@fandude7]

Montalban and Meyer saved Star Trek.

[@OdeeOz]

Fascinating insight, into the actor/director relationship. Shatner, even in his early works for Twilight Zone, and Western films, has always been Kirk.

[@RootsRockRebel]

TJ Hooker is just Kirk in a police uniform.

[@jasonkane6156]

Watch "The Brothers Karamozov". It is before Kirk. Once upon a time, he could act.

[@OdeeOz]

@@jasonkane6156 Kirk & Bones did a lot of Westerns too

[@jsguitargeek1432]

This was fascinating.

[@polyglot8]

Montalban once said there are four stages in the career of an actor. Stage 1: "Who is Ricardo Montalban". Stage 2: "Get me Ricardo Montalban". Stage 3: "Get me a young Ricardo Montalban". and Stage 4: "Who is Ricardo Montalban".

[@RogueBoyScout]

Damn, that both so cold but so true. For both male and female actors (I think female actors forget no one is hiring 60 year old Judd Nelson ect. I just think that since Hollywood is generally a Meat Market disguised as an entertainment a2 was a

[@johnnycats5157]

wow, this is great stuff

[@adamdesanti6713]

After just watching this and having only watched the two Trek films where I know he pretty much saved the film franchise, I say that this man seems a very competent and insightful writer/director with not an out-of-control ego. I really enjoyed this. I'll have to look up some of the other things he did during his career.

[@charleslong8870]

I could have listened to him and his stories the rest of the night.

[@Nerdzombiedisco]

Montelban had high praise for him as well. I've see several interviews on it. Together they achieved an iconic performance and cinematic gem.

[@marleymcleay9228]

I read a memory that was shared by Brett Baxter Clarke. he was one of the strongmen on Khan's team. There is a lot of story on the cutting room floor. But firstly, so effusive of Ricardo Montalban as a proper gentlemen to work with. Ricardo had had his back damaged in an accident and was barely mobile for shooting, but Brett says, Ricardo was always doing small things for other people like asking that his fellow castmates would recieve water, and little things like. But perhaps the biggest revelation was that 50% of Khan's story lay on the cutting room floor, because in screen testing, they found the audience sympathized with Khan's story of family than they did Kirk's journey. Brett says that Ricardo had three long monologues they were really powerfull, One monologue survived and that was our intro to Khan on Ceti Alpha V. Brett says Ricardo's acting was soo good that the film had to be trimmed to offer balance. He says Ricardo was devastated as he saw Star Trek 2 a pathway back into the hollywood foray! But couldnt show his chops. But hashtag welovekhananyway

[@foujj]

I have said this as a director. I want everyone's opinion, I function best with maximum input, but no has to be an acceptable answer.

[@m_recordz]

Fascinating.

[@DavidRLentz]

Oh, I love this!

[@antonnym214]

Shatner, heavy handed? I'm shocked. SHOCKED. haha. Other than the fact he INVENTED heavy-handed. In the trekisode The Doomsday Machine, Roddenberry cast William Windom on purpose, just to see if he could get an actor to out-shat the shat. Be even more over the top, and he succeeded. It's a joy to watch. My friends and I jokingly refer to that as the William Windom Thespian Academy.

[@Diomedes01]

Interesting anecdote. I actually wasn't aware of that! For the record, The Doomsday Machine is my favorite TOS episode. Who mourns for Adonais is my second favorite. :-)

[@Theomite]

Oh, he DID alright. Shatner's top couldn't come close to Windom's medium.

Why ? What happened ?

[@justanotherdrunk]

god damn youre absolutely right! out shat the shat in doomsday funny!

[@TheStockwell]

Interesting story, but probably not true. Roddenberry was not involved in casting all the parts the series once he had the main actors in place. That's according to Herbert Solow ( the show's co-producer) and Robert Justman, the executive in charge of production. The writer of the "Doomsday" script, Norman Spinrad, had more to do with the casting of the episode than Roddenberry. Spinrad was hoping to get Robert Ryan for the role. Solow and Justman's book about Star Trek is amazing to read. They didn't have their egos on the line and their behind-the-scenes account of the series is incredible.

[@carolechapman731]

Ricardo Montalban was a consummate actor, a product of the MGM machine! He had such a strong presence on film. (If your only exposure to him was as "Mr. Roarke," watch some of his dancing scenes with Cyd Charisse or his performance as a matador to better understand his magnetic appeal on film!) And he had years of training and experience. He immersed himself into the character in order to understand Khan and his motivation. He went back to "Space Seed" so he could have a renewed vision of the person he had played almost 20 years before. But he also knew how to take direction and respected the director's role as well as the director's vision and interpretation of the character and film. As for Shatner, one of the problems with playing the same part over and over again is that you get in a rut or you may have grown stale in the vision and performance of the role. You may have become a bit arrogant and overconfident in your attitude... perhaps becoming a bit of a caricature of the character instead of, albeit unintended, the true character. You KNOW the character and what he thinks, feels, etc. No one can tell you how to play this role. It is YOUR role. However, acting also means putting aside your arrogance and pride to listen to new, fresh ideas of the character. Perhaps it takes a new eye, a fresh perspective to bring out the depths of the character... and as a result, a better performance from the actor. That's part of the director's job, isn't it? That's what the director did with both of these actors--in very different ways but with powerful results from both.