Highlights
- Winston De Lugo’s experience with William Shatner on Star Trek revealed Shatner’s request to appear taller in a scene.
- Shatner’s influence as a lead actor on Star Trek was significant, shaping the series and having control over scenes.
- De Lugo’s interaction with Shatner highlighted the power and authority held by lead stars in the entertainment world, like Shatner.
Winston “Win” De Lugo shared how William Shatner requested to reconfigure a scene in Star Trek to make him taller.
Star Trek, across its various series and iterations, has a rich tradition of featuring guest stars in prominent roles. These guest appearances serve to enrich the storytelling, introduce new characters, and often provide opportunities for established actors to explore roles within the Star Trek universe and Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), was no exception to this practice. Among the popular actors who appeared in TOS were Joan Collins, Joan Marshall, Barbara Anderson, William Campbell, Ricardo Montalban and De Lugo. De Lugo only appeared in one episode of Star Trek. He played the character of Timothy in Star Trek: The Original Series first season episode “Court Martial.” However, in the 2013 book These Are The Voyages: Season One, he recounted his experience filming with Shatner, who allegedly requested to make himself taller in their scene.
De Lugo shared how director Marc Daniels told him to stand in a certain area and informed him that the men in red shirts were his crew. The director also compared his role to Shatner’s character, Admiral James T. Kirk, a commander of Starship, and how they would meet at a bar. De Lugo admitted that he didn’t understand what Daniels was saying because he only got the script, and it was only years later that he understood the rank he was playing in the franchise. According to him, his Star Trek character was “trying to intimidate Kirk,” Slash Film reported. When they shot the scene, he was surprised at how short Shatner was. De Lugo was over six feet tall, while Shatner was only 5 feet 10 inches. Shatner was in the middle of throwing a line to De Lugo’s character, Timothy, but suddenly looked up at him and shouted, “Cut.” According to De Lugo, Shatner grabbed Daniels and whispered something. He didn’t hear what they were talking about, but the director called for a break to make “some changes.”
It turned out that Shatner wanted to look taller than De Lugo. When the latter returned to the set, he saw some changes. There were a number of bar stools, and Daniels told him to sit. De Lugo understood that Shatner probably had an issue with their height difference.
De Lugo said:
And Marc says, ‘Win, you sit here.’ I’m thinking, ‘Okay, I get it; I’m too tall.
De Lugo’s revelation wasn’t a huge surprise because Shatner wasn’t the only celebrity who requested an even sightline when they filmed with the tall actor. However, De Lugo found his scene on Star Trek opposite Shatner remarkable because the 93-year-old actor seemed to have a level of control over the scene. The book pointed out how Shatner didn’t deny his power on set. In a previous interview with TV Guide, he acknowledged his “great insight into the omnipotence of the series lead” and how everybody would avoid upsetting that star.
Shatner said the following about the power of being a lead star:
It’s an almost unique position few in the entertainment world achieve . . . It’s like absolute power.
Shatner’s influence on Star Trek and his importance to the franchise cannot be overstated. He played a pivotal role in shaping the character and the overall direction of the series. Being a lead actor on Star Trek gave him a significant amount of power and influence on the set and the creative direction of the series. His experience and authority were respected by the cast and crew, and he often took on a leadership role behind the scenes. Beyond his time on the original series, Shatner’s influence on Star Trek continues to be felt in subsequent iterations of the franchise. His portrayal of Kirk has left an indelible mark on popular culture, and his contributions to the Star Trek universe are celebrated by fans worldwide. Some even missed him and wanted him to return to the franchise, but he had one condition for a potential return — he wanted a script that was not a stunt and appropriate for his age while being genuine to the Star Trek lore.
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Source: Slash Film
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