The original Star Trek cast now - vicious co-star feud to I'm A Celebrity fame
It's been more than 50 years since fans were introduced to the crew of USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek series, which launched the beloved franchise of the same name.
The show - which is now known as Star Trek: The Original Series - made its debut on NBC in 1966 and ran for three seasons. The final episode was broadcast in 1969, which is said to be the same year the show first aired in the UK.
The original series was followed by an animated spin-off and several films, including Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). And there's since been numerous spin-off shows, like Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a rebooted film series.
The franchise remains popular and has featured a host of actors including Patrick Stewart, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana. We've decided to take a look at where the original series' cast members are now since it aired.
William Shatner
William Shatner played James T. Kirk on the show (Getty)William Shatner, now 92, is known for having originated the role of commanding officer James T. Kirk in the show. He appeared in all three seasons, before reprising the role in the animated series and in seven films within the franchise.
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Despite Shatner and the cast seeming the best of pals on-screen, this hasn't been the case off-screen. He has famously feuded with fellow co-star George Takei. Takei has been critical of Shatner for many years and recently mocked his Space Flight on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin last year.
He told PageSix: "He’s boldly going where other people have gone before. He’s a guinea pig…he’s not the fittest specimen of 90 years old, so he’ll be a specimen that’s unfit!"
Shatner retorted and told The Times: "I began to understand that they were doing it for publicity. Sixty years after some incident they are still on that track. Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness. George has never stopped blackening my name. These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?"
Shatner's other film credits include Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Miss Congeniality (2000), Over the Hedge (2006) and more recently Fireheart (2022). He's also appeared in various TV shows, like The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal.
William was married to Gloria Rand - with whom he shares three children - when he first played Captain Kirk, prior to their divorce in 1969. He was later married to Marcy Lafferty and the late Nerine Kidd. He wed Elizabeth Martin in 2001, with their subsequent divorce reportedly finalised in 2020.
George Takei
George Takei played Hikaru Sulu on the show (Getty)George Takei, now 86, rose to fame playing helmsman Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series. He appeared in all three seasons and later reprised the role in the animated spin-off. Like some of his co-stars, he was also in six films.
Since appearing in the original series, he's worked on films like Mulan (1998), Larry Crowne (2011) and Entourage (2015). He played Kaito Nakamura in the NBC series Heroes and has been in other shows like Will & Grace and The Simpsons.
The actor - who placed third on I'm A Celebrity in 2008 - has also done theatre work. He had a leading role in the Broadway production of the musical Allegiance in 2015 and then starred in the West End transfer earlier this year.
He's been in a relationship with Brad Altman for more than three decades. George has said that he kept silent about their romance for years, fearing he would lose his career over his sexuality. They have been married since 2008.
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy played Spock on the show (Getty)The late Leonard Nimoy is remembered for having played second-in-command Spock onboard USS Enterprise. He appeared in all three seasons. He later reprised the role in the animated spin-off, eight films and The Next Generation.
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His other credits include Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). He's also been in various TV shows such as Mission: Impossible, Futurama and Fringe.
Leonard was also a director, having worked behind the scenes on films like Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). He also released five albums over the course of his career and two memoirs.
The actor had been married to his first wife Sandra Zober - with whom he welcomed two children - when he made his debut as Spock. The former couple divorced in around 1987. He went on to marry his second wife Susan Bay in 1989.
He died in 2015, aged 83, after announcing the previous year that he'd been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which is typically known as COPD. His final role was a cameo in Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols played Nyota Uhura on the show (Getty)The late Nichelle Nichols is remembered for having played communications officer Nyota Uhura in the original series. She appeared in all three seasons, before reprising the groundbreaking role in the animated spin-off and six films.
Since appearing in the show, she's credited as having worked on films like The Supernaturals (1986) and Are We There Yet? (2005). She also had roles in shows such as Gargoyles, The Young and the Restless, Heroes and Spider-Man.
Nichelle married Duke Mondy whilst working on Star Trek: The Original Series. They are said to have got married in 1968 before divorcing in 1972. The actor had previously welcomed a son with her first husband Foster Johnson.
She died last year, aged 89. She was remembered by fans at the time for having been one of the first black women to have a leading role in a major show. She's also said to have worked to recruit astronauts from minority groups.
DeForest Kelley
DeForest Kelley played Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy on the show (Getty)The late DeForest Kelley played medical officer Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy. He appeared in all three seasons. DeForest later reprised the role in the animated spin-off and six films. And the actor made a cameo in The Next Generation.
He doesn't appear to have worked on many other films after his debut in the franchise, except Night of the Lepus (1972) and The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998). He featured in shows like Ironside, Room 222 and The Cowboys.
The actor - who had appeared in films like Fear in the Night (1947) prior to his breakthrough role - reportedly developed an interest in poetry later in life. He's said to have published two books featuring examples of his poetry during his life.
DeForest - who is said to have been known to his colleagues as Dee - died in 1999, aged 79. His death is said to have come two years after he'd been diagnosed with stomach cancer. He had been married to Carolyn Dowling since 1945.
Majel Barrett
Majel Barrett played Number One in the original pilot and Christine Chapel in the subsequent series (Getty)The late Majel Barrett played nurse Christine Chapel in the original series. After appearing in all three seasons, she reprised the role in the animated spin-off and in two films, including Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).
Majel - whose other credits include Westworld (1973) - also voiced the ship computer. She reprised the role in various spin-offs and is said to have been involved in some capacity with every series of Star Trek that aired during her lifetime.
They weren't her only roles in the franchise though. She'd previously played the character Number One in the original pilot for the show. And she later played Lwaxana Troi in both The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
She married the show's creator Gene Roddenberry in 1969, later welcoming a son with him. She was sometimes referred to as 'the First Lady of Star Trek' due to her frequent involvement with the franchise and the marriage. Majel died in 2008, aged 76, after reportedly being diagnosed with leukemia.
James Doohan
James Doohan played Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott on the show (Getty)The late James Doohan played engineer Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott. He appeared in all three seasons, before reprising the role in the animated spin-off and seven films. He was also in an episode of The Next Generation in 1992.
James' other credits included roles in films like Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) and The Duke (1999). He also made appearances in shows such as Peyton Place, The Bold and the Beautiful, Fantasy Island, and Magnum, P.I. in his career.
The actor - who released a series of science fiction novels later in life - was married three times and had seven children. He's believed to have retired around two decades ago and subsequently passed away in 2005, aged 85.
Walter Koenig
Walter Koenig played Pavel Chekov on the show (Getty)Walter Koenig is best known for having portrayed navigator Pavel Chekov in the original series. The character made his debut in the second season and Walter remained in the cast until the show came to a close with its third season.
Unlike some of his co-stars, he didn't reprise the role in the animated spin-off. He however returned for six films within the franchise, including Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and Star Trek Generations (1994). He's also credited as having a voice role in Star Trek: Picard this year.
His other film credits include Moontrap (1989), Blue Dream (2013) and Diminuendo (2018). He was also in numerous episodes of Babylon 5, as well as having had roles in more recent projects like Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters.
Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney played Janice Rand on the show (Getty)The late Grace Lee Whitney is remembered for playing the captain's yeoman Janice Rand. She appeared in numerous episodes of the first season, before being released from her contract. She didn't return in the subsequent two season.
She did however reprise the role years later in some of the films, like Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). She also appeared in the role in an episode of the spin-off Star Trek: Voyager.
Prior to her role in the franchise, she's said to have featured in films such as Some Like It Hot (1959). She's also credited as having been in shows including Rango and Hart to Hart.
Grace died in 2015, aged 85. She's understood to have welcomed two sons with her first husband Sydney Dweck. Her second marriage was to Jack Dale from around 1970 to 1991.
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