Scotty’s dead (James Doohan)

Glimmervoid · Post by **Glimmervoid** » 2005-07-20 12:02pm

Scotty’s dead.

The actor who played Scotty in the original star trek series has just die according to BBC radio one. Your thoughts. I for one feel it is a loss we can all feel. And that any one who has seen TOS will morn his passing.

If this would be better suited to news please move.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-07-20 12:05pm

MSNBC

LOS ANGELES - James Doohan, the burly chief engineer of the Starship Enterprise in the original “Star Trek” TV series and motion pictures who responded to the command “Beam me up, Scotty,” died early Wednesday. He was 85.

Doohan died at 5:30 a.m. at his Redmond, Wash., home with his wife of 28 years, Wende, at his side, Los Angeles agent and longtime friend Steve Stevens said. The cause of death was pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease, he said.

The Canadian-born Doohan was enjoying a busy career as a character actor when he auditioned for a role as an engineer in a new space adventure on NBC in 1966. A master of dialects from his early years in radio, he tried seven different accents.

“The producers asked me which one I preferred,” Doohan recalled 30 years later. “I believed the Scot voice was the most commanding. So I told them, ‘If this character is going to be an engineer, you’d better make him a Scotsman.”’

The series, which starred William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as the enigmatic Mr. Spock, attracted an enthusiastic following of science fiction fans, especially among teenagers and children, but not enough ratings power. NBC canceled it after three seasons.

When the series ended in 1969, Doohan found himself typecast as Montgomery Scott, the canny engineer with a burr in his voice. In 1973, he complained to his dentist, who advised him: “Jimmy, you’re going to be Scotty long after you’re dead. If I were you, I’d go with the flow.”

“I took his advice,” said Doohan, “and since then everything’s been just lovely.”

Scotty forever
“Star Trek” continued in syndicated TV both in the United States and abroad, and its following grew larger and more dedicated. In his later years, Doohan attended 40 “Trekkie” gatherings around the country and lectured at colleges.

The huge success of George Lucas’s “Star Wars” in 1977 prompted Paramount Pictures, which had produced “Star Trek” for TV, to plan a movie based on the series. The studio brought back the TV cast and hired a topflight director, Robert Wise. “Star Trek—The Motion Picture” was successful enough to spawn five sequels.

The powerfully built Doohan, a veteran of D-Day in Normandy, spoke frankly in 1998 about his employer, Paramount, and his TV commander:

“I started out in the series at basic minimum — plus 10 percent for my agent. That was added a little bit in the second year. When we finally got to our third year, Paramount told us we’d get second-year pay! That’s how much they loved us.”

He accused Shatner of hogging the camera, adding: “I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don’t like Bill. He’s so insecure that all he can think about is himself.”

James Montgomery Doohan was born March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, B.C., youngest of four children of William Doohan, a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist, and his wife Sarah. As he wrote in his autobiography, “Beam Me Up, Scotty,” his father was a drunk who made life miserable for his wife and children.

Storming the beaches on D-Day
At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. “The sea was rough,” he recalled. “We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans.”

The Canadians crossed a minefield laid for tanks; the soldiers weren’t heavy enough to detonate the bombs. At 11:30 that night, he was machine-gunned, taking six hits: one that took off his middle right finger (he managed to hide the missing finger on the screen), four in his leg and one in the chest. Fortunately the chest bullet was stopped by his silver cigarette case.

After the war Doohan on a whim enrolled in a drama class in Toronto. He showed promise and won a two-year scholarship to New York’s famed Neighborhood Playhouse, where fellow students included Leslie Nielsen, Tony Randall and Richard Boone.

His commanding presence and booming voice brought him work as a character actor in films and television, both in Canada and the U.S. Oddly, his only other TV series besides “Star Trek” was another space adventure, “Space Command,” in 1953.

Doohan’s first marriage to Judy Doohan produced four children. He had two children by his second marriage to Anita Yagel. Both marriages ended in divorce. In 1974 he married Wende Braunberger, and their children were Eric, Thomas and Sarah, who was born in 2000, when Doohan was 80.

In a 1998 interview, Doohan was asked if he ever got tired of hearing the line “Beam me up, Scotty.”

“I’m not tired of it at all,” he replied. “Good gracious, it’s been said to me for just about 31 years. It’s been said to me at 70 miles an hour across four lanes on the freeway. I hear it from just about everybody. It’s been fun.”

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Given his Alzheimer's diagnosis, at least he is no longer suffering.

Calrissian · Post by **Calrissian** » 2005-07-20 12:06pm

He did good, made a lot of people happy with his most well known TV character.

I'm reminded of Star Trek 7' ,where Mr Scott is with Chekov and that newbie captain after Kirk is gone.

'Aye'

Farewell, and thankyou Mr Scott.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-07-20 12:06pm

Bumping this over to N&P. This is certainly news worthy.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2005-07-20 12:07pm

While it's sad to see him go, I'm glad that he doesn't have to suffer anymore.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2005-07-20 12:08pm

NOOOOOOO!
Oh and provided a link and we can move it to news.

*Edit Edit, ahh theres the link and its in the right forum
*Edit
Alzheimer's is never a way to go. Death is final enough, but to lose your very being and know that your mind is being destroyed from the inside out is not something I could take.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-07-20 12:12pm

Damn....

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2005-07-20 12:17pm

Glimmervoid · Post by **Glimmervoid** » 2005-07-20 12:20pm

Hear is a second news story

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 701167.stm

This is the British medias reaction.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-07-20 12:20pm

You will be missed James. You created a character that was loved by fans the world over and will be forever remembered as Scotty the miracle worker.

A salute to a good character, a good actor, and a veteran of D-Day. You have my respect.

Good bye Scotty.

Glimmervoid · Post by **Glimmervoid** » 2005-07-20 12:21pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainmen ... 493093.stm

Missed the main article sorry. This is the British media’s reaction.

Mikal768 · Post by **Mikal768** » 2005-07-20 12:29pm

Man o man.. At least he's at peace now.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2005-07-20 12:32pm

Well, that's shitty. He was one of my favorite actors throughout pretty much all the Star Trek series.

Arcen · Post by **Arcen** » 2005-07-20 12:34pm

Good luck and God Speed Mr Doohan. We enjoyed your time here and you gave me immense enjoyment.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » 2005-07-20 12:35pm

I'll tip a glass of real Scotch for James tonight.

DocHorror · Post by **DocHorror** » 2005-07-20 12:40pm

He's dead Jim...

Rest in piece James Doohan.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2005-07-20 12:40pm

Damn..

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2005-07-20 12:43pm

Farewell, and godspeed.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2005-07-20 12:45pm

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2005-07-20 12:46pm

Finally you are released. Goodbye, Scotty.

No bloody A, B, C or D...

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2005-07-20 12:52pm

Factor of four, Jimmy. Factor of four.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2005-07-20 12:53pm

. . . . .

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2005-07-20 12:55pm

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2005-07-20 12:59pm

Shit.

Yes we were expecting this for some time now. But still...

Just sent the word out to my personal mailing list.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2005-07-20 01:06pm

Damnit NO!!!

Storming the beaches on D-Day
At 19, James escaped the turmoil at home by joining the Canadian army, becoming a lieutenant in artillery. He was among the Canadian forces that landed on Juno Beach on D-Day. “The sea was rough,” he recalled. “We were more afraid of drowning than the Germans.”

I had no Idea... He really was one tough old S.O.B. May he rest in peace.