- Stephen Collins, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1978. Paramount was dumb. It saw Star Wars take off and craved its own sf franchise, not understanding that it already had one. Except the suits always hated the series – and snuffed it in 1969. From then on, they didn’t know which way to fly – series or movie. A Phase II series almost began, then churned into a film. An instant flop, aka The Slow-Motion Picture, with a cast that was a decade older and fatter, Robert Wise totally wrong as director and a new character, Willard Decker, created to take over the USS Enterprise, in case William Shatner/Kirk chased more money for any encore! In the Will mix were: Thomerson, Jordan Clarke, Frederic Forrest, Lance Henriksen, Art Hindle, Richard Kelton and Collins (whose career was over in 2014 after admitting e sexual conduct with three under-age girls). “We didn’t feel that we were getting to play the characters that we enjoyed playing in the way that we knew how to play them,” exclaimed Leonard Nimoy/Spock, soon saving the franchise by directing two chapters.
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Roddy Piper, Hell Comes to Frogtown, 1987. Mississippi auteur Donald G Jackson had trouble finding his virile hero saving women kidnaped by humandoid frogs (no really!) and then – well, someoned’s gotta do it – start replenishing he post-apocalyptic society. He wrote it for Tim Thomerson. New World voted Daniel Stern. Jackson suggested Hill Street Blues’ Ed Marinaro – or the star of his Roller Blade franchise (featuring roller-skating nuns!), Sam Mann… until seeing Rowdy Roddy Piper in the wrasslin’ ring. Jackson (1943-2003) directed 39 other movies, producing 48, writing 43 (some as Maximo T Bird!), acting in 17 – Vampire Child, Ghost Taxi, Ghost Baby and who can forget Lingerie Kickboxer.
Birth year: Death year: Other name: Casting Calls: 2