‘Star Trek’ Actress Reveals What It Was Really Like Working With William Shatner

The “Star Trek” universe continually introduces new faces, but “Star Trek: The Original Series” aired from 1966 to 1969 for three seasons. The stars of the show were George Takei, William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, and Nichelle Nichols, but what was it like working alongside them?

This is a question that actress Elinor Donahue, who is now 88, recently shed light on in an interview with Woman’s World.

‘Star Trek’ Actress Recalls Her Experience on the Show

Donahue appeared on the “Metamorphosis” episode in Season 2, Parade reports. She played the role of Nancy Hedford, an Assistant Federation Commissioner. Now, decades later, she has reflected on the experience.

“I went to a ‘Star Trek’ convention in Las Vegas a few years ago, and that was quite amazing, although ‘Star Trek’ certainly became a phenomenon very early on. You could see that that was going to have legs for a long time. And William Shatner was interesting, let’s put it that way,” Donahue told Woman’s World in an interview published on July 24.

She also discussed her experience of working with Shatner, who is a legend among “Star Trek” fans. “We ended up getting along fine,” she said. “He was a little tough on me in the beginning, because, like I said, I’m not good at rehearsals, I think I scare people or used to scare people in rehearsals, ’cause it always seemed to me as though they thought that I wasn’t going to be able to do it right. I guess I kind of pull that out of the fire at the last minute.”

They may have a different approach to work, but Donahue still delievered when it was time for her scenes.

Elinor Donahue Reveals Why William Shatner Was ‘Annoyed’ With Her

Donahue also commented on the memory she has of when Shatner was “annoyed” with her. She said, “He got a little annoyed” during their table read but the director intervened, saying, “‘Just leave her alone, will you?’ But it was fine. He saw that I was professional about my work and giving my best. That’s all you can ask somebody, is to do their best, and it’s what I’ve always tried to do.”

In addition to her appearance on “Star Trek,” Donahue has had many memorable roles on popular TV shows. These include “Father Knows Best,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” and “The Andy Griffith Show.” She also appeared in the film, “Pretty Woman.”

Woman’s Day noted that she has had an “amazing career,” to which she replied, “When I think about some of the things I’ve told you, I know some of it sounds quite unbelievable. If I were hearing it from someone, I’d say, ‘Oh come on, that can’t possibly be true.’ But all told, it was all just so magical. Honestly, I’ve had a lot of fun.”