Leonard Nimoy, the actor who has famously portrayed "Star Trek's" original alien Spock for over 40 years, has announced he's officially hanging up the pointy Vulcan ears for good.
Nimoy, 79, plans to retire shortly from show business and the "Star Trek" convention circuit, according to the Canadian newspaper Toronto Sun.
The actor, director and photographer will be attending the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekend, and told the paper that beyond this event he only has a few more public appearances scheduled.
Nimoy also currently guest stars on the television show "Fringe," produced by J.J, Abrams who directed last summer's re-launched "Star Trek" film franchise chronicling a younger original series cast on their first mission on the starship Enterprise.
The retirement announcement all but guarantees that an elder, "from-the-future" Spock (at least played by Nimoy) will not make an appearance in the next "Star Trek" movie.
"I want to get off the stage. Also, I don't think it would be fair to Zachary Quinto," Nimoy told the Toronto Sun, referring to the actor who portrays young Spock in the new Trek film. "He's a terrific actor, he looks the part, and it's time to give him some space. And I'm very flattered the character will continue."
Boldly going from Boston to the bridge
Nimoy, born in Boston, Mass. in 1931, began his acting career at the age of 20, taking on roles in a number of campy science fiction. In the early and mid-1960s, he appeared in episodes of major series including "Bonanza," "Perry Mason" and "Get Smart" in 1966.
Also in that year, Nimoy landed a role in a new series created by Gene Roddenberry called "Star Trek." Nimoy played Commander Spock, the half-human, half-Vulcan first mate and science officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, helmed by Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner.
Nimoy donned fake, pointy, elvish ears, some swooping eyebrows, an early-Beatles hairdo, and a poker face to play the half-human, half-alien character.
Spock – for the most part – maintained a stoic demeanor per his Vulcan ancestry and his green-tinted blood ran cool in his veins. But this uber-"logical" side of Spock occasionally struggled with his more emotional half and was torn at times between the two cultures.
"Star Trek" ran until 1969 and despite low ratings the show garnered a cult-like following on syndication in the years ahead.
Nimoy, for his part, went on to star in a number of made-for-television movies and theatrical productions in the 1970s, his Star Trek days apparently behind him. But when studio executives green-lit a proposed new television series instead as a feature film with the original crew, Nimoy found himself back in his Starfleet uniform.
A career at warp speed
The character of Spock would continue his journey in all six original series movies, as well as episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes in 1991, and then in an alternate timeline established in last summer's Abrams-directed flick. Nimoy also lent his voice to Trek-themed video games and other products over the years, adding to the legend of his character.
Nimoy also directed the third and fourth "Star Trek" movies, the latter of which, 1986's "'Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," has been roundly received by audiences and critics alike as perhaps the best Trek film of all for its humor and, oddly enough, humanity. (The plot involved time-traveling back to late 20th century Earth to bring humpback whales, extinct in the future, to the 23rd century when "Star Trek" takes place to answer the calls of a devastating alien probe seeking the intelligent makers of whale song whispers heard across space eons before.)
"I felt like 'Star Trek IV' was my personal statement on 'Star Trek,'" Nimoy told the Toronto Sun.
In two autobiographies, 1975's "I Am Not Spock," followed by 1995's "I Am Spock," Nimoy shared his coming-to-grips of being constantly associated with his famous Star Trek character.
In addition to this work, Nimoy has also made musical recordings and done voiceovers for documentaries and as Spock and himself in cartoons such as "The Simpsons" and "Futurama," and of course "Star Trek: The Animated Series" in the 1970s.
"Live long and prosper"
Among his many memorable on-screen moments as Spock, Nimoy came up with the now-iconic, V-shaped hand gesture often accompanied by the Vulcan axiom "live long and prosper," both inspired by his Jewish heritage.
The albeit-less-friendly Vulcan nerve pinch – an incapacitating touch to a neck but more civilized than one of Kirk's wildly exaggerated-for-TV haymaker punches – was also an on-set invention by Nimoy for his character.
Overall, Nimoy's retirement is sure to leave a hole in many "Star Trek" fans and others' hearts. But when pushing octogenarian-hood, retiring – as Spock himself might say – perhaps is the only logical thing to do.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Former "Growing Pains" actor Andrew Koenig was found dead Thursday in a wooded area of a sprawling downtown park where he enjoyed spending time, apparently after committing suicide.
The actor's father, Walter Koenig, said "my son took his own life," and police spokeswoman Jana McGuinness said, "I'll let Mr. Koenig's words speak for themselves."
McGuinness, speaking at a press conference at the park, said foul play was not involved, but said she could not be more specific because the coroner was taking over the investigation.
"He was obviously in a lot of pain," Walter Koenig said, referring his son's depression.
Andrew Koenig, 41, had a recurring role on the 1980s sitcom as Richard "Boner" Stabone, a pal of star Kirk Cameron's character, Mike. The native of Venice, California, hadn't been seen since Feb. 14, when he was visiting friends in Vancouver.
He was supposed to return home two days later. His parents reported him missing Feb. 18, then asked the public for help finding him a few days later.
On Tuesday, Vancouver police and three search-and-rescue teams looked for any signs of Koenig throughout Stanley Park, which covers more than 1,000 acres (400 hectares). Friends and family decided to try again on their own Thursday and one of them found Koenig's body near a marsh in a heavily wooded area about 100 feet (30 meters) off the Bridle Path. McGuinness said the body could not be seen from the walking path.
The elder Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov on the original "Star Trek" TV series, was nearby when the body was found. Hours later, Koenig and his wife, Judith, issued a statement at a police station in the park.
They said Andrew had been depressed and urged others who are having trouble coping to seek help. Earlier they had said that he had seemed detached to his friends and had given away his belongings.
"If you are one of those people who can't handle it any more, know people are out there who really care before you make that final decision," Walter Koenig said. "Talk to somebody."
Andrew Koenig also appeared in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and the films "My Two Dads," "NonSeNse," "InAlienable" and "The Theory of Everything." His father had praised his son for his acting, film editing and directing work, and said he was also a busy environmental activist. He also was an advocate for refugees from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
Andrew, best know as "Boner" from "Growing Pains", is a funny, caring, gifted and passionate
multi-talented young man.
Andrew performs at The Improv and is the video producer for Never Not Funny, and has had roles in the
movies NonSeNse, InAlienable, The Theory of Everything, Batman: Dead End, and on television in "Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine",. "G.I. Joe", "My Two Dads", "21 Jump Street", "My Sister Sam", and "Adam-12".
He's edited over a dozen films and directed, produced, and written many others.
Andrew has been an activist his entire life and most recently has been working on behalf of the people of
Burma, and was arrested during the 2008 Rose Bowl parade for protesting American involvement in
China's Olympics due to China's support of the Burma military regime.
Andrew was suffering from clinical depression at the time of his disappearance. The last time the
Koenigs heard from Andrew by phone was on February 9. His cell phone is turned off and the last time
his phone received a text was on February 16 in Vancouver. There was bank activity in Vancouver on
the same day.
Andrew Koenig Missing
Site last updated February 23, 2010 4:30pm ET
Actor, producer, director, writer, editor,
photographer....
Andrew Koenig -
Walter's 41 year old son - has been missing since
February 14th.
Andrew Koenig was last seen on Valentine's Day,
February 14, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Andrew Koenig never boarded his flight back to the
US, on 2/16 and he hasn't heard from since.
Andrew was last seen at a bakery in the Stanley Park
area of Vancouver.
If you've seen Andrew since February 14th,
PLEASE contact
Detective Raymond Payette
of the Vancouver PD at
604-717-2534.
To visit the rest of Walter's Official site go here.
Andrew Koenig, the son of Star Trek actor Walter Koenig, is missing. The last time Andrew Koenig
was seen was on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Andrew
Koenig never boarded his flight back to the US, and he hasn't heard from since then.
His cell phone was used on 2/16, as was his bank account, but the phone is now turned off and there
has been no new activity since.
He was last seen at a bakery in the Stanley Park area of Vancouver.
Andrew is white, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 135 pounds and has shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes.
Andrew Koenig, 41, was working as the video producer on the show "Never Not Funny" as well as
doing improv in Los Angeles. Best known as "Boner" from "Growing Pains", Andrew also had a role in
"Deep Space Nine", and is a talented actor director, editor and photographer as well as a passionate
activist. In 2008, he was arrested at the Rose Bowl while protesting China's part in the genocide in
the country of Burma.
This is a serious matter that has Koenig's friends and family gravely concerned. If you have seen him,
emailed him or had any contact after the 14th or spent time with him during his stay in Vancouver
please call Detective Raymond Payette of the Vancouver PD at 604-717-2534.
Please share this and send prayers and positive thoughts. If you wish to leave Walter a note, visit his
site at: www.walterkoenigsite.com
NEW YORK – A "Star Trek" fan isn't entitled to millions of dollars in damages for buying memorabilia that he says wasn't as out-of-this-world as it seemed, a court said Tuesday.
Ted Moustakis wasn't promised he was getting a one-of-a-kind plum when he paid $11,400 for a uniform for "Star Trek: The Next Generation" character Data at a 2006 auction, an appeals court said.
The court also said Moustakis is due at most a refund for two other purchases he says were fakes: a $6,000 poker visor supposedly worn by Data and a $6,600 table from the show's set.
Auction house Christie's and CBS Consumer Products, which oversees "Star Trek" merchandise, praised the ruling. Moustakis' lawyer didn't immediately return a telephone call.
The longtime Trekkie from Towaco, N.J., has said he was thrilled to get the items — until he showed the visor to the actor who played the android Data, Brent Spiner, at a 2007 fan convention.
Spiner told him the visor wasn't genuine, according to Moustakis' lawsuit. Moustakis said he later found the table also was inauthentic, and the uniform was one of several made for the program. Christie's had led him to believe it was unique, he said.
The state Supreme Court's Appellate Division said the auction catalog didn't represent the costume as one-of-a-kind, and even if the other items weren't as advertised, Moustakis isn't entitled to "the massive recovery he now demands" in his $7 million lawsuit.
Christie's has said it stood behind the authenticity of the auction, tied to the hit show's 40th anniversary.
"The sale was and remains a fantastic highlight in the memorabilia market," Christie's lawyer Sandra L. Cobden said Tuesday.
This version of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was completed in 1965 and features archived footage that was not included in the pilot episode ultimately broadcasted. Never-before-aired, this newly recovered version is believed to be what was originally screened for NBC, and the basis for their decision to broadcast STAR TREK.
There is a different, pre-broadcast cut of ("Where No One Has Gone Before") in the archives of the Smithsonian Institution. This unique cut includes a few brief scenes trimmed from the aired cut of the episode, different opening titles, and a unique closing theme. The alternate closing theme can be heard on the GNP Crescendo CD Star Trek: Original Series (Volume 1) "The Cage" / "Where No Man Has Gone Before". The pre-broadcast cut is commercially available only in bootleg form, although it has been screened at numerous conventions. Paul Carr was credited as "Navigator" in the end credits of the original cut. The version on the first season box set may contain the alternate ending theme, but does have the changed credits. This cut will be finally be available commercially on the Season 3 Blu-Ray set.
Scientists claim to have created a form of aluminum that's nearly transparent to extreme ultraviolet radiation and which is a new state of matter.
It's an idea straight out of science fiction, featured in the movie "Star Trek IV."
The work is detailed in the journal Nature Physics.
The normal states of matter are solid, liquid and gas, and a fourth state, called plasma, is a superheated gas considered more exotic. Other experiments have created strange states of matter for brief periods. This one, too, existed only briefly.
To create the new, even more exotic stuff, a short pulse from a laser "knocked out" a core electron from every aluminum atom in a sample without disrupting the metal's crystalline structure, the researchers explain.
''What we have created is a completely new state of matter nobody has seen before," said professor Justin Wark of Oxford University's Department of Physics.
"Transparent aluminum is just the start," Wark said. "The physical properties of the matter we are creating are relevant to the conditions inside large planets, and we also hope that by studying it we can gain a greater understanding of what is going on during the creation of 'miniature stars' created by high-power laser implosions, which may one day allow the power of nuclear fusion to be harnessed here on Earth."
Fusion is a dream of scientists who would create cheap and plentiful power by fusing atoms together, as opposed to nuclear fission that generates electricity today.
The discovery was made possible with a high-powered synchrotron radiation generator called the FLASH laser, based in Hamburg, Germany. It produces extremely brief pulses of soft X-ray light, each of which is more powerful than the output of a power plant that provides electricity to a whole city.
The Oxford team, along with their international colleagues, focused all this power down into a spot with a diameter less than a twentieth of the width of a human hair. At such high intensities the aluminum turned transparent.
While the invisible effect lasted for only an extremely brief period - an estimated 40 femtoseconds - it demonstrates that such an exotic state of matter can be created using very high power X-ray sources.
"What is particularly remarkable about our experiment is that we have turned ordinary aluminum into this exotic new material in a single step by using this very powerful laser," Wark said. "For a brief period the sample looks and behaves in every way like a new form of matter. In certain respects, the way it reacts is as though we had changed every aluminum atom into silicon: it's almost as surprising as finding that you can turn lead into gold with light."
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Up," the story of a floating house, its grumpy 78-year-old owner and an inquisitive 8-year-old accidental stowaway, remained atop the weekend box office in North America, selling $44.2 million of tickets its second weekend in theaters.
The family-friendly Disney/Pixar animated release about a house lifted by colorful balloons and the odd couple's adventures showed surprising staying power. Its weekend gross was down 35 percent from its opening weekend but still made a strong showing for a film in its second week.
Movie industry analysts had predicted that "Up" would bring in less than $40 million.
"The Hangover," released by Warner Bros. Pictures, was a close second at $43.3 million. The film about a group of men trying to reconstruct what happened at a wild, Las Vegas bachelor party benefited from a good buzz and positive reviews. It also was the first big comedy released after a month dominated by action flicks.
Universal's "Land of the Lost," a new release starring Will Ferrell, finished a disappointing third at $19.5 million. It is a remake of a mid-1970s U.S. children's television series.
Four of the top five films attracted families with small children as recession-weary parents continued to seek entertainment at the movies.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," collected $14.7 million and landed in the No. 4 spot. It made about $54 million when it opened two weekends ago, and has taken in $127 million overall.
"Star Trek," a Paramount issue, also showed staying power, finishing fifth for the weekend in its fifth week of release. It brought in $8.4 million. Its cumulative total stands at $223 million.
ANGELIC WORLD GROSS
"Angels & Demons," from Sony/Columbia, earned $6.5 million in North America during the weekend and its worldwide gross surpassed the $400 million mark, making it the No. 1 film in the world in 2009.
The film, based on Dan Brown's popular novel about conspiracy in the Catholic church, is the follow-up to the Brown novel and 2006 movie, "The Da Vinci Code."
Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution for Sony Pictures, said the weekend pushed the "Angels & Demons" international gross to about $405 million. "The Da Vinci Code" brought in about $540.7 million globally.
The website rottentomatoes.com, which aggregates movie criticism, showed that positive reviews for "The Hangover" helped it prevail over "Land of the Lost" in their debut weekends. "The Hangover" gathered 75 percent positive reviews, compared to only 28 percent for "Land of the Lost."
A reason for the resilience of "Up" may be the fact that it had a 98 percent rating on the website.
Third among new released and seventh for the week overall was Fox Seachlight's "My Life In Ruins," which took in $3.2 million. It suffered from negative reviews -- only 12 percent positive criticism according to rottentomatoes.com. Its distributor is a unit of News Corp.
"Up" was released by Walt Disney Pictures, a unit of Walt Disney Co.
"The Hangover" was released by Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc.
"Land of the Lost" was issued by Universal Pictures, a unit of NBC Universal, the media division of General Electric Co.
"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" was released by 20th Century Fox, is, like Fox Searchlight, a unit of News Corp.
"Star Trek" was issued by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
"Angels & Demons" is distributed by Columbia Pictures in North America a unit of Sony Corp.
(Editing by Stacey Joyce and Bill Trott)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Ben Stiller beat Christian Bale in the North American weekend box office duel between their respective "Night at the Museum" and "Terminator" sequels, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
The 20th Century Fox comedy "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" sold $53.5 million worth of tickets during the three days beginning Friday, far exceeding the $30.4 million debut of its 2006 predecessor.
"Terminator Salvation" earned $43.0 million. The film fell short of the $44 million start for the previous entry in the cyborg series, 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," the swan song of franchise star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But the race between the two new sequels was closer than it appeared because Warner Bros. got a head start on the U.S. Memorial Day holiday weekend by opening "Terminator" on Thursday, when it earned about $13.4 million. That takes the film's four-day total to $56.4 million.
The studios generally try to avoid each other when they roll out their big movies. In this case, "Night at the Museum" played to a broad audience, while "Terminator" was more targeted at male moviegoers.
Time Warner Inc-owned Warner Bros. said "Terminator" was likely more affected by competition for older men from the National Basketball Association playoffs, which hurt business in cities like Los Angeles.
Fox, a unit of News Corp, said the "Night at the Museum" opening set a new live-action record for Stiller. The film also opened in most international markets, earning $50.5 million.
Last weekend' North American champion, "Angels & Demons," fell to No. 4 with $21.4 million, taking the 10-day total for Columbia Pictures' Tom Hanks religious thriller to $81.5 million. By contrast, its 2006 predecessor "The Da Vinci Code" had earned $136.5 million after the same period.
But the Sony Corp unit has said it never expected the second film to be as big, and noted it that it was the top choice internationally with sales of $60.4 million. Its foreign total now stands at $198.3 million.
Paramount Pictures' "Star Trek" slipped one place to No. 3 with $22 million, taking its total to $183.5 million after three weekends. The studio is a unit of Viacom Inc.
(Editing by Alan Elsner)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – "Angels & Demons," the new movie based on Dan Brown's popular novel about conspiracy in the Catholic church, racked up $152 million in global ticket sales over the weekend, but failed to match the start of its predecessor "The Da Vinci Code."
Distributor Columbia Pictures said on Sunday the $150 million sequel earned about $48 million during its first three days of release in the United States and Canada, reaching No. 1 on box office charts and eclipsing last week's champ, "Star Trek," which slipped to No. 2 with $43 million.
Guided by the studio, box office pundits had expected "Angels" to open in the $40 million to $50 million range, and Columbia said it was thrilled with the result.
The sequel should pass $150 million in domestic ticket sales, said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution at the Sony Corp unit.
Still, the popular "Da Vinci Code" opened to $77 million in 2006 on its way to a domestic haul of $217.5 million.
"Angels" also earned $104.3 million from No. 1 starts in 96 countries, down from the $147 million start for "Da Vinci."
Inevitably, the new film failed to replicate the buzz of the first movie. "The Da Vinci Code," based on another best-selling book by Brown, generated a firestorm of criticism with its premise that Jesus impregnated Mary Magdalene and that church officials tried to keep their bloodline secret.
The Vatican -- along with most critics -- ripped the film, but took a more measured tone against its sequel. Columbia said the first book sold twice as many copies as the second one, a clear indication that the second movie would come up short.
"On the other hand, 'Angels' absolutely was a far more cinematic book than 'Da Vinci Code' was," said Bruer.
POOR REVIEWS AGAIN
In "Angels & Demons," Tom Hanks returned to the series as a Harvard professor on a mission to save the papacy, and Ron Howard is also back directing the film. And much as they were with "Da Vinci Code," critics were scathing.
On website rottentomatoes.com that collects criticism and scores movies said the film earned only 38 percent positive reviews.
The Washington Post's John Anderson said: "What the movie is supposed to accomplish -- laying out a fairly complex mystery in a way that creates suspense -- is precisely what it doesn't do."
Still, Bruer expected the film to hold up well in coming weeks, as a rare adult thriller in a summer marketplace dominated by youth-skewing pictures like "Star Trek" and Thursday's upcoming release of "Terminator Salvation."
Columbia was also bullish about overseas prospects, noting it was the biggest international opening for a film since "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" in 2008.
Germany was the top market, contributing $12.7 million -- about the same as the opening for "The Da Vinci Code." Italy was also steady with $11.4 million. But Britain accounted for $9.7 million, down from $15.7 million for "Da Vinci." Spain ($7.1 million) and Japan ($6.9 million) also saw sizable drops.
"Da Vinci" finished with $540.7 million internationally.
Meanwhile, "Star Trek" lost just 43 percent of the audience from its opening round at box offices last week. Total sales rose to $147.6 million. The sci-fi reboot was distributed by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.
"X Men Origins: Wolverine," which kicked off the lucrative summer movie season two weekends ago, was down one to No. 3 with $14.8 million. The total for the superhero picture rose to $151.1 million, with foreign fans kicking in an additional $144.5 million. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp.
(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Philip Barbara)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The new "Star Trek" movie beamed up an estimated $72.5 million in North American ticket sales its first weekend in theaters, dominating the box office and re-energizing a 40-year-old science-fiction franchise.
That figure far surpassed the opening grosses posted by any of the previous 10 "Star Trek" films, even when adjusted for inflation, and kept up a robust pace for the second week of Hollywood's summer moviegoing season.
Combined with $4 million grossed from Thursday evening's preview screenings, "Star Trek" tallied $76.5 million in U.S. and Canadian receipts through Sunday, according to its distributor, Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures studio.
Last weekend's top box office entry, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," still ranks as the biggest film opening so far this year, with $85 million in its first Friday-through-Sunday tally.
But the launch of "Star Trek" slashed deeply into "Wolverine's" second weekend of business, sending the superhero adventure from News Corp's NWSA.0 20th Century Fox to a second-ranked $27 million.
By comparison, "Star Trek" seems poised to hold fairly steady next weekend given that its ticket sales rose from Friday to Saturday, a sign of strong word-of-mouth buzz, said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com.
The $130 million film ranks among the best reviewed movies of the year, and one of the most well-received by critics of all the "Star Trek" pictures.
"PLAY LONG AND PROSPER"
Directed by J.J. Abrams, the latest film is intended as a "reboot" of the original 1960s television series, with updated special effects and a story line that explains how the crew of the galaxy-hopping Starship Enterprise, including Captain James T. Kirk and his half-Vulcan first officer, Spock, first met.
Leonard Nimoy, who originated the Spock character on TV, dons pointy ears again and even recites the Vulcan salutation, "Live long and prosper," for a featured appearance in the new movie as an elder Spock.
Despite early pre-release tracking data showing weak anticipation levels, the film seems to have won over both older "Trekkie" fans of the franchise and younger moviegoers on whom financial success depends, Paramount executive Don Harris said.
"The way this film is being received ... it looks like the movie will play long and prosper," he said.
"Wolverine," which stars Hugh Jackman reprising his role as the ferocious but conflicted superhero with steel claws, has received far-less glowing reviews than "Star Trek." Marking the fourth title in the "X-Men" series, its 10-day tally stands at $130 million.
Although ticket sales for its second weekend dropped 68 percent from its opening three-day stretch, Fox executive Chris Aronson said the studio was pleased. "It's what franchise movies do, and given the competition in the marketplace, it's right in line with expectations," he said.
The 12 highest-grossing movies this weekend collectively amassed nearly $141 million in North America, up almost 20 percent from the same weekend a year ago, while year-to-date revenues and attendance are also up by double-digits.
Rounding out this weekend's top five films were the romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," with $10.5 million, the thriller "Obsessed," at $6.6 million, and the comedy "17 Again," with $4.4 million. The only other new wide release, the comic crime yarn "Next Day Air," opened at No. 6 with $4 million.
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
This corset is designed after the Star Trek: Next Generation jumpsuits. The fabric was cut in the asymmetrical design and then pieced together.
Inside the corset is flatlined to coutil and lined with black cotton. The fashion fabric is also cotton.
The boning used is European Steel and they have been attached to the lining so you don't see the stitching on the fashion fabric. The black grommets are hammered through a lacing bone and the ribbon is black double sided satin.
Though a unique corset for sure and geared toward any of you SciFi fans out there, I hope all enjoy this inspired corset as it was a lot of fun to make!
Ricardo Montalban, the suave leading man who was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make it big in Hollywood and who was best known for his role as Mr. Roarke on ABC's "Fantasy Island," has died. He was 88.
Montalban died Wednesday morning at his Los Angeles home of complications related to old age, said his son-in-law, Gilbert Smith.
Beginning in the 1940s, Montalban starred in dozens of films with some of the greatest names in movies, including Clark Gable and Lana Turner. When major film roles dried up for him in the 1970s, he turned to stage and eventually TV, where he became familiar to millions as the mysterious host whose signature line, "Welcome to Fantasy Island," opened the hit show that ran from 1978 to 1984.
In a more enlightened age, Majel Barrett Roddenberry might have rated a Federation command. As it was, she helped rule the Star Trek universe.
Roddenberry, the actress whose best-known role was the wife and, later, widow of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, died today at her Bel Air, Calif., home, Roddenberry.com said. The reported cause of death was leukemia.
Billed through much of her acting career as Majel Barrett, the dark-haired Roddenberry played Dr. McCoy's blonde, beehived assistant, Nurse Chapel, on the original 1966-69 Trek series. She also supplied the voice of the USS Enterprise's computer—a service she continued to provide through the franchise's various offshoots, including J.J. Abrams' upcoming big-screen reboot, Star Trek.
As prominent as those roles were, Roddenberry very nearly played a much larger one.
In the original Trek pilot, shot in 1964, Roddenberry was Number One, the Enterprise's No. 1-ranking officer after its then-captain, Christopher Pike (played by Jeffrey Hunter). Number One was smart, competent, and just so happened to be a woman, not to mention a brunette. The network executives at NBC balked—truth be told, they weren't big fans of the weird-looking guy with the pointy ears, either.
To get his show on the air, Gene Roddenberry consented to lose Number One. But he kept the actress on as Nurse Chapel, albeit a much lower-profile role, and married her portrayer in December 1969. In a final twist to the suits, he gave Number One's old job to the weird-looking guy with the pointy ears, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy).
Majel Barrett Roddenberry reprised Nurse Chapel for brief appearances in 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture and 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. She played the recurring role of Counselor Deanna Troi's mother on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Gene Roddenberry died in 1991 at the age of 70.
After his passing, Majel Barrett Roddenberry helped bring alive one of his pet projects in the form of the 1997-2002 series Earth: Final Conflict but said she had nothing to do with running the at-times-flailing Trek ship.
"Gene sold out all of his rights to Star Trek way back 15, almost 20 years ago," she told SciFiDimensions.com in 2000. "So, they ask nothing. I volunteer nothing. They invite me to a few of their shindigs. I'll bet you I haven't been on that lot in two years."
Still, Roddenberry welcomed the recent digital remastering of the original series and Abrams' theatrical take, seeing them as validations of her husband's legacy.
"What's nice is you know a Star Trek movie is still one that everybody wants," she told The Hollywood Reporter in 2006.
In a statement today on Roddenberry.com, her son, Eugene Roddenberry Jr., said his mother appreciated the role fans played in keeping the Trek franchise running for 40-plus years.
"It was her love for the fans, and their love in return," he said, "that kept her going for so long after my father passed away."
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