George Takei has revealed how the popularity of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock caused tension on the set of ‘Star Trek’.
The 83-year-old actor, who played Hikaru Sulu in the legendary sci-fi franchise, revealed that the fan mail received by Nimoy led to "insecurity" behind the scenes, especially in William Shatner – who played Captain Kirk in the TV series and movies.
Speaking on the latest episode of ‘David Tennant Does A Podcast with…’, George shared: "It got more and more intense. How do I put it? It began from the TV series.
"There was one character whose charisma and whose mystery was like a magnet. It was Spock, the strange alien with pointy ears. That intrigued the audience and women thought, ‘I’m the one who can arouse him.’
"His fan letters were this many, and Leonard’s were that many, and that created an insecurity."
George confirmed David’s suggestion that is was often Shatner against the world on set, although the rest of the cast enjoyed a good relationship.
He said: "You know, a movie-making, TV-making, theatre-making team is all about collaborative teamwork. A good actor knows that the scene works when there’s that dynamic going on with the cast.
"Some actors feel that it’s a one-man show. That’s the source of some tensions."
George also opened up about how landing a role in Gene Roddenberry’s series in the 1960s shattered stereotypes related to Asian actors.
He recalled: "I understood that it was an incredible break for me. Here was a show with that concept that we talked about and here was a character who was a part of the leadership team.
"At the time, there was a stereotype of Asian drivers. I was the best driver in the galaxy. The stereotype shattering and speaking English without an accent.
"I knew that this was going to be a series regular. My face would be seen week after week after week and then daily. I had no idea it was going to be such a career-defining opportunity, but I knew it was a breakthrough part for me."
‘David Tennant Does A Podcast With…’ is available on Apple, Spotify and all podcast providers. A Somethin’ Else and No Mystery production.