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Kirstie Alley (1951-2022)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 367

• 6 wins & 36 nominations total

Remembering Kirstie Alley: 1951-2022

• Gladys Leeman

• Dr. Susan Verner

• Janice Bartlett

• Ingrid Hoffel
• 10 episodes

• Maddie Banks
• Kirstie Alley

• 12 episodes

• Carla Huxley

• Sydney Hudson

• Byrdie Langdon

• executive producer

• 66 episodes

• co-producer

Funny Women of Television

Personal details

• Kristie Alley
• 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• January 12 , 1951
• Wichita, Kansas, USA
• December 5 , 2022
• Tampa, Florida, USA (colon cancer)
• Spouses Parker Stevenson December 22, 1983 - December 16, 1997 (divorced, 2 children)
• Children William True Stevenson
• Parents Robert Deal
• Relatives Colette Alley (Sibling)
• Other works TV commercial for Pantene Pro-V Shampoo
• 1 Biographical Movie
• 1 Print Biography
• 1 Portrayal
• 6 Interviews
• 16 Articles
• 6 Pictorials
• 155 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia Her character Rebecca Howe is the only regular character from Cheers (1982) - with the exception of Coach Ernie Pantusso ( Nicholas Colasanto ) - not to guest star on Frasier (1993) .
• Quotes [on acting] You are not in business to be popular.
• Trademarks Natural brunette hair
• Kirstie L. Alley
• When did Kirstie Alley die?
• How did Kirstie Alley die?
• How old was Kirstie Alley when she died?

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Star Trek Changed The Course Of Kirstie Alley's Career Forever

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It would appear that Kirstie Alley can be included in the near-endless list of people whose lives were changed for the better by "Star Trek." The actor, who died of cancer on December 5 , and whose recognizable credits include "Cheers" and the "Look Who's Talking" movies, got her big break when she was cast by director Nicholas Meyer in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

"That was my first acting job," Alley said in a 1996 interview with the  Chicago Tribune . "So I owe everything to that film, to Nick." Alley went on to elaborate that she believed Meyer gave her the shot of a lifetime.

And indeed, Alley's inclusion into the "Star Trek" mythos, cast as the half-Romulan, half-Vulcan Starfleet Lieutenant Saavik, was a notable one. Not only does she play a key role in "The Wrath of Khan," not only is she in the film's very first scene, but she is also the first Starfleet member viewers ever see undergoing the infamous Kobayashi Maru, the no-win simulation designed to test the character of Starfleet officers, which has since appeared or been mentioned several times in subsequent "Star Trek" properties.

Alley turned down a role in Star Trek III

Saavik also appeared in subsequent "Star Trek" movies, though Kirstie Alley did not. Robin Curtis took over the role from Alley in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." Curtis would also end up appearing in an oddly similar role in the final season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" when she played Tellera, a Romulan disguised as a Vulcan in the two-part episode "Gambit."

Both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy — who respectively played Capt. James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock — would later share in Shatner's book "Star Trek Movie Memories" that Alley's decision not to return was down to money . As quoted by Shatner, Alley said that her offer from Paramount came in shockingly low, which led her to believe that the studio simply wasn't interested in having her play the role. The actress would also comment on this matter in a 2016 interview with StarTrek.com . "That never made sense to me," she remarked. "Like, you're not paying as much as the first one, and it's a bigger role? It just didn't make sense to me."

In this sense, "Star Trek" didn't just change Alley's life by giving her a big break. In turning down "Star Trek III," she was freed up to accept the role of Rebecca Howe in "Cheers," a role that, far more than Saavik, would end up defining her career.

• USS Grissom (NCC-638) personnel
• Starfleet command personnel
• View history

Lieutenant junior grade Saavik was a Vulcan Starfleet officer who, in the mid- 2280s , served aboard both the USS Enterprise and the USS Grissom . Of particular note was her involvement with the failed Genesis project .

• 1 Service record
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4 Key dates
• 5.1 Appearances
• 5.2.1 Origins and concept
• 5.2.2 First film appearance
• 5.2.3 Loss of actress
• 5.2.4 Drafts of second appearance
• 5.2.5 Casting a new actress
• 5.2.6 Debut of second actress
• 5.2.7 Final film appearance
• 5.2.8 After-effects
• 5.3 Apocrypha
• 5.4 External links

Service record [ ]

In March of 2285 , Saavik was a Starfleet cadet and, while mentored by Spock at Starfleet Academy , she underwent the Kobayashi Maru scenario . Despite an in-depth awareness of Starfleet regulations , she chose – during the test – to violate the Neutral Zone Treaty by venturing across the Klingon Neutral Zone in an attempt to rescue the freighter Kobayashi Maru , an action that resulted in the simulated deaths of all other officers in the bridge simulator. Afterwards, Saavik related to Admiral Kirk that she doubted the non-winnable simulation had been a fair test of her command abilities, though Saavik also conceded that she had not considered how possible such a situation was in reality.

Standing next to Uhura , Saavik cries at Spock's funeral

Saavik was thereafter assigned aboard the Enterprise as navigator under Admiral Kirk, firstly in a training cruise that was then prematurely terminated so that the ship and crew could respond to the Genesis crisis. During these missions, Saavik was the highest-ranking cadet from a training crew on board the vessel. As such, she occasionally occupied the ship's command chair and was even permitted to supervise the vessel's departure from spacedock , which she had never done before.

Saavik assisting the regenerated Spock to endure pon farr

Saavik struggled to become acquainted with Human personality traits and was inquisitive as to how Kirk had handled the Kobayashi Maru scenario. At this stage in her career, she often quoted Starfleet regulations and was surprised by the way Kirk occasionally bent those rules, questioning several of the commands he gave her. Saavik's mettle – as a prospective officer-of-the-line – was actually tested when the Enterprise was unexpectedly engaged in a drawn-out battle with the commandeered USS Reliant . Though she acquitted herself well under the stress of battle, she was admonished by Admiral Kirk that knowing regulations by heart was not enough and that she still needed to learn "why things work on a starship." As an away team member on one particular away mission amid the battle, Saavik visited both the Regula I space station and the Genesis cave , the latter of which was beneath the surface of Regula . She concluded that – as Kirk's method of beating the Kobayashi Maru test had been to cheat the system – he had never faced death. Saavik's mentor, Spock, was killed during the closing stages of the battle . Despite her Vulcan stoicism, Saavik wept at Spock's funeral. ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan )

Saavik held prisoner by Kruge , along with David Marcus and a young Spock

Later that year, Saavik was transferred to the Grissom , where she further studied the Genesis planet along with Kirk's son, David Marcus . There, they found the body of Captain Spock, who was believed lost. When Saavik and David found him, Spock's regenerated body was physiologically that of a child, but he aged rapidly. Saavik helped Spock through the agonies of pon farr by mating with him. Afterwards, she and her companions were captured by Klingons. Though a d'k tahg -wielding Klingon officer attempted to murder Saavik, her life was saved by David, whose intervention in these circumstances resulted in him being violently killed by the Klingon. Saavik returned to Vulcan with the Enterprise crew, to reintegrate Spock's katra into his body, in 2285. ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock )

Saavik bidding farewell to Spock

In 2286 , Saavik explained to Kirk how his son had died bravely saving her as well as Spock from the Klingons. She remained on Vulcan with Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson , when the Enterprise crew – together with Captain Spock – returned home for Earth . ( Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

In 2401 , there was a shuttlecraft Saavik carried aboard the USS Titan -A . ( PIC : " The Next Generation ", " Disengage ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Any suggestions, Admiral? " " Prayer , Mister Saavik. The Klingons don't take prisoners. "

" How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn't you say? " " As I indicated, Admiral, that thought did not occur to me. " " Well, now you have something new to think about. Carry on. "

" He's never what I expect, sir. " " What surprises you, lieutenant? " " He's so… Human. " " Nobody's perfect, Saavik. "

Key dates [ ]

• Assigned to the USS Enterprise
• Takes part in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula
• Assigned to the USS Grissom as science officer

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

Background information [ ]

Origins and concept [ ].

According to Executive Producer Harve Bennett , the character of Saavik was created by Samuel A. Peeples and was the only element from a script he wrote for Star Trek II that was kept in the final film, which was from a story co-written by Bennett and Jack B. Sowards , and a screenplay that was written by Sowards. Recalled Bennett, " I went right back to Jack's script [and] inserted Saavik. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 266) According to the William Shatner and Chris Kreski book Star Trek Movie Memories (pp. 111 & 112), however, Saavik was absent from Peeples' script draft and was instead introduced in a previous draft wherein the young Vulcan began "a rather steamy relationship" with Kirk's son, David. The book Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before (p. 74) states that Theodore Sturgeon was responsible for contributing the character of Saavik.

According to the book The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (pp. 37, 38 & 221), a conceptual progenitor of Saavik was a Vulcan male science officer with the name Wicks (a name differing from those of all previous male Vulcans seen in the original series, who instead had names beginning with "S"). Wicks, a science officer aboard the Enterprise under Captain Spock as well as an advanced student of Spock's, was introduced in a nineteen-page outline that Jack B. Sowards wrote for the second Star Trek film. In that version of the story, Wicks gave Admiral Kirk a difficult time when the admiral visited the ship after Spock died, Wicks calling Kirk illogical for expecting a Vulcan to have a sense of humor.

It seems clear from The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (pp. 38, 39, and 40) that Mr. Wicks developed into "Savik" in a later, six-page story treatment, in which he was still a male Vulcan aboard the Enterprise , with Spock as his commanding officer. However, the character was now referred to as the ship's first officer. Savik was also, according to the reference book (p. 43), included in a script draft titled Star Trek: The Omega System , in which it was more than implied that Savik had emotional capabilities and tendencies. Although the book (pp. 47, 51, and 52) credits these versions of the character as having been devised by Harve Bennett and Jack Sowards, it states that "an outside writer" was responsible for writing an outline that was dated 18 July 1981 and featured Savik, for the first time, as a half- Romulan , half-Vulcan woman, though she was also referred to as a doctor in the same outline. As can be seen in the book (p. 48), the character's name was changed to its eventual configuration of Saavik by 30 October 1981 .

It might be postulated (as it is in Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 61) that it is probable Saavik was initially intended to be a successor of Spock – with her manning the Enterprise 's science station in the third film – at a time when Spock actor Leonard Nimoy was reluctant to continue appearing in Star Trek , though the reasoning why this option was not taken was likely as a result of Nimoy having a change of heart shortly prior to the making of the third movie. According to Harve Bennett, however, Saavik's future was uncertain during the writing of Star Trek II . " I had no idea what the future of Saavik might be, " he said. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 268)

In the production history of Star Trek , Saavik was the first Vulcan female whose name did not begin with the letter "T," alternate to such characters as T'Pau and T'Pring from TOS : " Amok Time ". Names beginning with an "S" sound had previously been the exclusive domain of Vulcan males, including Spock, Sarek , and Surak . ( text commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) (Later, two more female Vulcans did receive names beginning with "S": Dr. Selar in TNG and Sakonna in DS9 .)

The script for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan notes that, " Lt. Saavik is young and beautiful. She is half Vulcan and half Romulan. In appearance she is Vulcan with pointed ears, but her skin is fair and she has none of the expressionless facial immobility of a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 62) Spock had a line where he stated this fact to Kirk in scene 5 after the Kobayashi Maru test, " She's half Romulan, Jim. The admixture makes her more volatile than – me, for example. " Spock's actually filmed line was however trimmed from the scene and not included in the theatrical version, the 1985 television version, or the 2002 Director's Edition DVD release, nor on any of their home media formats. The line was included though, in a contemporary (prior to the "Wrath of Khan" moniker addition) promotional short, voiced by William Shatner . [2]

In Star Trek II , Saavik is commonly referred to as " mister ," a form of respectful military address. Normally applied to subordinates, the title is said in the film by Admiral Kirk and Captain Spock in reference to Saavik.

The Star Trek Chronology theorizes that Saavik entered the Academy in 2281 , believing the Kobayashi Maru test to be something taken by upperclassmen, though neither has been confirmed.

First film appearance [ ]

Saavik actress Kirstie Alley with director Nicholas Meyer

In Star Trek II , Saavik was played by Kirstie Alley . Before she was cast in the part, Director Nicholas Meyer had almost made up his mind about another young performer. ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , p. 207) This alternative actress was Kim Cattrall (who later appeared as Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ); she proved unavailable for the role, which preceded Alley's casting. ( Star Trek Movie Memories , pp. 123-124) Nick Meyer said of Alley, " She auditioned for me, along with many others. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD)

A long-time fan of Star Trek: The Original Series who had spent years of occasionally play-acting that she was Spock's daughter, Kirstie Alley was extremely excited when she was told about the Saavik role. " I went in and acted like Spock, " remembered the actress, " then Nick Meyer said, 'Boy, you have him down. Did you know that?' " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 170) Alley told Meyer about her fixation on Spock. ( The View from the Bridge , hardback ed., p. 99) Meyer recalled, " I saw her, and I said, 'This is her. This is Saavik.' And I never thought about it. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD ) According to Alley, she auditioned four times for Star Trek II . She was 117 pounds after her third audition and attended her fourth audition three days after finding out that her mother had just died in a car crash, an experience that had caused the actress' weight to reduce to 113 pounds. Alley stated, " Nicholas Meyer told me on the spot that I had the role. I always thought that was very kind of him. " ( How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life , pp. 96 & 100) The director particularly liked the way Alley moved and felt that the combination of her together with Leonard Nimoy looked perfect. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 60) Harve Bennett remarked, " Nicholas Meyer saw something in her, and I think he saw it correctly. " ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , p. 75)

Even while sleeping, Kirstie Alley undergoes the physical transformation into Saavik

During the making of Star Trek II , Saavik's pointed ears were often applied to Kirstie Alley in the very early hours of each morning. Noted Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols , " Being Vulcan, she joined Leonard [Nimoy] and me for our predawn makeup calls. " ( Beyond Uhura , p. 248) In fact, Alley was so fond of Saavik's pointed ears that, allegedly, the actress repeatedly took the ear prosthetics home with her and wore them to sleep at night. Nick Meyer noted, " She wouldn't take them off. " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) " I always wondered who she slept with, and it turned out it was the ears, " jested Meyer. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD / Blu-ray) ) Years later, Meyer theorized that, while this account from Alley may have been true, her reasoning for having told him this might alternatively have been that she had actually wanted a later makeup call. ( The View from the Bridge , interior photographs) Despite having pointy Vulcan ears, the actress' eyebrows were not characteristically slanted like other Vulcans seen up to that time.

Nick Meyer made a concerted effort to embody realism and avoid overt sexuality in Kirstie Alley's depiction of Saavik, which was the actress' first film role. " She was getting advice from all sides, and the studio kept trying to make it more of a 'tits and ass' performance, " recalled the director. " I said, 'No, no, no. That's real. You're in the Navy. You're a pro. Just do your job. You're good; you're at the top of your class there.' " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61)

Kirstie Alley was somewhat uncertain if other fans would accept a Vulcan female and she endeavored not to make the unemotional female character seem too much like "a bitch," by concentrating on the emotionality of Saavik's Romulan heritage, which accounts for her crying on screen at one point. ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 170) Nichelle Nichols said about the performance decision to show Saavik shedding tears, " That was Kirstie's idea, a beautiful touch. " ( Beyond Uhura , p. 251) However, William Shatner was alarmed by this behavior during filming and asked Meyer if he was going to "let her do that." ( The View from the Bridge , hardback ed., p. 118) The director related, " [Shatner] said, 'Well, Vulcans can't cry.' I said, 'Yeah, well, that's why it's going to be so distressing when this one does.' " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD / Blu-ray) )

Nick Meyer believed Kirstie Alley succeeded in channeling the reserved emotionality of Saavik's Vulcan aspect in the film, generally. The director commented, " She gave a very actor performance, because none of her own, sort of, impish humor is present in this. What you see in Cheers and so forth, her comic timing. None of that. She was a Vulcan. " (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (The Director's Edition) DVD) Meyer also thought Alley was "very good" at portraying Saavik. (audio commentary, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2009 DVD/Blu-ray) ) He conceded, " My favorite thing about her was that you had the feeling of the staggering, competent Lt. Saavik, and that was important to me. That was what I wanted to get across. I think the performance is much more interesting for that reason. " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) Leonard Nimoy was also impressed with Alley's performance as Saavik, believing her inclusion in the production to have been "fortunate." " Her performance – or, perhaps more correctly, presence – was simply amazing, " Nimoy raved. He went on to remark that, even though playing Saavik involved the first work Alley did in front of a camera, "she delivered her lines like a seasoned pro." ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 200 & 202) On the other hand, Gene Roddenberry purportedly once said that he thought Alley was "too Beverly Hills" for Star Trek . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) When asked if there was any Human in Saavik's apparently Vulcan-Romulan background, Roddenberry stated, " I'm afraid not. I thought it might be nice if there was but that's not their plan. As a matter of fact, my recommendation to them is that they make her even a bit more alien in her dialogue as we did with Mr. Spock. I thought a few times too often she sounded like an American girl who had just laid down her tennis racket, and I think you have to build in those mysteries and those mysterious ways, especially when you have aliens. " ("Chapter 8: Trek on the Big Screen", The Man Who Created Star Trek: Gene Roddenberry )

Scenes deleted from Star Trek II included one wherein Spock made note to Kirk of Saavik's half-Romulan heritage and another in which she was introduced to David Marcus, hinting at an unspoken flirtation between them. [3] As scripted in a draft that featured both these scenes and was dated 18 January 1982 , an extension to a conversation that, in the movie, Spock and Saavik have in the Vulcan language included Spock telling Saavik, " You must control your prejudices and remember that as a Vulcan as well as a Romulan you are forever a stranger in a strange land. " The same script draft also incorporated some more ultimately deleted material concerning Saavik's connection to David Marcus. ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , pp. 53, 55 & 62)

It was Nick Meyer who removed the idea of Saavik being half-Romulan. He explained, " I didn't see that it made any difference. There was nothing about her that was Romulan, so let her be Vulcan. " ( Enterprise Incidents , issue #14, p. 62) Still, the notion of her mixed heritage has lingered on into the script of The Search for Spock where a script annotation for scene 229 stated that "[e]ven a half-Vulcan has a breaking point", though it has remained unspoken in the movie.

The excised flirtatious component of Saavik's relationship with David was connected to a fascination that Saavik is implied as having with Kirk in the film, such as a suggestion that she made her appearance less formal for Kirk's benefit. Producer Robert Sallin confirmed that this was an intentional implication, stating, " Yes, it was meant to be subtle. Another branch of a story which, if you'd allowed it to go, would get in the way. " Sallin also accounted for the decision to insert the beginnings of a romance between Saavik and David Marcus, rather than between her and Kirk. " As many young women would, " proposed Sallin, " she would realize that the older man might not be obtainable, and look who's here as a very reasonable substitute. " ( The Making of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , pp. 60 & 61) Nick Meyer thought the intrigue involving Saavik was very successful. " The romance was very, very slight, " he observed, " and I liked it. I thought it was funny in the movie because here's Saavik, who is half-way in love with Admiral Kirk, and she knows that's completely inappropriate. The moment she finds out that Admiral Kirk has a son–it just makes a heck of a lot of sense to her. " Meyer also noted that the scene deletions ultimately effected the depiction of Saavik's connection with David. " She never learned that he was Kirk's son until the end of the movie in the final version, so all that [earlier] stuff didn't make any sense any more. " ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 60)

The flirtation was to take place at the start of scene 247, and the meaningful glances Saavik and David exchange are not lost on a fatherly Kirk, who amusingly remarks, " Ah, she's learning by doing ," referring to an earlier discussion he had with Saavik in the turbolift on the Human condition in scene 52. This take was slated for replacement with a more businesslike one, with Saavik herself trying her hand at humor, but neither had been included in any of the movie versions (or their home media format derivatives), though the original, actually filmed, take has also been featured in the aforementioned promotional short. [4] That original one went a long way explaining the obvious warm friendly relationship Saavik and David enjoyed in The Search for Spock .

Loss of actress [ ]

By the time Star Trek III started to be planned, Paramount Pictures had neglected to negotiate a sequel clause as part of Kirstie Alley's contract for the Star Trek films. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) Leonard Nimoy (who was assigned to direct the third film) later explained, " Frankly, Paramount's Business Affairs had dropped the ball on her contract for Wrath of Khan . She'd been a total newcomer then, and Paramount had been within its rights to insert an option clause in her contract that required her to perform in a sequel for a predetermined price. But the company had neglected to do it–so Kirstie was now a free agent! " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 224-225)

With Leonard Nimoy having been highly impressed by Kirstie Alley's portrayal of Saavik in Star Trek II , he and Harve Bennett were eager for the third film to feature the actress making a comeback appearance in the role. " And she was just as eager to return, " said Nimoy. " We contacted her while the script was still in the works, and the salary we discussed was reasonable. " Much to Nimoy and Bennett's relief, it seemed as though the contract negotiations would work smoothly. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., pp. 224-225)

However, Kirstie Alley's agent thereafter requested a massive salary increase for the actress to reappear as Saavik in the new film. This option was declined – due to the financial demands – by Harve Bennett and Leonard Nimoy. In numerous statements, Bennett publicly claimed that Alley had demanded an enormous fee. The actress herself later dismissed this notion, also relating that she had felt surprised by the rejection of her reprising the role and that Paramount had never presented a counter offer to her. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) " They offered me less money than they did for Star Trek II," the actress alleged, " so I figured they weren't very interested in [keeping] me for Saavik. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) Nimoy contended, " [Alley's agent] quoted a price that was so far beyond our reach that it left me slack-jawed. I'm sure neither he nor Kirstie realized it, but the salary he wanted for her second Star Trek appearance was higher than what was being paid to De Kelley after seventeen years! We couldn't agree to the price on either budgetary or ethical grounds, but Kirstie and her agent held firm. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225) Nimoy also claimed, " We just couldn't afford her. She'd been paid a decent sum for Star Trek II for a beginner, and I think the studio was prepared to pay her more than twice that much for III." ( Star Trek Movie Memories , pp. 174 & 176)

According to Nimoy, the rise in Kirstie Alley's requested salary was directly influenced by the amount the character is featured in the movie, which the actress' agent referred to upon calling the studio back to ask for the increased figure. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225) The fact that Nimoy and Harve Bennett were plotting the story for Star Trek III while these financial negotiations were ongoing continued to have an impact on how Saavik was depicted in the film. " There were several things we thought about, " said Bennett. " One was that Saavik didn't have to appear at all; she could be on leave. But we needed someone in the crew to replace Vulcan knowledge, and that ultimately decided us that she had to be in the story. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) Bennett continued, " We didn't want to cut [her] scenes, so we decided to recast the character and keep the part. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) This decision was made rapidly after the negotiations with Alley broke down. Nimoy offered, " I think it was clear to us that we wanted to continue the Saavik idea because of her potential relationship with Spock. I was looking for an actress who could fill this slot [....] I was sorry that we had lost Kirstie Alley [though], she was valuable. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18) Nimoy also said, " We had no choice but to search for a new Saavik. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 225)

Drafts of second appearance [ ]

An early story outline that Harve Bennett wrote for Star Trek III featured Saavik returning to the Genesis planet as a member of the Enterprise crew, abandoning the ship for the safety of the planet due to attacking Romulan miners. During a tender moment on the surface of Genesis, Saavik directly confessed to Kirk her love for him. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 30)

The idea of having Saavik bond with a young Spock via pon farr was suggested by Gene Roddenberry . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , 3rd ed., p. 89) Both Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett agreed with the idea, the latter of whom later recounted, " I said [to Nimoy], 'Hey man, you do this. Whatever you think is right.' We knew it had to be simple and restrained. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 33) As it had been during the scripting of Star Trek II , Saavik's ultimate fate was undetermined at the time Star Trek III was written. " I had no idea what the future of Saavik might be, " noted Bennett. ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 46) For this reason, it was decided that Saavik would not die, along with David Marcus, in Star Trek III . Bennett stated, " We were passing the knife over Saavik just like the Klingon in the film. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 234)

When Saavik is first introduced in the script of Star Trek III , it is said she is " looking radiant, is wearing her hair down these days, but is as intense and efficient as ever. " The same script simply notes that Saavik is "half-Vulcan," rather than specifying her other half as Romulan. [5]

Casting a new actress [ ]

Saavik was played by Robin Curtis in Star Trek III and Star Trek IV , one of only a few instances where a main character in Star Trek was played by a different performer from the one who originated the role. ( text commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD ) " It was actually a very gentle process, " Curtis noted about how she came to be cast in the part. [6] (X) Originally, her connection to Star Trek III was arranged by Elza Bergeron (one of three casting directors on Star Trek III ), who had been attempting to find a suitable project for Curtis since the spring of 1982 . It was now one year later. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) Curtis recalled, " I went in and I met the casting people at Paramount, and I had a very nice, congenial meeting, if you will, with the casting people. " [7] (X)

The members of the casting department set up a meeting that Robin Curtis had with Leonard Nimoy, a day or so later. [8] (X) " This meeting was unusual in many respects, but one in particular was that he met with me one-on-one, " said Curtis, " and he engendered a very comfortable meeting, where I felt very forthcoming, you know, and we were able to, I think, accomplish something in the brief time we spent together, and a part of that time was spent reviewing the material. He explained to me who this character was and what the back-story was a little bit, so I would understand what it was I was talking about. " With permission from Curtis, Nimoy then taped her audition. " And so there took place a lovely exchange of scenes, " the actress continued. " We did the scenes together, he directed me [and] he got it all on tape. " The fact that Nimoy recorded the audition saved Curtis from having to return for any further auditions for the role. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) For his part, Nimoy reminisced, " I was very pleased to find Robin, who I thought had a sense of containment, but at the same time you could see there was an inner light going on. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18)

At this point, Robin Curtis' casting as Saavik was imminent. She related, " I don't think I met anyone again until I screen-tested almost, maybe, six to eight weeks later. And that almost felt like just a matter of exercise, like, 'Let's have fun now. Let's see what this character might look like if you were to play her because, you know, we think you're going to play her,' kind of thing, you know, and that's what it felt like, that day. And then I was called, I believe the next day, [with news] that I'd got the part and this was absolutely a very thrilling moment. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) It was early August 1983 by the time Curtis was cast as Saavik. ( Star Trek Movie Memories , p. 176)

Debut of second actress [ ]

Saavik's makeup design was changed, introducing slanted Vulcan eyebrows to the character's facial appearance, when Robin Curtis assumed the role for Star Trek III . She did not find her prosthetic Vulcan ears uncomfortable. " Not at all, " she remarked. " You could barely tell they were there, once they were glued to you. No, not at all [...] They were completely... you couldn't feel them at all once they were on. They were just this weightless, nothing bit of latex stuff. " [9] (X) Unlike Kirstie Alley, Curtis was not permitted to keep wearing her ears after the end of each day's filming. Due to this, Curtis was ultimately slightly envious of Alley, laughing, " I'm sorta jealous she got away with it, but I hope she had fun. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) The daily removal of the prosthetic ears, in Curtis' case, required a very strong chemical. She was not only instructed that she couldn't take the ear prosthetics home with her but was also cautioned to rub Neosporin on her own real ears every night, as the danger of a skin infection might have made the daily application of the faux ears extremely problematic. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ; [10] (X) ) Some of the production crew approached Curtis very stealthily and confessed that they found the ears particularly appealing. " Some of the guys implied that they were a little bit of a turn on, " Curtis noted. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

Whereas Nick Meyer had permitted Kirstie Alley to be more emotionally expressive, Leonard Nimoy focused Robin Curtis' performance on the Vulcan side of Saavik's ancestry. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 155 , p. 62) Curtis was eager for such a distinction to be made. She later admitted, " I did want to keep things fairly separate between myself and Kirstie Alley. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) To her relief, Curtis found that the transition between Alley and herself was not an awkward changeover, for which she credited Harve Bennett and especially the director. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) Curtis opined, " I think Leonard set an example that everyone followed and that is to say I was never made to feel like I had to fill someone else's shoes. Never for a moment was I made to feel like that and I think that was really Leonard's approach to the whole thing. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 46)

In fact, not only was Curtis spared having to emulate the earlier performance, she also didn't even need to view it. " [Kirstie Alley's] name was never mentioned once to me, " Curtis recalled. " In fact, my sense of it was that we were starting new. No one ever said, 'You see, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , we established that David and Saavik had a flirtation.' " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , p. 49) Without broaching the characters' dalliance in the deleted scene from the previous film, the topic of this character dynamic was introduced to Curtis by David Marcus actor Merritt Butrick . Curtis felt that the switch of actress was very important to him, later remarking, " I think of everyone he had the most invested in the fact that another actress had played the character [...] He was very forthcoming and generous about what sort of subtle dynamic they might have established between one another, or the characters if you will, and to let me in on that in case there was anything of which I wanted to partake or carry on. You know, he suggested that their characters had a minor flirtation, that kind of thing. " [11]

Adopting the Vulcan role and making it her own was a difficult assignment for Curtis. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Even though she was familiar with Leonard Nimoy's depiction of Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series , Curtis felt that her familiarity with Vulcans generally was "not to the extent that I felt remotely like I could play the part." [12] (X) " The whole world was a new one for me, and it was odd to step into it as a Vulcan, " she clarified. " The kind of person I am is about the farthest thing from a Vulcan you can get. My family were big expressers of love and celebration, so yes it was very strange to step into this world and step into it as a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , p. 49) Curtis also stated, " It was so hard [...] I was never quite sure if I was doing it right. It always felt very robotic and unnatural and inhuman, if you will, to try to be a Vulcan. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Along with the minimalism of emotion, Curtis additionally appropriated the formality of the character's dialogue, another factor that she found to be challenging. [13] She reflected, " I was so anxious about doing a good job that I wanted to be perceived as someone very serious and all that good stuff. " [14]

To help accommodate Curtis' transition into the part, some advice was given to the performer from her acting coach at the time, such as instructing her to practice her lines of dialogue in front of a mirror and "don't use any aspect of my facial muscles," Curtis later remembered. " Like the edge of my eyes, the corners of my lips – all the things that we move involuntarily when we talk. Practice keeping still. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Curtis heeded this advice. " I would look into the mirror and I would try to even express the simplest thing that my character might say without emoting, without moving my face in any way, " she said. ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray )

Robin Curtis being directed by Leonard Nimoy on the set of Star Trek III

Leonard Nimoy also aided Curtis, for which the actress was thankful. She stated, " He gave me a lot of input [...] He guided me every step of the way. " [15] (X) For instance, the director gave Curtis some helpful notes that influenced her performance, such as saying that Vulcans exhibit a thousand years of wisdom behind the eyes. ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) The actress reckoned, " Those are things that although, you know – I hate to claim that I have that, or achieved that, those are the things I […] strived to do in the project. " [16] (X) Concerning the director's involvement, Curtis elaborated, " I relied heavily on Leonard Nimoy to guide me through my own discomfort […] I only allowed what [he] allowed me to leak out. He made a promise to me and kept it: he promised to never take me out to the end of a limb and leave me dangling there. Leonard promised to direct me very closely and he did just that. I have always been grateful to him for that. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Curtis invested a great deal of faith in Nimoy, taking seriously the suggestions he made to her. She remarked, " I was not one of those actors who came to the set and said, 'Well now, you know, I think this is the way we should play this character, Mister Nimoy.' " ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) Consequently, Curtis regarded much of her own portrayal of Saavik as having been a collaboration between Nimoy and herself. ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

The scene in which Saavik has a pon farr experience with a young Spock was almost deleted, as Paramount feared that it might draw laughs. However, it remained once Paramount realized that it was not being interpreted as humorous by preview audiences. ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , 3rd ed., p. 89)

Ultimately, Curtis was proud of her own debut depiction of Saavik. " I think, somehow, even though I did my best to remain so self-contained, " she critiqued, " something was always coming through, anyway. And I think that that's what ultimately worked, in some cases. " ("Captain's Log", Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Special Edition) DVD / Blu-ray ) She further declared, " For a gal with ants in her pants, I guess I did pretty well. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 49) Leonard Nimoy felt likewise, remarking, " I thought Robin Curtis did it very well […] It worked out quite well. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 8 , p. 18) He also enthused, " [She] delivered a lovely, sensitive performance as Saavik. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 226) Harve Bennett's opinion of the second portrayal of Saavik was more mediocre, rating the production team's attempt to follow Kirstie Alley with Robin Curtis as having been "about even." ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 120)

Kirstie Alley witnessed her successor's portrayal of Saavik in Star Trek III and revealed thereafter, " I thought [Robin Curtis] was at a real disadvantage playing a role someone else established, especially with Star Trek , which has an enormous following. I think she did a fine job. I have no problem with what she was doing except that, when I saw the film, I said, 'She isn't Saavik, I am. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 45) Ronald D. Moore , who later worked on several of the Star Trek spin-off series , commented on the contemporaneous fan response to Curtis' first appearance as Saavik and shared his own related opinions; " Kirstie Alley really had owned that role in Wrath of Khan , and I think there was a sort of a universal feeling among the fans of, 'Oh, really? We wanted Kirstie back' […] It's too bad [she didn't do Star Trek III ] because the role of Saavik is a pretty important one in this film […] It would have been great if Kirstie had been able to continue that role […] [Robin Curtis] does play a Vulcan very well. I mean, Robin sells, she's got the Vulcan thing down, and not every actor or actress can do that, has sort of been my experience. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) )

Final film appearance [ ]

One reason why Saavik remains on Vulcan in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is because writing her into the film's Earth -based events proved too difficult. " The mechanics of IV made it impossible to bring Saavik along, " asserted Harve Bennett, " because when we finally evolved the story we had enough bodies, and Saavik in the 20th century [Earth setting] would have become yet another ear to hide. That would have become complicated, and if there is anything I like to do in storytelling, I like to keep things simple... Too many movies fail because they are complex. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 270) Leonard Nimoy elaborated, " I can't honestly tell you that that was a conscious decision, to get her out of the way or anything like that. It just seemed as though she'd be extraneous on this trip. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD )

Detailing another reason why Saavik stays on Vulcan near the start of Star Trek IV , Leonard Nimoy explained that, rather than including her in the majority of the film, it seemed " more interesting to leave her behind with the potential information that she was expecting Spock's child. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (Blu-ray) / (Special Edition) DVD ) In fact, the scripts for Star Trek IV included more than an implication that the reason Saavik remains on Vulcan is that, while Spock was undergoing pon farr on the Genesis planet, he had sexual intercourse with Saavik to eliminate its effects, and in doing so had impregnated her. Peter Krikes , who originally co-wrote the film's script with Steve Meerson , offered, " There was a scene with Kirk on the Bridge of the Bird-of-Prey. They cut out five lines where Kirk says to Saavik, 'Have you told him yet?' And she says, 'No. I'm taking a maternity leave ' […] All they did was cut out five lines of dialogue, and you lost that whole thing, which, I believe, will turn up in a Harve Bennett script in a couple of years. " ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 64)

Indeed, Harve Bennett adopted this idea, prior to its omission. " On the Saavik pregnancy I wrote in two scenes, " Bennett stated. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 270) As written in the revised shooting script, Kirk first assures Saavik, on the Bird-of-Prey's bridge, " Your leave has been granted for good and proper cause, " and then asks how she is feeling. After Saavik answers that she is "well," Kirk replies, " You will be in good hands here. " [17] Bennett recalled another scripted exchange of dialogue, which does not appear in the revised shooting script; " There's another line. 'Does Spock know?' 'No.' " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , pp. 270 & 271) The revised shooting script does, in common with the movie, include a scene where Saavik and Amanda Grayson are standing on Vulcan, watching the Bird-of-Prey leave the planet. [18] " That's the third piece, " said Bennett, " and that's interesting […] I said, 'Put it in. Let people talk about it' [...] I threw in everything... and I figured maybe, even if we get just one line in, 'Are you all right? You'll be well cared for here, here's where you belong...' The combination of the whole scene, and then Spock's entrance [which remains in the film], 'Good day to you, sir,' 'Saavik,' 'Live long and prosper,' is powerful because it is Stella Dallas . It is, 'I bravely leave you now, to bear your child, and you don't know it.' And then she goes out and we have the third element, 'Mother and daughter-in-law.' " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 271)

As foreseen in the revised shooting script of Star Trek IV , Saavik differs from how she is represented in the film in a couple of other ways, too. For instance, Saavik, in the script, is said to be "dressed in Vulcan attire." [19] However, she is shown wearing a Starfleet uniform in the film.

Robin Curtis and Leonard Nimoy on the set of Star Trek IV , with Amanda Grayson actress Jane Wyatt

Robin Curtis thought that returning to the role of Saavik for Star Trek IV was not as tough as the previous film had been. " I think it was a little easier because I was a year and a half older and a little more relaxed with everyone and a little more practiced in that style of acting, " Curtis observed. [20]

According to Harve Bennett, the scene in which Saavik discusses her pregnancy with Kirk was filmed but was ultimately deleted because Leonard Nimoy (who returned as director for Star Trek IV ) was, in Bennett's words, "always very uncomfortable" about it. Despite agreeing with this deletion for several reasons, Bennett also thought that, without the scene, the footage of Saavik with Amanda, watching the Bird-of-Prey depart, "no longer has the same impact." Additionally, the scene deletion, in Bennett's view, left the question of Saavik's pregnancy open to interpretation. " Those who wish to read it will read it, and those who don't see it, won't, " he supposed. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , pp. 270 & 271) However, Robin Curtis learned indirectly of this story possibility. " It was never discussed with me, not on any formal or informal basis, " she related. " Certainly I was just as much a... I don't know if I can say participant, but a receiver of the rumor and the scuttlebutt at the time. People really seemed to think Saavik's pregnancy was going to be a great idea and I got caught up in it. Not that I expected it to happen, but just that I felt I had so little knowledge of Star Trek and the fans seemed to have so much, I thought they must know what they're talking about and this is obviously where this is leading. However, that clearly isn't where it led and it was a bit of an adjustment for me. Nothing serious in the scheme of life, however I was somewhat disappointed about it. " [21] Curtis was also regretful that the sexual aspect of Saavik's relationship with Spock was not firmly established on-screen, saying, " I think it would have been interesting to pursue a relationship between Saavik and Spock, and the possibility to have an offspring. That struck me as an interesting thing to play as an actor. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 84)

One version of the script would have revealed that Valeris was Spock's daughter with Saavik, also named Saavik after her mother. [22]

After-effects [ ]

Robin Curtis wished Saavik had reappeared in canon after the on-screen events of Star Trek IV , or that Saavik's role in those events had ended differently. " Saavik could have achieved all kinds of things, " Curtis speculated. " It has been very unfortunate that the character just got left in the dust. I wish there would have been a better finality to that character, or at least a more exciting way to leave her. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 137 , p. 84)

Early drafts of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country featured Saavik in a traitorous role eventually filled by Valeris . Writer Mark Rosenthal originally wanted Saavik to have a romance with Kirk, leading to them producing a Vulcan-Human hybrid like Spock, a plot point that Rosenthal felt would have brought a satisfying conclusion to the TOS series of films. He reckoned that this dynamic evolved into a romance between Spock and Saavik instead, before their relationship returned to that of mentor and protégée (à la their connection in Star Trek II ). ( The Making of the Trek Films , 3rd ed., p. 106)

Gene Roddenberry expressed concerns about turning Saavik into a traitor in Star Trek VI , feeling that she had become a "too beloved" character in his universe. When informed of this, Nick Meyer (who had no love lost for Roddenberry ever since Meyer came aboard for Star Trek II , which had been obtusely opposed by the former) met his concerns with disdain, derisively remarking, " I wrote the character of Saavik in STAR TREK II . That wasn't a Gene Roddenberry character. If he doesn't like what I'm doing, maybe he should give the money he's [making off my films] back. Then maybe I'll care what he has to say. " Without bothering to get back to Roddenberry, Meyer pushed ahead. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31)

Not having been fond of Robin Curtis' performances as Saavik, Nick Meyer wanted Kirstie Alley to reprise the role in Star Trek VI . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Story of the Movies , p. 61) Producers Ralph Winter and Steven-Charles Jaffe , similarly to Meyer, didn't consider Curtis for an encore, so Alley seemed like the only suitable alternative; as Winter has phrased it, " Why try recasting a third time? That's really stretching it. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31) Leonard Nimoy agreed with Meyer on this point, though Alley turned out to be unavailable. " Unfortunately, the price she now commanded was well beyond the realm of Star Trek VI 's budgetary possibility, " Nimoy remembered. ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 319) Once again, Alley declined to appear. Meyer explained, " Absent Kirstie Alley, we decided it would be better to introduce a new character. " ( The View from the Bridge , pp. 203 & 212) Nimoy recollected, " Once Kirstie proved unavailable, we began to reconsider the plot twist that the heretofore loyal Saavik had betrayed the Federation and engaged in a murder conspiracy. Would Star Trek audiences rebel at the notion that Saavik was a traitor? […] We finally decided that the Saavik we knew wouldn't be capable of making this switch in loyalties. " ( I Am Spock , hardback ed., p. 319) Hence, the eventual decision to substitute the Saavik character was made for reasons entirely unrelated to Gene Roddenberry's earlier concerns, concerning the alteration of making Saavik a traitor to Starfleet. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31) Ultimately, Meyer was regretful that Saavik wasn't included in Star Trek VI , romantically connected with Spock. Meyer posited, " [Saavik's] backstory from the other films would have made this especially poignant […] In an ideal world Valeris should have been the stalwart Saavik, a character we had already come to love. And trust. This would have sharpened the pain of her betrayal. " ( The View from the Bridge , pp. 203 & 212)

Not even being considered for a possible return of Saavik proved to be painful for Robin Curtis. " Paramount led me to believe that Saavik was being groomed for more participation, that they were finally trying to include some younger regular characters in the movies. Many fans were excited about the prospects of a romantic pregnancy storyline, " Curtis stated, adding her feelings about the snubbing; " That hurt a little bit. It was a far too emotional situation for me to pursue it, to be aggressive enough to call and question why I wasn't considered for the part. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 3, p. 26)

When she was finally cast for the role of Valeris, Kim Cattrall (ironically, the same actress who had been considered to play Saavik in Star Trek II ) initially refused the role as she was under the false impression that she had to portray yet another incarnation of Saavik, but jumped at the opportunity when she learned that that was not to be the case, as she considered Saavik "just a girl," whereas she considered Valeris "a woman." ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31; Star Trek Movie Memories , 1995 ed., pp. 374-375)

Captain Morgan Bateson and the female officer standing beside him

A particular female bridge officer who is shown standing next to Captain Morgan Bateson on the USS Bozeman in TNG : " Cause And Effect " was originally intended to be Saavik but, once again, the scheduling couldn't be worked out. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 195)) Bateson was played by Kelsey Grammer , a co-star of Kirstie Alley's while both had been regular actors on the series Cheers .

One of Robin Curtis' Saavik costumes from Star Trek III was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [23]

Apocrypha [ ]

Kirstie Alley did play Saavik one other time, in a play set between Star Trek II and Star Trek III – "The Machiavellian Principle", written by Walter Koenig for the ambitious "Ultimate Fantasy" convention (aka "Ultimate Fiasco", aka "The Con of Wrath"). It also starred James Doohan , Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols and George Takei , with a walk-on role by William Shatner as "the Admiral". The script, as published by Creation Conventions in a 1987 booklet called "Through the Looking Glass", misspells the name as "Savik".

Saavik had many non- canon adventures in various licensed comics , novels , and games . She first appeared in novels in the novelization of Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan . She was picked up as an ongoing character for the DC Comics series, volume 1 from issue #1 (" The Wormhole Connection ") until #36 (" The Apocalypse Scenario! "), which was a tie-in to the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home comic special, where Saavik remained behind after Kirk's departure from Vulcan. Saavik also appeared in the Star Trek III: The Search for Spock comic adaptation, an entry in Who's Who in Star Trek issue #2, and two of the annuals : #1, " All Those Years Ago... ", and #3, " Retrospect ".

In the second volume DC series, Saavik made a guest appearance in #25 (" Class Reunion ") and then joined the cast, as a USS Enterprise -A bridge officer, starting with #35 (" Divide... and Conquer "), for the remainder of the series, including the associated Annual s after that point, as well as Star Trek Specials , including one story where Saavik is at odds with Valeris over the former training the latter to take a bridge position. In Tales of the Dominion War , Saavik and Spock have married and are still together after Spock has left on his covert mission to Romulus . In The Lives of Dax , Saavik assists Tobin Dax in a transwarp experiment, and recommends safety procedures that would have averted his shuttle accident.

Saavik's history before Star Trek II was mentioned in two issues of DC's first comic series, #7 (" Pon Farr ") and #8 (" Blood Fever "), and was expanded upon in Marvel Comics ' Star Trek: Untold Voyages series, as well as the Pocket Books novels Dwellers in the Crucible and The Pandora Principle . Details like ages, dates and costumes differ between the three companies' versions of her story. In the Star Trek: Titan novel Taking Wing , Tuvok , under the guise of a Romulan , greets Spock and gives him greetings from "his wife," Captain Saavik, indicating her return to Starfleet after her stay on Vulcan as well as their marriage in the Josepha Sherman/Susan Shwartz novel Vulcan's Heart .

In the novelization of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock by Vonda N. McIntyre , Saavik is described as having a sexual relationship with Kirk's son, David Marcus (a carryover from the abandoned relationship planned for Wrath of Khan ). McIntyre also wrote further subtext into Saavik's motivations for staying on Vulcan in the Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home novelization.

The events following Saavik's exile on Vulcan in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home are explained in the novel Unspoken Truth by Margaret Wander Bonanno .

Despite the fact that Saavik provided the conceptual basis for Valeris, in the novelization of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , they are two separate characters, having befriended each other on Vulcan. It is said they felt a kinship due to the fact that neither had a "proper" Vulcan name nor had experienced a traditionally Vulcan upbringing, with both having chosen to adopt such Vulcan tradition later in life.

According to the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator , Saavik's parents were named Sivak and T'Pala.

External links [ ]

• Saavik at StarTrek.com
• Saavik at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Saavik at Wikipedia
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
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Published Jan 3, 2012

Robin Curtis Looks Back At Saavik & TNG, Part 1

Robin Curtis made the most of a remarkably tough situation, stepping in to Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and replacing Kirstie Alley as Saavik . Curtis delivered a powerful performance, creating a Saavik who was at once purely Vulcan yet not entirely devoid of emotion. You just knew it pained her when Kirk’ son, David, died at the hands of the Klingons. Curtis returned a couple of years later, albeit briefly, as Saavik in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , and the actress was as shocked and disappointed as anyone to discover the seemingly inevitable pregnancy storyline had been dropped or, perhaps better stated, never picked up. She made one more Trek journey, guest starring as Tellara /T’Paal in the “ Gambit Part I and II ” episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation . StarTrek.com caught up with Curtis recently, following her appearance at a Star Trek convention, for an extensive interview in which she recounted all of the above and also filled us in on what she’s doing these days. Part one of our conversation can be found below and visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow to read part two.

While we were waiting to speak with you, we saw you interact with many of the fans on line to get your autograph. It was interesting to hear some of their comments, especially the ones who told you that, to them, you were their Saavik. What was it like for you to hear that?

Curtis: Wasn’t that remarkable? Some fans came into the franchise with Star Trek III , and so my Saavik was their first experience with the character. It was only two years between Star Trek II and Star Trek III , but some people didn’t see Star Trek II and didn’t see Kirstie Alley playing Saavik. They went into the movie theater and I was their Saavik. I love that. I also hear from younger fans, some of them who got into Star Trek because of the J.J. Abrams movie. They’ll tell me that they’re going back into Star Trek history and checking out all the old shows and movies, and they’re discovering me as Saavik from doing that. I felt that Star Trek as a franchise, with the release of Star Trek (2009) , had finally redeemed itself as a franchise after all these years. It cannot be easy to constantly to carve a new and exciting franchise out of an already-established and well-loved story. But I felt that that film validated Star Trek as a current enterprise, as worthy storytelling. It was fresh, it was sexy, it was now, from the music to the casting to the storytelling. All of it was fresh and smacked of something new. So I compliment the creators of that film highly because I felt proud to be a part of Star Trek again. Not that I wasn’t proud. I am and I always have been. But the movie just reenergized everything about the franchise. Like I said, people are rediscovering the older shows and movies. I think more people, and younger people, are coming to the conventions again. That’s inspiring and exciting for everyone involved in the franchise.

Let’s go back to Star Trek III . How many times did you audition for the role of Saavik?

Curtis: I remember the process very, very, very clearly. I interviewed with the casting people. That really wasn’t an audition, because there was nothing to read. Almost a day to two days later I met Leonard Nimoy one on one. That was first time I read any sides, as it were, from the script. I did not audition again until the screen test. So it was the gentlest experience. I’d never experienced anything quite like that and I think Leonard had a lot to do with that. Here was an actor stepping out from in front of the character to behind the camera, and I think he had a special empathy with how crazy-making and how anxiety-making that process is for an actor. So he took all the craziness out of it. He videotaped my audition, so I didn’t have to go back and recreate that for Harve Bennett at the producers’ audition or for Gary Nardino at the executive vice-president of Paramount audition. New people always come into each subsequent audition when you go back for callbacks. That never happened on Star Trek III , and it was lovely.

Did Nimoy ever say why, specifically, he chose you?

Curtis: At the end of my first meeting with him he shook my hand. I’ll never forget it. He shook my hand at the door of the office and he said, “I have no doubt that you can do this role. Now it’s up to the powers that be.” Honestly, and I’m not being coy or insincerely modest, but I don’t know why he thought that. I didn’t feel like I was a slam dunk for the role at all. I was so unlike Saavik. I wasn’t self-contained or controlled. There are so many actresses who have that demeanor already, that stoic demeanor. That’s not me at all, then or now. I don’t know how I managed to contain myself, but I guess Leonard felt I succeeded enough to think I could do the role. I remember that one of the phrases that he used to give me a key into the character was “1000 years of wisdom behind the eyes.” Now, who deigns to presume they can exude 1000 years of wisdom behind their own eyes? But that was the term Leonard used to try to get across the depth of Saavik’s intelligence.

What fascinated you most about Saavik?

Curtis: It was her restraint and her ability to cope with stirring or upsetting issues. David’s betrayal was so a part of that story, and it’d be such an upsetting life event for anyone, especially a human. Saavik, being a Vulcan, withstood that knowledge and then also his demise right in front of her. She then had to guide Spock through his awkward transitions. All of those things are big life events and yet she was called upon to cope with them. And for me, Robin, it was hard for me to play a character that was coping with these things in such a repressed and restrained and stoic manner. It nearly killed me to say the words “David is dead.” But I had to say them, and I had to say them as Saavik, this Vulcan, would say them. I did that. I did it, but I almost choked on the words. And Nimoy was directing me under a microscope. He said, “I don’t want you to breathe.” He didn’t want me to breathe out of place on that particular line.

So, to me, the challenge of playing Saavik was making sure she made herself accessible in a situation, making sure she availed herself of the caring and intelligence that a situation required of her, and yet staying as focused and contained and as…

Vulcan as possible?

Curtis: Yes. And, at the end of the film, when Spock comes to her and she wonders, “Does he remember me? Does he know what occurred?” even Nimoy himself came up to me, just before we shot that moment on film, and he leaned in to my space, kind of crossing the line, in a way, and he whispered into my ear. He said, “How would you feel if you came upon someone on the streets of New York who you knew before, someone you loved or had had intimate relations with?” I remember having several feelings all at once in that moment. I thought, “Wow, he’s asking me such a personal question.” Then I thought, “Wow, he’s getting me to think about this particular scene.” I was a little embarrassed. I remember pulling my face away, my head from his head, and looking him in the eye. And he said, “That’s what I want.” He wanted that uncertainty and perhaps a little embarrassment and self-consciousness, yet also that hope that there might be some recognition. Hopefully that’s what we conveyed in that moment.

Be sure to visit StarTrek.com again tomorrow for part two of our exclusive interview with Robin Curtis.

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Kirstie Alley made Star Trek better

Known for comedy later in her career, Kirstie Alley’s contribution to science fiction was transformative.

Kirstie Alley , famous for her hilarious comedy skills in Cheers, Look Who’s Talking and Desperate Housewives, has died at the age of 71. Her controversial political views in the 21st century were a disappointment to many of her biggest fans, but the legacy of her work as a unique and talented actress endures. And for science fiction fans, she also changed the Star Trek franchise for the better. Here’s why Alley was dynamite in 1982’s The Wrath of Khan, and how that film launched her entire career.

In 1981, as Kirstie Alley was in her final round of auditions to play Saavik in Star Trek II , her parents were in a car accident . Her mother was killed instantly and her father was hospitalized. Director Nicholas Meyer believed in Alley and specifically waited to make a final decision on casting, despite the fact that this huge tragedy delayed the entire process. As she revealed in 1982 to People Magazine , she considered dropping the film altogether but was encouraged to keep going by her sister and brother. Eventually, Alley gave her agent an ultimatum: “You call Paramount and tell them my mother is dead, my father is dying. And if they want to see me, I’ll see them Wednesday... This is the greatest tragedy of my life. But if I get Star Trek, that will be my happiest day.”

Director Nicholas Meyer pushed Paramount to wait, and Alley got the part.

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Alley had been a Star Trek fan as a child and told Meyer that she liked her prosthetic Vulcan ears so much that she even slept with them on. When Alley watched the 1960s series as a young girl, she had imagined herself as “Spock’s daughter.”

In The Wrath of Khan , Alley’s character, Saavik, does almost come across as Spock’s child. As a young woman who is new to Starfleet, Saavik is presented to the audience as a kind of inversion of Spock. Instead of being super-logical, this Saavik is a bit hotheaded, and even says “damn” in the now-famous opening scene in which the Enterprise is seemingly overwhelmed by Klingons. In dialogue cut from the final film, we learn Saavik is half-Vulcan and half-Romulan, which partially explains her impulsiveness. (This detail was included in all the press material at the time and is explored in both the novelization and various subsequent Trek books and comics.) As she later said , “I owe my career to a casting agent that I looked half Vulcan and half Romulan.”

As Saavik, Alley opens what is often considered to be the best Star Trek movie of all time, and when Spock dies at the end of the film, she sheds a single tear, letting us know the new resident Vulcan on the Enterprise is a little bit more like us. And because The Wrath of Khan is essentially a film about aging and legacy, Saavik is, in some ways, the most important character. As Kirk, Spock, and Bones contemplate getting older, Saavik is clearly introduced to the audience as the next generation. She’s in the captain’s chair at the start of the film, and if you squint, you could imagine an alternate universe in which we got to see Saavik get her own starship. Without Kirstie Alley’s performance as Saavik in The Wrath of Khan , none of the emotional beats work. She’s the voice of the younger generation, questioning Kirk and Spock’s methods, but also letting a casual viewer fall in love with these characters through her eyes.

Much has been written and said about why Kirstie Alley didn’t return for Star Trek III , and was instead, replaced by Robin Curtis. The most common explanation is that her agent pushed for an amount of money that Paramount couldn’t afford and that Search for Spock director Leonard Nimoy worried would put the film over budget. In 2016, at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Alley admitted on stage that to this day, she felt like the details and exact reasons for her being recast were murky.

Kirstie Alley commands the Enterprise in The Wrath of Khan .

In The Search for Spock , Curtis’ version of Saavik took the character in a new direction, which was decidedly more Vulcan-like. Everything about Robin Curtis’ version of the character is wonderful, but Kirstie Alley’s version is, for some fans, still a bit more rock and roll. In The Wrath of Khan, Alley plays Saavik as young and naive, but she’s not innocent. You get the sense from Alley’s performance that Saavik is as dangerous as she is competent.

Because The Wrath of Khan was her first big break, the success of the movie obviously launched her career into warp speed. But sci-fi fans and Trek diehards benefited, too. Thanks to Alley’s layered and brilliant performance, the expansive world of Star Trek made room for a kind of person we’d never seen before. And, in many ways, Trek has never given us a character like Alley’s Saavik again.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is streaming on HBO Max.

This article was originally published on Dec. 7, 2022

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Why William Shatner Allegedly Blocked Kirstie Alley From Returning For 'Star Trek 3,' According To A Trek Documentarian

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Space may be the final frontier in the "Star Trek" world, but apparently, earthbound grudges can still travel quite keenly through the vastness of space. "Icons Unearthed" director Brian Volk-Weiss knows that firsthand, as an interview he conducted for another project involving Gene Roddenberry’s “Wagon Train to the stars” saw "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’s" Kirstie Alley tell a story about how William Shatner allegedly blocked her from returning for the next film in the series that gave us some of the best sci-fi movies.

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Kirstie Alley Sets The Record Straight, Says She’s “Forever Grateful” For Star Trek

On Monday, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan star Kirstie Alley turned 64.

The actress, who made her feature film debut playing Saavik in the film, was offered the chance to reprise the role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , but declined to return. Following unfruitful contract and salary negotiations, director and star Leonard Nimoy decided to instead to recast the role of Saavik — ultimately hiring Robin Curtis to play the female Vulcan.

Alley would go on to have a very successful career, best known for her role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers .

As we do with many former Star Trek actors, we wished Alley a happy birthday on Twitter . Our tweet was met with a myriad of responses from fans, one of which said that she “has pretty much disavowed that she has ever appeared in this movie ( Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ).”

Alley personally responded and set the record straight, saying: “That’s not true..Star Trek was my first job and one of the most stunning moments of my life…forever grateful.”

@kittykat_kiki @TrekNewsnet That's not true..Star Trek was my first job and one of the most stunning moments of my life…forever grateful — Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) January 12, 2015

You can follow Kirstie Alley on Twitter at @kirstiealley . You can follow TrekNews.net at @TrekNewsnet .

DS9 is King

January 14, 2015 at 11:07 pm

I Really Hope that the new Star Trek TV series goes to the CW the CW is great they are great with Drama and Action series.

Michael A Thompson

April 22, 2015 at 4:15 pm

Um, I am a sci-fi geek but I do not care for one show on CW… Don’t take this personally, but to me, CW shows are geared towards teens… I have tried to watch different shows on CW and none of them hold my attention, the writing is very poor… Teens for the most part do not like Star Trek, so no, the CW would not be a good place for Trek, if and when it ever comes back…

Rōnin Dusette

January 16, 2015 at 3:36 pm

She is a twisted Scientologist. lol. Happy bday, nonetheless. 😉

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Kirstie Alley's 'Star Trek' Experience Was Never Lost on Her Even Decades Later

Dec. 6 2022, Published 10:18 a.m. ET

The incomparable Kirstie Alley was an actress best known from many iconic films and TV shows. Among them were Fat Actress , Cheers , and Look Who’s Talking . But what fans may not remember is that Kirstie appeared in Star Trek at the very beginning of her decades-long Hollywood career.

In fact, years after the star’s turn as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , she opened up about how much the part meant to her.

Kirstie Alley’s ‘Star Trek’ role was one of her first parts.

On Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, fans learned the heartbreaking news that Kirstie died after a short illness. People reported that she recently found out she had colon cancer. Her kids, True and Lillie Parker , shared a statement about the actress. They said, "She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”

While her family grieves in private, fans are mourning Kirstie’s passing in public, with many recalling some of the longtime Hollywood staple’s past roles. One somewhat forgotten early project that helped to launch Kirstie’s career was her turn as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . According to her IMDb page, the year was 1982 when Kirstie played this part — three years before she became a household name upon portraying Rebecca Howe on Cheers .

Of course, she would go on to star in many more films and win legions of fans via her later TV roles, with the show Veronica’s Closet being a memorable example. But just because Kirstie’s Star Trek days were so early on in her career doesn’t mean that she didn’t hold them near and dear to her heart.

Kirstie Alley’s ‘Star Trek’ days ended up holding a lot of meaning for her.

In 2015, Trek News reported that Kirstie was offered the opportunity to return as Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . Apparently she decided against the move, which led fans to question her feelings toward Star Trek in general.

Never someone to hide her true feelings, the actress took to social media to clarify how much gratitude she had for her experience working on the original movie.

@kittykat_kiki @TrekNewsnet That's not true..Star Trek was my first job and one of the most stunning moments of my life...forever grateful — Kirstie Alley (@kirstiealley) January 12, 2015

Interestingly, Saavik was a pivotal character for the genre, with IndieWire pointing out that she ultimately proved that Vulcans have real feelings. Whether or not you are a Star Trek fan, there’s no doubt that Kirstie proved Hollywood stars have real feelings and opinions, too — and she never shied away from speaking out about them. Notably, she decried the lack of tolerance for disparate political thoughts within her industry while speaking to Tucker Carlson in 2021.

Of course, her sentiments often prompted controversy, such as when in February 2022, Kirstie questioned what was “real” or “fake” when it came to the war Russia waged on Ukraine, per The Hill , prompting even her former Dancing With the Stars partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy to blast the Star Trek alum, according to Yahoo!.

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'Star Trek II' Director Recalls Kirstie Alley's Passion for Vulcan Role: 'She Wore the Ears to Bed'

In an interview with PEOPLE, Nicholas Meyer reminisces about his time working with the late actress on the 1982 sequel, including what she did that he loved and William Shatner shunned

Ryan Parker is the former Senior News Editor, Weekends for PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2023.

Nicholas Meyer knew there was something special about Kirstie Alley the moment he met her for a possible role in his film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan .

At the time, Alley, who would go on to be a film and TV icon, had so little experience in the industry, she "faked" her résumé. But, Meyer needed a special actress to play Saavik, Spock's protégé and Starfleet commander-in-training. And that is what he got in Alley.

Speaking to PEOPLE on Tuesday, a day after Alley died of cancer at the age of 71, Meyer, 76, recalls meeting the young actress for the first time and sensing something different.

"The main cast was handed to me on a platter," Meyer says of the core actors from the classic TV series and 1979 film. "We were looking for Saavik, and I found myself seated with this stunningly attractive woman with this amazing pair of eyes and big mane of hair. She had this strangely merry aspect, which I was later to learn was absolutely a characteristic of her. I recall that she came from Wichita."

In 2016, Alley participated in the Star Trek 50th Anniversary Con in Las Vegas where she talked about how extensive the casting process was for her, noting a few times that Meyer was her career "champion" in seeing that she got the role when Paramount execs were not thrilled about her lack of experience.

For more on Kirstie Alley, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

Beyond giving a "terrific reading" for the 1982 sequel, Alley played Saavik with an "unselfconscious originality" that the character required, Meyer says, in explaining why he fought for her.

"I don't think she was trying to be original, or as some might imprecisely call 'kooky,' but she nailed it," the director says. "What was impressive about her reading was that she didn't inject her own, as I called it, 'merry personality' into it. I don't know if she had enough experience, but she had enough intuition to do what the role called for."

Once cast, Alley was so thrilled to be a part of the sci-fi production she did not remove her Vulcan ears, Meyer tells PEOPLE.

"She was so passionate or enthusiastic or entranced by the role — or she was an over sleeper — that she wore the ears to bed. She didn't take them off," he says, with a chuckle.

At the 2016 Vegas con, Alley also spoke about crying during the scene of Spock's funeral, which was not scripted; she was simply overcome with emotion in the moment. Meyer also recalls that moment and why he liked it — and why star William Shatner was not thrilled.

Noting that both his cinematographer and script supervisor cried while filming Spock's death scene with Capt. Kirk, Meyer says he knew the material was emotionally powerful.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"And that included her in the funeral scene," he says. "I didn't instruct her to weep. When I saw it happening, I remember Shatner came over to me and said, 'You're not going to let her do that, are you? Vulcans can't cry.' And I said, 'That will make this so much more effective when she does.'"

On Monday evening, shortly after news of her death broke, Shatner paid his respects via social media.

"Saddened to hear of the passing of @kirstiealley. Condolences to her family & friends," the Capt. Kirk actor wrote on Twitter.

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Who was Kirstie Alley and what was her cause of death?

• Amelia Beamer
• Ashley Vega
• Published : 17:00, 3 May 2024
• Updated : 19:40, 3 May 2024

EMMY Award-winning actress Kirstie Alley died on Monday, December 5, 2022, the star's children confirmed on her Instagram.

The actress and comedian's death shocked fans and friends globally, and many wondered what was her cause of death .

Who was Kirstie Alley?

Kristie Alley burst into acting with the role of Rebecca Howe in NBC's hit sitcom Cheers.

From the late 80s to the early 90s, Kirstie could be found on Cheers on most Thursday nights during NBC's 'must-see TV' lineup.

Her role as a cool-girl-turned-neurotic bartender who fell in and out of love with various bar patrons, Boston millionaires, and the bar's manager, Sam, will go down in history as one of the most iconic roles of early sitcom history.

Her role on Cheers earned her an Emmy award and a Golden Globe award, both in 1991.

What was Kirstie Alley's cause of death?

Kirstie Alley died of cancer, which her family confirmed was a recently found health issue for the actress.

Kirstie was 71 years old when she died.

She was seeking medical treatment at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, at the time of her death.

Her children, True and Lillie Parker , posted the following statement to Kirstie's Instagram:

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"We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer...

"She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead," the statement continued.

"As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

What other works were Kirstie known for?

After starring in Cheers, Kirstie was known for a large catalog of work, including other television shows like Veronica's Closet.

Kirstie appeared in various films, too.

These included:

• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Summer School
• Shoot to Kill
• Look Who's Talking (and its two sequels)
• Sibling Rivalry
• Village of the Damned
• It Takes Two
• Deconstructing Harry
• For Richer or Poorer
• Drop Dead Gorgeous

She won a second Emmy award in 1994 for the made-for-television movie David's Mother.

Kirstie was also on season 12 of Dancing With The Stars.

When is Kirstie Alley's estate sale?

In May 2024, it was revealed Kirstie Alley's possessions were being sold to the public.

Kirstie's cash-only estate sale is organized by Those Two Girls Estates at 811 Cleveland Street in Clearwater, Florida.

The event will run for two weeks, from May 1 to 4 and May 11 to 13, from 9 am ET to 1 pm ET.

Fans and antique shoppers can expect to find items from her "day-to-day life" from her homes in Los Angeles, Clearwater, and Maine.

These items include a beaded strapless orange ball gown from her time on DWTS.

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There are also over 400 pairs of shoes, including an embellished white Manolo Blahnik pair.

According to the estate sale hosts, the prices start at $5 to thousands of dollars.

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• Kirstie Alley

Inside Kirstie Alley's cash estate sale from Cheers star's dinner plates to memorabilia

Kirstie Alley's death stunned the world in December 2022 when the beloved actress died at the age of 71.

The Cheers and Veronica's Closet star died of colon cancer with the disease only discovered shortly before she died. Now, thanks to an estate sale being held in Clearwater, Florida, the eclectic life the Hollywood actress lived is on full show while giving fans a chance to own a rare piece of memorabilia.

She had owned a home in the area for many years and Those Two Girls Estate Sales were tasked with shifting a number of items.

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Among them were dinner plates, candle holders, quirky statues and old wardrobe pieces. The sale ranged from $5 to thousands of dollars.

Fox 13 chatted with a representative of the company who explained how one of Kirstie's "friends slash employees" recommended them to the family.

Instead of acting like an auction, each item has been individually priced, but he said purchasers didn't need to bring a fortune as "a plate is still a plate even though Kirstie Alley owned it.

"These are household items. These are the items that she lived with every day," he said. However, the company did say certain pieces did have inflated prices as there is "definitely a star factor" to add.

He went on to explain that the items came from her homes in LA, Maine and Clearwater. However, he said people shouldn't expect to find many bits of movie memorabilia in the lot as it is instead focusing on her "day to day life" items.

One item of note, though, is the glamorous orange ball gown from her experience on Dancing With The Stars that was available. So too were a huge collection of "over 400 pairs of shoes".

At the time of Kirstie's death, her family released a statement reading: "She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead. As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

The statement went on to share the family's sincere gratitude for the people who helped care for her in her final days before praising Kirstie's attitude to life.

As well as Cheers and Veronica's Closet, Kirstie's impressive CV included Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Look Who's Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Screen Rant

What happened to star trek’s 2 saavik actors kirstie alley & robin curtis.

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Every Star Trek Movie In Chronological Order

Ella purnell's 2020s success makes rewatching her forgotten movie role from 11 years ago really weird, why jerry seinfeld's new movie's rotten tomatoes score is even worse than his 17-year-old meme disaster.

• Lieutenant Saavik, played by Kirstie Alley and later Robin Curtis, was the first major female Starfleet Vulcan character in Star Trek.
• Saavik was mentored by Spock and served as the navigator on the USS Enterprise.
• After her last canonical appearance in Star Trek IV, Saavik's character was expanded upon in tie-in novels and comics, and she eventually became the captain of the USS Titan in Star Trek: Picard.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan introduced Lieutenant Saavik, the first major female Starfleet Vulcan character in Star Trek . Saavik was originally played by Kirstie Alley, but Robin Curtis took over the role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . In The Wrath of Khan , Saavik was assigned as the navigator on the USS Enterprise under the command of Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner). She had been mentored by Spock (Leonard Nimoy) while at Starfleet Academy and was a stickler for following Starfleet regulations. Like many Vulcans, Lt. Saavik sometimes struggled to understand the many quirks of human behavior.

Lt. Saavik returned in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , this time played by Robin Curtis, where she worked with Kirk's son David Marcus (Merritt Butrick). While on the Genesis Planet, Saavik and David found Spock's body and she helped him get through his rapid aging process, and with Spock's pon farr. David later sacrificed himself to save Saavik when her life was threatened by the Klingon Kruge (Christopher Lloyd). Saavik appeared briefly in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , where she told Kirk how his son had died, and she bid farewell to Spock. Lt. Saavok remained on Vulcan when the USS Enterprise crew returned home to Earth, and this was her last canonical appearance.

With 13 entries in the Star Trek movie series from 1979-2006, there are a couple of ways to watch the films chronologically.

What Happened To Kirstie Alley After Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan?

Kirstie alley became the highest-paid actress on television, thanks to cheers..

Kirstie Alley's role as Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was her film debut, and she went on to have a lengthy career in film and television. Alley appeared in the North & South television mini-series and the film Summer School before she landed her breakout role as Rebecca Howe on Cheers in 1987 . As the series lead of Cheers who replaced Shelley Long, Alley became the highest-paid actress on television. Alley also starred in the hit 1989 film Look Who's Talking alongside John Travolta, as well as John Carpenter's 1995 remake of Village of the Damned. Alley starred as Veronica Chase in the sitcom Veronica's Closet in the late 1990s, before moving to mostly one-off roles in television shows and made-for-TV movies.

Leonard Nimoy (who directed Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ), wanted Kirstie Alley to reprise the role of Saavik, but, according to Nimoy's autobiography I Am Spock , Alley's agent requested a large salary increase that the production simply couldn't afford.

Throughout her career, Kirstie Alley was vocal about her struggles with body image issues, and she served as a spokesperson for weight loss company Jenny Craig. She became a member of the Church of Scientology in 1979, and she declined to appear as Rebecca Howe in the Cheers spin-off Frasier because the medical psychiatry element of the show conflicted with Scientologist beliefs. Alley's final performances include a 10-episode-stint on Scream Queens and a starring role in the Lifetime movie You Can't Take My Daughter. In 2022, Alley competed on the reality singing competition show The Masked Singer . Alley passed away from colon cancer in 2022 at the age of 71.

What Happened To Robin Curtis After Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home?

Curtis appeared in star trek: the next generation..

When Robin Curtis took over the role of Lt. Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , this marked her first major film role. After The Search for Spock and her brief appearance in The Voyage Home , Curtis appeared in several popular television shows and films. Curtis appeared in an episode of The Equalizer in 1986 and two episodes of MacGyver in 1985 and 1987. She went on to appear in one-off roles in various other television shows, including Private Eye, Night Court, Dragnet, General Hospital, Babylon 5, Space: Above and Beyond, and Murder, She Wrote.

Saavik was not Robin Curtis's only Star Trek role , as she portrayed Tallera in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7 two-part episode "Gambit." Tallera first told Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) that she was a Vulcan intelligence agent, but she was later revealed to be a Romulan member of an isolationist group. Curtis retired from acting in 1999, but continued to occasionally appear at Star Trek conventions. She is set to return to the world of film in the upcoming horror film Awaken the Reaper alongside Lance Henriksen.

Star Trek: Picard’s Updates To Saavik

Saavik became a starship captain after all..

Although Saavik did not make any appearances in the Star Trek franchise after Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , the character has appeared in numerous tie-in novels and comics. Star Trek: Picard gave a shout-out to the popular character in season 3, episode 2 , which showed that one of the shuttles of the USS Titan-A is named Saavik . The official @startreklogs Instagram account provided more information about Saavik's life after The Voyage Home , revealing that she served as the first captain of the Titan.

Originally, Saavik was planned to be the Starfleet traitor in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, but because Paramount couldn't afford Kirstie Alley's salary, the character of Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall) was created instead.

Led by Captain Saavik, the first USS Titan temporarily became the flagship of Starfleet at the suggestion of Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) of the USS Excelsior. Saavik became one of the most popular characters introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series films, and she continues to be celebrated in Star Trek. Picard provided some nice updates to the character, acknowledging her importance to the Star Trek franchise and offering a look at her impressive Starfleet career.

Star Trek: The Original Series

• the wrath of khan

Kirstie Alley's estate sale is underway. Expect vintage doors and a Jenny Craig ballgown.

The late Kirstie Alley 's possessions are available to the public.

An estate sale of the " Cheers " actress organized by Those Two Girls Estate Sales is underway in Clearwater, Florida.

The cash-only event is spanning over two weeks, from Wednesday to Saturday and again next week from Thursday to Saturday.

Items from her homes in Maine, California and Florida range from $25 to $18,000 for a ballgown the actress wore in a Jenny Craig commercial, according to Tampa Bay Times . There's even a dress she wore while competing on " Dancing With the Stars " in 2011. 

The estate sale's co-owner Bill Wallace told the Tampa Bay Times piecing Alley's collection together was "exciting" and "arduous" because she had a wide range of items including "15 vintage doors."

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"It wasn’t because she was a hoarder or a collector. She had actually purchased the house that she was retiring to, and she wanted it to be authentic," he said of the doors. "There’s French chateau, there’s American mid with the vinyl and the chrome and glass table. When you look at the pictures of how she had her house set up, it all worked.”

In addition to doors and dresses, Wallace toured with Fox 13 , and revealed some of Alley's scripts with annotated notes are among the sale items. However, there are none from "Cheers" or "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

"We're not here for the movie memorabilia," Wallace said, adding that is something her family may choose to do in the future.

'Cheers' cast reunites, reveals what was in Norm's beer mug, unexpected Kirstie Alley gift

Alley, best known for her breakout role as Rebecca Howe on the hit NBC sitcom "Cheers,"  died from colon cancer in December 2022 at age 71.

Her children, True and Lillie Parker, shared the news in a statement posted to their late mother's Instagram. A representative for Alley later confirmed she died of colon cancer to USA TODAY.

"We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered," read the statement. Alley had not previously disclosed her cancer diagnosis.

"She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead," her children said. "As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother."

Alley's career took off after starring in "Cheers" from 1987 to 1993 as the love interest of Ted Danson's character Sam Malone. In 1991, she won an Emmy for best lead actress in a comedy series for her role on the show.

Over the years, she amassed roles in "David's Mother," "Veronica's Closet," "Look Who's Talking," "Fat Actress" and "Scream Queens." She also documented her weight loss journey in the reality TV series "Kirstie Alley's Big Life" after years of public fascination with her body.

Contributing: Charles Trepany, Pamila Avila

Kirstie Alley Casually Laughed About Her Parents Being Dressed As A “Black Girl” And “Ku Klux Klan Member” In The Car Crash That Killed Her Mom, And People Are In Genuine Shock

“This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually,” one person tweeted in response to the viral video.

BuzzFeed Staff

It’s not often that something doing the rounds on X, formerly known as Twitter, receives a pretty universal reaction from other users, but a resurfaced interview with the late actor Kirstie Alley has done exactly that.

The clip was from a 1996 interview on NBC’s Barbara Walters Special and showed Kirstie — then 45 — open up about her mom Lillian Alley’s tragic death.

Lillian was just 59 years old when she died in a car crash in 1981, with Kirstie’s father, Robert Alley, suffering serious injuries in the collision. 

In the interview, Kirstie explained that she had only recently moved to Los Angeles when the accident happened and was preparing for the final audition for her role of Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan when her sister Colette called to tell her that their parents had been in a fatal crash. 

Kirstie then recalled the conversation that she had with her sister in the hospital waiting room in a clip that X user Kristi Yamaguccimane posted this week alongside the caption: “I could give you 1,000 tries to guess how Kirstie Alley’s parents were dressed when they died in a car accident and you wouldn’t get it right.”

In the video, Kirstie says: “I got there, we were all sitting in the waiting room and we were sobbing. And as I’m crying, my sister’s here and I wasn’t looking at her, but I said: ‘Where were they going?’ and she said: ‘To a Halloween party.’”

“And I said: ‘What were they dressed as?’ — why would you ask this! — and she said: ‘ The Odd Couple ,’” Kirstie continues, referencing a 1968 movie. “And I said: ‘Oh,’ and I’m thinking: What Odd Couple? Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon? ”

“‘Well, what were their costumes exactly?’ and she said: ‘Mom was a Black girl and Dad was a Ku Klux Klan member,’” Kirstie then reveals, bursting into laughter. “I was laughing, and the whole family — I guess they heard this conversation — and we all started laughing, and it was the greatest tribute we could give my mother.”

Needless to say, social media users have been left totally shocked by the clip, with the original tweet instantly going viral. At the time of writing, it has been viewed almost 8 million times and has racked up thousands of likes and retweets.

This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually https://t.co/x2sKBzWeVc — Bolu Babalola is technically on leave 🍯&🌶 (@BeeBabs) April 24, 2024

One popular quote-tweet reads : “This has just been rocking me since I watched it this morning like nothing could have prepared me actually.” Somebody else wrote : “I’m honestly in shock fhdjdjcjxkdj now what on EARTH.”

One more picked up on the final detail of the anecdote, tweeting : “‘It was the greatest tribute you could give my mother’ WHATTTT.”

Kirstie previously recalled this story in her 2005 memoir, How to Lose Your Ass and Regain Your Life , where she also added: “I wish sometimes that the woman that killed my mother that night...had known about my mother's costume, because maybe she, too, would know that my mother was a pretty funny person.”

Kirstie died from colon cancer in 2022, aged 71. She was best known for her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning performance in the iconic sitcom Cheers,  as well as movies like Look Who’s Talking and Drop Dead Gorgeous . 

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• Kirstie Alley

CLEARWATER — Past stacks of melamine dishes, a baroque dog bed and a Lucite stand that once held a Golden Globe, there it was. Kirstie Alley’s yellow bike.

I’d seen her atop it long ago, riding into Dunedin on the Pinellas Trail. She was tooling around alone with a certain lightness. I remember thinking, huh. The late “Cheers” alum, the comic star with the bouncing hair and raspy voice, the unwitting symbol of our culture’s sick obsession with weight, was small. Petite, even. Just another person huffing around in the Pinellas sun on a banana ride with the word “Townie” down the side.

Alley’s yellow bike, $950, was up for grabs at an estate sale of her things Thursday that offered a surreal glimpse at the everyday ephemera of a celebrity. The prices ranged from pedestrian — $25 for a set of summery goblets — to jaw-dropping — $18,000 for a peach ball gown she wore in a Jenny Craig commercial.

What to do with the trappings of the dead? Sorting the remains of anyone’s life is a confusing swirl of transaction and sentiment. If you’ve lost someone, you’ve no doubt stared into a box of socks, overwhelmed with analysis paralysis. Add in a layer of fame, of glitz and glamour, of real and perceived value, and the kaleidoscope shifts again.

The task of sorting it all fell to Those Two Girls Estate Sales . The Clearwater company tackles projects from hoarded houses to high-end affairs such as this. Alley, who died in 2022 at 71 after a battle with cancer , tapped Those Two Girls when she fell ill. Her associates interviewed the company and chose them to catalog and sell her belongings from three houses in Maine, California and here in Clearwater.

The sale was not at her Florida home, which sold for $5.2 million in August. Those Two Girls co-owner Bill Wallace walked me through the sale inside a vacant Cleveland Street building. Alley’s belongings were both painfully ordinary — DVDs of “The Office” and sets of cocktail napkins — and fantastically ornate — hand-painted panels from famed interior designer Sister Parish.

Wallace shared anecdotes about Italian pottery from Positano and a dress Alley wore on “Dancing with the Stars.” Assembling the sale and learning the lore took Wallace and co-owner Magge Barber nine months.

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“Exciting, arduous, to say the least,” said Wallace. “Lots of phone calls back and forth understanding her life. Because why does someone have 15 vintage doors?”

Indeed, he pointed to an array of doors I had somehow failed to process amid the sensory overload.

“It wasn’t because she was a hoarder or a collector. She had actually purchased the house that she was retiring to, and she wanted it to be authentic.”

Alley was an interior designer before turning to Hollywood, always hunting for maximalist pieces that, by all accounts, should not make sense together.

“There’s French chateau, there’s American mid with the vinyl and the chrome and glass table,” Wallace said. “When you look at the pictures of how she had her house set up, it all worked.”

An elderly man tried on Alley’s old reading glasses. He said he was a cancer patient and asked to sit on the furniture; Wallace said yes. These things were used before, and they’re meant to be used now. The goal of any estate sale is to keep useful items in use but spare grieving people from becoming so overwhelmed that they slip a bit of treasure into the trash.

“These are dishes that she hand-picked from Italy and brought home with her,” he said. “She used these. She ate off these. This is her real …”

A customer cut in, asking to get a Pinocchio puppet off the wall. Wallace unhooked it and handed it over.

“That’s a $350 marionette,” he said.

Racks of clothes filled the back of the room, period costumes for $1,000 and Zara blouses for $25, pristine Christian Louboutins for $300 and flats from Nordstrom Rack with a clearance sticker on the bottom (size 9 range). Women sifted through the clothes, muttering about how small they were.

A stunning reminder: This was a woman so maligned for her weight that she turned the bizarre fixation on her body into a payday. Alley’s portfolio included the Jenny Craig endorsement as the weight-loss fairy, her sitcom “Fat Actress” and her reality show “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life.”

Alley, a Scientologist since the 1970s, bought her Clearwater mansion from Lisa Marie Presley in 2000 . Her headlines, especially later in life, tended toward politically unpalatable brashness. I had no particular affinity for her, but despite points of disagreement, I perceived her as interesting and bold, blessed with a talent to beat a desperately judgmental public to the punchline.

I carried $60 cash in the pocket of my jeans. I would not be taking home anything imported from Paris, but maybe a pair of sunglasses or a knickknack, something I could point to and say, “This was Kirstie Alley’s!”

But as I wandered around, I just felt sad, actually, a little teary. All this life sourced from all over the world was now picked over and fragmented and loaded into RAV4s. Famous or not, we must all eventually let go.

In this sea of beautiful baubles, what I found myself wanting most was less clutter. More lightness, maybe. The feeling of riding a yellow bike alone with the notion that nobody knows your name. I left with nothing.

The sale continues from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 3 and 4 and again May 11-13 at 814 Cleveland St. in Clearwater. Items may be discounted as the days progress.

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Stephanie Hayes is a columnist offering her thoughts on current events, life and culture. She can be reached at [email protected].

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