95-496: Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase ; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. Her entertainment career spanned over a half century in a variety of capacities in radio, on stage, in music as a singer and songwriter, in television and in movies. She played Janice Rand on the original Star Trek television series and subsequent Star Trek films. Whitney was born on April 1, 1930, in Ann Arbor, Michigan and
190-638: A Christian, and she "continued her fellowship work in Fresno and Madera counties." Whitney died of natural causes at her home in Coarsegold on May 1, 2015, at age 85. Jonathan Dweck said his mother wanted to be known more as a survivor of addiction than as a Star Trek cast member. Janice Rand Janice Rand is a fictional character in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Original Series during its first season , as well as three of
285-407: A dent." It was created by weaving two Max Factor wigs into a mesh cone. Whitney described the application of the wig, saying "they nailed it to my head every morning." It was created by placing a cone on her head and then weaving the blonde hair from two separate wigs together resulting in such an unusual look that Whitney said she was unrecognizable without it. In the press, she explained that on
380-595: A front of a live studio audience with Whitney in costume and singing the tuna jingle. Whitney debuted at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway in Top Banana , with Phil Silvers and Kaye Ballard in 1952, playing Miss Holland. Here she met her future husband, Sydney Stevan Dweck, who was a freelance drummer and percussionist and bandmember for the show. Following the successful run of the show in New York, she joined
475-616: A hand after Tracy Steele departs. Hawaiian Eye was one of several ABC / Warner Bros. Television detective series of the era situated in different exotic locales. Others included Hollywood -based 77 Sunset Strip ; Bourbon Street Beat , set in New Orleans ; and Miami's Surfside 6 . In reality, all were shot on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, Calif. making it easy for characters—and sometimes whole scripts—to cross over. Although
570-413: A link between this and her sacking a few days later. Whitney's departure was around the time when she was an alcoholic . In an interview in 1988, Whitney blamed her alcoholism and anorexia at the time for being released by the series. She later explained in an interview with Starlog magazine to promote Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , that due to being adopted, she had a fear of rejection when she
665-462: A memo to Star Trek showrunner Gene Coon on October 27, 1966, Roddenberry suggested bringing Whitney back as Rand, albeit with a different hairstyle similar to the way she wore it in Police Story as this "made her look much younger and softer", but she was never invited back to the series. Whitney said that, while still under contract, she was sexually assaulted by an executive associated with
760-567: A new television series, as Star Trek: Phase II . The new series was officially announced on June 10, 1977. Coincidentally, having read the back cover of Susan Sackett 's Letters to Star Trek book and discovering that one of the frequently asked questions sent into the production team was "Whatever happened to Grace Lee Whitney?", Whitney herself got in touch with Sackett and was invited along to meet with Roddenberry at his office in Paramount Studios . Having not seen her in over 10 years, he
855-525: A number of other former Star Trek actors. It was produced in association with New Voyages . Rand was also portrayed by Meghan King Johnson in New Voyages . She was initially going to work on a film with producer Jack Marshall, but when that fell through, he suggested she worked on the Star Trek production. Johnson was first hired to portray Christine Chapel, with Andrea Ajemian playing Rand. However, Ajemian
950-594: A trigger. She had been struggling with alcoholism, drugs, and promiscuity since she was a teenager (although she claimed to have never been drunk on the Star Trek set) but it was not until after she left the show that her addictions spiraled. In a 2011 interview with StarTrek.com, Whitney recounted her battle with alcohol and drug abuse during the 1970s and the courage and strength she displayed to eventually overcome those addictions. "... And I just about killed myself over that reject [being fired from Star Trek .] And when I would go on interviews, I would smell of alcohol. I
1045-532: Is brought on board the Enterprise in the episode "Charlie X", he falls for Rand. She is older than the adolescent boy and attempts to dissuade his affections by introducing him to Yeoman Tina Lawton. But he declares his feelings for Rand. Concerned, Rand seeks the advice of the Captain who intervenes and involves Evans in some sparring practice. After he falls over, he reveals his powers to make people disappear when one of
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#17328441975661140-507: Is described within Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block's Star Trek 101 as attending to Kirk, and bringing him reports, meals and coffee as well as having developed a crush on him. Jan Johnson-Smith, in her book American Science Fiction TV: Star Trek, Stargate and Beyond , said that Rand was one of a number of "recognisable stereotypes" of women who appeared in Star Trek . This was despite an initially progressive agenda towards women in authority by
1235-562: Is going to be around for a long time, as long as they don't kill our characters off, we have a chance of constantly coming back." After a further appearance as Rand in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Whitney returned for a final official appearance in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback ". She praised the "incredible experience" and enjoyed working with Kate Mulgrew and Tim Russ . Following
1330-715: Is going to make them new and take away their addictions. I really do not think that is possible. I think God has taken away my alcoholism today. He has taken away my addictions today. But I have to start new every day. I have to start the 12 steps every day. I have to commit my life to him every day." Whitney dedicated the remainder of her life to helping others overcome addiction and was a leading worker with others in Alcoholics Anonymous . She has spoken in churches, organizations, prisons, and media conventions. After she divorced from her second husband in 1991, she moved to Coarsegold, California in 1993 to be close to Jonathan, also
1425-503: Is kidnapped by jealous children. Rand was portrayed by American actress Grace Lee Whitney , who had previously worked with Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry in a pilot for a show he created called Police Story . Whitney as Rand was involved in promoting Star Trek before it aired, but did not appear in the first two pilots. Roddenberry set out the role of Rand to Whitney, saying that she and Kirk were meant to have feelings for one another but should never act on them. Part way through
1520-420: Is not dumb; she is very female, disturbingly so." This character was cast for the first pilot of the series, " The Cage ", with Laurel Goodwin cast in that role. A similar character was created for the second pilot, " Where No Man Has Gone Before ", this time called "Smith", and she was played by model Andrea Dromm . However, during discussions with the casting director on Star Trek , Roddenberry stood up in
1615-573: The Star Trek: New Voyages episode " World Enough and Time ", where Rand was once again on the bridge of the Excelsior alongside Takei's Sulu. Despite being fan produced, the episode was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation . She also returned as Rand in the film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men . It was directed by Tim Russ, who she had worked with on Voyager , and featured
1710-411: The Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback " set during the events of the latter film. Whitney made further appearances as Rand in the fan series Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek: Of Gods and Men , and Rand was also portrayed by Meghan King Johnson in New Voyages . Prior to the start of The Original Series , Whitney promoted the series and was popular with the media. Critics later called
1805-565: The ABC television network. Private investigator Tracy Steele ( Anthony Eisley ) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka ( Robert Conrad ), own Hawaiian Eye, a combination detective agency and private security firm, located in Honolulu , Hawaii. Their principal client is the Hawaiian Village Hotel , which in exchange for security services, provides the agency with a luxurious private compound on
1900-511: The Spike Jones and Fred Waring bands. During this time she trained to be a nurse for a year. Whitney was the original Chicken of the Sea mermaid character created in 1952. Chicken of the Sea has maintained the mermaid as its mascot over the years. Whitney came to play the iconic mermaid character while appearing on The Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy Show on CBS Radio. The show was broadcast in
1995-543: The Star Trek films. She is the Captain's yeoman on board the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) , and first appeared in the episode " The Man Trap ". She had significant roles in the episodes " The Enemy Within ", where she fights off an evil version of Captain James T. Kirk ; " Charlie X " where a young man with god-like powers falls in love with her; and " Miri " where she is infected with a deadly disease while on an away mission and
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#17328441975662090-496: The "beehive" hairstyle that Whitney's character had in the filmed episodes. Whitney appeared in eight of the first 15 episodes, after which she was released from contract. The official reason given for Whitney's departure from the show was that her character limited romantic possibilities for Captain Kirk. At the time Whitney was guaranteed to appear in seven of the first 13 episodes, and contracted for four days work on each. However, she
2185-415: The "edginess". He also developed her hair styles for the series, which Roddenberry insisted must be unique and futuristic so that the viewers could believe they were seeing the future on television. She originally appeared with straight hair in promotion photos, but this was changed to a beehive , which was so solid looking that Bob Justman joked that "You could hit it with a sledgehammer and never make
2280-460: The 1950s and early 1960s, Whitney was a frequent semiregular on over 80 live television shows, including You Bet Your Life hosted by Groucho Marx in 1953, The Red Skelton Show , The Jimmy Durante Show , and The Ernie Kovacs Show , largely appearing in gag sketches. From 1957 to 1958, she appeared as a " Vanna -type adornment" on the popular daytime show Queen for a Day . Whitney first met Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry when she
2375-526: The 1968 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color 2-part TV episode "Way Down Cellar." After marrying her second husband in 1970 Whitney took a break from acting to work on her singing career while she and her new husband lived at their home in San Fernando Valley raising the children along with four Great Dane dogs. It was during this time that Whitney fought an increasing battle with alcoholism , attributing having been let go from Star Trek as
2470-442: The 1970s included The Bold Ones , Cannon , and Hart to Hart . In 1983, she had a small part in the television film The Kid with the 200 I.Q. , with Gary Coleman . Her last TV guest appearance was in a 1998 episode of Diagnosis: Murder , which reunited her with her Star Trek colleagues George Takei , Walter Koenig , and Majel Barrett . In the 1960s and 1970s, she sang with a number of orchestras and bands, including
2565-538: The Keith Williams Orchestra. Later, she concentrated on jazz/pop vocalizing while fronting for the band Star. With acting taking a back step in the mid 1970s, she performed with her band at Disneyland, bar mitvahs, private parties, political events, schools, and at Sci Fi conventions throughout the remainder of the 1970s, while raising her children. In the mid-1970s she wrote a number of Star Trek -related songs with her second husband, Jack Dale. A 45-rpm record
2660-589: The USS Excelsior with another promotion, as Lieutenant Commander Janice Rand. Five years later, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the franchise, she returned in the 1996 Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback ", along with George Takei . As well as these canonical appearances, Whitney reprised her role in two fan fiction Star Trek productions: " Star Trek: New Voyages " and " Star Trek: Of Gods and Men ". "New Voyages" premiered on August 24, 2007, while "Of Gods and Men" made its debut in late 2007. The latter
2755-485: The age of 13 and struggled with these addictions throughout her career and life. During the filming of Star Trek: The Motion Picture she attempted to get sober but "switched addictions from booze to marijuana." After the film was released in 1979, she was so shocked to see how old she looked in the film that she resumed drinking and descended into prostitution and ended up on Skid Row in Los Angeles. By her own words, this
2850-617: The appearance in Voyager , Whitney was supportive of a new Star Trek series focused on the adventures of the Excelsior with Rand appearing once more alongside George Takei as Captain Hikaru Sulu . Following the relaunch of Star Trek in 2009 with a new cast playing those roles seen in The Original Series , there was commentary online about the lack of female characters and whether Rand might be appearing in future installments. While
2945-455: The appearance of Number One in "The Cage", which was rejected by NBC. Johnson-Smith described Rand's position as being a typical example of a female character who was only intended to be a romantic interest for a male lead. Zack Handlen, while writing for The A.V. Club in 2009, said that Whitney was a "competent actress", but that Rand "represents some of Trek ' s most egregious offenses against feminism". He criticized her role within
Grace Lee Whitney - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-479: The cast in Hollywood , where she recreated the role in the 1954 musical film of the same name. She was a chorus girl in the off-Broadway musicals Great to be Alive! (1953), and The Pajama Game (1956.) In 1960, while in Los Angeles, Whitney auditioned for and was cast in the starring role of Lucy Brown in the first national tour of The Threepenny Opera , taking over the role from Bea Arthur , who had played
3135-465: The casting process for three women he had worked with before – Majel Barrett , Nichelle Nichols and Grace Lee Whitney . Whitney had previously appeared in Roddenberry's unsold pilot Police Story where she played Police Lieutenant Lily Monroe. She was available to appear in the series and was promptly cast in the role, being paid $ 750 per episode and being guaranteed to appear in seven episodes out of
3230-589: The character a stereotype in her initial appearances, but the expansion of the role in "Flashback" was praised. Gene Roddenberry 's original pitch for Star Trek featured a female Captain's Yeoman named "Colt". She was described as "blonde and with a shape that even a uniform could not hide." In this first version of Star Trek , she worked as Captain Robert April's "secretary, reporter, bookkeeper, and undoubtedly wishes she could serve him in more personal departments." Roddenberry's description of her ended with "She
3325-516: The chief transporter operator and non-commissioned officer on board the Enterprise . During the events of The Voyage Home , Rand was stationed in San Francisco as a communications officer, but was reunited with the other former members of the Enterprise when they are court-martialed at the end of the film. She subsequently served as a communications officer aboard the USS Excelsior during
3420-475: The development process that led to the creation of the tricorder . Grace Lee Whitney was released during the filming of the first season. The official reason given for Whitney's departure from the show was that her character limited romantic possibilities for Captain Kirk. This idea was supported by Whitney, saying: "They didn't want to give the fans the idea [Kirk] was in love with Janice Rand. That would limit him. They wanted him to go out and fool around. So, I
3515-403: The early publicity photos, Whitney was dressed in the same manner that the women had been in the two pilots – a loose gold colored tunic and black trousers. She complained to Roddenberry about them hiding her "dancer's legs", so he had William Ware Theiss design a short skirt and tunic for her to wear, a uniform which was adopted by the other female characters on the series. She said the outfit
3610-465: The entire main cast of Star Trek . She did not appear in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and was not in the script for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock . But for the latter film, Nimoy, who was directing the movie, gave Whitney a cameo as another character who was looking out of a window in spacedock watching the return of the damaged Enterprise at the start of the production. As he
3705-427: The episode as she felt that the character could have had more to contribute to the plot. In 2015, SyFy rated Yeoman Rand as among the top 21 most interesting supporting characters of Star Trek . In 2019, she was listed as one of the underrated characters of the Star Trek universe by CBS. Hawaiian Eye Hawaiian Eye is an American detective television series that ran from October 1959 to April 1963 on
3800-544: The events of The Undiscovered Country . The character's final appearance on screen was as part of Tuvok 's memories of the events of that final film, as part of the Voyager episode " Flashback ". Afterwards, Whitney remained hopeful that a new Captain Sulu based series would be created, allowing her to return to the role of Rand once more. Whitney made a further two appearances in Star Trek fan productions as Rand. These included
3895-412: The face. Crewman Fisher intervenes and fights him off – the duo later explain that it was Kirk who attacked her to a surprised good version of the Captain, along with Spock and Doctor McCoy. In " The Man Trap ", she becomes friends with Sulu while refusing the advances of Crewman Green. Kirk admits his feelings for Rand while under the influence of an affliction in " The Naked Time ". When Charlie Evans
Grace Lee Whitney - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-524: The financial issues that the series was having. The decision was attributed elsewhere in David Alexander's 1995 authorized biography of Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek Creator , which said that during the first batch of episodes, casting director Joseph D'Agosta reviewed the contracts for the main actors due to rising costs. At the time Whitney was guaranteed to appear in seven of the first 13 episodes, and contracted for four days work on each. However, she
4085-594: The first draft of the script for the episode " The Galileo Seven ", but was replaced by Yeoman Mears in later versions. When the comic book series by IDW Publishing based on the 2009 film revisited the events of that episode, this was changed to allow Rand to appear. In the initial previews for Star Trek when reporting on Rand, the media discussed Whitney's looks. The Independent Press-Telegram went as far as printing her bust/waist/hip measurements . Other newspapers were also complimentary of how Whitney looked, calling her attractive and shapely. Whitney said that she
4180-420: The first season, Whitney was released from her contract. The official explanation was that the production team wanted to free up Kirk to have relationships with other women, but it was necessitated because of her substance abuse . It is unclear who suggested that her contract should be terminated or who made the final decision. Roddenberry later blamed NBC for her release and said he regretted it. After Whitney
4275-626: The first thirteen. The casting led to rumours that she and Roddenberry had been previously involved romantically, something she strenuously denied later saying that "I never had a romantic relationship with Gene Roddenberry before Star Trek , during Star Trek , or after Star Trek ." She admitted that he had made numerous passes at her, but she wanted their relationship to remain professional only. Roddenberry explained to Whitney that he wanted Rand to be Captain Kirk's confidante but never wanted them to express their affection for one another; instead he wanted it to be played as an ongoing undercurrent. In
4370-755: The foreword to my book. But that’s how I began my recovery and my trek back to the studio to make amends, to do everything I’ve had to do there." With the help of the 12-step program she became sober in 1981. Several years later, following a trip to Israel, Whitney became a Born again Christian . In a 1995 issue of TV Guide Whitney provided some further insights into her recovery: "...I committed my life to Jesus and began to journey back. The high I looked for in drugs and alcohol I eventually found in Jesus Christ." "...Many people think they can be totally recovered from addictions if they have Jesus Christ. They think that
4465-467: The hotel grounds. The partners investigate mysteries and protect clients with the sometime help of photographer Cricket Blake ( Connie Stevens ), who also sings at the hotel's Shell Bar, and a ukulele -playing cab driver Kim Quisado ( Poncie Ponce ), who has connections throughout the islands. Engineer turned detective Greg McKenzie ( Grant Williams ), joins the agency later on as a full partner, while hotel social director Philip Barton ( Troy Donahue ) lends
4560-465: The landing party in the episode "Miri", and is infected by the disease that wiped out all of the adults on the planet. She finds comfort in the arms of Kirk, causing Miri to become jealous and the girl kidnaps the Yeoman to attract the attention of the Captain. Kirk convinces Miri to take him to Rand, but the other children attack him. They realise what they're doing is wrong and allow Kirk and Rand to return to
4655-557: The new state brought about by the introduction of jetliners for commercial passenger flights, and the promotional efforts of Henry J. Kaiser , whose real-estate projects in Honolulu included building the hotel complex originally known as Kaiser's Hawaiian Village (later the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel). The series regulars, who were shown during the opening credits, are listed below in the order in which they debuted during
4750-475: The new television series Star Trek: Phase II . Roddenberry told her that removing Rand was the biggest mistake he had made, saying that the character should have stayed so that "when Captain Kirk came back from having affairs with all these other women on all these other planets – he'd have to deal with [Rand]. What a great plot-thickener that would have been!" Instead, he blamed the decision on executives at NBC , but apologized for it to Whitney. When Phase II
4845-401: The other sparring partners laughs at him. Charlie takes control of the ship, and goes to Rand's quarters with a rose. She refuses his approach; Spock and Kirk arrive but Charlie attacks them, and Rand slaps the boy. In response, he makes her vanish. It is only after a Thasian vessel appears that the Enterprise and Rand are returned to normal, as Charlie is taken away by the aliens. Rand joins
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#17328441975664940-464: The other women aboard the space ship. She's Miss Efficiency." She also added that the character did not go into space "to catch a man." At the time, the media described Rand's position on the Enterprise as "chief female executive officer" and her image was used to promote the series before it began to air. Whitney enjoyed several of the episodes she appeared in, and found it hard to choose between " The Enemy Within ", " Charlie X " and " Miri ". She
5035-641: The part in New York off-Broadway. Her movie debut was in House of Wax (1953) in an uncredited role. Whitney was cast as a member of the all-female band in Billy Wilder 's comedy Some Like It Hot (1959). She shared several scenes with Jack Lemmon , Tony Curtis , and Marilyn Monroe , including the "upper berth" sequence. She had uncredited roles in The Naked and the Dead (1958), and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). Whitney
5130-522: The rest of the landing party – where McCoy has synthesized a cure for the disease. Rand's second to last appearance in The Original Series was in The Conscience of the King , where she has no lines but shoots a jealous look at a woman Kirk is attracted to. Her final appearance in the original TV series was on the episode Balance of Terror. She next appeared in the 1979 film Star Trek: The Motion Picture as
5225-443: The same billing as DeForest Kelley, who played Dr. McCoy . On September 1, 1966, one week before the first episode screened on NBC , Whitney, Shatner, and Nimoy were interviewed by Barbara Walters on The Today Show where they discussed the new show. The first promotional photographs for Star Trek also featured Shatner, Nimoy, and Whitney - separately and together - with pre-production costumes for all, and an early version of
5320-419: The sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness , was in production, Rand was one of five characters who was stated not to be appearing in the film by writer Roberto Orci . But there was still speculation at the time of the broadcast of the first trailer about who Alice Eve was portraying in the film. The options given by Tor.com was that it was either Janice Rand or Carol Marcus . Daily Variety reported that she
5415-484: The series. After Whitney had left Star Trek , she dated Ellison for a time. Whitney had no further involvement with Star Trek until 1976, when she happened to meet DeForest Kelley at an unemployment office in Van Nuys, Los Angeles . He informed her about a Star Trek convention coming up that was organised by Bjo and John Trimble called Equicon. She received such a reception upon making an appearance there that she
5510-449: The series. Later, in a public interview, she stated that Leonard Nimoy had been her main source of support during that time. She went into more details about the assault in her book The Longest Trek , but refused to name the executive, saying in the book, "This is my story, not his." In between TV guest spots Whitney returned to singing and in 1968 opened her own dress design firm, modelling her own designs while performing. She starred in
5605-460: The show, Rand would have stuck her head in a machine which would have made up her hair instantly. The wig was later stolen from the Desilu lot after Whitney was no longer on the series; it was never recovered. When interviewed by the media at the time, Whitney expressed enthusiasm in the role and about science fiction in general. She described Rand's role on board the Enterprise as "She's in charge of
5700-417: The show, and specifically in "Charlie X" when Charlie slaps her bottom and none of the characters can explain why he should not do that. Michelle Erica Green praised the "substantial" role given to Rand in "Flashback" while writing for TrekNation , adding that this was the first time such a role had been given to the character in the franchise. However, she criticized Rand's being written out part way through
5795-462: The show. She was continuing to take amphetamines and had developed a drinking problem . Despite this, and despite Whitney being let go from the show, Harlan Ellison wrote the character into his original script for " The City on the Edge of Forever ". Roddenberry rewrote the script, resulting in a feud between the writers – but the writer was also very disappointed in general that Rand had been removed from
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#17328441975665890-469: The shows are not spin-offs in the traditional sense, Sunset was the first in this chain of "exotic location detective series". In this regard, Hawaiian Eye was the most viable of the Sunset look-alikes, lasting four seasons. The show's debut coincided with several real-world developments that helped contribute to its longevity. These were the granting of statehood to Hawaii , the advent of mass tourism to
5985-510: The unemployment line and told her that fans had been asking for her at fan conventions which were starting to become regular and numerous in the United States. She attended her first convention, "Equicon-76", in 1976 and was warmly received. She went on to attend Star Trek and science-fiction fan conventions regularly during the 1970s and 1980s, often performing with her band Star. In the late 1970s there were talks of Star Trek returning as
6080-416: Was "sensational" and that "it stopped traffic". Despite the outfit being designed specifically for Whitney, Theiss was concerned and would tell her to lose weight. She was subsequently prescribed amphetamines by her doctor for the purpose of weight loss. Whitney stated that this was the start of her addiction to them, and in order to come down off them at night, she began drinking in the evening to take away
6175-670: Was adopted by the Whitney family, who changed her name to Grace Elaine. The family moved to Detroit where Whitney attended school. She started her entertainment career as a "girl singer" on Detroit's WJR (“from the Golden Tower of the Fisher Building”) radio at age 14. After she left home, she began to call herself Lee Whitney, eventually becoming known as Grace Lee Whitney. In her late teens, she moved to Chicago, where she opened in nightclubs for Billie Holiday and Buddy Rich , and toured with
6270-460: Was also directing The Voyage Home , he was looking to give Whitney a larger role. By this time, she had hoped that Rand had moved over to become a counselor – an idea originally suggested by a fan. Alongside Majel Barrett as Christine Chapel , the duo were given four pages of dialogue initially which was trimmed down to one scene in the final film. Following the reappearance, Whitney was enthusiastic about returning as Rand, saying "I think Janice Rand
6365-450: Was around a week prior to the shoot of her penultimate episode, " The Conscience of the King ". Roddenberry told Whitney that he did not want to lose Rand as he wanted her relationship with Kirk to continue. In a memo to Gene Coon on October 27, 1966, Roddenberry suggested bringing Whitney back as Rand, albeit with a different hairstyle similar to the way she wore it in Police Story as this "made her look much younger and softer", but she
6460-510: Was axed." But the real reason was that the production had financial issues, with the acquisition of new crew members and the increase in popularity of Doctor Leonard McCoy meaning that those salaries needed to come out of the original budget. In Justman and Herb Solow 's 1996 book Inside Star Trek , they stated that following a discussion between Roddenberry, Solow and Bernie Weitzman in which they discussed her contract, they decided to terminate it because of Whitney's limited appearances and
6555-564: Was cast as someone new to the franchise, but she was actually cast as Marcus. Rand's first filmed appearance is in the episode " The Corbomite Maneuver ", wherein Captain James T. Kirk is annoyed that he has been assigned a pretty female yeoman and discusses this with McCoy . After Kirk is split into two beings in "The Enemy Within", the evil version of the Captain heads to Rand's quarters and reveals his attraction to her. He kisses her forcefully, but she fights back and scratches him across
6650-430: Was cast as the female lead "Sgt. Lilly Monroe" in Roddenberry's TV pilot Police Story which was filmed just weeks after the second Star Trek pilot in 1965. Both shows shared many of the same crew including associate producer Robert H. Justman and executive in charge of production Herbert F. Solow and eventual Star Trek co-star DeForest Kelley . Police Story was not picked up but Star Trek was. ( Police Story
6745-976: Was credited as Tracey Phillips in the drama A Public Affair (1962), and as Texas Rose in the Western The Man from Galveston (1963). Billy Wilder then gave her the featured role of Kiki the Cossack in Irma la Douce (1963). Whitney made more than 100 television appearances following her television dramatic debut in Cowboy G-Men in 1953 (credited as Ruth Whitney.) She appeared on episodes of The Real McCoys , Wagon Train , The Islanders , Hennesey , The Roaring 20s , Gunsmoke , Bat Masterson , The Rifleman , 77 Sunset Strip , Mike Hammer , Batman , The Untouchables , Hawaiian Eye , The Outer Limits , Bewitched , Mannix , Death Valley Days , The Big Valley , and The Virginian . During
6840-399: Was dictated by attempting to increase the duties of the Captain's Yeoman on screen. In order to provide support while part of an away team on a planet, Roddenberry suggested that she could wear a device on an over-the-shoulder strap which she could use as an electronic camera. He also suggested immediately that it could be expanded in order to be sold as a toy for young girls. This was part of
6935-401: Was discussed in the media, the return of Whitney as Rand was one of the things highlighted. Two weeks before the series was about to shoot, it was cancelled by Paramount executives. Instead there was going to be a film. Whitney returned for Star Trek: The Motion Picture , with Roddenberry bringing her back as Rand who was now the transporter chief on board the Enterprise . The film reunited
7030-434: Was done by a lot of producers (during that era). It was before the sexual assault law came into being. I was one of the ones that was a victim. I was fired from the show, but I found later that it was in the works before the assault. I’d been blaming the assault for most of my life, until about 30 years ago, when I got sober." Whitney returned to the Star Trek franchise in the mid-1970s after DeForest Kelley saw Whitney in
7125-592: Was excited and happy to see her and immediately offered to bring back the Rand character for Phase II , describing the removal of Rand from The Original Series as his greatest mistake and blaming it on NBC executives. Despite considerable development, Paramount Pictures changed their minds about the TV series and instead decided on Star Trek returning as a motion picture. Star Trek: The Motion Picture began filming in August 1978 and
7220-634: Was her final screen appearance as a Star Trek character. The fifth episode of fan-produced Star Trek Continues , episode " Divided We Stand " (released September 26, 2015), was dedicated to her "lovely and endearing spirit". In 2009, Whitney appeared in the British Channel 4 TV film Bring Back... Star Trek with Justin Lee Collins . Her final screen appearance was in the William Shatner documentary The Captains in 2011. Whitney's roles in
7315-478: Was inspired to think more about the series and wanted to appear at more events. In 1977, after reading the back cover of the book Letters to Star Trek by Susan Sackett and finding that "Whatever happened to Grace Lee Whitney?" was one of the ten most frequently asked queries, Whitney got in touch with Sackett and was invited to meet at Roddenberry's office at Paramount. When he entered, he was happy and excited to see her and immediately offered to bring back Rand for
7410-463: Was later screened as a TV movie in 1967 along with several other failed pilots; by this time Star Trek was in its second season . The networks again chose not to pick up the show.) Roddenberry cast Whitney in Star Trek as Yeoman Janice Rand , the personal assistant to Captain James T. Kirk . While the stars of the show were William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock), Whitney shared
7505-513: Was never invited back to the series. Because of Whitney's termination, drafts of the episode " The Galileo Seven " were revised to replace Rand with a new yeoman, Mears. Writer Paul Schneider was not informed of Whitney's departure when he submitted his first draft of " The Squire of Gothos " in early October 1966, so another character, Yeoman Ross, was then subsequently created for that episode. And Robert Hamner 's September 1966 outlines for " A Taste of Armageddon " also included Rand; that part
7600-418: Was no question. I could not not drink. I was using a lot of drugs from Dr. Feelgood . A lot of actors used the amphetamines from Dr. Feelgood to stay skinny, to function. It’s just insidious. Once you get into the drinking and using, it’s almost impossible to get out without the grace of God, which is what I give my credit to. Leonard Nimoy (who is also a recovering alcoholic) was so moved that he (later) wrote
7695-455: Was originally a refugee, before being sold into slavery and enlisting in Starfleet . But in order to do so, she also had to lie about her age. Once on the Enterprise , she is teased by her new colleagues until her friendship with Uhura helps her to settle in and become the Yeoman that appeared on the television series. During the production of The Original Series , Janice Rand still appeared in
7790-408: Was particularly affectionate toward the latter because it allowed her to appear on camera with her two children, and said it was her favorite. Certain elements of Rand's characterization were developed by Whitney and Shatner; Whitney would go to Shatner's side when their characters were put in danger – in response, Shatner would put his arms around her, such as in " Balance of Terror ". The character
7885-436: Was popular with the media at the time because she was "very glib and very eager", but felt that she may have been seen to be overshadowing other members of the cast with her appearances. Her hairstyle was placed fifth in a list of unforgettable hairstyles in science fiction on Tor.com . It was suggested that when "you think of the 60s and science fiction hairstyles, the first image is probably Rand's beehive hair". Rand's role
7980-427: Was re-cast to play Onabi in the pilot "Come What May", Johnson was moved to play Rand and Shannon Giles recruited to play Chapel. Johnson said that highlights of the role included taking the conn in the pilot, and later working around her pregnancy in the episode "In Harm's Way". In print media, Vonda N. McIntyre 's non-canon novel Enterprise: The First Adventure expanded on Rand's early history saying that she
8075-576: Was reintroduced to Star Trek through conventions , she came back into contact with Roddenberry, who wanted to include her in the new series in development at the time, Star Trek: Phase II . This was subsequently cancelled, but Rand did reappear in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Whitney made further appearances as Rand in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , as well as scenes in
8170-555: Was released in 1976, on her own label, with the songs "Disco Trekin’" (A side) and "Star Child" (B side). She recorded such tunes as "Charlie X", "Miri", "Enemy Within", and " USS Enterprise ". Many of these songs were released in the 1990s on cassette tape : Light at the End of the Tunnel in 1996 and Yeoman Rand Sings! in 1999. Whitney's autobiography, The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy ,
8265-464: Was released in 1979. Whitney reprised her role as Janice Rand, with a promotion to chief petty officer and in the position of Transporter Chief. She also made Cameo appearances in subsequent films, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), she was cast as the Communications Officer of
8360-624: Was released in 1998 ( ISBN 1-884956-05-X ). Along with her hiring and firing from Star Trek , the book recounts her work as the first Chicken of the Sea mermaid and her struggles with and eventual recovery from alcohol and substance abuse . Whitney and her first husband had two sons, Scott and Jonathan Dweck. She divorced her first husband in 1966 and married her second husband in 1970. In her autobiography she claimed she had relationships with Buzz Aldrin and Harlan Ellison while still legally married to her second husband. Whitney got involved in alcohol, drugs and promiscuous behavior from
8455-428: Was then given to another new character, Tamura. In Solow and Justman's book, there was also a reference to a "rift" between Whitney and Roddenberry that occurred just prior to her departure and was expected to ensure that she never returned to the series. In her autobiography, Whitney states that an unnamed television executive sexually assaulted her on August 26, 1966, while working on the episode "Miri", and she draws
8550-432: Was used for nine additional days, leading D'Agosta to suggest to Roddenberry that if guest stars instead played the similar role but with different characters then they "would cost less and hold as much value". He added that they should instead look to using Whitney on a free-lance basis instead of under permanent contract. By September 8, 1966, Whitney's agent had been informed that her contract had been terminated, which
8645-424: Was used for nine additional days. On September 8, 1966, also the date of broadcast of the first episode of Star Trek , " The Man Trap ", Whitney's agent was informed that her contract had been terminated, which was around a week prior to the shoot of her penultimate episode, " The Conscience of the King ". Roddenberry told Whitney that he did not want to lose Rand as he wanted her relationship with Kirk to continue. In
8740-420: Was very Lindsay Lohan-ish, very Charlie Sheen. I was lost. I was lost and I began to bottom out. It took me about 10 years after getting written out to come to my senses, when I bottomed out." In Part 1 of the same 2011 interview Whitney provided some subsequent clarity and context as to her firing from the show where she said: "...Well, I had the sexual assault from someone at Desilu , which I found out later
8835-533: Was when she "bottomed out." "...And bottoming out means I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and I had to get help. What happened was that I was down on Skid Row, on 6th and Main in L.A., looking for my lower companions to get some kind of help, when I was 12-stepped down there by a man from the Midnight Mission named Clancy, who is a guru in the 12-step program . His sponsee helped me get to my first 12-step meeting where God absolutely delivered me. There
8930-484: Was written out of the episode " Dagger of the Mind ", which Whitney attributed to the romantic liaison that Kirk has with the female lead in that episode being so overt that it would have caused issues for later plots. This was because the script had Kirk and the female lead sleep with each other. Although Whitney found it difficult to watch as her character had been removed from the episode, she understood why. Part of her outfit
9025-517: Was younger which stemmed from her mother giving her away, and linked this to Star Trek saying "when I was let go from Star Trek , it was a psychic pain which pushed me into alcoholism. I couldn't stand the pain, so I drank to get away from it." Whitney returned to the set on several occasions during the production of the series, and was also invited to come back for cast parties. But over time these visits decreased gradually as she found it painful to be on set with her friends, but not able to appear on
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