'Star Trek' Actor Doohan Receives Star



LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Star Trek'' actor James Doohan - famed for his portrayal of ``Beam Me Up'' Scotty, the intrepid engineer who kept the starship Enterprise warping across galaxies - grinned and waved to fans Tuesday as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It was expected to be the last public appearance of the 84-year-old performer, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and also suffers from Parkinson's disease, diabetes and lung fibrosis.

The ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard was the culmination of several days of farewell activities that brought Doohan back into contact with many of this longtime fans.

George Takei, who played Sulu on "Star Trek,'' told the crowd: "This is a galactic day in this town full of stars.

"We've gathered from throughout this planet to say congratulations to you, Jimmy,'' Takei said. "We love you and we thank you for your luminous talent. We thank you for the gift you have given us of that unforgettable character, that ingenious and beloved engineer that was able to fix anything.''

Other "Star Trek'' cast members to attend were Nichelle Nichols, who was Uhura on the series, and Walter Koenig, who played Chekov.

"He's a wonderful friend, a beautiful person,'' Nichols said of Doohan. "There is no one better than he, and no one more deserving. We all love this man.''

Koenig said he felt great companionship with Doohan after decades of working together, from the original TV series in 1966 to their last film in 1994, "Star Trek: Generations.''

"This star is a recognition of a man's talent, his endurance and the effect that he's had on people all over the world,'' Koenig said.

Doohan did not speak to the crowd, but he waved and posed for photos before leaving with his family.

Scotty beams up to final convention appearance

After all these years, it’s time for a confession.

Chris Doohan and Danny Bonaduce dented Sonny Bono’s Porsche in the 1970s. Bono trusted the boys, best pals from Van Nuys, Calif., to move his prized car for him. With “Partridge Family” star Bonaduce behind the wheel and Doohan riding shotgun, they guided the sports car out of its safe parking space and went in the wrong direction. Oops.

But Doohan had much safer childhood adventures in outer space.

When he and his brother Monty visited their dad at work, their father would tell them to go play in the shuttlecraft.

“We played like we were spacemen,” said Doohan, 45. “We were 7 years old. It was fun.”

That’s one of the perks when your father is “Scotty,” of Star Trek fame.

James “Jimmy” Doohan, 84, played the beloved role of Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, chief engineer for the starship Enterprise, on the original 1966 series and in subsequent big-screen movies.

In the television show, and in the “Trek” movies, the senior Doohan’s Scotty character manned the transporter room — the words “Beam me up, Scotty” are forever burned into our public consciousness — and constantly worked miracles to keep the Enterprise running.

For Chris, the “miracle worker” nature of his dad’s character has been a source of constant inspiration.

Next week, to pay his dad back for all of the love and inspiration he’s provided over the years, Chris will present his famous father with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Doohan clan, along with a grandstand of fans, will beam there Tuesday for the star ceremony.

On Monday, the senior Doohan greeted fans inside the Hollywood Entertainment Museum, which has on display the bridge set from “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”

These are among the happenings in what’s likely to go down as one of the biggest and most bittersweet conventions in “Star Trek” fandom history.

“Beam Me Up Scotty ... One Last Time,” is being billed as Jimmy Doohan’s final “Star Trek” fan convention

The tribute comes at a poignant time.

“Just a couple months ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s,” Chris said.

So far the disease, still in its early stages, has only affected Jimmy’s short-term memory.

“He’s really doing well,” Chris said. “We’re more concerned with his Parkinson’s disease and diabetes than the Alzheimer’s.”

Doohan was diagnosed with Parkinson’s several years ago.

“He gets to say goodbye to the fans,” Chris said. “My dad has always been moved by the fans. If someone comes up and asks him for an autograph, he signs. He never turns anyone down.”

To get his dad a star on the Walk of Fame, Chris raised $15,000, the fee required by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. He started a year ago and received donations from fans around the world, who gave everything from 50 cents to $500.

Chris keeps a sizeable collection of Scotty action figures and “Star Trek” memorabilia at his home, including a photo that shows Chris, Monty and Jimmy, all in their Starfleet uniforms for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.”

Chris pointed to the missing middle finger on his father’s hand. Jimmy lost it during World War II, when fighting along with Royal Canadian Army soldiers in Normandy on D-Day.

Unlike his famous father, Chris was never bitten by the acting bug. Instead, he had a passion for music and performed with various bands as an adult. His cover band, The Muddflaps, which will play at the convention, was formed 18 months ago.

In honor of his father, Chris has brought in a bagpipe player to play with the Muddflaps. (In “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,” Scotty played bagpipes at Spock’s funeral. Spock, of course, got better, much better, in “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.“)

Although he used a Scottish accent for the role of Scotty, Jimmy Doohan is actually from Canada.

Chris said his father, a master of dialects, picked a Scottish accent for his character because the Scots were great engineers. But “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry almost decided against having a chief engineer as a regular part of the show.

Jimmy’s agent talked to Roddenberry and got him to change his mind. Even now, Chris does not know what the agent said.

Throughout the years of “Star Trek” episodes and movies, Jimmy’s relationship with series star Shatner was tense.

“To this day, they don’t know why,” Chris said, “but they’ve made up within the last year.”

“It was a long battle,” he said. “It came to the point that neither of them knew why they were angry at each other, and they’re getting old.”

Today, Chris’ father lives with his third wife, Wende, and their 4-year-old daughter, Sarah, in Redmond, Wash., just outside Seattle.

Their home is surrounded by trees and a pond. Recently a duck from the pond has become Jimmy’s pet and likes to follow him through the house, Chris said.

Chris is more shy than his father, with out-of-the-spotlight skills like the grassroots effort to get his father the Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

For the ultimate test in similarities, Chris tried to do a Scottish accent.

Cap’n, he canna do it.

Originally posted by Chew
I wonder why Shatner and Nimoy didn't attend?

Originally posted by Chew
I wonder why Shatner and Nimoy didn't attend?

Originally posted by GuessWho
I heard Stars are bought, not earned. True?

• GuessWho •

I heard Stars are bought, not earned. True?

Originally posted by Shannon Nutt
Doohan hates - absolutely hates - Bill Shatner. It's no secret to anyone who has seen Jimmy at a convention in the past 30 years.

Why Nimoy wasn't there is anyone's guess - but it's no surprise that Shatner was missing.

George Takei, who played Sulu on "Star Trek,'' told the crowd: "This is a galactic day in this town full of stars.

Throughout the years of “Star Trek” episodes and movies, Jimmy’s relationship with series star Shatner was tense.
“To this day, they don’t know why,” Chris said, “but they’ve made up within the last year.”

Originally posted by j123vt_99
Not to be mean, but wasn;t he kind of a bit actor.. granted he was on a popular show, but a star on the walk of fame? i can understand nimoy and shatner, but will you be walking by that star and talk about the fond memories of watching jimmy doohan act?