Gilbert Gottfried’s unusual “Star Trek” connection

Archangel Movies

Gilbert Gottfried poses for a photo with ‘Star Trek’ actress Nichelle Nichols.

Gilbert Gottfried’s association with Star Trek was “INCREDIBLE!!!!” The groundbreaking, controversial, screeching-voiced comedian, who died on April 12 at the age of 67, never actually appeared in an official Star Trek film or a TV show, but he circled the franchise when he starred in the “Star Trek” parody “UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!” starring more than 40 actors from across the “Star Trek” franchise, including “The Original Series” , The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise.

The independent film, which took eight years to make and was eventually released in 2020, was a passion project for husband and wife team Steven Fawcette and Angelique Fawcette. He wrote and produced the film while she produced and starred in it. A Plane!-esque slapstick comedy, INCREDIBLE!!!!! follows an increasingly desperate attempt to save Earth as plants invade the planet. Snoop Dogg, who is also credited as producer, plays Major LeGrande Bushe, the pot-smoking mastermind of the invasion. Running to stop Major Bushe is a puppet named Kirk Stillwood – who looks a lot like Captain James T. Kirk and is operated on by veterans of “Team America” ​​- and a brave if incompetent trio of heroes played by Chase Masterson from “Star Trek”. . : Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager” actors Garrett Wang and Tim Russ. Emmy-winning composer Gerald Fried, the last living composer of Star Trek: The Original Series, composed the soundtrack.

Gottfried has a cameo in the film, which also attracted other non-Star Trek names like Michael Madsen, a Quentin Tarantino regular, and Robert Davi, best known for his villain roles in The Goonies and James Bond is known to contain adventures “License to Kill”. Also in the cast is Casper Smart, who dated Jennifer Lopez; Sam Asghari, Britney Spears’ fiancé, who just announced that she is pregnant with her first child with Asghari; and Katarina Van Derham, a model who played the girlfriend of Gottfried’s late close friend and fellow comic Bob Saget in an episode of Entourage.

In addition to Masterson, Russ, and Wang, the Star Trek actors involved – either in supporting roles or cameos – are Armin Shimerman, Vaughn Armstrong, Gary Graham, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, Robert Picardo, Marina Sirtis, Nana Visitor, Walter Koenig, Michael Dorn, Julie Warner, Dina Meyer, Olivia d’Abo, Jeffrey Combs, John Billingsley, Max Grodenchik, Casey Biggs, Gary Lockwood, Michael Forest, Jack Donner, Connor Trinneer, Manu Intiraymi, Dominic Keating, Brenda Bakke, Patti Yasutake, Steve Rankin, Michael Dante, Sean Kenney, BarBara Luna, Beverly Washburn, Celeste Yarnall, Bobby Clark, Jasmine Anthony, Menina Fortunato, McKenzie Westmore, Crystal Allen and Christopher Doohan (the son of original Scotty actor James Doohan). Yarnall and Donner have since passed away.

The ‘INCREDIBLE!!!!! follower

Over the years, Gottfried has crossed paths with various “Star Trek” stars. On March 22, 2021, Gottfried tweeted birthday greetings — and a typically dirty joke — to Captain Kirk actor William Shatner, who turned 90 that day. Gottfried included an undated photo of himself with Shatner, believed to have been taken in the Green Room at an autograph show. The two men had appeared in the same episode of “The Jon Stewart Show” which aired on October 26, 1993.

Gottfried celebrated William Shatner’s 90th birthday

Gottfried was also no stranger to the Sulu actor George Takei. On August 19, 2008 in New York City, Gottfried roasted Takei at the Friars Club “So You Think You Can Roast?!” by Takei. Years later, in 2016, Takei was a guest on “Gilbert Gottfried’s amazing colossal podcast! with Frank Santopadre.” The nearly 90-minute interview was recorded in person at the Friars Club. On the day of Gottfried’s death, Takei took to Twitter to pay tribute to the comedian. “I will miss you my friend, my slide sometimes, my always pain in my side, usually belly laugh,” Takei wrote. “Heaven is a lot louder with you out there now, I’m sure. Make her shake her head and smile, Gilbert.”

Takei pays tribute to Gottfried

Aside from his unusual “Star Trek” connections, Gottfried was best known as a standup comic and actor. He voiced the parrot Iago for Aladdin (and its spin-off TV series) and the talking duck in numerous Aflac commercials and loud IMDBShe has appeared in shows and films such as The Aristocrats, Beverly Hills Cop II, Problem Child, Cyberchase, Celebrity Apprentice, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and several Comedy Central celebrity roasts. He was also the subject of the 2017 documentary Gilbert.

People The magazine confirmed through Gottfried’s publicists that the comedian’s official cause of death was recurrent ventricular tachycardia due to myotonic dystrophy type II. Corresponding The New York Timeshe is survived by his wife Dara and their young children Lily and Max and his sister Karen.