Remembering James ‘Scotty’ Doohan on His 97th Birthday

When it comes to the cast of the original Star Trek, I can't help but think James Doohan is my all time favorite. The brilliant actor took what began as barely a supporting role, and turned it into a legendary character. Let's pause for a moment to remember this remarkable man on what would have been his 97th birthday.

By now, most people are aware of Doohan's incredible adventures before joining the cast of Star Trek. He was a World War II veteran, shot and wounded on D-Day. Following his tour of duty, Doohan logged countless hours as an actor on radio plays and TV shows.

More than anything, he always struck me as the one actor from the original Star Trek series that truly relished the role. Watch any scene on Star Trek with Scotty in it, and you can't help but think that Doohan is having the time of his life.

Looking back on the run of the series, it is as impossible to imagine Star Trek without Doohan as it is to picture the Enterprise without Scotty. Put simply, without that man in his proper role, the ship, or for that matter, the series, just doesn't fly.

We miss you, Jimmy Doohan. We miss Scotty. One can't help but think Doohan was never bothered by his association with the iconic character. Just the opposite, he was proud to be recognized as the character. Thank you, James Doohan.