“O Captain, my Captain!” It seems appropriate here; Star Trek is so formative for me. I can remember drawing pictures of the Enterprise-D when I was small. Not enough people are nerds; one dumb teacher drew a smiley face on it. That’s the Enterprise, you Philistine!
He did other things, of course. And thankfully, he did Shakespeare; I thank him and so many others for preserving it.
He was great in David Lynch’s Dune, in a film nobody smart seems to like. He was probably miscast a bit; he’s too good-looking to play Gurney Halleck. Nevertheless, he’s the only Gurney who matters, in that adaptation of another science fiction classic.
Admittedly, I don’t know how to pray for an avowed atheist. I’ll just have to hope that some useful conscripted Anglicanism got him baptized.
Speaking of conscripted Anglicanism, he guest starred in the adaptations of John le Carre’s most famous works, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley’s People, in 1979 and 1982, respectively. What’s memorable about that is that he never says a single word.
This one hurt. I did shed tears. I can’t think of Star Trek—and therefore, a large part of myself—without him.
O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.
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