The Star Trek Movie Actor Who Was Replaced After Negotiations Fell Through
The original "Star Trek" feature films have to rank as the most popular film series based on a TV show and starring the original show's cast. For 15 years, the original cast enjoyed a level of feature film stardom rarely if ever experienced by even the biggest TV stars, especially back in the '80s and '90s. After the show's cancellation in the '60s, the crew of the USS Enterprise returned in 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and five sequels, followed by a crossover with the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" in "Star Trek: Generations," released in 1994.
In fan favorite installment "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," a young actor who would eventually go on to greater fame outside of the "Star Trek" franchise made an appearance, but according to the actor herself she was low-balled out of any future appearances in the "Star Trek" movies.
Why didn't Kirstie Alley come back for more Star Trek films?
The character in question is Vulcan Starfleet officer Saavik, played in "Wrath of Khan" by a young Kirstie Alley in one of her very first film roles. "Star Trek" fans are probably already aware that Saavik appears twice more in the "Trek" films, for "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," but in those two films she's played by Robin Curtis, rather than Alley. So why was Alley replaced? According to a 2016 interview with StarTrek.com, it all came down to money. Alley says that the financial disagreement between herself and the "Trek" producers was a result not of her asking for more money, but of them asking her to come back in a larger role for "Star Trek III" for less money.
"That never made sense to me," Alley said. "Like, you're not paying as much as the first one, and it's a bigger role? It just didn't make sense to me. I don't think I said, 'Pass.' I know I wouldn't have gone just, 'Pass, forget it.' I feel like what I said was, 'Okay, I don't get this.'" Alley went on to say that she never found out why she was offered less money for a larger role in "Star Trek III," but whatever the reason was, it resulted in her exit from the "Star Trek" franchise.