Hollywood legendsWilliam ShatnerandLeonard Nimoyfirst became household names when they starred in thesci-fi juggernautStar Trek,portraying the iconic Captain James T. Kirk and Spock in the first iteration of the pop culture phenomenon from 1966 to 1969. Together, the dynamic duo would return to the fan-favorite franchise throughout different points of their enduring careers, with Nimoy playing the brilliant Half-Vulcan, half-human for nearly 50 years and becoming the celebrated face of the series.
Before they became staples of the small screen and beyond, the two actors both appeared in separate episodes of fellow TV sensationThe Twilight Zone, a show that became known for serving as a major career stepping stone for other familiar faces like Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, and Carol Burnett. Shatner starred in two separate episodes in 1960 and 1963 while Nimoy had a minor role in the 1961 episode “A Quality of Mercy”; let’s take a look back at their respective appearances.
Rising Star Shatner Appears in 2 Chilling Episodes
In 1960, William Shatner had yet to take on the epicrole of Captain James T. Kirkin the sci-fi spectacleStar Trek, and like many of his fellow peers, he took to the small screen to showcase his range as an actor in hopes of one day making it big in Hollywood. After having appearances in shows likeAlfred Hitchcock Presents, Studio One, andThe Ed Sullivan Show,Shatner memorably popped up in two different episodes of the trailblazing classicThe Twilight Zone:1960’s “Nick of Time” and 1963’s “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”
In his first outing in the anthology series, Shatner starred as newlywed Don S. Carter, who while traveling to New York City with his bride Pat (Patricia Breslin), breaks down in the town of Ridgeview, Ohio and stops by a cafe to await their car repairs. The couple sit down at a table with a fortune-teller machine and are shaken when the seer produces eerily relevant answers to their questions, as they are ultimately forced to either give into superstition and remain trapped in the diner or instead face the future together with confidence and break the cycle.
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Three short years later, Shatner made hisreturn toThe Twilight Zonewhen he appeared in the fifth season episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” this time playing family man Mr. Robert Wilson, who, after being discharged from a sanatorium following a six-month stay for a nervous breakdown, is taking a flight with his wife. While aboard, Robert sees a gremlin on the wing of the plane and fears he is suffering from another breakdown, though he quickly realizes something evil is afoot, and he fights to save his fellow passengers and prevent the plane from crashing.
Nimoy’s Role in a Poignant ‘The Twilight Zone’ Episode
Likewise, futureTinseltown great Leonard Nimoyalso got his start in the world of television before nabbing his career-defining role of Spock, with the beloved figure starring in numerous Westerns includingWagon Train, Bonanza, Rawhide, andGunsmokebefore his appearance in the 1961The Twilight Zoneepisode “A Quality of Mercy.” In the season three installment, which takes place on August 25, 2025 (the day the U.S. bombed Hiroshima), Nimoy plays Hansen, a war-weary American G.I. who, along with his fellow men, anxiously awaits the conclusion of the battle.
The episode was written by Sam Rolfe but wasbased onThe Twilight Zonecreator Rod Serling’s teleplay, and it was likely a deeply personal one for him as he had fought in World War II in the Pacific theater and served as a paratrooper in the Phillippines. It features the soldiers growing exhausted over attacking the defenseless Japanese soldiers and butting heads with their ruthless leader, Second Lieutenant Katell, with Nimoy starring as one of the G.I.’s weary over the relentless onslaught of death and destruction.
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“A Quality of Mercy” remains a timeless staple of the acclaimed series as it refreshingly explores the brutal battle from the enemy’s perspective, forcing Katell to take a cold, hard look at humanity and the consequences of our actions during war. Both Shatner and Limoy made meaningful appearances in the groundbreaking series that foreshadowed the massive success they would both achieve in later years, and it’s fun to look back and see how their paths were intertwined long before they ever shared the screen inStar Trek.
