20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

10. Commander Kruge, Thy True Name Is Adama

Battlestar Galactica Admiral Adama
Universal

In a case of Nimoy v Bennett, there was a disagreement over who should play Commander Kruge, the Klingon responsible for the death of David, and, through his actions, inspires Kirk to destroy the Enterprise.

While Christopher Lloyd would end up donning the ridges, Leonard Nimoy wanted Edward James Olmos to play the part. Olmos is most recognizable these days for playing Commander - later Admiral - Adama on Ronald D. Moore and David Eick's re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series. However, at the time, while far from an unknown actor, he wasn't high on Harve Bennett's list of potentials.

Nimoy pushed to hire him, though Bennett insisted they open the role for auditions. After several rounds, coupled with Bennett's insistence that Olmos simply didn't have the physicality to effectively portray a Klingon, Christopher Lloyd won the part instead. This came with its own issues, chiefly among them being that Lloyd was best known for his work in comedy, but it was still a case of Bennett winning the day.

Olmos, though out of the running for a Klingon, would later be considered for the part of Jean-Luc Picard as The Next Generation entered pre-production.

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Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"