20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
6. THAT Eddie Murphy Rumour Was 100% True
The role that eventually morphed into Gillian Taylor began its life as a device to bring Eddie Murphy into Star Trek. In fact, it was Murphy himself who wanted to be in the film, as he was a huge Trek fan. Though Jeffrey Katzenberg would describe it as either the worst or best idea in the world, there was no denying the appeal of having a performer with Murphy's star power in the picture.
Steve Meerson and Peter Krikes began work on a screenplay that featured Murphy. He would play a college professor who was obsessed with aliens, listening to whale songs as he did his research.
Murphy hated it, and opted to make The Golden Child instead. That film, though a commercial success, was viewed less favourably by critics than Star Trek. Catherine Hicks was hired to play the rewritten character, thus Gillian Taylor was born.