20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
16. THAT Cameo Took A Lot Of Convincing
Harve Bennett joined the Star Trek franchise as executive producer and writer on Star Trek II, remaining a stalwart until his departure after Star Trek V. However, he came close to leaving after Star Trek IV instead. The primary reason for this, somewhat surprisingly, was neither Gene Roddenberry (the usual culprit) or studio meddling.
It was Leonard Nimoy.
The pair had worked well together for both Star Trek II and Star Trek III. In the Search for Spock, Nimoy had directed, though Bennett had remained on hand at almost all times. Nimoy was not an experienced director, but both later felt that the project was a success. This led to Nimoy being rehired as director for The Voyage Home. It was there that they began to clash. Bennett was again on hand to supervise, but Nimoy felt that he had proved himself while directing III.
In Bennett's words, this led to a breakdown in their friendship behind the camera. It would bounce back in the years that followed, but William Shatner had to convince Bennett to take an active role in Star Trek V. That included the cameo, on the viewscreen, with Bennett playing Fleet Admiral Robert Bennett.