20 Things You Didn't Know About Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
14. Casting The Leader Of The Klingon Empire
The original choice for Gorkon was Jack Palance. He had most recently starred in Tim Burton's Batman, winding up on the wrong end of the Joker's revolver. His career began much earlier, with his stage debut taking place in 1947, and his screen debut in 1950.
His long and successful career was boh what made him desirable for the role, and ultimately unsuitable. Though his physical stature wasn't in question - he was 6ft 4, and would go on, at the age of 73, to perform one-armed push-ups on stage at the Academy Awards - he was too costly for the production to afford. He was also hesitant about appearing in a Star Trek film.
Rather than open the casting sheet to other actors, Nicholas Meyer asked his friend, David Warner, if he would like to play the part. Warner had just appeared in Star Trek V as St. John Talbot, the Terran ambassador to Nimbus III. He would also appear as the iconic Gul Madred in the Next Generation's two-part episode Chain of Command, making him one of the few actors to face both Captains Kirk and Picard.