6 Star Trek Films Actors Hated Filming

5. Star Trek Generations - Malcolm McDowell

Star Trek Generations Soran
CBS

Dr. Tolian Soran will always be remembered as the son of a gun who killed Captain Kirk, even though technically it was the bridge that killed him - Soran merely fired the blast that caused it fall. Malcolm McDowell was initially very reluctant to appear in a Star Trek film, citing his memories of cardboard sets, Bill Shatner and SciFi tropes that didn't appeal to him as the main reason.

He was worn down on two accounts. First, the money was good. Second, he was happy to work with Patrick Stewart again. So, he signed on to the film and did his scenes. There are some wonderful exchanges between Soran and Picard in the script, though McDowell's nephew, a certain Alexander Siddig, revealed later that his uncle had found the script to be 'sh*t'.

In the years since then, McDowell has been both genial and direct about his response to the film. First, he recalled an interview with William Shatner, who at the time was writing a book. He was asked 'what was it like to kill an American TV icon?' McDowell recounted rolling his eyes at that one. In addition and more seriously, several fans who struggled to separate reality from fiction sent the actor death threats for his part in killing off Captain Kirk. It's understandable why the audience hasn't seen any flashbacks or cameos from McDowell since!

Contributor
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"