6 Star Trek Films Actors Hated Filming

3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Persis Khambatta

Star Trek The Motion Picture Ilia
Paramount

Persis Khambatta appeared as Lt. Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the Deltan navigator who served as a template for Counsellor Deanna Troi, with Stephen Collins' Decker being the precursor for William Riker. Khambatta, who passed away in 1998 of a massive heart attack, had a very up and down time during the process of putting The Motion Picture together.

Initially, she was booked for a five-year contract, which would have seen her appear in Star Trek: Phase II. This changed when Phase II became the Motion Picture, something she later said she was happy about as it might have a wider reach and very unhappy, as it cost her five years worth of income.

Much has been said about the process of shaving her head for the role, for which she has said she both didn't mind, yet also that she cried bitterly during. Finally, she had been warned about working with William Shatner. She was a little softer in how she approached stories of this, simply saying he was an insecure man.

By all accounts, filming the Motion Picture was a strange experience for her, despite the truly iconic imagery that she became a part of.

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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"