6 Star Trek Films Actors Hated Filming
3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Persis Khambatta
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.