Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Jean-Luc Picard
8. 2001: A Space Odyssey And A Connection For The Ages
There is little doubt that Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most influential SciFi films ever made. There is a connection beyond the production between the film and Star Trek as a franchise - with Jean-Luc Picard making up 50% of that.
For the first 50%, Gary Lockwood stars in both the film and Where No Man Has Gone Before, the second Star Trek pilot, several years earlier. His co-star in 2001, Keir Dullea, would seemingly try to follow in his footsteps.
Gary Lockwood & Keir Dullea pilot the Enterprise and tell Hal,to open the pod bay doors!The stars of 2001 visited @startrektour ! @StarTrek pic.twitter.com/FwLecMcTXs
— @startrektour (@startrektour) November 7, 2017
Memos from 1987 list Dullea as being in contention for the role of Picard, while other names like Louis Gossett Jnr, Yaphet Kotto, and Stephen Macht were also being touted.
As the casting process went on, Dullea was then engaged to make a VHS audition, for the purposes of it being sent to Paramount. This, however, would come to nothing, as the studio did not agree to sign a Test Option Agreement with Dullea in advance of the audition.
For a bright moment, it looked as though two stars of 2001: A Space Odyssey would occupy coveted roles in Star Trek, but alas it was not to be - and some unknown Shakepearean actor got the role instead.