10 Most Unusual Demands Made By Star Trek Guest Stars
3. Whoopi Goldberg Suggesting Her Role On The Next Generation
By the time The Next Generation was airing, Whoopi Goldberg was already a household name. When she requested a role in the show, producers thought that she was joking, after all, why would a huge Hollywood celebrity want to be on some weird spinoff sci-fi show with only a small cult-following? They ignored her request as a prank.
Whoopi remained persistent, though, as she grew up watching The Original Series and adored Star Trek, mostly due to its inclusion of Nichelle Nichols, one of the first black women to be featured regularly on an American television show. She contacted Gene Roddenberry, the show's creator directly saying "I am a Star Trek fan, I was a Star Trek fan long before I was Whoopi Goldberg, and I'm wondering if there's some part I can play in your show." When questioned why she would chose such a lower paying gig than she was able to get elsewhere, Whoopi responded, "I am successful now and I can do what I like!" Words to live by!
Whoopi also had an entire secret backstory in mind for her character, Guinan. She assisted the writers to help Guinan become the most mysterious person on the show.