10 Things You Didn't Know About How Star Trek Got Started

4. DeForest Kelley Was The Third Actor To Play The Ship's Doctor In "The Cage," the chief medical officer of the Enterprise was Dr. Philip Boyce, played by John Hoyt. The actor was unavailable for the second pilot, so Paul Fix was hired to play Dr. Mark Piper. Both guys looked as though they were ready for a retirement home, in contrast to the rest of the Enterprise crew, who appeared young and fit. So Roddenberry hired DeForest Kelley to portray Dr. Leonard McCoy. "Bones" was intended to be about 45 years old €“ closer in age to the 34-year-old Jim Kirk, so they could realistically be friends. All three of the doctors had the same basic character profile. They were curmudgeonly humanitarians who distrusted modern technology and believed computers could never replace genuine, face-to-face contact. What set De Kelley apart from the other two actors was the sense of humor and playfulness he brought to the role.