From wartime heroes and royal cameos to improvised special effects and backstage feuds, 25 Weird and Wonderful Star Trek Facts explores the stranger side of the franchise’s long and influential history. This collection reveals how budget limits, personal struggles, lucky accidents, and unexpected human moments helped shape a universe built on logic and exploration. Whether it is actors surviving real battles, kings appearing as extras, or iconic props selling for fortunes, these facts prove that Star Trek’s real-life story is often just as fascinating as anything that happened on the bridge of the Enterprise.
Aron Eisenberg
1. Aron Eisenberg, who portrayed Nog on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, received a kidney transplant as a teenager, which limited his height to 5 feet.
2. The use of teleportation in Star Trek was due to budget constraints that prevented costly scenes of spaceships landing on planets.
3. The Bat’leth, a Klingon blade from Star Trek, is considered a weapon and has been involved in multiple real-life criminal incidents.
4. Tim Russ, who played Tuvok on Star Trek Voyager, also appeared as a trooper in Spaceballs saying ‘We ain’t found sh*t!’.
5. James Doohan, known as ‘Scotty’ on Star Trek, was hit by six bullets during the D-Day assault on Juno Beach: four in his leg, one in his chest, and one through the middle finger on his right hand.
6. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball (portraying Ricky and Lucy on “I Love Lucy”) not only prevented “Star Trek” from being canceled in 1966 but were also involved in its production.
7. At a Star Trek screening, Halle Berry mistook a spectator for Klingon actor Michael Dorn. When the man denied being Dorn, Berry became upset, stood up during the film, shouted, and stormed out.
8. During World War 2, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry served alongside a pilot named Kim Noonien Singh but lost touch with him after the war ended. He named the antagonist Khan Noonien Singh after this pilot, hoping Singh would recognize the reference and reach out.
9. Deforest Kelly, who played Dr. McCoy on Star Trek, avoided speaking to William Shatner for nearly two years after Shatner laughed when Kelly shared news of his dog’s passing.
10. Initially, Deanna Troi was envisioned to have three breasts in the early plans for Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Lens Flare Effects
11. J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek films include exactly 1,547 instances of lens flare.
12. The Ferengi were originally designed in Star Trek: The Next Generation to replace the Klingons as the Federation’s new main antagonists. After their first episode, the producers altered their role to serve as humorous characters because their look was found to be amusing and not intimidating.
13. Jordan’s King Abdullah bin al-Hussein appeared as an extra in Star Trek: Voyager.
14. The Star Trek Klingons were actually inspired by Japanese people.
15. Benedict Cumberbatch from Star Trek gave up his opportunities to attend Oxford and Cambridge universities because he became distracted by “pot, girls and music” and “got lazy” during his final term of the UK equivalent of high school.
16. When the original Star Trek gained popularity on television, Leonard Nimoy’s father, a barber by profession, began offering clients a “Spock cut” at his shop.
17. After the Star Trek studio got a letter from a builder asking how to create automatic sliding doors that moved as quickly as those on the Enterprise, they responded that the doors were actually operated by a crew member offstage. If the timing was off, the actors would walk into unopened doors.
18. Chris Hemsworth made his film debut in Star Trek (2009), portraying Kirk’s father who dies in the film’s opening scene.
19. Following Star Trek’s cancellation in 1969, William Shatner experienced financial difficulties and ended up living in his pickup truck.
20. The actress who portrayed B’Elanna Torres in Star Trek: Voyager has gone on to direct episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Under the Dome, Treme, Heroes, Melrose Place, and Lost.
Worf
21. No other character has been featured in as many Star Trek episodes as Worf.
22. James Doohan, the original Scotty from Star Trek, reached out to a fan contemplating suicide by phone and persuaded her to attend a convention, helping her change her life.
23. The flute used by Picard in the Star Trek TNG episode “The Inner Light” was auctioned along with other Star Trek items in 2006. Christie’s expected it to fetch $300, but the highest offer was $48,000.
24. When Florence Henderson came for her Brady Bunch audition, no make-up artist was available. She walked into the adjacent studio where Star Trek was filming and found herself in a make-up chair with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and several ‘space monsters’ around her.
25. DeForest Kelley declined to say his famous line “He’s dead, Jim” after Spock’s death in Star Trek II, believing it was too casual for such a serious moment, so Scotty instead says, “He’s dead already.”
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