Posted on 02/24/2010 6:24:41 PM PST by KevinDavis
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Continuing our retrospective on the 30th anniversary of Star Trek The Motion Picture, TrekWeb presents excerpts of a rare interview with the late actress and former Miss India Persis Khambatta, who played Deltan navigator Lt. Ilia in the 1979 Star Trek movie directed by Robert Wise.
The interview was published in the now cancelled Star Trek Communicator magazine, issue Issue 120. (Dec 1998/Jan 1999) and it is presented here as part of our "Archives Interviews" series of articles.
Here are excerpts of the last interview with Ms Khambatta, who died on August 18 1998 at the age of 49 from a massive heart attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at trekweb.com ...
The Even Numbered Star Trek Movies didn’t suck.
BUT the ODD numbered ones, on the other hand......
LOL
ESPECIALLY 5!
row row row your boat
I liked that Jolene Blalock as the Vulcan spacebabe.
I’m not a big fan of the bald.
Connie Conehead (movie version) is the best looking bald chick.
Persis Khambatta passed away over a decade ago, but I do agree she was one of the hottest alien babes ever to appear on Star Trek.
I'd certainly rank Khambatta's Lt. Ilia above Jolene Blalock as the Vulcan on Star Trek: Enterprise. Blalock is cute offscreen, but on screen they gave poor Jolene a boy's bowl haircut (which is even more jarring than a totally bald chick) and made her character a third-rate clone of Jeri Ryan's Borg babe on Star Trek: Voyager. Hard to find her Vulcan character sexy when they'd dress her up in ugly consumes and make her character entirely wooden, cold, snooty, and unlikeable -- then came up with lame "body decontamination" scenes to give her character an excuse to strip on screen. If you want to see a real sexy Vulcan, check out Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II and III (either of 'em)
Persis Khambatta gave a warm element to the otherwise sterile and boring Star Trek: The Motion Picture, unfortunately her character was wiped out by V'Ger before she could show any depth, and we never once saw Deltans again on Star Trek. I kind of wish they had gone with the original plan of developing her characther in a new TV series for several years.
Shaved Britney Spears would physically look the part of a cute Delta chick perfectly, but once she opened her mouth the audience would leave the theater in droves.
But until then, the award for WORST Star Trek alien babe goes to Star Trek V's Cynthia Gouw, who was supposed to be playing a "Romulan" (for you non-Trekkies, they look physically identical to Vulcans but have emotions). But not only was the actress unable to act her way out of a paper bag, she didn't look anything remotely like a "Romulan" in that movie. I don't know what they were thinking:
One of my favorite alien babes in recent Star Trek is Rachel Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura's Orion roommate at the academy (those are the "green skinned girls" for you non-trekkies), in last year's Star Trek XI. Unfortunately, there's no good photos of her in makeup online, but she gave a terrific bubbly performance and unfortunately some of her best scenes (helped Kirk cheat on the Kobashi Maru... not a big spoiler if you've seen Wrath of Khan!) ended up on the cutting room floor. I hope she returns again for Star Trek XII: 
As a general rule of thumb, I agree the "even numbered" films are better than the "odd numbered" Trek films, though many want to toss that theory out the window now that Star Trek XI was much more successful and favorably reviewed than Star Trek X. I will simply say there are exceptions to the rule, but I hope the next Trek film (which will be even numbered) ends up the greatest one of all.
Yeah....Blalock is smoking hot. If the Vulcans ever come to earth, heres hoping they look like that.
You do realize that's Kirste Alley, right? I think she's been spending a little too much time in the Enterprise's galley...
Saavik's a cuter Vulcan than Seven of Nine wannabe T'Pol, period.
HUH?!?!?!....You need to buy some glasses.
No, actually she beefing up for her next role as Mrs. Jabba the Hut in Star Wars... Part 7
I hated when they had Jolene with that horrible short-hair wig. But when she had her long hair, she was jaw-droppingly stunning.
As for Cynthia Gouw, I thought she was stunning, too (that jaw !), certainly the hottest Asian woman on Trek ever. I disagree on the point about her acting abilities, though. Trek V was poorly-executed and the characters weren't fleshed out enough, and after they left Nimbus, she wasn't given anything to do. They also wasted the great David Warner, too (although he was given a consolation prize by being brought back as Klingon Chancellor Gorkon in ST6).
But, Billy, I got to take exception with you on Robin Curtis, I never found her attractive. When Kirstie Alley disappeared, I was wholly disappointed in Curtis (apparently Alley didn't show up in ST3 because she asked for too much money). Valeris in ST6 was supposed to be Saavik. I didn't care for Kim Cattrall, either. Curtis as an actress, however, in the role, was effective, but I still preferred Alley.
Except the actress, Michelle Burke, didn't shave her head. They filmed the movie about the same time as one of my favorites, "Dazed and Confused", and you could see her D&C buddies, Joey Lauren Adams & Parker Posey showing up in cameos.
She looks like the same woman that was Sheen’s girlfirend in the Major League movies.
Khambatta dated Sylvester Stallone, Henry Kissinger, Ted Kennedy, Rutger Hauer and Edward Lozzi at various times.
She dated BOTH Henry K and Teddy K???
Good grief... no wonder she croaked.....
I’m momentarily blanking. You don’t mean Rene Russo ?
Naw...Renee Russo was Jake’s (Tom Berenger) girlfriend. This girl looks like the Charlie Sheen’s (Wild Thing)
I just realized, Burke DID play Charlie Sheen’s g/f in “Major League II.” I have to admit to have only seeing those movies just once each, if only because I’m not a sports person, so I don’t remember them well.
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