Here are the remarks (I don’t think it’s quite long enough to be called a speech) that I’m delivering at Jimmy Doohan’s Farewell Convention Dinner in an hour-and-a-half.
Yeah, that’s right. I’m supposed to leave in 30 minutes, and I just finished them. Turns out I work well under pressure.
Or something. 🙂
Because of my involvement in Star Trek, I have gotten to meet some really interesting and cool people over the years: space shuttle pilots, a former vice president of the united states, men who walked on the moon . . . all of them are people who have made a huge impact on the world, and all of them are Star Trek fans. Guess who all the scientists and engineers credit with inspiring them to persue their careers?
That’s right: Commander Kang.
Just kidding. Of course, it’s Jimmy Doohan’s “Scotty.”
I can’t remember if I first met Jimmy when we worked together on Next Generation, or if I had snuck onto the set of Star Trek V. I don’t remember if I saw him through the eyes of the professional actor I occasionally was, or through the eyes of the drooling fanboy I always was.
I don’t remember if he was in a costume or street clothes, speaking with that wonderful brogue, or without . . . but the first time I saw him, he was Scotty. And he patiently listened to me geek out at him about realigning the warp core, and how excited I was to be part of Star Trek, and to work in Engineering — just like him. I babbled on about the mater / anti-matter intermix chamber and of course, the transporter. I imagine it wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard from thousands of Star Trek fans a thousand times before — well, except for the also-working-on-Star-Trek part — but he smiled, and listened, and when I finally calmed down enough for him to actually talk to me, Jimmy made me feel like he’d known me his entire life, and he was never just “Scotty” to me again. He was Jimmy, and he was my friend. Over the years, our paths often crossed on Star Trek cruises or whenever Paramount was celebrating yet another Star Trek milestone, and I gradualy became aware of something: the way Jimmy made me feel wasn’t unique to our relationship. He truly made everyone he met feel like he was their best friend.
And I think that is why so many of us are here tonight: to honor and celebrate our friend Jimmy Doohan.
I first read that Jimmy had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s on the Internet, at TotalFark.com, and I felt like a member of my family had fallen ill — actually, I imagine that anyone who ever spent more than a few minutes with Jimmy felt the same way — but the news struck very close to home for me. My wife’s grandmother was diagnosed in October of last year, and we’ve experienced the helplessness and frustration that accompanies any serious illness.
Gene Roddenberry’s legacy is the positive future depicted in Star Trek — a future free of war, prejudice, ignorance . . . and disease. People have been working to create that future since September 8, 1966.
Today, people travel into space so often, it rarely makes the front page of the paper anymore. Our cell phones look like communicators, our PDAs look like tricorders, and my brother-in-law drives a minivan that looks — and handles — like a shuttle craft. We’re not quite there yet with ending ignorance . . . but when we do, I think war and prejudice will quickly follow.
We are *very* close to ending disease. Scientists at the University of California are working on a vaccine, and Karolinska’s Alzheimer’s disease research centre at the Huddinge hospital, was just established south of Stockholm in Sweden. In July, Sheldon Goldberg, president of the Alzheimer’s Association, said, “A world without Alzheimer’s disease … is within our reach.”
And that is also why we are here tonight. I can’t think of a better way to honor and celebrate our friend Jimmy Doohan than by doing everything we can to ensure that Alzheimer’s disease is cured within our lifetime.
Thank you.
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I did not know that Jimmy was ill. When i think of him it’s as a boy who bribed his sitter to let him stay up to watch Star Trek almost 40 years ago. The endless parade of Scotty imitations shows how beloved the character is.
Thank you for being able to speak for us.
James Doohan was the first “Star Trek” actor I ever saw in person. It was April 5, 1989 and he presented “Star Trekking with Scotty” at Odessa College. He was so cool in his presentation. This was between “Star Trek II” and Star Trek III” and the big question on everyone’s mind was “Will they bring back Spock?” James gave us a hint saying, “I can’t tell you anything about the plot, but I can tell you that one of the security guards asked my ‘Why is Leonard Nimoy directing with his ears on?’ He followed his talk by showing “The Trouble with Tribbles” while he signed autographs in the foyer. And he said “For those you have to watch the entire episode because you’ve only seen it 100 times, I will sign autographs afterwards as well. He stayed there until every one of us had a chance to get his autograph. He signed both the program and a baseball-shirt for me. (The baseball-shirt says “Beam me up Scotty”) He was even willing to use a “special” pen for me that wrote silver with red highlights to match the color of the shirt. He is my favorite original series actor. I was so sad to hear he has Alzheimer’s… I have an Aunt who has a similar disease (The doctors tell us it isn’t Alzheimer’s but the symptoms are the same.)
I wish I could have been there “to honor and celebrate our friend”…
Wow, how awesome…I wish I could write my speeches even with just half your talent (trust me, I suck :P)..hope it went wonderfully! …-Nic
Wil, a bit of your speech made it to the Seattle Times.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/artsentertainment/2002019936_scotty30.html
Ya know, Wil…that was outstanding. Especialy the part where you talk about how he feels like such a part of your family. I’d have to say that as a major fan of Star Trek, he probably feels alot like family to people everywhere. I just wish I had the chance to know the man behind the character as well as you do. Many times did I feel excited when, even after the classic series had ended, even aside from the movies, when someone from the beginning…the real history behind Star Trek…like James Doohan…made an appearance on TNG. He realy had the power to make you feel what Scotty was feeling, especialy in that one particular episode where he was on the holodeck recreation of the original constitution class Enterprise. Moments like that make you realize just how good an actor truly is when they can touch your heart like that. So my best wishes go out to “Jimmy” and his family, and to you Wil, for keeping it real with us here on your blog.
Wil Wheaton, you have an unprecedented way with words. I wish the best of luck to Jimmy, as a fellow Canuck.
Cheers.
Wow. Beautiful comments. I love your description of how you met, and how he comes across to you. He sounds like a pretty cool guy.
Appreciate your comments about the disease. My grandmother died last year after a long battle with it.
Beautiful words Wil. And a heartfelt God bless to Mr. Doohan.
Well done, Wil!
A couple of years ago, I was lucky enough to meet Mr Doohan. He was doing a meet-and-greet that my mother had organized, and she and I spent about an hour in his hotel room with he and his wife. We drank coffee and listened to him tell stories about the war and Star Trek and his childhood. It’s horrible to think that all of those memories may be lost. He was witty and kind, and though we were strangers, he treated us as friends. I feel honoured to have made his aquaintence.
Wonderful sentiment, Wil. The LA Times ran an article today about it, but neglected to mention anyone attending other than those in costume.
Stupid LA Times!!!
It’s so sad to hear about such wonderful beings being crippled by this horrible illness.
Good on ya Wil! Supporting such a great friend is wonderful.
Give him a handshake for me!
Tell him he’ll be missed.
Thanks for posting your comments for the tribute. I always liked “Scotty” alot and never as much as scene(in Star Trek IV ? the one with the whales.) in which he tries to use the mouse to talk to the computer…”Hello Computer.” I still giggle at that one. I help people to use computers, its part of my job, and I can’t tell you just how many people think that they can talk to the computer. But I digress. I will be keeping James Doohan and family in my thoughts and prayers.
All I can say is “WOW”, I got goose bumps reading, great work for a well deserving human. I am sad to see him leave public life but he has earned it along with our respect (we can only hope that Mr.. Doohan will grace up with visits from time to time. Again Great work and say hello and farewell from us all.
Sucks that Mr. Doohan has the alzhiemer’s. Very sad. Always great to hear that some of these people are awesome individuals.
My grandpa has Alzheimer’s and it really sucks. I’m sorry about Jimmy, send him my love.
So wonderful to read your remarks Wil. When I was a college actor, I hoped to be half the actor James Doohan is. Since, I’ve revised that to try to be half the good person he is. You said it for so many of us.
Wow. I’m always amazed when I read or hear tributes that just so perfectly capture the feelings someone has for another. Beautifully written.
Wil,
I heard from my friend Jackie Bundy that you spoke at James Doohan’s farewell tribute. We wish we could have been there with Jackie and our other friends on the USS Angeles.
You are truly a man of class and humor. Shame we didn’t even get to meet. Someday, I hope, the next time you ever hit Dallas. (We just moved there from the South Bay).
Will, I raise a glass of tranya to you. Keep on rockin’ in the free world.
why plug TF? do you need the ad revenue? wasn’t just “the internet” enough?
shame on you.
>gradualy
That should be “gradually”
🙂
Thanx for the speech dude.
Hi Wil,
Thanks for posting that for us all to read. I feel fortunate that my daughter and I got to meet him (along with Nichelle and George) at a convention in my hometown about 8 years ago or so. We both followed the news stories on him about this farewell convention. Heck I just saw him on a ST episode today! He infused our lives as much as any of the ST actors, and he’s well loved.
Hey thanks for keeping your blog. We all enjoy it. I stop by from time to time to catch up on your news. Best to you and your family.
Lisa
Open Letter to Mr. Doohan (I’ve never been lucky enough to meet the man):
It is a very long list of admirers, so I’ll be brief–STAR TREK was one of the three things that got me interested in SF and in writing, and “Scotty” always seemed to have enough character to warrant his own name in the opening credits. He was a multi-faceted character that seemed to grow beyond the stereotypical Scottish Engineer as a man who was devoted to his captain and his ship (not necessarily in that order) and the fact that he, like many modern engineers, padded his estimates to look like a miracle worker. (Note–I thought ST V made him look like a dope for hitting his head on a bulkhead, and have only recently forgiven them.)
Mr. Doohan, you were the inspiration for many IT professionals, who carry on Scotty’s legacy as miracle workers. It isn’t the Engineering Bay…but it’ll do just fine. 🙂 Thanks for everything, Scotty. We’re all pulling for you.
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