18. WWII Eventually Claimed Scotty, But Not Until He Was 85
Scotty became one of Star Trek’s defining characters. He possessed a depth of technical savvy that frequently allowed him to come up with creative and unconventional fixes to solve seemingly insurmountable problems. He frequently bridged the gap between Captain Kirk’s ambitious plans and his ship’s capabilities, encapsulated by the iconic phrases: “I’m giving it all she’s got, captain! She can’nae take any more!” Moreover, with an identity strongly connected to the Enterprise, Scotty brought the inanimate ship to life as a character in its own right.
By the third season, Rodenberry was glad that he had kept him in the show. He wrote in a memo that Doohan was: “capable of handling everything we throw at him“, and praised “the dour Scott“. After the series ended, however, Doohan discovered that rather than further his career, his successful role as Scotty had typecasted him, and he found it difficult to land different roles. He eventually accepted that he would “always be Scotty“, and made a living from personal appearances. Indeed, he was one of the few cast members who actually enjoyed meeting fans and talking about the Star Trek days. He lived to age 85 and died in 2005 from pulmonary fibrosis, caused by exposure to harmful substances in WWII.
