Bower portrayed the very first villain in season 2 of The Original Series.
Star Trek: The Original Series guest actress Antoinette Bower passed away at the age of 93 in Los Angeles, California, back on Thursday, April 30. Bower’s friend, Carlotta Glackin, revealed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, which posted the information today (Saturday, July 11). The talented thespian has the honor of portraying the very first villain to face the crew of the USS Enterprise in TOS season 2’s “Catspaw.”
While it was actually The Original Series episode “Amok Time” that aired on NBC as the first season 2 installment, “Catspaw” was the initial story produced for Star Trek’s sophomore run, which also featured the first appearance of Walter Koenig’s Pavel Chekov. However, the spotlight was clearly on the villainous Sylvia (Bower).
Sylvia and her alien counterpart Korob (Theodore Marcuse) used their powers to try and terrify Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and company on the planet Pyris VII in the first Halloween-esque episode of the science fiction franchise, and Bower shined as the magical and dangerous seductress obsessed with sensations.
Bower enjoyed a prolific acting career, and she guest starred in some of television’s biggest shows over the years, including, Wagon Train, which Star Trek was inspired by, Alfred Hitchcok Presents, Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone, and the Peter Falk-led Columbo.
However, Bower’s only significant recurring role occurred on the television drama Neon Rider, which ran from 1989 until 1995. Bower portrayed Fox Devlin in over 40 episodes during the show’s first three seasons. For me, though, while I loved her performance in Star Trek, I’ll always remember her for playing Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother in the 1980 slasher flick, Prom Night.
In addition to my passion for Star Trek, I’m a lifelong horror fan. So, I was pleasantly surprised the first time I watched Prom Night to see that Bower was in the film along with not only Curtis — she starred in Star Trek: Section 31 — but another of my all-time favorite actors, the incomparable Leslie Nielsen (Forbidden Planet, The Naked Gun, Airplane!) who played Bower’s husband and Curtis’ father.
I was also touched to learn that William Shatner “had emailed his condolences after learning of her death,” according to THR. Bower and Shatner's on-screen chemistry was palpable and undeniable, and they shared many scenes together in “Catspaw.”
THR also revealed that Bower passed away in a “senior retirement home,” but a cause of death was not revealed. The Redshirts Always Die and FanSided teams are saddened to hear of Bower’s death, and we would like to pass on our condolences to those closest to her, including her family and friends.
For more Star Trek content, and to remember Antoinette Bower, please visit the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Rest in peace.
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