“I wanted to be like him, the way he’s on the ship commanding, and especially his personality.”
Star Trek’s stellar 60th anniversary celebration in Las Vegas featured a who’s who of beloved actors in attendance meeting the fans, signing autographs, and taking plenty of photos. Many attracted throngs of admirers thanks to the beloved characters they portrayed in the science fiction franchise. However, someone from outside of the sci-fi saga's canon, who is best known for playing a Marvel superhero, also garnered plenty of attention at ST-LV over the convention’s final two days.
As it turns out, Star Trek had a huge influence on the Marvel(ous) performer's personal and professional lives. That actor is none other than The Incredible Hulk's Lou Ferrigno. “Being very depressed growing up as a kid, the show [The Original Series] would let my imagination escape and be free, and it gave me some excitement," Ferrigno said in an interview with Woman's World.
Ferrigno continued by saying:
"That’s why it had such an effect on me. I was a kid growing up poor and I couldn’t get attention from anyone. They used to call me ‘deaf-mute,’ ‘Deaf Louie,’ and I was bullied. I had a very severe relationship with my father, who was like a police captain. So, in my life, I ended up becoming a kind of sheriff. I became a movie star, TV star, I ended up writing books, and doing all kinds of stuff.”
While most television fans remember Ferrigno as the Hulk to Bill Bixby’s David Banner on The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982) TV show and its subsequent movies, the actor also appeared in the fan-made Star Trek Continues webseries. Ferrigno portrayed the green-skinned, goateed Orion slaver Zaminhon.
In addition to Star Trek itself having such a profound effect on Ferrigno, the actor — like so many of us — was a huge fan of William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk from The Original Series. “As a kid growing up, I had to deal with a speech impediment because of the hearing issue,” Ferrigno said in the same sit-down.
“But I remember watching the series, and I loved Captain Kirk,” Ferrigno continued. “I loved the way he conducted himself. I wanted to be like him, the way he’s on the ship commanding, and especially his personality.”
I love that Star Trek had such a positive effect on Ferrigno. However, on a personal note, I’d like to point out what a difference The Incredible Hulk made in my own life. I had the opportunity to meet Kenneth Johnson, who adapted Hulk for television, when he spoke at a seminar held during my college days.
At that point, my work had only been published in my school newspaper. I got to interview Johnson after the seminar, though, and he surprisingly stayed in touch afterward. And when it came time for me to apply for graduate school, Johnson was kind enough to take the time and write a letter of recommendation for me, which I’m certain sealed my admittance into the MFA program.
So, Ferrigno’s story about Star Trek making a difference truly resonates with me thanks to how The Incredible Hulk’s showrunner made a difference in my real life. Have you had a similar experience thanks to Trek or another intellectual property ? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. I’d love to read your stories.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
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