In 1986,Eddie Murphycould do no wrong. He ruled the small screen as the comedian who helped to saveSaturday Night Liveat the start of the decade and had a massive R-rated withBeverly Hills Cop. With his pick of projects at Paramount, Murphy set his sights on a childhood dream: To stand alongside Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise in aStar Trekmovie.
The franchise had come a long way since the short-lived original series byGene Roddenberryfound a new audience throughout the ‘70s. Despite the initial polarized reception of the Enterprise crew’s cinematic debut with 1979’sStar Trek: The Motion Picture, it eventually found its footing with the success ofStar Trek II: The Wrath of KhanandStar Trek III: The Search for Spock. DirectorLeonard Nimoywas well into the story phase forStar Trek IV: The Voyage Homewhen Paramount executives approached him about Murphy’s involvement, as what he later toldTrekMovie.comwas“either the best or worst idea in the world.”
After three cosmic-heavy installments, Nimoy sought to change the pace of theStar Trekmovies to something more light-hearted. The success ofBack to the Futurewas the perfect period for Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew travel to the past to prevent a cataclysmic disaster by an ambiguous alien probe in their time.The Voyage Homewould break away from the action-adventure direction of the series to make way forafish-out-of-water comedyfeaturing a pro-conservation messageinvolving the concept of savingendangered humpback whales.
Meanwhile, Murphy was riding high off his hit culture shock comedy with the initialCopinstallment in 1984. The comedian grew up idolizing the shows he watched on television as a child, often creating on-point impressions and desiring playing characters in heavy makeup to disappear. A longtime fan ofStar Trek, Murphy had the clout at Paramount to take serious interest in participating in the next movie. Not only was Murphy eager to live the dream, but the prospect ofhis involvement could also bring the non-Trekkies over to the fanbase.
Then Paramount studio co-chairJeffrey Katzenbergarranged a top-secret meeting between Murphy and Nimoy about the comedian’s possible role inThe Voyage Home. After several meetings passed, the two agreed to have the script developed with no guarantee that it would move forward one way or another. PerhapsThe Voyage Home’s premise was perfect for Murphy to turn in his first dramatic performance as a new member of Starfleet or appear as aVulcanat the start of the story following Spock’s resurrection. However, with a winning formula in his last three films,Paramount did not want to risk Murphy taking chances on his established persona.
Eddie Murphy’s Star Trek Part Was Re-Written for Catherine Hicks
Rather than play a new Enterprise crew member or an alien, the studio hiredCopscreenwriterDaniel Petrie, Jr.alongsideSteve MeersonandPeter Krikesto add Murphy toThe Voyage Homeas an alien-obsessed individual in San Francisco who witnesses the Klingon bird of prey fromThe Search for Spockappearing at the Super Bowl. Only he knows it’s real, while the audience believes it’s part of the halftime show. Even more bizarre is the character’s ability to play whale songs, which ends up making him useful to the Enterprise crew.
Gene Roddenberry Attempted To Sabotage ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’
One of the best Star Trek movies earned the wrath (so to speak) of the franchise’s forefather.
Murphy was not attracted to a character that was otherwiseStar Trek’s version of Axel Foley. As he recounted the story during an appearance onJimmy Kimmel Live!, the script called for Murphy’s character “talking jive to Spock." While the part was reworked into marine biologist Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks), Murphy’s dismissal of the project may have saved the film from devaluing the Star Trek film franchise.Richard Pryor’s involvement inSuperman IIIhad done significant damage to the Man of Steel in film just three years earlier. Letting Murphy be himself in a Star Trek movie would have been a distraction rather than a bonus. Additionally, it was a clear sign that Murphy was ready to step away from the fast-talking street characters that made him a star as he yearned to disappear into more colorful characters in full makeup (Coming to America,The Nutty Professor) and show his sensitive side as a leading man (Boomerang).
Murphy quickly moved on to the critically-derivedThe Golden Child,whileThe Voyage Homewas a huge success for the Star Trek franchise. The comedian’s later attempts at the sci-fi genre withThe Adventures of Pluto NashandMeet Davewere as close to Star Trek as he could get despite their underperformances at the box office. Perhaps, with Murphy enjoying a career renaissance in his 60s, one could hope for the seasoned icon to appear in a newStar Trek project, no matter how big or small it is.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Homeis available to watch on Paramount+ in the U.S.
Watch on Paramount+
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
