It’s no secret that beloved comedy movie star Robin Williams was a huge Star Trek fan. Several anecdotal accounts recall Williams visiting the set of various science fiction movie and TV series adaptations of the epic, intergalactic IP. Reportedly, he would ride his bike to the set of Star Trek: The Motion Picture in order to get a glimpse of the USS Enterprise while filming Mork & Mindy in the ’70s.
As shared by Netflix series stars Kate Mulgrew and Duncan McNeil, Williams would also head to the set of sci-fi series Star Trek: Voyager to play softball with the cast and, according to Ethan Phillips, was angling for a small part on the show itself.
Unfortunately, Williams never got the chance to be in a Star Trek series before his untimely passing in 2016. But he did come incredibly close at one point.
A post on the official Star Trek website revealed that ‘A Matter of Time,’ one of the most famous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, was actually written with Williams in mind.
The Star Trek character Berlinghoff Rasmussen was specifically written for Williams, but unfortunately, scheduling issues with Disney movie Hook meant that the role went to Matt Frewer instead.
As great as Williams would have been in the role, sacrifices had to be made if it meant Hook, one of the best live-action Disney remakes of all time, could come to our screens.