I was today years old when I learnt that William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy have shared screentime before Star Trek

When you see William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, you immediately think Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock from Star Trek. The actors embodied the characters so brilliantly that even after decades their names are synonymous with the roles.

However, Star Trek is not the first time the two legendary actors shared the screen together. They appeared in the television show ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ in 1964. Though their interaction in the episode titled ‘The Project Strigas Affair’ is limited, it was interesting to see the two actors together before the Star Trek phenomenon.

In Star Trek, Shatner and Nimoy made their first appearance in the pilot episode of The Original Series called 'The Man Trap' in 1966, two years after their initial screen time together.

Shatner as the good-humored and gallant Captain of the USS Enterprise and Nimoy as the logical and stoic First Officer made the roles iconic. Shatner and Nimoy had several other roles on screen, but Star Trek changed the trajectory of their careers.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The two eminent actors first appeared together in an episode of ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’, which aired on November 24, 1964. The spy series follows the story of two agents working to fight enemies under the United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.).

In season 1, episode 9 titled ‘The Project Strigas Affair’ Laslo Kurasov (played by Werner Klemperer) assigns his aide Vladeck (played by Leonard Nimoy) to investigate the codeword Strigas. U.N.C.L.E gives Vladeck false information that Strigas is code name for an American engineer, Michael Donfield (played by William Shatner). Michael is recruited to help U.N.C.L.E. As a drunken and spirited Michael, Shatner is terrific.

The two actors appeared together in a few scenes in the episode, which is about two years before they would become a global sensation. Though their interaction was limited, it gave the audience a sneak peek into the chemistry between the two actors.

Shatner and Nimoy have gone on to become the face of the Star Trek franchise. While their friendship was reportedly turbulent, but their impact on the Trekkies has been phenomenal.

Star Trek: The Original Series was created by Gene Roddenberry in 1966. The series was cancelled in 1969 due to low ratings, but it went on to gather a cult following due to syndication. Over the years, the Star Trek universe expanded with comics, animated series, films, and spin-off television shows.

ALSO READ: Why I think Captain Kirk deserved a better ending in Star Trek

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