Did you know that Jack was offered the role of CAPT Kirk on the original Star Trek? Yes!
Honu sent us this link to an article that gives the details:
BEWARE: The biographical section is incorrect on several counts. Here are the actual facts:
Jack served in the Merchant Marine from the age of 14, going to sea whenever school wasn’t in session. It was necessary to help support his family after his father lost his shipping company to the Great Depression. When World War II broke out, President Roosevelt drafted all merchant mariners into the war effort. That included Jack, who was in his last semester of college at the time. He served in the US Army Corps of Engineers, building roads and bridges in Persia (now, Iraq). Later, he went back out to sea. As his ship was returning from East Africa with a load of manganese, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. It sank in only seven minutes. Jack was one of few to escape to a lifeboat. Even so, sixteen hours passed before he was rescued. After returning home, he applied for officer training at the Coast Guard Academy at Fort Trumbull, Connecticut. He was accepted and earned a commission as ensign and a third mate’s license. He did not go back to sea. Instead, he was sent to Washington to illustrate training materials for the Maritime Service. That led to his acting in training films. Which led to his thirty-year career in acting on stage, screen, and television.
QUESTION: Did Jack actually ask for 50 percent interest in Star Trek? We don't know the percentage, but 50 percent sounds high. After all, the creator, Gene Roddenberry, would have owner interest in the show. And, then, if the network had an owner interest, that would take still more. As points of reference, Jack owned 25 percent interest in Stoney Burke and 33 percent interest in Hawaii Five-0.
Years ago H50 and I discussed on Mr. Mike's guestbook if two such dominant personalities as Leonard Nimoy and Jack Lord would have gotten along as Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk. And H50 said "As in "Book 'em, Spock"??? Or, perhaps, "Beam me up, Danno"???. And we both agreed that Jack wouldn't have made a believable Captain Kirk with such a strong Mr. Spock like Leonard Nimoy's.
Thank you, Mrs. McGarrett. Senior moment.
The show was Star Trek(I'm a big trekkie fan). I'm glad he got the roll as Steve McGarrett instead! Can't seem to envision Jack as Captain Kirk somehow.