Newmar: Trek Fan Affection
2 min readAlmost forty-three years after Friday’s Child aired, Julie Newmar is feeling the love from Star Trek fans.
Newmar played Eleen, the pregnant wife of the Capellan leader Akaar, who decides that she (and her unborn child) will live instead of following Capellan tradition by killing herself after the death of her husband.
The fan affection is “staggering,” said Newmar. “It’s an all-day-long love-fest, really. People come up to you and tell you, in one hundred different ways, what they saw, what they remember, what they appreciated and, in essence, they’re telling you that they love you. It’s a wonderful feeling. And people still want to know about it. I’m asked all the time why people still want to talk about it and, really, people have to tell me, because I’m truly interested.”
Newmar shared her memories of working on the show. “What I remember about it was being nine months pregnant and running around the hills of Vazquez Rocks (outside of Los Angeles), which is now overrun with housing developments. I just thought it was another show, but it will go on long beyond either of us, beyond any of us.”
One highlight of the show for Newmar was William Shatner. “Someone sent me a copy of [Friday’s Child] and I was amazed. I was very amazed with Bill Shatner’s performance. He is the superstar he deserves to be.”
More often when people recognize Newmar, it’s for her role as Catwoman. “I have to do the purring and remember the lines,” she said. “It’s fine with me. I loved that role and being asked about it just gives me a chance to love a new person.”
Newmar is currently writing several books and has her own website.
About The Author
