Jewell: Kirk’s Slave Girl
2 min read
Lois Jewell, the woman who played Drusilla on the original series Bread and Circuses, shared her memories of working on the episode.
New to Los Angeles, Jewell’s Trek role followed an appearance on The Flying Nun pilot.
“I got a call for it. I went in and was interviewed, and I got the job,” said Jewell. “Lo and behold, I was in Star Trek. I don’t think I’d even heard of Star Trek when I got the role.”
Male Trek fans remember the slave girl costume that she wore, designed by Bill Theiss. “…The first costume was gray and drab, and it was short,” said Jewell. “I had fishnet stockings that they wanted me to wear, and then I had this thing that I wore at the top. Then the next costume was the main costume, which I wore in my scene with Captain Kirk, with Mr. Shatner. That was a very exotic costume. It was made by the designer who designed everything for Star Trek. It wasn’t like they went, ‘Well, let’s throw this on.’ It was designed and it was made, and they had to make sure, in the fitting, that it fit properly. And I wore that. I still get a lot of comments when I’m at the Star Trek shows about that costume. Everybody talks about that.”
Working with the cast, including William Shatner, was no problem for Jewell. “They were all very pleasant and very nice,” said Jewell. “Everybody was accommodating. They, of course, wanted the scene to go as well as possible because they wanted everything to be as perfect as they could get it. I tried my best, and apparently it worked out very well. Mr. Shatner was very nice to work with. A lot of people ask me about that, working with him, and he was such a professional that it made it very easy for me to work with him.”
Jewell didn’t act after Star Trek, because “I didn’t like the parts they were offering me,” she said. “I was looking for parts that were a little more – a lot more – than crawling around on the floor without any clothes on or being completely nude or having sex with everyone. I guess they thought from that role with Mr. Shatner that I was willing and able, but I was not willing.”
She returned to modeling, and went into business with her husband, and then started to make appearances on the convention circuit. “I have very much enjoyed [convention appearances],” she said. “It was like another door opened up in my life that I didn’t even know existed. I just enjoy pleasing the fans. If the fans are there and they want me to sign pictures for them, then I’m very happy to do so.”
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“Tonight… I am YOUR slave.” Always was surprised that NBC S&P let that line, if not that entire scene, go. (They were careful to ensure Kirk woke up fully-clothed and alone, though.)
Thanks for the (quite pleasant) memories, ma’am.