‘Star Trek’ Actor, 93, Reveals ‘Dangerous’ On-Set Situation: ‘I Lost Seven Pounds’ originally appeared on Parade.
Actor Michael Dante, 93, is opening up about his time filming the original Star Trek series, which ran for three seasons until 1969.
During a July 2025 interview on the That’s Classic podcast, Dante noted that he played Maab, a Capellan warrior, in Star Trek Season 2, Episode 11 (“Friday’s Child”). Dante said the episode was filmed in a ravine in Santa Clarita, California. According to Dante, “it was 117 degrees at the bottom of that ravine,” making filming nearly unbearable. He also noted that his entire body was covered with his detailed costume, causing him to sweat even more.
“I lost seven pounds during the show. And the director held ice packs on his neck. They had to ice down the camera to keep it cool. It was dangerous,” said Dante during the interview.
He also said his co-star for the episode, Julie Newmar, experienced difficulty while filming because she was wearing a fake pregnancy stomach for her character. In addition, Dante stated the episode’s director, Joseph Pevney, said he was “going to have a heart attack out here” during production.
“We were almost going to strike the set and take off and leave because it was that bad,” said Dante.
The actor, who appeared in several TV series, like Cheyenne, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, and The Texan, said “Friday’s Child” “was one of the most difficult days [he had] ever spent filming on any set.” He clarified that he believed the Star Trek episode was wonderful.
During the That’s Classic interview, Dante said Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, who died in 1991, approached him to play Maab. According to Dante, Roddenberry wanted him for the role because he was impressed with an acting job he did on a different television series.
“It was one of the easiest jobs I’ve ever got in my life,” said Dante in the July 2025 interview.
‘Star Trek’ Actor, 93, Reveals ‘Dangerous’ On-Set Situation: ‘I Lost Seven Pounds’ first appeared on Parade on Jul 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
