James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottish

Chief Engineer A chief engineer, commonly referred to as "ChEng" or "Chief", is the most senior engine officer of an engine department on a ship, typically a merchant ship, and holds overall leadership and the responsibility of that department..Chief engineer ...

of the Starship ''Enterprise'' was one of the most recognizable elements in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, and inspired many fans to pursue careers in engineering and other technical fields. He also made contributions behind the scenes, such as the initial development of the

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...

and

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

languages. Prior to his acting career, Doohan served in the 14th Field Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. He also served as a pilot. He saw combat in Europe during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, in which he was wounded, apparently by

friendly fire In military terminology, friendly fire or fratricide is an attack by belligerent or neutral forces on friendly troops while attempting to attack enemy/hostile targets. Examples include misidentifying the target as hostile, cross-fire while en ...

. After the war, he had extensive experience performing in radio and television, which led to his role as Scotty. Following the cancellation of the original '' Star Trek'' series, Doohan was typecast and had limited success in finding other roles; he returned to play the character in the

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

and film continuations of the series, and made frequent appearances at ''Star Trek'' conventions.

Early life

Doohan was born in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, the youngest of four children of William Patrick Doohan and Sarah Frances (née Montgomery), who both immigrated from Bangor,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. His father, born in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

, was a pharmacist,

veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...

and dentist, and a member of the

Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is the statutory body responsible for regulating of pharmacists and community pharmacies in Ireland. It is also responsible for overseeing the training of new pharmacists. Registration with PSI is ess ...

. William Doohan owned a chemist shop in Main Street in Bangor, beside Trinity Presbyterian Church, and reportedly invented an early form of high-octane

gasoline Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...

in 1923. Doohan's 1996 autobiography recounted his father's serious

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

. The family moved from Vancouver to

Sarnia Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a Canada 2021 Census, 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes w ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. Doohan attended high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School, where he excelled in mathematics and science. He enrolled in the 102nd Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in 1938.

Military service

In 1939 he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Artillery, 14th (Midland) Field Battery of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division. From there, he was moved to the 13th Field Regiment of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division in their 22nd Field Battery. By 1940 he was a Lieutenant and was sent to train in Britain prior to Operation Overlord. He first saw combat landing in the 2nd Wave in a Recce Party at Juno Beach on D-Day. The 13th Field Regiment was interspersed with the Regina Rifle Regiment landing at "Nan" Sector of Juno Beach. After shooting two snipers, Doohan led his men to higher ground through a field of anti-tank mines, where they took defensive positions for the night. Crossing between command posts at 23:30 that night, Doohan was hit by six rounds fired from a Bren gun by a nervous Canadian sentry: four in his leg, one in the chest, and one through his right middle finger. The bullet to his chest was stopped by a silver cigarette case given to him by his brother. His right middle finger had to be amputated, something he would conceal on-screen during most of his career as an actor, sometimes with a flesh-colored glove with a "faux finger." Doohan graduated from Air Observation Pilot Course 40 with eleven other Canadian artillery officers and flew

Taylorcraft Auster The Taylorcraft Auster was a British military liaison and observation aircraft produced by the Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Limited company during the Second World War. Design and development The Auster was a twice-removed development of ...

Mark V aircraft for 666 (AOP) Squadron, RCAF as a

Royal Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/ The ...

officer in support of 1st Army Group Royal Canadian Artillery. All three Canadian (AOP) RCAF squadrons were crewed by artillery officer-pilots and accompanied by non-commissioned RCA and RCAF personnel serving as observers. Although he was never actually a member of the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

, Doohan was once labelled the "craziest pilot in the Canadian Air Force". In the late spring of 1945, on Salisbury Plain north of

RAF Andover RAF Andover is a former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station in England, west of Andover, Hampshire. As well as RFC and RAF units, units of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps, Royal Canadian Air Force, United States Army Air ...

, he slalomed a plane between telegraph poles "to prove it could be done", earning himself a serious reprimand. (Various accounts cite the plane as a

Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...

or a jet trainer; however, it was an Auster Mark IV.)

Early acting career

After the war, Doohan moved to

London, Ontario London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...

, for further technical education. After hearing a radio drama and believing he could do better, he recorded his voice at the local radio station, and learned about a drama school in Toronto. There he won a two-year scholarship to the

Neighborhood Playhouse A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural ar ...

in New York City, where his classmates included

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

Tony Randall Anthony Leonard Randall (born Aryeh Leonard Rosenberg; February 26, 1920 – May 17, 2004) was an American actor. He is best known for portraying the role of Felix Unger in a television adaptation of the 1965 play '' The Odd Couple'' by Neil Sim ...

and

Richard Boone Richard Allen Boone (June 18, 1917 – January 10, 1981) was an American actor who starred in over 50 films and was notable for his roles in Westerns, including his starring role in the television series '' Have Gun – Will Travel''. Early li ...

. In 1946, he had several roles for CBC radio, starting January 12. For several years, he shuttled between Toronto and New York as work demanded. He made his TV debut as a detective on the show ''

Martin Kane, Private Eye ''Martin Kane, Private Eye'' is an American crime drama radio and television series sponsored by United States Tobacco Company. It aired via radio from 1949 to 1952 and was simultaneously a television series on NBC from 1949 to 1954. It was the " ...

'', and appeared in 54 episodes. He estimated he performed in over 4,000 radio programs and 450 television programs during this period, and earned a reputation for versatility. In the mid-1950s, he appeared as forest ranger Timber Tom (the northern counterpart of Buffalo Bob) in the Canadian version of ''

Howdy Doody ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell

''. Coincidentally, fellow ''Star Trek'' cast member

William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship ''Enterpris ...

appeared simultaneously as Ranger Bill in the American version. Doohan and Shatner both appeared in the 1950s Canadian science fiction series '' Space Command''. Doohan also appeared in several episodes of ''Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans'' in 1957-58. For GM Presents, he played the lead role in the CBC TV drama '' Flight into Danger'' (1956), then in ''The Night they Killed Joe Howe'' (1960). ( Arthur Hailey rewrote the former into the novel ''Runway Zero-Eight'', then adapted to ''Terror in the Sky''. This story was later satirized in ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David Zucker, David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison (film prod ...

''.) Doohan's credits included ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'', Season 4, Episode 3 "Valley of the Shadow" (17 January 1961), ''

GE True ''GE True'' (also known as ''General Electric True'') is a 33-episode, American anthology series sponsored by General Electric. Telecast on CBS, the series presented stories previously published in ''True'' magazine. Articles from the magazine ...

'', '' Hazel'', "Hazel's Highland Fling" as Gordon "Gordy" MacHeath. '' The Outer Limits'', '' The Fugitive'', '' Bewitched'', ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. ...

'', ''

Magnum, P.I. ''Magnum, P.I.'' is an American crime drama television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator (P.I.) living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from December 11, 1980 to May 8, 1988 during its first-run broadcast on ...

'', ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a secret ...

'' (Season 1, Episode 4 "The Shark Affair" (1964); Season 2, Episode 20 "The Bridge of Lions Affair, Part 1" (1966)) and '' Bonanza''. In the ''Bonanza'' episode "Gift of Water" (1962), he co-starred with actress

Majel Barrett Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (; born Majel Leigh Hudec;
, ''

Christine Chapel Christine Chapel is a fictional character who appears in all three seasons of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', as well as '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'' and the films '' Star Trek: The Motion ...

. He played an assistant to the United States president in two episodes of ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

''. He had an uncredited role in '' The Satan Bug'' (1965), appeared in the ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' episode "A Perilous Passage" (1970), appeared as a state trooper in

Roger Vadim Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an author, artist and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, su ...

's film '' Pretty Maids All in a Row'' (1971, which was produced by ''Star Trek'' creator Gene Roddenberry), and played opposite Richard Harris in the movie '' Man in the Wilderness'' (1971).

''Star Trek''

Doohan developed a talent for accents as a child. Auditioning for the role of chief engineer of the USS ''Enterprise'', Doohan did several different accents. Producer Gene Roddenberry asked which he preferred, and Doohan replied, "If you want an engineer, in my experience the best engineers are Scotsmen." He chose the name "Montgomery Scott" after his grandfather. In later years, Doohan reenacted the casting process at Star Trek conventions, demonstrating a variety of possible voices and characters. Doohan was quoted as saying, "Scotty is ninety-nine percent James Doohan and one percent accent." The character was originally conceived as semi-regular; but was elevated to be a regular supporting character. Doohan also provided voices for inanimate characters, including Sargon in " Return to Tomorrow", the M-5 in " The Ultimate Computer", the Mission Control Voice in " Assignment: Earth", and the Oracle in "

For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by Rik Vollaerts and directed by Tony Leader, it was first broadcast on Novem ...

". Doohan returned to the role of Scotty in the early 1970s for '' Star Trek: The Animated Series''.

Walter Koenig Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...

(navigator

Pavel Chekov Pavel Andreievich Chekov (russian: Павел Андреевич Чехов) is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the second and third seasons of the original ''Star Trek'' series and the ...

) was not hired for this series due to budget limitations, so Doohan voiced a replacement character: alien navigator

Arex AREX (Airport Railroad Express) is a South Korean commuter rail line that links Incheon International Airport with Seoul Station via Gimpo International Airport. The section between the two airports opened on March 23, 2007, and line was exten ...

. He also voiced most guest male roles, including that of Robert April, the first captain of the ''Enterprise'' and around 50 other roles, voicing as many as seven different characters in a single episode. He rejoined the entire regular cast of ''Star Trek'' for the feature film '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979), for which he also devised the

and

Klingon language The Klingon language ( tlh, tlhIngan Hol, links=no, '' '': , ) is the constructed language spoken by a fictional alien race called the Klingons, in the ''Star Trek'' universe. Described in the 1985 book '' The Klingon Dictionary'' by Marc Ok ...

dialogue. He continued in the role of Scotty for sequels '' The Wrath of Khan'', '' The Search for Spock'', '' The Voyage Home'', '' The Final Frontier'' and '' The Undiscovered Country''. In 1992, he guest-starred in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "

Relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tang ...

", playing an elderly Scotty reminiscing about his time on the ''Enterprise''. He and Walter Koenig appeared briefly with William Shatner in ''

Star Trek Generations ''Star Trek Generations'' is a 1994 American science fiction film and the seventh film in the Star Trek (film series), ''Star Trek'' film series. Malcolm McDowell joins cast members from the 1960s television show ''Star Trek: The Original Ser ...

'', in a scene which transitioned the film series to the newer cast of the first of the later television series in the franchise.

After ''Star Trek''

Doohan hoped that ''Star Trek'' would benefit his acting career. After the series ended, however, he found himself

typecast In film, television, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character, one or more particular roles, or characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ...

and had a hard time gaining other roles. After his dentist reminded him he would "always be Scotty", he supported his family with income from personal appearances. Unlike some other members of the cast, Doohan relished meeting fans and was always ready to entertain with a story or a song. Most of the roles Doohan subsequently played made at least oblique references to his ''Star Trek'' connection and engineering reputation. He was Commander Canarvin in the short-lived Saturday morning

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

kids' show '' Jason of Star Command'', and had a cameo in the made-for-TV movie '' Knight Rider 2000'' as "Jimmy Doohan, the guy who played Scotty on ''Star Trek''". On the television series '' Homeboys in Outer Space'', he was Pippen, a pun on Scotty and basketball star

Scottie Pippen Scotty Maurice Pippen Sr. (born September 25, 1965), usually spelled Scottie Pippen, is an American former professional basketball player. He played 17 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning six NBA championships with the ...

. He played himself in an episode of '' The Ben Stiller Show''. He played Damon Warwick, father of James Warwick, on the daytime

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

The Bold and the Beautiful ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' (often referred to as ''B&B'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It premiered on March 23, 1987, as a sister show to the Bells' other soap opera ''The Yo ...

''. After learning about cold fusion from technical journals in 1989, he narrated the video "Cold Fusion: Fire from Water", about the physics behind cold fusion. When the ''Star Trek'' franchise was revived, Doohan reprised his role of Scotty in seven ''Star Trek'' films. Many of Doohan's film appearances centred on the role of Scotty, such as a cameo in '' National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1'', where he plays a policeman doing repair work who tells his superior officer "I am giving it all she has got, Captain!" in the same accent he used in ''Star Trek''. Although he continued to work with William Shatner in the ''Star Trek'' films, Doohan did not get along well with him and was once quoted as saying, "I like Captain Kirk, but I sure don't like Bill." He was the only former ''Star Trek'' co-star to decline to be interviewed by Shatner for Shatner's first ''Star Trek: Memories'' book about the show, nor did he consent to do so for Shatner's follow-up book, ''Star Trek: Movie Memories'', though Shatner mentioned in the latter that the icy relationship between the two started to thaw when both men were working on ''Star Trek Generations'' in 1993-94. At Doohan's final August 2004 convention appearance, Doohan and Shatner appeared to have mended their relationship.

Inspiration

Many fans told Doohan over the years that it was he who inspired them to choose engineering as a profession. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, an engineer before he participated in

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

's Apollo program, becoming the first man on the moon, personally told Doohan on stage at Doohan's last public appearance in 2004, "From one old engineer to another, thanks, mate." In an interview for the first ''Trekkies'' film, Doohan related the story of a young fan who was contemplating suicide. Doohan says that he convinced her to attend his next convention appearance, and later learned that his encouragement and kind words had not only saved her life, but inspired her to go back to school and become an

electronics engineer Electronics engineering is a sub-discipline of electrical engineering which emerged in the early 20th century and is distinguished by the additional use of active components such as semiconductor devices to amplify and control electric current fl ...

Personal life

Doohan was married three times and had seven children, four of themincluding Christopherwith his first wife Janet Young, whom he divorced in 1964. His marriage to Anita Yagel in 1967–72 produced no children. In early 1974, he was introduced to 17-year-old fan Wende Braunberger at a theatre performance. They were married that same year, when they were 54 and 18, on October 12, 1974. ''Star Trek'' guest actor William Campbell served as

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...

. Doohan and Braunberger had three children: Eric, Thomas, and lastly, Sarah in April 2000, around his 80th birthday. In his later years, Doohan suffered a multitude of health problems partially from his lifestyle, which included prodigious alcohol consumption, and partially from injuries sustained during World War II. These included

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

liver cirrhosis Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is the impaired liver function caused by the formation of scar tissue known as fibrosis due to damage caused by liver disease. Damage causes tissue repai ...

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the w ...

, high blood pressure, and

hearing loss Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken ...

. In July 2004, he announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

and would be withdrawing from public life. His sons Montgomery and Christopher appeared in '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979). Christopher also appeared in the

J. J. Abrams Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American filmmaker and composer. He is best known for his works in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. Abrams wrote and produced such films as '' Regarding Henry'' (1991), '' F ...

reboot '' Star Trek'' (2009).

Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (né Beckingham; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. H ...

, who played Scotty in the film, invited Chris and his family to the premiere. For ''

Star Trek Into Darkness ''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to t ...

'' in 2012, fans campaigned for Christopher Doohan gaining him a credited cameo in the transporter room. Chris Doohan played Scotty in the award-winning web series '' Star Trek Continues''.

Death

On July 20, 2005, at 5:30 in the morning, Doohan died at his home in Redmond, Washington, due to complications of

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory failu ...

, which was believed to be from exposure to noxious substances during World War II. His body was subsequently cremated. A portion of his ashes, ¼ ounce (7 grams), was scheduled the following fall for a memorial flight to space with 308 others, including

Project Mercury Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...

astronaut

Gordon Cooper Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr. (March 6, 1927 – October 4, 2004) was an American aerospace engineer, test pilot, United States Air Force pilot, and the youngest of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first human spa ...

. Launch on the SpaceLoft XL rocket was delayed to April 28, 2007, when the rocket briefly entered outer space in a four-minute suborbital flight before parachuting to earth, as planned, with the ashes still inside. The ashes were subsequently launched on a

Falcon 1 Falcon 1 was a small-lift launch vehicle that was operated from 2006 to 2009 by SpaceX, an American aerospace manufacturer. On 28 September 2008, Falcon 1 became the first private spaceflight, privately-developed fully liquid-fueled launch vehi ...

rocket, on August 3, 2008, into what was intended to be a

low Earth orbit A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit around Earth with a period of 128 minutes or less (making at least 11.25 orbits per day) and an eccentricity less than 0.25. Most of the artificial objects in outer space are in LEO, with an altitude never mor ...

; however, the rocket failed two minutes after launch. Some of Doohan's ashes are hidden under the floor cladding of the International Space Station's Columbus module - after being smuggled aboard in 2008 by Richard Garriott. The rest of Doohan's ashes were scattered over

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. On May 22, 2012, a small urn containing some of Doohan's remains in ash form was flown into space aboard the

Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a partially reusable medium lift launch vehicle that can carry cargo and crew into Earth orbit, produced by American aerospace company SpaceX. The rocket has two stages. The first (booster) stage carries the second stage and pay ...

rocket as part of COTS Demo Flight 2.

Legacy

James Doohan - Walk of Fame - July 21 2005

Scotty's exploits as the ''Enterprise''s redoubtable chief engineer inspired many students to pursue careers in

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

. Because of this, the

Milwaukee School of Engineering The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) is a private university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The campus is in the List of neighborhoods of Milwaukee, East Town neighborhood of downtown Milwaukee. The school's enrollment of 2,820 includes 224 g ...

presented Doohan with an

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

in engineering. Doohan was immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 31, 2004. Despite his ill health, he was present at the ceremony, which was his final public appearance. Montgomery Scott was claimed by

Linlithgow Linlithgow (; gd, Gleann Iucha, sco, Lithgae) is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a ...

, Scotland, in 2007 by a commemorative plaque from the

West Lothian Council West Lothian Council is the local authority for the council area of West Lothian in Scotland. History West Lothian District Council was created in 1975 as one of four districts within the Lothian region. The West Lothian district took its name ...

for Doohan's importance. His birthplace is also attributed to

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, where Doohan learned the doric accent, or Elgin. In the actual show, Scotty refers to himself as a one-time "Aberdeen pub-crawler", the only reference Doohan's character ever makes to a specific place in Scotland where he lived. However, Scotty's accent chosen by Doohan is not the relatively harsh Aberdonian accent; the specific accent Doohan used implies most of Scotty's formative years were spent at or near

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, something that is supported by original script notes.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Bibliography

;Autobiography * ;Science fiction novels (''The Flight Engineer'' series): * * *

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Doohan, James 1920 births 2005 deaths 20th-century Canadian male actors 20th-century Canadian male writers 20th-century Canadian novelists 20th-century memoirists 21st-century Canadian male actors Canadian amputees Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery personnel Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery officers Canadian military personnel from British Columbia Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian male film actors Canadian male non-fiction writers Canadian male novelists Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian memoirists Canadian Army personnel of World War II Canadian people of Irish descent Canadian people of Northern Ireland descent Canadian science fiction writers Canadian World War II pilots Deaths from pneumonia in Washington (state) Deaths from pulmonary fibrosis Male actors from Vancouver Male actors from Washington (state) Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni People from Redmond, Washington People with Alzheimer's disease People with Parkinson's disease Space burials Writers from Vancouver Writers from Washington (state)