Everyone loves Captain Pyke from 'The Menagerie'.  Heck, I even have a ornament on my desk with the dear captain in his space aged wheel chair. 

When Randall Durk, treasurer of the Central Missouri Astronomical Association, started calling actors from The Original Series for autographs, the last thing he expected was for one of them to stop by.  As reported by the ColumbiaMissourian.com, Sean Kenney did just that.

Tall and well-built with brown hair and a beard, Kenney looked nothing like the character he is best known for portraying: the heavily disfigured and paralyzed Capt. Christopher Pike in the two "The Menagerie" episodes that aired in 1966. 

Kenney and his wife Taki now own a photography business. They travel the country performing photo-marketing services for real estate agents and other businesses. It was pure coincidence that they were headed to Columbia when Durk called requesting an autographed photo. Kenney quickly agreed to stop by, give a talk and sign autographs. 

“This is an accident; this is luck,” Durk said. 

Because only seven people showed up Monday, the talk was relaxed and informal. Kenney discussed a wide range of topics, including his screenwriting projects, the film industry, his photography business and, of course, his experience on the "Star Trek" set.

Kenney said he wondered what he had gotten himself into as he sat for hours in a futuristic wheelchair in an 80-degree room. He was wearing heavy makeup, his hair was bleached until it started to fall out, and he had surgical tape on his eyes and mouth. He ate through a straw for eight days and lost almost 13 pounds.

“This is my first job, and I can’t blow this,” he thought. The hard work paid off as show creator Gene Roddenberry invited him back to act the role of Lt. DePaul in two more episodes. (source ColumbiaMissourian.com)

Read the full article here.

Image credit Trekcore.com