The Gorn From Star Trek Is Bobby Clark - WonderCon SF

The Gorn From Star Trek Is Bobby Clark.

Star Trek The Original Series (TOS) fans, and even occasional observers, will remember an episode featuring a man-lizard humanoid that fought Captain Kirk (William Shatner). That alien, called "The Gorn," starred in one of Star Trek TOS's most popular segments, called "Arena." It was memorable because The Gorn has a face that looked like Godzilla on Botox, and it nearly killed Kirk.

Who's The Gorn? It's is Bobby Clark. But who? How?

Bobby Clark is a veteran actor who's work goes back before Star Trek, and to such legendary shows as TV's longest running western Gunsmoke. "I became The Gorn because I knew the director, who I had worked for, for several years prior (to Star Trek), Joseph Pevney," Clark said. "I did four of the (Star Trek) episodes that Joseph Pevney did. One was called "The Apple" (With Celeste Yarnell - video below), "Return Of The Archons," "Mirror Mirror," and naturally, "Arena." That was my claim to fame," Clark reflects.

In the video break, Yarnell talks about "The Apple" and William Shatner



Acting With William Shatner

Clark says that Bill Shatner is someone he loved playing with. "He's strictly business. (But) He jokes around. I've known him for a while before we ever worked on Star Trek. He did a western. I'm a cowboys. I worked Gunsmoke for eight years. He did a Gunsmoke, so we got along alright."

Never Worked With Nimoy

Interestingsly, even though he did four Star Trek episodes, Bobby Clark never worked with Leonard Nimoy, who's is Mr. Spock. That's interesting, how an actor can be associated with another performer in the same series, but because of circumstances, never work with them. Clark will forever be linked to someone he never actually worked with: Nimoy.

Getting Into The Gorn Suit, Fighting Kirk

Clark explains that the suit he wore took just 20 minutes to put on, and was basically made based on a wet suit. He just slipped into it.

But the fighting between The Gorn and Shatner was real, well, semi-real: "That was a real rock (Kirk threw at him in the episode), it almost killed me....NO. He laughs. "But after that, I picked up a rock and threw it at him, and that rock weighed about 450 pounds and I had no problem picking it up."

Star Trek Was Our Future

Clark thinks the enduring popularity of Star Trek has to do with its message of change, and that now alot of what we use, like cell phones (which are like the Star Trek Communicators), were conceived for the show decades ago.

Clark's a Ludite

Bobby Clark doens't use a computer for much other than email. So if you see this and know him, send him one,saying you saw it.

Bobby Clark: an American Cultural Icon.