Summary

• Kirstie Alley left Star Trek due to a salary dispute with Paramount, resulting in her iconic character being recast for future films.
• Leonard Nimoy was impressed with Alley's portrayal of Lt. Saavik, but her agent's salary demands led to her departure from the franchise.
• Despite not returning to the role, Kirstie Alley's character Lt. Saavik achieved beloved status and was honored in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

There are conflicting s of why Kirstie Alley didn't return as Lieutenant Saavik in the third Star Trek: The Original Series movie, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was Alley's movie debut and Saavik was a major role opposite William Shatner's iral James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's Captain Spock. In fact, Saavik was the first Vulcan female Starfleet character in Star Trek. However, Robin Curtis replaced Alley as Saavik in Star Trek III, and she played the Vulcan a second (and final) time in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Director Brian Volk-Weiss interviewed Kirstie Alley about Star Trek II for his History Channel docu-series, The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek. Alley spoke candidly about her time as Saavik in Star Trek II, and she offered some fascinating insight about playing Spock's Vulcan protégé. The Cheers actress told Volk-Weiss that she modeled herself after her idol, Vivien Leigh, and she imbued Saavik with the glamour of Gone With The Wind's star. This included insisting on wearing her hair down and appearing in a bathrobe in an elevator scene opposite William Shatner's iral Kirk. Alley recalls that she was well-liked on The Wrath of Khan's set, particularly by director Nicholas Meyer, who allowed Alley to make the changes she wanted to Saavik's appearance.

Lt. Saavik was intended to be half-Vulcan and half-Romulan, but director Nicholas Meyer removed reference to Saavik's dual heritage from Star Trek II.

Why Kirstie Alley Only Played Lt. Saavik In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

Alley and Leonard Nimoy have their reasons

Kirstie Alley told The Center Seat that she believed William Shatner was not as fond of her, and that Shatner was not excited to work with Alley again. Alley infers it may be because the iral Kirk actor felt upstaged by Saavik wearing a bathrobe in their elevator scene together. Alley suspects that Shatner's dislike of her led to Star Trek's producers offering her less money to return as Saavik for Star Trek III. Meanwhile, Alley had already booked a new job that conflicted with the production schedule of the Leonard Nimoy-directed Star Trek sequel, so Alley declined the offer to reprise her role as Saavik. Of course, Kirstie Alley went on to star as Rebecca Howe in Cheers, and she became one of the most popular and highest-paid actresses on television.

Sadly, Kirstie Alley ed away from colon cancer on December 5, 2022, at the age of 71.

Contrasting Kirstie Alley's , Leonard Nimoy told his version of why Lt. Saavik had to be recast for Star Trek III in his memoir, I Am Spock. According to Nimoy, he was very impressed with Alley's performance as Saavik, and, when Star Trek III's script was being written, they agreed upon a "reasonable" salary for her to return as Saavik. However, Alley's agent then requested a massive salary increase that Nimoy claimed was "so far beyond our reach that it left me slack-jawed." The original Spock actor added that "the salary [Kirstie Alley's agent] wanted... was higher than what was being paid to DeForest Kelley after seventeen years!"

The Real Reason Kirstie Alley Didn't Play Lt. Saavik Again In Star Trek III

It comes down to money

Kirsti Alley not returning as Saavik in Star Trek III ultimately came down to money. The actress' representative wanted far more for his client than what Paramount and Star Trek's producers were willing to pay, and Leonard Nimoy held firm that Alley priced herself out of the role: "We couldn't afford her." Star Trek III's director also claimed Alley's demand for more money was directly influenced by how big a role Lt. Saavik had in the film. Rather than cut Saavik's scenes, Nimoy and producer Harve Bennett decided to cast a different actress, and they chose Robin Curtis.

Kirstie Alley and Star Trek ended up moving on from each other and each found great success regardless. While it's a shame that Alley didn't play Saavik in the Vulcan's next two appearances, Kirstie's striking performance in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan remains a highlight in what many Trekkers feel is the best Star Trek movie of all. Still, Kirstie Alley's belief that William Shatner's perceived dislike for her factored into Alley receiving a lower offer from Paramount is a fascinating new wrinkle as to why she didn't reprise Lt. Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Almost Brought Back Lt. Saavik

Saavik would have turned traitor

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country introduced Lieutenant Valeris (Kim Cattrall). Spock's new Vulcan protege conspired to betray the United Federation of Planets and assassinate Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner). However, Star Trek VI's original plan was to bring back Lt. Saavik and make her the traitor. Hopes for Kirstie Alley to reprise Saavik were dashed for the same reason she didn't return for Star Trek III: Alley was one of the highest-paid actresses on television thanks to Cheers, and Star Trek couldn't afford her.

The real reason Valeris was created instead of Saavik's comeback was Kirstie Alley's price tag.

A wrinkle to Saavik not returning for Star Trek VI is that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry felt that Saavik had achieved "beloved character" status and Roddenberry didn't want her to become a traitor. But the real reason Valeris was created instead of Saavik's comeback was Kirstie Alley's price tag, and the decision was made to create a new Vulcan character to be the traitor. Kim Cattrall was a favorite of director Nicholas Meyer who auditioned for the role of Saavik in Star Trek II, and Cattrall was cast as the duplicitous Lt. Valeris.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Updated What Happened To Lt. Saavik

Saavik's Starfleet career flourished

41 years after Kirstie Alley's lone performance as Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek: Picard season 3 delivered a surprise update to the fate of the Vulcan Starfleet Officer. Star Trek on Paramount+'s Instagram published a series of character and starship profiles prior to Picard season 3's premiere, and the entry for the USS Titan revealed that Saavik was that starship's first Captain. The Titan even briefly became the flagship of the Federation in the 2290s, and Captain Saavik led the Titan on several successful missions. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, one of the USS Titan-A's shuttlecrafts was named Saavik in honor of the first Titan Captain, proving Saavik's memory continues to be honored in Star Trek.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home are available to stream on Max.

Star Trek: Picard season 3 is available to stream on Paramount+.