Star Trek’s best guest star
Like tons of Trekkies around the country, I popped out Thursday to rejoice in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” reboot and the heart of the movie won out over the complete lack of understanding of very basic scientific concepts (no, a supernova is not like a nuclear bomb – it takes lots and lots of years to happen – and a singularity near Earth would make it go boom). But I am now insanely in love with Abrams. I’m talking bear his children love.
Spotted on the bridge of the Enterprise is the late Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon computer science professor best known for his “last lecture,” He died at age 47 from pancreatic cancer, but not before making his mark on Oprah, with the Pittsburgh Steeler and now in the world of Trek.
Abrams had heard about Pausch’s love of “Star Trek” and his childhood dream to be Captain Kirk and e-mailed the dying father: “I just wanted to put the invitation out there – that if you had any desire to be in the film (can’t promise you role as CAPTAIN, but… we could do SOMETHING!), it would be my honor and pleasure.”
Pausch (of course) took him up on the offer. He flew out to Los Angeles, was costumed in a custom-made uniform (which they let him keep) and took his position on the bridge.
“I’m sitting on the bridge and pushing buttons,” Pausch told the New York Times last year. “He gave me a line. I say, ‘Captain, we have visual.’ Of all the things that have happened, that is the coolest. I’m touched by it. It’s something my kids will be able to go see. It was such a kind thing that he did.”
For more from Pausch’s blog post about his “Star Trek” experience and the message from Abrams, click here.
Pausch left behind a wife and three children.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment