William Campbell, well-known for his guest spots on Star Trek, has died from natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Fund hospital in Woodland Hills, California at the age of 87.
As a trekkie, I remember him quite well from the original series episode The Squire of Gothos (personally my favorite episode of the original). He played a mischievous and powerful superbeing known as Trelane that some say was a predecessor of Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation. He played the role with great charm and was a delight to watch.
He also appeared in what is perhaps the most famous episode of the original series, The Trouble with Tribbles, as a Klingon captain. He later played the same role in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Aside from his television appearances, he had multiple film roles throughout the 50s and 60s and even starred with Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender (1956). Other notable appearances include Dementia 13 (1963), directed by a young Francis Ford Coppola, who would go on to achieve great fame with The Godfather films.
Campbell, who had served in the Navy during World War II, was married to Judith Campbell Exner in 1952, but got divorced in 1958. His second marriage, which was much shorter, was to Barbara Bricker and also ended in divorce. He is survived by his third wife Tereza Campbell.
(Source: Variety)
