Before ‘Dynasty,’ Joan Collins Took a ‘Star Trek’ Role Because of Her Kids

STAR TREK, Joan Collins, William Shatner, in Season 1 Episode #28, 'City On the Edge Of Forever,' April 6, 1967 — Paramount Pictures/Everett Collection

What To Know

Joan Collins accepted her role as Edith Keeler in Star Trek after her young children encouraged her.
In the episode, Collins played a compassionate mission worker in 1930s New York, whose survival would have altered the course of history.
“The City on the Edge of Forever” became one of Star Trek’s most acclaimed episodes.

Years before Joan Collins played Alexis Carrington on Dynasty, she appeared opposite William Shatner in one of Star Trek‘s most memorable episodes. As Edith Keeler in “The City on the Edge of Forever,” she became the woman Captain Kirk fell in love with and had to let die.

But Collins wasn’t actually familiar with the series when the role came her way. Her children’s recommendation persuaded her to accept.

Why did Joan Collins agree to appear on Star Trek?

STAR TREK, from left: William Shatner, Joan Collins, 'The City on the Edge of Forever', season 1, ep 28, aired 4/6/1967, 1966-69.

Everett Collection

In a 2015 interview with StarTrek.com, Collins recalled asking her agent, “Well, what is Star Trek?” Her children, she said, were about two and four at the time.

Her daughter, the older of the two, jumped up and down when Collins mentioned the offer. “Oh, mum, you must do it,” the little girl told her, according to Collins. That enthusiasm persuaded Collins to accept, and she also liked the script. With other television appearances keeping her busy, she remembered thinking of Star Trek as “just another gig.”

Who did Joan Collins play on Star Trek?

Collins played Edith Keeler, a woman who runs a mission in Depression-era New York and helps Kirk and Spock after they travel into the past. The episode first aired on April 6, 1967, and takes the characters back to 1930. Kirk falls in love with Edith, but Spock discovers that keeping her alive would change the outcome of World War II. Her peace movement would delay America’s entry into the conflict and allow Nazi Germany to win.

The story leaves Kirk with a terrible choice: save the woman he loves or preserve the future. He ultimately stops Dr. McCoy from rescuing Edith from a fatal traffic accident, allowing history to take its course.

“The City on the Edge of Forever” went on to win the 1968 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. The other four finalists were also Star Trek episodes, including “The Trouble with Tribbles” and “Amok Time.” Collins said it wasn’t until several years later that she recognized how memorable it was.