Whether he was “giv’n her all she’s got captain” or providing some temporary jury-rigging for the Starship Enterprise, the frantic mutterings of Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott are well-remembered by fans of Star Trek. Bringing this iconic character to the small, and later big, screen was James Montgomery Doohan. As March 3 marked what would have been his 100th birthday, there is no better time to shine the spotlight on this beloved actor. 

Before he became one of the most recognizable elements in the Star Trek franchise, Doohan served as a member of the Royal Canadian Artillery, where he lost the middle finger of his right hand on D-Day in Normandy, France. Following the war, Doohan initially intended to further his technical education but ended up winning a two-year scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. In his early career, Doohan estimated that he performed in over 4,000 radio programs and 450 television programs. Coincidentally, he appeared in the Canadian version of Howdy Doody as his future cast member William Shatner appeared in the American version. Both Doohan and Shatner appeared on the science fiction series Space Command, with Doohan also starring in several episodes of Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans. 

Throughout the early ‘60s, Doohan also starred in such popular series as The Twilight Zone, GE True, Hazel, The Outer Limits, The Fugitive, Bewitched, Fantasy Island, Magnum, P.I., The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Bonanza. When it came time to audition for  Gene Roddenberry’s new project, Doohan provided several different accents for the Enterprise’s chief engineer before settling on Scottish. Doohan was once quoted as saying, “Scotty is 99% James Doohan and 1% accent.” Although originally conceived as semi-regular, the character’s popularity later elevated Doohan to series regular. Along with Scotty, Doohan provided voices for several inanimate characters and contribute heavily behind the scenes, including helping to develop the original dialects for the Vulcan and Klingon races. 

Following the end of the original series, Doohan returned to the role of Scotty for Star Trek: The Animated Series, before reuniting with the original cast for Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He continued in the role of Scotty for sequels The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, and The Undiscovered Country. He later guest starred in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and appeared briefly in Star Trek: Generations. In his later career, Doohan found himself typecast and most of his roles made at least oblique references to his Trek fame and engineering reputation.

Doohan made frequent appearances at Star Trek conventions and relished meeting fans and entertaining them with stories from the show. His exploits as the redoubtable chief engineer even inspired many students to pursue careers in engineering. His kind words and dealings with one fan who was contemplating suicide not only saved her life but inspired her to become an electronics engineer. While Doohan passed away nearly 15 years ago, he remains a firm presence within the franchise, as evident by the many tributes that have poured in for his 100th birthday. 

Here’s to ya, lad.