Sean David Kenney (born 13 March 1944; age 80) is a former actor who played the mute, disfigured Christopher Pike in the Star Trek: The Original Series first season episodes "The Menagerie, Part I" and "The Menagerie, Part II" and DePaul in "Arena" and "A Taste of Armageddon".
He filmed his scenes for "The Menagerie" on Wednesday 12 October 1966, Thursday 13 October 1966, and between Monday 16 October 1966 and Wednesday 18 October 1966 at Desilu Stage 9 and Stage 10. He filmed his scenes for "Arena" on Tuesday 8 November 1966, Monday 14 November 1966 and Tuesday 15 November 1966, at Stage 9. He filmed his scenes for "A Taste of Armageddon" on Tuesday 27 December 1966 and Wednesday 28 December 1966, also at Stage 9.
Kenney received the part of the disfigured Captain Pike – his first acting job in Hollywood – due to his uncanny resemblance to Jeffrey Hunter (who appeared as Pike via archive footage from "The Cage") and his willingness to tolerate all the makeup and sitting motionless in the wheelchair-box for hours. He was interviewed personally by Gene Roddenberry who okayed him for the part. He was later cast as DePaul as a compensation for all his "suffering". (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One, 1st ed., p. 340)
Kenney's short movie and television career spans nine movies and five television guest spots. His only other television appearance beside his Star Trek roles were in a 1968 episode of Get Smart, directed by James Komack. In the 1970s, Kenney appeared in the lurid exploitation film The Manson Murders, which also had Blaisdel Makee in the cast.
In 1980, Kenney retired from acting and became a commercial photographer in the Los Angeles area, specializing in corporate portraits and "head shots". [1]
In 2016, he was slated to play "Commodore DePaul" in the fan film Star Trek: Captain Pike, alongside Linda Park, Bruce Davison, Walter Koenig, Ray Wise, and Chase Masterson, however, the project has never been released in any form.
External link[]
- BizPhoto.com – official website
- Sean Kenney at the Internet Movie Database
- Sean Kenney at Wikipedia