Robert Herron (23 September 1924 – 10 October 2021; age 97) was a Hollywood stuntman and actor. He worked as stunt double for Jeffrey Hunter on the first Star Trek: The Original Series pilot, "The Cage", also featuring in the same uncredited role as part of archive footage in "The Menagerie, Part II". Herron appeared, uncredited, as a USS Enterprise crew member named Sam in "Charlie X". He later played the Excalbian recreation of the legendary Kahless the Unforgettable in "The Savage Curtain".
Herron filmed his stunt double appearance for "The Cage" on Monday 14 December 1964 and Tuesday 15 December 1964 at the "Arab Village" part of the 40 Acres backlot. He filmed his scene for "Charlie X" on Monday 18 July 1966 at Desilu Stage 9, and his scenes for "The Savage Curtain" between Monday 16 December 1968 and Thursday 19 December 1968 at Desilu Stage 10.
As an actor, Herron had small roles in a number of films, including Gun Fury (1953), Movie Movie (1978), and City Heat (1984). He also appeared in The Domino Principle (1977), which also featured Majel Barrett, but Herron was a stuntman first and an actor second. He performed stunts on over 200 films and television shows, and did so for fifty-five years. The films he worked on include The Ten Commandments (1956), Spartacus (1960), The Wild Bunch (1969), Shaft (1971), Rocky (1976), Poltergeist (1982), The Untouchables (1987), and L.A. Confidential (1997). His television work includes The Green Hornet, The Streets of San Francisco, and The Rockford Files. Unfortunately, he received no on-screen credit for much of his work.
He passed away on October 10, 2021 at the age of 97, after suffering for complications from a fall. [1]
Star Trek appearances[]
Other Trek connections[]
Herron did stunt work for numerous films and TV shows which feature principal cast members and frequent or major guest actors from the various Star Trek series and films. These include:
- Yankee Buccaneer (1952), Serpent of the Nile (1953), The Ten Commandments (1956) and Powderkeg (1971 TV movie), all with Michael Ansara
- Gidget (1959) with James Darren and Yvonne Craig
- Spartacus (1960) with Jean Simmons, Paul Lambert, Peter Brocco, John Hoyt, Arthur Batanides, William Blackburn, Dick Crockett, Seamon Glass, Gil Perkins, and narrated by Vic Perrin
- Ice Palace (1960), with George Takei and Chuck Hicks
- PT 109 (1963), with George Takei, James Gregory and Biff Elliot
- Morituri (1965), with George Takei, Paul Baxley, Gene Dynarski, Jim Goodwin, Roy Jenson, and music by Jerry Goldsmith
- Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963) with DeForest Kelley and William Wellman Jr.
- Temple Houston (1963 TV series) with Jeffrey Hunter
- Major Dundee (1965), Soylent Green and Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (both 1973), all with Brock Peters
- The Silencers (1966) with Roger C. Carmel, James Gregory, Nancy Kovack, Grant Woods and Chuck Hicks
- Paint Your Wagon (1969), Silver Streak (1976), and Johnny Dangerously (1984), all with Ray Walston
- McCloud (1970 TV series) with Diana Muldaur, and directors Lou Antonio and Russ Mayberry
- The Moonshine War (1970) and McMillian and Wife (1971 TV series), both with John Schuck, the first also featuring Terri Garr and Dick Crockett
- They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) and Farewell, My Lovely (1975), both with Anthony Zerbe, the first photographed by Jerry Finnerman
- Raid on Rommel (1971) with John Colicos
- Shaft (1971) with Lawrence Pressman, co-written by John D.F. Black
- The Hindenburg (1975) with René Auberjonois, Alan Oppenheimer, Rex Holman and Charles Macaulay, directed by Robert Wise
- McNaughton's Daughter (1976 TV movie) with Ricardo Montalban and Byron Morrow, co-directed by Gene Nelson
- Rocky (1976) with Michael Dorn
- The Fantastic Seven (1979 TV movie) with Christopher Lloyd
- The Island (1980) with David Warner
- The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) with Joseph Ruskin, Jeff Corey and George Murdock
- Pale Rider' (1985) with Randy Oglesby
- Explorers (1985) with Robert Picardo and James Cromwell
- Three Amigos! (1986) with Brian Thompson
- Sunset (1988) with Malcolm McDowell and Andreas Katsulas
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) with Ricardo Montalban and Tiny Ron
- Rescue 911 (1989 TV series) with host William Shatner
- Pet Sematary (1989) with Denise Crosby
- Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) with Patti Yasutake
- Steal Big, Steal Little (1995) with Natalia Nogulich
- Liar Liar (1997) with Randy Oglesby and Anne Haney
- L.A. Confidential (1997) with James Cromwell
- Hard Raid (1998) with Anthony Montgomery
Herron also served as stuntman on more than one film featuring one or more of the following Star Trek guest actors: