I've heard that, and may have read it in the past in some places such as books like "The Making Of Star Trek" but how could anyone know for sure if it's true?

What if it was REALLY because of his resemblance to Bobby Sherman?

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

OR...

Is this just another "Urban Legend"?

" Walter Koenig was cast as Ensign Pavel Chekov because of his resemblance to the Monkees' Davy Jones ".

They look nothing alike except for the hair color. Also, Koenig was almost ten years older.

From what I understand, it was because of the "resemblance to Davy Jones" reason. However, I read this in one of William Shatner's books, and since he's not the most reliable of narrators, I wouldn't bet my collection of Funko Pop figurines on whether it's true or not.

I wouldn't doubt it one bit. The Monkees tv show was huge and probably influenced a lot of studio decisions at the time. They definitely gave him a Davy Jones/Monkees haircut, and if you remember the Space Hippy episode he was painted as the young swingin crew member who was targeted by the hippies. So they were definitely trying to sell him as the grooviest crew member.

@bratface said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

OR...

Is this just another "Urban Legend"?

" Walter Koenig was cast as Ensign Pavel Chekov because of his resemblance to the Monkees' Davy Jones ".

They look nothing alike except for the hair color. Also, Koenig was almost ten years older.

Guess it's a case of "the eye of the beholder"; because I can see a resemblance between Koenig and Jones. Maybe in a side-by-side comparison, the age difference would have been a factor. But, whatever his age was at the time, going by clips/pics, Koenig did not look any older than Jones did at the time all this was happening. Must have great genes!

@SecretaryIMF said:

From what I understand, it was because of the "resemblance to Davy Jones" reason. However, I read this in one of William Shatner's books, and since he's not the most reliable of narrators, I wouldn't bet my collection of Funko Pop figurines on whether it's true or not.

If it was an off-the-cuff remark by Shatner during, say, an interview or a panel, then I’d be more likely to dismiss it outright. But, if it’s in one of his books (assuming he...being Shatner…has more than one), then I’d think that it’s more likely fact than fiction. Otherwise, wouldn’t the “fact-checkers” who edited his book have been like

@rooprect said:

I wouldn't doubt it one bit. The Monkees tv show was huge and probably influenced a lot of studio decisions at the time. They definitely gave him a Davy Jones/Monkees haircut, and if you remember the Space Hippy episode he was painted as the young swingin crew member who was targeted by the hippies. So they were definitely trying to sell him as the grooviest crew member.

This show was groundbreaking…casting-wise…storyline-wise (I would even say gender-wise; but I don’t want to fight). When it comes to someone (and something, of course) for everyone, this show was a pioneer. So yeah, I can see showrunners “look-a-like stunt-casting” (no offense Koenig fans—I’m one) in order to spread its "net" far and wide to capture as many demographics as possible.

This made me think about Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy.

While it's not exactly on-the-same-street as Koenig and Jones; it's certainly in-the-same-neighborhood.

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@rooprect said:

I wouldn't doubt it one bit. The Monkees tv show was huge and probably influenced a lot of studio decisions at the time. They definitely gave him a Davy Jones/Monkees haircut, and if you remember the Space Hippy episode he was painted as the young swingin crew member who was targeted by the hippies. So they were definitely trying to sell him as the grooviest crew member.

This show was groundbreaking…casting-wise…storyline-wise (I would even say gender-wise; but I don’t want to fight). When it comes to someone (and something, of course) for everyone, this show was a pioneer. So yeah, I can see showrunners “look-a-like-stunt-casting” (no offense Koenig fans—I’m one) in order to spread its "net" far and wide to capture as many demographics as possible.

Yup, Star Trek was really the first show that not only included but celebrated diversity. There's the racial & gender diversity it's famous for, but just as groundbreaking is the generational diversity appealing to the hip Monkees generation as well as the older John Wayne generation. For that reason I think the space hippy episode ("The Way to Eden" to give proper respect 😅) was Chekov's best episode. It gave his character a complex backstory--apparently he was once a rebellious "leftist" radical before he joined starfleet and became a "right wing" Herbert. You'd think the episode was a political/generational minefield, but Spock the unquestionable voice of reason and logic, is the one who bridges the gap, sympathetic to both sides and even rockin a mean lyre with the hippies!

@rooprect said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@rooprect said:

I wouldn't doubt it one bit. The Monkees tv show was huge and probably influenced a lot of studio decisions at the time. They definitely gave him a Davy Jones/Monkees haircut, and if you remember the Space Hippy episode he was painted as the young swingin crew member who was targeted by the hippies. So they were definitely trying to sell him as the grooviest crew member.

This show was groundbreaking…casting-wise…storyline-wise (I would even say gender-wise; but I don’t want to fight). When it comes to someone (and something, of course) for everyone, this show was a pioneer. So yeah, I can see showrunners “look-a-like-stunt-casting” (no offense Koenig fans—I’m one) in order to spread its "net" far and wide to capture as many demographics as possible.

Yup, Star Trek was really the first show that not only included but celebrated diversity. There's the racial & gender diversity it's famous for, but just as groundbreaking is the generational diversity appealing to the hip Monkees generation as well as the older John Wayne generation. For that reason I think the space hippy episode ("The Way to Eden" to give proper respect 😅) was Chekov's best episode. It gave his character a complex backstory--apparently he was once a rebellious "leftist" radical before he joined starfleet and became a "right wing" Herbert. You'd think the episode was a political/generational minefield, but Spock the unquestionable voice of reason and logic, is the one who bridges the gap, sympathetic to both sides and even rockin a mean lyre with the hippies!

In the old days a "second-banana" (mostly) tended to remained a "second-banana". So, actors were only allowed to “stretch their wings” but so much. Nevertheless, I’ve always thought Spock a more layered character than Kirk.

Yes. I remember this fact well before Shatner wrote his books. The second season they introduced him and gave him a Beatles wig so he'd look like Davy Jones. He was playing younger and trying to appeal to the Monkees crowd --- aka teen aged girls who liked cute guys with accents and that hair. The wig only lasted that season thank God. A quote from WK: "They put me in a lady’s wig for my first six or seven episodes, until I could grow my own hair out. But then my hair was already starting to thin, so they had to spray it and comb it forward. It took a little work to make me appealing to the preteen crowd."

Another story I remember, Florence Henderson -- just before getting the Brady Bunch -- got her makeup done by the Star Trek crew for her screen test for The Brady Bunch which was also shooting at the same time.

I always guffaw when you see Chekov find Khan in STII since he wasn't on the series for Space Seed. I suppose he was part of the crew but not on the bridge yet.

Or he could have picked up the story from someone else, but Captain Terrell didn't.

Except that Khan apparently recognized his face.