By GustavoLeao / 20:00, 13 September 2010 / Star Trek: Nemesis

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In this exclusive interview, TrekWeb talks to actress Spice Williams-Crosby about her role as Klingon officer Vixis in the 1989 movie Star Trek V The Final Frontier. Interview by Gustavo Leao.

1. Spice - How did you initially become interested in acting?

Well, I was born in Hollywood with my twin sister and we came out practically with tap shoes, pigtails, singing and dancing!!!!!  We always loved performing and when we were 12 years old, we were asked to be the Golden Arch Girls for Ray Kroc who created McDonalds and sing at the conventions!  Being a 30 year vegan, I think back on those days and laugh! 

Anyway, my twin and I played guitar and piano and then began to take drama in school.  We both loved Joan Crawford, Agnes Moorehead, Betty Davis, John Wayne, Clark Gable and all the old time actors. They were all so great and strong.  Most of the women played bitches and I can't say were great role models, but damn, we loved them so!!!

I was deeply entrenched in music, playing classical recitals and singing in Glee Clubs and doing musicals. In the 70's, my twin sister and I had my own Rock N' Roll group called Sugar N Spice. Hence my name, Spice! We traveled for 10 years on the road and then I left because the call to act was so great.  I came home to Los Angeles and was immediately signed with 20^th Century Records as a staff song writer.  I did pretty good, had 6 songs with the American Song Festival and a song that went to 21 on Billboard with a bullet (as they say!).

But, all and all, I got a job in a Fitness Spa to supplement my income so that I could take acting lessons from one of the greatest teachers in the world and that was Jeff Corey.  Since then, I've studied with such wonderful teachers as Jeff Corey, Alfred Ruscio, Sally Kirkland, Dick York, Charles Neilson Riley, Dee Wallace and at the Sanford Meisner Center. 

My very first speaking role was on Days Of Our Lives playing a nurse to Brenda Benet who has since passed away.  And the rest is history!!!!!

2. How did your role of Vixis in Star Trek V come about?

By 1988, I had been working as an actress/stuntwoman very successfully and had become a regular quest star on Fox's very first sitcom, "Women In Prison."  My agent called me and told me to go down to Paramount and pick up some sides to the new Star Trek movie!  Well, that was IT for me!  When I was on the road with my Rock N' Roll group, Sugar N' Spice, we worked Las Vegas for those years and at 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, all the musicians on the Vegas strip used to stop rehearsing so that they could go home, hotel rooms or their dressing rooms just to watch Star Trek.  I was in love with Capt Kirk!!!  So, you could say I was a Trekker who got an audition to work on Star Trek V.  Need I say more?????

I went down to Paramount in the worst 5:30pm traffic to pick up my sides and I was so excited because I just knew that I was finally going to play Capt Kirk' love interest!!!  Once I got the script I asked the casting director, "Could you please tell me a little bit about Vixis?" Bill Shepard, the casting director said, "Well, Vixis is the first office Klingon on the Bird of Prey."  I gasped! Oh no, not a Klingon.  I thanked Bill and then ran to the nearest pay phone (we didn't have cell phones in those days!" and called my agent.  I told her, "Carmela, I can't play this part. Vixis is a Klingon and Klingons hate Capt Kirk!!!!!"  After many choice words, she told me to put my head back on and go learn the lines!

3. Describe Vixis

When Todd Bryant and I sat down to work on our characters, we spent a lot of time on back story.  This is the stuff that you sometimes get from the script and other times you just have to make it up so that you can breathe life into your character.  So, for me, Vixis wanted to rule the galaxy, but in the Klingon world, women didn't rule! So, Vixis could vicariously rule through her lover, who Capt Klaa was at the time! I feel that if Capt Klaa wasn't so eager to rule the galaxy, Vixis would have jumped onto another Klingon ship looking for a male that she could control!

I trained and dieted very hard to create Vixis. I ran, lifted weights and went on a competition diet, which is hard for a vegan. As I told Bill Shatner, I'm going to give you a look that SFX can't do for you! I went down to 6% body fat and told the wardrobe lady to make my outfit for a girl with a 21 inch waist.  I only achieved 23 inches and then it took 3 women to lay me down as I sucked in my tummy and they could zip me up.  They were so worried that I couldn't breathe, but I told them that I was good for my character!!!

4. Are there many similarities between the character of Vixis and yourself?

Good question!  Well, I think there used to be some similarities, where as I'd want to be in a place of power, but would only relinquish that possibility because I was a woman.  I'm still a woman, but now, I work as a producer, stunt coordinator, martial artist, etc... where I've learned to embrace my power (not abuse it) but to not be afraid of taking charge and getting the job done! Although, some of the deleted scenes were of myself and Todd where you could see I was manipulating him into doing things we wasn't sure about!!!

5. Describe the on-screen and off-screen relationship you had with actor Todd Bryant, who played Captain Klaa.

Todd and I immediately hit it off and he came to my house 3 days a week to rehearse.  Well, I bribed him by making him lunch when he came over!!!  Such a Vixis thing to do!!!  Anyway, Todd was and still is amazing! We became best friends and we are like brother and sister. We are both into health.  Todd eats very close to how I eat and we take tons of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, probiotics, etc..... I'm doing my doctorate in Holistic Nutrition and have 2 Masters in Fitness Science and Holistic Nutrition.  So, Todd and I are constantly on the phone helping people we love and swapping health stories or advice.  Todd not only stunt doubles Will Ferrell, Brendan Fraser and Tim Robbins, but he also Stunt Coordinates and when there is a part he can play, the producers will ask him to please play it!!!!

6. Describe your impressions of director William Shatner

Oh, you mean, Capt Kirk??? LOL Well, it was hard auditioning for him because he was still in my airy, fairy brain, Capt Kirk.  But, I soon got over it and he was awesome!  People so don't realize what an excellent director Bill was for us. He directed us like ACTORS!  Not CARS.  Today, most directors direct you like traffic!  He let us go through our exploration and the questions actors have to help them define their characters within our rehearsals. He wanted to be part of our creative process at the studio and then sent us home to see what we would bring on the day!!!  I loved working with Bill and I would kill to work with him again!

7. As you know, TrekWeb launched a campaign to restore and remaster Star Trek V into a director's edition which represents Mr. Shatner's original vision of the movie. What is your opinion on this campaign?

Well, this would be a dream come true!  First of all, Bill was an amazing director and had the same creative visions as myself and Todd Bryant had.  There were some wonderful scenes between myself and Todd (Vixis & Klaa) that wound up on the floor of the editing room and someone dropped the ball on the SFX along with other things that should have been in that film.  The story was about a FINAL FRONTEIR, which truly hinges on one's faith. Being in search of God or a Higher Source, is what I believe, every living creature's ultimate goal.  In order to work that deep subject matter into a SFX movie is tricky. But, if you look at what Gene Roddenbury really created was a universe within this world of understanding that God or the Higher Source, is within each and every one of us.

When I read the script for the first time, I got it! But, I also went through 5 suicides in my family, including my dad, a series of sexual abuse from outside my family, and 3 drug & alcohol over-doses. Along with a car accident when I was 18 years old where I experienced an out of body journey into the light, spent 6 days in a coma (by the way, you hear everything!), 3 weeks in a wheelchair and 2 years rehab. No wonder I turned to drugs & alcohol instead of turning within and finding God who eventually helped me turn my life around in 1977! So, for me, seeing and experiencing Star Trek V as I did when I first read the script would be a thrill & a half!!!

8. Can you describe some of your scenes that ended cut?

One of my favorite scenes was with myself and Todd Bryant in front of a huge screen showing the galaxy. Vixis turns and with a very alluring walk, she approaches Capt Klaa and lets him know that the Enterprise has cloaked but by finding Kirk and killing him along with taking out the Enterprise, he would be the greatest warrior in the galaxy!  I walked up to him with purpose, stared into his eyes and very deliciously spoke to my Capt as his mouth watered with excitement and he knew just what to do! 

They CUT THAT!! How dare they!

9. Finally, Spice, what will you remember most about your experience with Star Trek V?

The Premiere was on a Friday, I believe, and on Thursday I got a phone call from a very dear friend of mine that I used to train with. His name was Don and I hadn't seen in a very long time! He wanted to congratulate me for my role and wish me a lot of luck! I asked him what he was up to and he said that he was in the hospital with about 10 left to live! WHAT? Crazy news! So, I asked Don what was wrong and he said it was cancer and he was still doing chemo.  He knows I don't believe in chemo, but that was his choice. So, I said, "Well, Don, as long as you are going to die in about 10 days, you want to come to the premier with me?"  He said, "How can I do that? I told him "Simple, I'll just pick you up at the hospital, take you home to get some fancy clothes and we'll be off!" 

Don giggled and then I said, "I'm serious as a heart attack! I'll be there in the morning."  A good friend of mine who was in my acting class drove a limo and he offered to cut out his paycheck to help me.  Then I called the theater's manager, a lovely man, John Hamilton, told him what I was up to and he agreed to let us come in, via the Red Carpet early and sit up in the balcony.

Well, Don had never been in a limo in his entire 57 years of life and he was beyond thrilled.  When the limo pulled up, all the fans that were waiting around the block for 24 hours were screaming as John came out and with the limo driver's help, they both walked Don and me into the theater with all the paparazzi flashing their cameras. Don was beside himself!

We go in and John just put out the red carpet for Don. That was my request to him.  Not for me, but for Don.  As we got seated up in the balcony, it was Gary Franklin, a movie critic that came in and sat down in the same row as myself and Don.  Once Gary recognized me and spoke my name, the entire theater saw me up in the balcony and started screaming my name.  Don was blown away!!!!  I, of course, stood up and flexed a big bicep muscle and the fans went nuts!

So, the theater went dark and STAR TREK V, the FINAL FRONTEIR began. We were in awe, we laughed, we cried, we got scared and excited throughout the film. When the lights went up, and everyone cheered, screamed and wished me well, I turned to Don who had tears in his eyes and he said to me, "Thank you so much, Spice... I am now ready to go to my Final Frontier!"  Ten days later, to the minute, Don crossed over.

There are many moments, while rehearsing and filming Star Trek V that are very memorable, but for me, this was the most important moment that truly made STAR TREK V, THE FINAL FRONTEIR come to life for me. This film carries a very important message that I feel so honored to be part of.