James "Beam me up Scotty" Doohan exits public life

[Doctor Q]

James Doohan played Scotty the engineer on Star Trek. Now diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he has retired from public life. He also has Parkinson's disease and diabetes. He was one of the Star Trek actors who was most accessible to fans, which they appreciated. Tickets to his last appearance with fans, in Hollywood last Sunday, cost up to $1,000 but still drew a crowd. The money was donated for Alzheimer's research.

In related news, Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) had an angioplasty procedure last week to widen an artery.

So these Trek actors are down-to-earth humans after all.

 

[~Shard~]

Horrible news of course, but it happens, and no one is immune. Doohan has a wife, kids, mother father and family just like everyone else who has to deal with these conditions, and I can only imagine how hard it is for everyone involved. Personally, I think losing my mind slowly like that would be one of the worst possible fates - I value my mind so much that I would almost prefer to be a paraplegic and still be able to read a book, do a crossword puzzle, use my Mac, and most importantly recognize my own family, than to have Alzheimer's...

 

[ThomasJefferson]

I grew up with the original series in the 60's and have always had a soft spot for the trek of that generation.

(SpoCK has done some photography work, for those camera nerds out there.)

 

[sonyrules]

James Doohan played Scotty the engineer on Star Trek. Now diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, he has retired from public life. He also has Parkinson's disease and diabetes. He was one of the Star Trek actors who was most accessible to fans, which they appreciated. Tickets to his last appearance with fans, in Hollywood last Sunday, cost up to $1,000 but still drew a crowd. The money was donated for Alzheimer's research.

In related news, Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) had an angioplasty procedure last week to widen an artery.

So these Trek actors are down-to-earth humans after all.

At least thier donating for a good cause, not just wasted on other things. To bad it had to happen to him though...

 

[ExoticFish]

i saw him at a convention about a year and a half ago and he introduced his young daughter of life 6 or something.

 

[rueyeet]

Personally, I think losing my mind slowly like that would be one of the worst possible fates

Having watched my grandmother's slow deterioration into senility, and been told much about my uncle's long descent into Parkinson's, I wholly agree. My mom has said time and again that when her mind starts to go, she wants to drive over a cliff or something (of course, she is also absolutely paranoid about getting Alzheimer's).

Many stories have been written and movies made about the concept of identity being based on memory--what happens to your identity when you can no longer remember all the things and people and places and happenings that made you you?

 

[wdlove]

You are correct these actors are human and can have all the same diseases that we do. It is very sad about James "Beam me up Scotty" Doohan having a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and diabetes. No cure for these diseases at the moment. My father-in-law has parkinson's and all they can really do is treat the symptoms. My mother died of Alzeheimer's, lucky for her it was only about six months. I hope that the Alzeheimer's study that I'm in will expand. It is about genetic's and how the results effects and individual.