Melvin Belli
Melvin Mouron Belli (29 July1907–9 July1996; age 88) is most famous as a criminal defense and personal injury lawyer, not an actor, but is also known for playing the role ofGorgan in theStar Trek: The Original Seriesthird season episode "And the Children Shall Lead". He filmed his scenes for the episode on Monday1 July1968 and Friday5 July1968 atDesilu Stage 9.
Among his many legal accomplishments are the defense ofJack Ruby, the man who murderedLee Harvey Oswald, and numerous refinements to personal injury litigation, including "day in the life" films designed to graphically demonstrate the impact of injuries on their victims. He was also the defense attorney ofMick Jagger andThe Rolling Stones. In this capacity, Belli appeared in the 1970 documentaryGimme Shelter, which dealt with the disastrous Altamont Free Concert and its aftermath.
In 1954, his accomplishments ledLife magazine to dub him the "King of Torts."Walter Koenig objected to his playing the role of Gorgan, believing the role should have gone to someone in the acting business. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages)Fred Freiberger said of Belli, "He wasn't the greatest actor in the world, but was very cooperative […] He was fun to work with." (The Star Trek Interview Book, p. 164) He was the father ofCaesar Belli, who playedSteve O'Connel in the same episode.
He had a peripheral role in the investigation of the "Zodiac Killer", which took place in the San Francisco area between 1969 and 1973, and was portrayed byBrian Cox inDavid Fincher's 2007 filmZodiac, which dramatized the events. The film includes a reference to Belli's guest role inStar Trek.
He died in 1996 of complications due to pancreatic cancer.