Little Known Spaghetti Western Actors ~ James Doohan

[These daily posts will cover little known actors or people that have appeared in more recent films and TV series. Various degrees of information that I was able to find will be given and anything that you can add would be appreciated.]

James Montgomery Doohan was a Canadian actor, voice artist, author, and soldier best known for portraying Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, the chief engineer of the starship Enterprise, in the original Star Trek television series and its subsequent films.Born in Vancouver, British Columbia on March 3, 1920, to Irish immigrant parents, Doohan grew up in Sarnia, Ontario, where he developed an early interest in mathematics and science before enlisting in the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II.

Doohan's military service was marked by valor and sacrifice; he rose to the rank of captain and led a unit during the D-Day invasion at Juno Beach on June 6, 1944, where he was wounded by friendly fire, losing the middle finger of his right hand and sustaining injuries to his leg and chest. After the war, he transitioned to acting through studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York. He began his entertainment career in Canadian radio and television, performing in over 4,000 radio programs and 450 television episodes, including early roles in series like Space Command and voice work in animated projects.

Doohan's breakthrough came in 1966 when he was cast as Scotty in Star Trek, a role he secured after auditioning with seven different accents and settling on a Scottish brogue inspired by his wartime encounters; he reprised the character in 66 episodes of the original series (1966–1969) and seven feature films from 1979 to 1994. Beyond Star Trek, he appeared in numerous other productions, such as ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and ‘Fantasy Island’ and lent his voice to characters in shows like “The New Scooby-Doo Movies”. In his later years, Doohan became a convention staple, advocating for Alzheimer's awareness after his 2004 diagnosis, and he received honors including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004 and an honorary Doctor of Engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1993. He died of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's disease at his home in Redmond, Washington on July 20, 2005, survived by his third wife, Wende, and seven children from three marriages.

James Doohan appeared in one Euro-western, “Uomo bianco và col tuo Dio” (Man in the Wilderness) as Benoit in 1971.

DOOHAN, James (aka Jim Doohan) (James Montgomery Doohan) [3/3/1920, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – 7/20/2005, Redmond, Washington, U.S.A. (pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease)] – film, TV, voice actor, married to Janet Randolph Young [1928-2019] (1949-1964) father of nurse Larkin Doohan [1954-    ] father of Michelle Doohan, Kathleen Doohan, married to actress, singer Deirdre Doohan [1957-     ], twins Montgomery Doohan [1959-     ], actor Christopher Doohan [1959-    ], married to Anita Yagel [1945-    ] (1967-1972), married to actress Wende Doohan (Wende C. Braunberger) [1956-2005] (1974-2005) father of author Eric Doohan [1976-    ], Thomas Doohan [1978-    ], Sarah Doohan [2000-    ].

Man in the Wilderness – 1971 (Benoit)