Gene Roddenberry Biography

(Screenwriter, Producer, and Creator of American TV Series, 'Star Trek: The Original Series')

Birthday: August 19, 1921 (Leo)

Born In: El Paso

Gene Roddenberry was an American Television screenwriter and producer, who is universally renowned for creating and conceptualizing the futuristic science-fiction show ‘Star Trek’. Throughout his career, whatever Roddenberry pursued was driven by his passions, whether it was volunteering for the ‘United States Army Air Corps’, joining Pan Am as a pilot or moving to Los Angeles to fulfil his writing ambitions. Initially, he achieved a modicum of recognition as a writer by writing for shows like ‘Highway Patrol’ and ‘Have Gun – Will Travel’. But his big break arrived with the inception of ‘Star Trek’, which became so much more than just a TV show. He did not let the producers bring in any changes which was contradictory to his vision. Although, it initially received mixed response from viewers, its re-runs and syndication garnered extremely positive responses and also earned the show a devout fan-following. The show’s success, along with his papers and lectures on related topics enhanced his reputation as a futurist and a visionary. He worked for many more films and TV shows, but none could match the acclaim he received for ‘Star Trek’. As the ‘Star Trek’ franchise continues its success story, Roddenberry will always be remembered as the one who created the concepts and the characters that have been universally celebrated.

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Quick Facts

Nick Name: The Great Bird of the Galaxy

Also Known As: Eugene Wesley Roddenberry

Died At Age: 70

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Eileen Rexroat (m. 1942–1969), Majel Barrett (m. 1969–1991)

father: Eugene Edward Roddenberry

mother: Caroline Roddenberry

children: Darleen Anita Roddenberry-Bacha, Dawn Roddenberry Compton, Rod Roddenberry

Born Country: United States

Atheists T V & Movie Producers

Died on: October 24, 1991

place of death: Santa Monica

City: El Paso, Texas

U.S. State: Texas

More Facts

education: Berendo Junior High School, Franklin High School, Los Angeles City College, Columbia University School

  • 1

    What inspired Gene Roddenberry to create Star Trek?

    Gene Roddenberry was inspired by his experiences as a pilot and by his belief in a positive vision for the future of humanity.
  • 2

    What was Gene Roddenberry's role in the development of Star Trek: The Original Series?

    Gene Roddenberry was the creator and executive producer of Star Trek: The Original Series, playing a key role in shaping the show's vision and themes.
  • 3

    How did Gene Roddenberry's military service influence his work on Star Trek?

    Gene Roddenberry's experiences as a pilot in the military influenced his storytelling in Star Trek, particularly in his emphasis on themes of exploration, diplomacy, and overcoming conflict.
  • 4

    What impact did Gene Roddenberry have on the science fiction genre?

    Gene Roddenberry's creation of Star Trek had a significant impact on the science fiction genre, influencing future creators and shaping the way science fiction was portrayed on television.
  • 5

    What was Gene Roddenberry's vision for humanity's future in Star Trek?

    Gene Roddenberry envisioned a future in Star Trek where humanity had overcome its differences and united to explore the galaxy, promoting values of diversity, equality, and cooperation.
Childhood & Early Life
Eugene Roddenberry was born to Eugene Edward Roddenberry (a police officer) and Caroline Roddenberry in El Paso, Texas. He spent his childhood in Los Angeles, studying in ‘Berendo Junior High School’ and ‘Franklin High School’.
In 1939, he enrolled at the ‘Los Angeles City College’, where he studied law enforcement. Two years later, he graduated with an ‘Associate of Arts’ degree in police science.
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Career
In 1941, he volunteered for the United States Army Air Corps and after completing his training, flew the B-17 bombers in World War II as a ‘Second Lieutenant’. During this time, he began writing, publishing stories for aeronautical magazines and poetry for various journals.
During the war, he was part of several missions and after the war ended, he was honourably discharged from the rank of Captain in 1945.
He next joined the Pan American World Airways and worked for four years as a pilot. In this period, he pursued his writing interests by taking writing courses from ‘Miami University’ and later from ‘Columbia University School of General Studies’.
In 1949, he quit his pilot job and went to Los Angeles to pursue Television writing. To support his family, he joined the ‘Los Angeles Police Department’, where he worked as a spokesperson and speechwriter. He was actively involved in writing for the TV series ‘Dragnet’, which portrayed the cases of police officers in LAPD.
During his tenure in LAPD, he pursued his writing ambitions and started writing for shows such as ‘Mr. District Attorney’, ‘Goodyear Theatre’, ‘Naked City’, ‘The Kaiser Aluminium Hour’, ‘Four Star Theater’, etc.
In 1956, he resigned from LAPD and started writing full-time as a freelance writer. He wrote for some TV shows like ‘Highway Patrol’, ‘Have Gun – Will Travel’ and ‘Whiplash’. But, he became discontented and began to write new concepts and ideas for television instead, many of which never made it to the screen.
In 1964, he developed a series ‘Star Trek’, a futuristic science-fiction show that chronicles the adventures of a mixed group of humans and aliens, also depicting the prevailing issues of time. ‘Desilu Studios’ agreed to produce the show and two years later, it started airing on Television.
‘Star Trek’ aired for 3 seasons from 1966 to 1969, in which Roddenberry worked as writer for two seasons, after which it was cancelled due to low ratings. However, the series became popular later through re-runs and syndication, winning numerous honours and also acquiring a very dedicated fan-following.
After ‘Star Trek’, he wrote the screenplay for the 1971 mystery film ‘Pretty Maids All in a Row’, which he also produced.
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From 1973 to 1974, he wrote and produced the television films ‘Genesis II’, ‘Planet Earth’, ‘The Questor Tapes’ and ‘Spectre’, none of which achieved major success. He was also involved as a ‘Writer’ and ‘Executive Consultant’ in ‘Star Trek: The Animated Series’.
An idea for another ‘Star Trek’ series was mooted and eventually a full-length film was made with the title ‘Star Trek: The Motion Picture’, which was released in 1979. Helped by the franchise’s already existing popularity, the film was a commercial hit, grossing $139 million at the box-office worldwide.
He also wrote a novel based on the film, which was a bestseller and sold almost a million copies.
In 1980, his role in ‘Star Trek’ became less central and he was designated as ‘Executive Producer’. He continued his involvement with the next five ‘Star Trek’ sequels too.
In 1987, the next instalment in the ‘Star Trek’ series, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ was a great success, both critically and commercially.
Major Works
Gene Roddenberry is the creator and writer of the pioneering science-fiction series ‘Star Trek’. Its concept and characters have been used in numerous sequels and films released over the years. Its characters have also featured in animated films, video games, parodies and merchandise.
Awards & Achievements
In the course of his work in the United States Army Air Corps as a pilot of the B-17 bombers, he flew eighty-nine missions. He was presented with ‘The Distinguished Flying Cross’ and the ‘Air Medal’ for his achievements.
In 1967, Roddenberry won a ‘Hugo Award’ in the category ‘Best Dramatic Presentation’ for the episode ‘The Menagerie’ from the series ‘Star Trek’.
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In 1986, he was presented with a star on the esteemed ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ and became only the first writer to be honoured this way.
Personal Life & Legacy
Roddenberry married Eileen Rexroat in 1942 and had two daughters with her, Darleen and Dawn. Due to his extra-marital affairs, the marriage ended in divorce after twenty-seven years.
He had romantic relationships with actresses Nichelle Nichols and Majel Barrett, whom he eventually married in 1969 in Japan. He has one child from this marriage, named ‘Eugene Wesley Roddenberry, Jr’.
Trivia:
This famous screenwriter of ‘Star Trek’ fame had a narrow escape as an infant, when his house caught fire. He and his family were saved by the timely intervention of a milkman.
After his death, the ashes of this famous screenwriter were launched into space on two occasions, as a mark of respect for his accomplishments.
Facts About Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry was a licensed commercial pilot and would often fly his own plane to visit filming locations for Star Trek.
He created a special award, the "Star Trek Association for Science and Space," to encourage young people to pursue careers in science and technology.
Roddenberry was known for his love of animals and often included his own dogs in episodes of Star Trek.
He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and flew combat missions in the Pacific theater.
Roddenberry was a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in his work, pushing boundaries with the casting of a diverse crew on the Starship Enterprise.

Gene Roddenberry Movies

1. Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

  (Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure)

2. Star Trek (2009)

  (Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure)

3. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

  (Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi)

4. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

  (Adventure, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Drama, Action)

5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

  (Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi)

6. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

  (Thriller, Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi)

7. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

  (Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action)

8. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

  (Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Adventure)

9. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

  (Mystery, Adventure, Sci-Fi)

10. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

  (Adventure, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Mystery, Action)

See the events in life of Gene Roddenberry in Chronological Order

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