Star Trek & Twilight Zone actress Joanne Linville dies at 93

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Sad news today as it was announced that Joanne Linville, best known for her performances on Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, died yesterday at the age of 93. According to the press release announcing her death, "Linville lived a full life. One whose spirit, passion for art and life was an inspiration to all who had the pleasure of knowing her."

For Star Trek fans such as myself, Joanne Linville is instantly recognizable as the Romulan Commander in The Enterprise Incident, one of the best episodes of The Original Series. Linville's character, who went unnamed, was the powerful commander of a Romulan ship which was infiltrated by Kirk and Spock as part of a secret plot to steal a Romulan cloaking device. She found herself drawn to Spock and even enjoyed a brief romance with him. Linville also starred alongside James Gregory in the Civil War-set Twilight Zone episode, The Passerby. Linville would go on to appear in dozens of TV shows, such as Guiding Light, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Third Man, Have Gun — Will Travel, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Route 66, The Defenders, Naked City, I Spy, The Fugitive, Bonanza, The Invaders, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., Hawaii Five-O, Columbo, Kojak, CHiPs, Barnaby Jones, Dynasty, L.A. Law, and more. She was also featured in movies like The Goddess, Scorpio, Gable and Lombard, A Star is Born, The Seduction, James Dean, and more.

Joanne Linville was a longtime friend and protégée of famed actress and acting teacher Stella Adler, and together with Irene Gilbert, she co-founded the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in Los Angeles. Linville also wrote Seven Steps to an Acting Craft, which was published in 2011. You will be missed.