TREKCORE > VOY > EPISODES > FLASHBACK > BEHIND THE SCENES > 1

	George Takei (Roddenberry remembered how to pronounce Takei by rhyming it with "Okay") reprises the role of Sulu, which he plays in TOS and TOS-era films. Sulu's appearance in Voyager was to mark Star Trek's 30th Anniversary, and achieves remarkable continuity with the events in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country in which Captain Sulu appears. Sulu's first name "Hikaru" was authorized by Gene Roddenberry in 1979 but it was not used until the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country whose film theatre release date was 1991.
	Grace Lee Whitney (Rand): "I hadn't really done any science fiction before, apart from an episode of 'Outer Limits', so I just didn't know what to envisage. I had 'Buck Rogers' and 'War of the Worlds' in my head, and other things like that. But as soon as I saw the pilot for Star Trek, I was blown away. It was much more modern and futuristic than I expected. I thought it was hi-tech, and that's what fascinated me about it. From the very beginning, I knew there was something special about it. I would never have guessed it would have gone on for 34 years, but I knew it was special. And when I first saw the dailies, it was just beautiful. The photography was just really well done - Jerry Finnerman was the photographer and he did a great job. The lighting was very dramatic, with shadows and beautiful close-ups; I thought it was more like movie material than a TV show. And the colour was especially beautiful because they were trying to sell colour sets at that time. I remember thinking how Rand's red uniform and blonde hair looked very nice, and I liked Spock's blue tunic too. And then, of course, beneath everything, the interaction between the characters really sold the show."
	"The Conscience of the King" was Whitney's eighth and final appearance in TOS, and her contract with the series was terminated. Although the decision was said to be a cost-cutting measure, she was never officially told why her character had been written out. Whitney: "It was a total shock. My agent heard that Kirk and (his personal yeoman) Rand were getting too close, and they couldn't get Kirk involved with a woman on board because when he had affairs with other women, it would make him look bad. I probably will never know for sure. But I knew it wasn't anything to do with my work, or a personality conflict with the producers, or anything like that... I have a letter from (producer) Bob Justman saying that they planned to bring me back. Why they didn't, I don't know. Gene Roddenberry also told me he was very sorry he let the character go, and he should have left her on board so she could have been the only one who really knew Kirk. Rand could have been the audience's eye; it would have been a very interesting dynamic. But Gene said he couldn't think of it at the time because there were so many other things going on."
	Whitney's involuntary departure from Star Trek left her "heartbroken', and propelled her into a 15-year struggle against alcoholism. While that fight is definitely over, the actress still feels a lingering sense of disappointment about the way fate curtailed Rand's involvement in the series. Whitney is especially upset that she did not get to appear in an episode that was originally devised as a showcase for her character, TOS: Dagger of the Mind; her character was replaced by Dr Helen Noel played by Marianna Hill. However, when Paramount Pictures agreed to revive Star Trek as a series of feature films, Gene Roddenberry was finally able to bring back Grace Lee Whitney, as Janice Rand again. She appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and briefly appeared in the next three Star Trek films and finally Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country. And eventually Whitney guest-starred as Janice Rand in the 30th Anniversary tribute to Star Trek, the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Flashback", appearing with fellow guest-star George Takei who reprises his role of Captain Hikaru Sulu from events depicted in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country.
	Whitney: "It was very nice working with the new crew. Kate Mulgrew was quite extraordinary. She and Tim Russ were both kind of awesome in their reading of the lines. They had like photographic memories and they just seemed to pick up the scripts and remember everything. To me, it was amazing. George and I were treated like royalty on Star Trek: Voyager. We teased them a lot. We told them that if it weren't for us, they wouldn't have a job! And they kept talking about the original Enterprise as being kind of put together with spit and rubber bands. They said they wouldn't have known what to do back there! We all had a lot of fun."
	"Flashback" left the door open for further appearances by Captain Sulu and Commander Rand. Whitney would love to play her character once again, but has no idea if Paramount Pictures will ever explore that option. "There was talk of a mini-series about Captain Sulu and Janice Rand on the Excelsior. George and I thought it could have been very popular, but the studio hasn't acted on it so far. We haven't ruled it out, but we're not as excited as we once were." (The idea has never been realized.) Now aged over 70, Whitney is a popular speaker on the convention circuit, where she not only discusses her experiences as the character Janice Rand but also her recovery from alcoholism. "The great thing about being a part of Star Trek is that it's like being part of a family. I really enjoy meeting the show's viewers, and it's wonderful to be loved and recognized for what you do. How many actors have their work recognized like the Star Trek cast do? It's just incredible really."
	From Janet's Star Trek Voyager Website