"The City on the Edge of Forever" is often hailed as one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.
In the episode, the Enterprise crew finds themselves in an altered timeline that has been changed from theirs some time in 1920's New York. Looking to restore everything back to normal, Kirk discovers the only way to save their time is the death of the woman he fell in love with, Edith Keeler.
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Playing the role of Edith Keeler was famed dramatic actress, Joan Collins. She had received one of her big breakout roles years prior as Princess Nellifer in the movie, Land of Pharaohs, and would later work on the popular soap opera Dynasty in the 80s.
Much like a majority of the Star Trek cast at the time, Collins didn’t realize how popular both the series and her role would become. In an interview with StarTrek.com, Collins revealed that it was her children that encouraged her to take the part.
“When I was asked to do Star Trek, I remember saying to my agent, 'Well, what is Star Trek?' I’d never heard of it. When I told my children — who were then about two and four — that I’d been asked to do Star Trek, my daughter jumped up and down and said, 'Oh, mum, you must do it. It’s a great show.' So that’s why I did it,” said Joan Collins on taking the part of Edith Keeler.
Having won Star Trek's first Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Performance in 1968, "The City on the Edge of Forever" would help the series make its claim to fame. While she only shared one part in the final frontier, it’s one that Star Trek fans continue to cherish and admire to this day.
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