I had Dinner with James Doohan when I was 13

Piornet

1942

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(Note: Earlier I said it was 11 - when I looked up everything to document this, I realized I was actually 13 - my apologies for my mistake.)

So, like all good nerds, I’ve been a huge Star Trek fan ever since I was a little kid - even before Next Generation came out (in fact, I still have the VHS tape of when I taped it off of TV the night TNG aired).

So in 1987, shortly after TNG first aired, James Doohan was appearing at the grand opening of...something (I think it was a giant video store or something) in Columbus, Ohio. I lived about two hours south of there in rural Ohio at the time. My cousin Fran, who was and is like a big sister to me, heard about this and offered to take me up there to meet him.

Now one thing to know about Fran is that she very much looked like Elaine from “Seinfeld” - very pretty, long curly hair, etc. She’s also very personable, outgoing, and charming. Lastly, she’s ten years older than I am - so in 1987 she would’ve been 23.

So, we stood in line for a long time at this grand opening and we finally got to meet him. In pictures he looks so warm and nice and everything, but in person he was honestly just as warm and nice as I had expected and hoped he’d be. He was very friendly to me, and especially to my cousin Fran. Very polite, mind you, nothing creepy or pervy at all - just, well, obviously he enjoyed talking with her. And Fran, being the person she is, really chatted him up. After about maybe 10-15 minutes of conversation (we stood off to the side after he autographed the book I brought and he continued talking with other people in line and signing their stuff and posing for pictures, etc.) he asked if we’d like to join him for dinner. I was shy and didn’t say anything, Fran looked at me and happily agreed. We said we’d be back towards the end of the event and headed off to, I dunno, go shopping or something.

(Line slightly exaggerated)

So around the end of the event - I think it was 6 or 7pm or so (it’s been 28 years, so of course my memory’s a bit rusty on the details) we arrived back at the store and...well, there was still a pretty big line. So we skipped past the line and made our way in and eventually made eye contact with James Doohan to let him know we were there (his reaction seemed to say “Who are y...oh right!”). We figured they’d be closing the line soon and we’d head out - but they didn’t and he stayed and met with everyone standing in line.

So finally he wrapped up his gig, did the final meet & greets and goodbye with the staff and their friends and families or whoever that they had brought, and we headed out. He asked where we should go, we didn’t know the city much better than he did, so we went to the restaurant by his hotel.

My 13 year old self and Scotty

We had dinner, he and Fran mostly talked but he’d also try to include me as well - asking about school, what I liked to do, the sort of nice things you ask an awkward 13 year old kid. He was very nice and charming of course. After dinner, we thanked him, we all hugged goodbye, and we headed back down to our hometown.

I met him a few more times at Star Trek conventions over the years, where he continued to politely sign for me books he didn’t write and glossy photos. He remained just as warm and charming to me and everyone I saw him meet.

He was a very nice man, and a class act.

[Full disclaimer - only the Polaroid of James Doohan and me, and the two autographed books, are my pics. The rest are provided for scale.]