DeForest Kelley Jackson DeForest Kelley was famous for his role as Leonard " Bones " McCoy , MD , on . He went on to voice the character on " " and to play the character in the first six " Star Trek " movies . He also appeared as an aged Admiral McCoy in the pilot episode . Footage of Kelley from was used in the " " episode . Kelley had his makeup test and approval on Thursday and filmed his scenes for " Encounter at Farpoint " on Tuesday on Paramount Stage 9 . His image also appeared in , in a photograph that was among Spock ' s possessions bequeathed to . Biography . Kelley was born in Atlanta , Georgia . Having always wanted to be a doctor yet thwarted by the Great Depression , Kelley instead went into show business starting as a singer with the Lew Forbes Orchestra and in radio . In 1937 Kelley went to Long Beach , California , to stay with his uncle for two weeks . Those two weeks became a year . Even after returning to Georgia , he decided that California was where he wanted to be . While living in California , Kelley joined a local theater group . There he met Carolyn Dowling , whom he would marry in 1945 . During the Second World War , Kelley served as a bomber crew member . Towards the end of the war , a talent scout for Paramount Pictures saw Kelley in a Navy training film which led to a screen test and a contract , starring in his first motion picture . Later that same year , Kelley co - starred with such legendary entertainers as and in the musical comedy " Variety Girl " . Future TOS guest actor Richard Webb made an appearance as himself in this film . Kelley went on to co - star with fellow TOS performers Jeff Corey and Whit Bissell as prison escapees in the 1948 thriller " Canon City " . He appeared in smaller , uncredited roles in several films throughout the 1950s , most notably " The Men " ( 1950 ) , " House of Bamboo " ( 1955 , with Biff Elliot ) and " The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit " ( 1956 , with John Crawford and Kenneth Tobey ) . He did , however , have a larger , supporting role in the 1955 film noir " Illegal " , co - starring future " Star Trek " alumni Robert Ellenstein and Lawrence Dobkin . Throughout the late 1950s and the 1960s , he starred or appeared primarily in Westerns . He played in the acclaimed 1957 Western " Gunfight at the O . K . Corral " , in which fellow " Trek " alumni Whit Bissell and Kenneth Tobey also appeared . Interestingly enough , Kelley had earlier played on a 1955 episode of " You Are There " entitled " The Gunfight at the O . K . Corral " . He , of course , revisited the O . K . Corral one more time on " Star Trek " in the 1968 episode , . Kelley then appeared in such classic Westerns as Sturges ' " The Law and Jake Wade " ( 1958 ) , " Warlock " ( 1959 , with Whit Bissell , Paul Comi , Frank Gorshin , Roy Jenson , and Gary Lockwood ) and " Town Tamer " ( 1965 , with Richard Webb ) . He also co - starred in a few non - Westerns during this time , including " Where Love Has Gone " ( 1964 , with Whit Bissell and Anthony Caruso ) and the 1965 comedy " Marriage on the Rocks " , starring crooners Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin . During this time , he made guest appearances on a number of television series , including " Gunsmoke " , " Perry Mason " , " Death Valley Days " , " The Untouchables " , and " The Fugitive " ( in an episode with Jason Wingreen ) . In a 1962 episode of " Bonanza " , Kelley played a doctor for the first time . That episode also starred another man who would play a " Trek " doctor , John Hoyt . In 1963 , Kelley appeared in an episode of " The Virginian " with Brian Keith . This episode , entitled " Duel at Shiloh " , was edited together with another episode to produce a TV special called " The Bull of the West " , which aired in 1971 . Later in 1963 , Kelley guest - starred in a second episode of " The Virginian " , " Man of Violence " , this time with future " Star Trek " co - star Leonard Nimoy , as well as " Trek " semi - regular Jim Goodwin . That show marked the second time Kelley played a doctor . In 1964 , Kelley was on the top of writer - producer Gene Roddenberry ' s list of actors for the role of the ship ' s doctor in , the first " Star Trek " pilot . However , director Robert Butler suggested veteran actor John Hoyt for the role . ( " " , p 37 - 38 ) A year later , Kelley made a small appearance in the pilot episode of Roddenberry ' s series " Police Story " , which co - starred Steve Ihnat , Malachi Throne , and Grace Lee Whitney . The series was not sold and the pilot was finally aired on television in September , 1967 ( when " Star Trek " s second season was in production ) . This " Police Story " , however , is not to be confused with a later NBC series of the same name , on which Kelley guest - starred in 1973 . The same year , Roddenberry wanted Kelley to replace Hoyt for the second " Trek " pilot , . However , he was again overruled by the director ( James Goldstone ) , who wanted Paul Fix for the role . Finally , in 1966 , Roddenberry could cast Kelley as the new chief surgeon , Leonard McCoy for the regular series , starting with . ( " " , p 75 , 152 ) In the first season , Kelley ' s salary was $ 850 per episode , which was raised to $ 1 , 250 per episode in the second season when he earned a co - star status . ( " " , " " ) He appeared in very few movies after being cast as Dr . McCoy ; his only non - " Trek " feature film following the cancellation of " Star Trek " was the 1972 horror / science fiction B - movie " Night of the Lepus " , co - starring yet another " Trek " doctor , Paul Fix , and a group of giant , mutant rabbits . Kelley did , however , continue working in television , guest - starring on shows like " Ironside " ( with Barbara Anderson ) and " Owen Marshall : Counselor at Law " ( in an episode with the aforementioned Paul Fix ) . After " Star Trek " was resurrected as a motion picture franchise with the release of in , Kelley took on few other roles . A few months prior to making his appearance in " Encounter at Farpoint " , Kelley expressed skepticism concerning . " " It ' s a mystery to me why they are doing it , " " he remarked . " " I assume Paramount thinks they can hold onto the " Star Trek " phenomena . There ' s no doubt we can ' t go on forever , so they ' re trying a way to keep it going . But there ' s only one " Star Trek " , and that ' s ours . " " ( " " issue 117 , p . 9 ) A few years later he hosted the short documentary " To Boldly Go " , a making - of featurette of " The Next Generation " . Kelley ' s only non - " Trek " role throughout the 1990s ( and his final role before his death ) was the voice of " Viking I " in the direct - to - video animated movie " The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars " . Kelley retired from acting in the mid 1990s , and succumbed to stomach cancer on June 11 , 1999 , the first of the original " Trek " cast to pass on , and the only one not to survive into the 21st century . He was survived by Carolyn Dowling , his wife of nearly 54 years , who passed away in October 2004 . Several costumes and costume pieces worn by Kelley were sold off in the It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction on eBay , including his neck scarf from .