Stanley Adams Stanley Adams was an actor and writer of stage and screen . In , he played Cyrano Jones in the episode . He also co - wrote the TOS episode . He went on to contribute his voice to the episode , reprising the role of Cyrano Jones . Adams filmed his scenes for " The Trouble with Tribbles " between Friday and Tuesday at Desilu Stage 10 . In , archive footage of his appearance in " The Trouble with Tribbles " was used in the episode , nineteen years after his death by a self - inflicted gunshot . Biography . Born in New York City , Adams made appearances in several films during the 1930s , but continued working primarily in theater . It was not until he recreated his stage role of the bartender in the 1951 film version of " Death of a Salesman " that he decided to pursue a consistent career in that medium . One of his earliest credited film roles came in the science fiction comedy " The Atomic Kid " , which co - starred fellow TOS guest actors Whit Bissell and Peter Brocco . Since then , he appeared in such classic , Oscar - nominated motion pictures as Alfred Hitchcock ' s " North by Northwest " ( 1959 , co - starring Lawrence Dobkin , Robert Ellenstein and Ken Lynch ) , Blake Edwards ' " Breakfast at Tiffany ' s " ( 1961 ) and Stanley Kramer ' s 1965 drama " Ship of Fools " ( co - starring Michael Dunn and Barbara Luna ) . Adams ' role in the 1963 drama " Lilies of the Field " ( with cinematography by Ernest Haller and music by Jerry Goldsmith ) was referenced in the Trek episode in which Adams appeared . In evaluating the tribbles , Mr . Spock paraphrases Matthew 6 : 28 by saying they are like " the lilies of the field - - they toil not , neither do they spin . " Adams also had a small , unbilled role in the 1956 drama " Somebody Up There Likes Me " . This film was directed by Robert Wise , who would go on to direct . Also appearing uncredited in the film were fellow " Star Trek " alumni Robert Easton and Roy Jenson . Later , Adams appeared in 1959 ' s " High School Big Shot " ( costarring Virginia Aldridge ) . Adams and Jenson also appeared together in the 1960 Western " North to Alaska " , along with Charles Seel . Perhaps Adams ' most notable film role , however , is that of Perelli in the 1962 boxing drama " Requiem for a Heavyweight " . His other major film credits include " Studs Lonigan " ( 1960 , starring Frank Gorshin ) , " The Outsider " ( 1961 , with Paul Comi ) , " The Young Savage " ( 1961 , with Clegg Hoyt ) , " Critic ' s Choice " ( 1963 , with Lucille Ball and Grace Lee Whitney ) , " The Gene Krupa Story " ( 1963 , with Yvonne Craig , Lawrence Dobkin , Celia Lovsky , and Susan Oliver ) , " Fate Is the Hunter " ( 1964 , with Nehemiah Persoff ) , " A House Is Not a Home " ( 1964 , with Roger C . Carmel and Michael Forest ) , " Nevada Smith " ( 1966 , with Brian Keith and Paul Fix ) , and the 1967 Elvis Presley picture " Double Trouble " . His television credits continued to increase during this time , as well . During the 1950s , he appeared on such programs as " The Silent Service " ( with Liam Sullivan and Leonard Nimoy ) , " Gunsmoke " , " Maverick " ( with Michael Dante ) , and " The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis " . Throughout the 1960s , he could be seen on " Thriller " , " Have Gun - Will Travel " , " The Andy Griffith Show " , " Wagon Train " , " The Untouchables " ( which , like " Star Trek " , was also produced by Desilu ) , " Bonanza " , " The Twilight Zone " , " Perry Mason " , " The Addams Family " , " The Dick Van Dyke Show " , " Batman " , " Gilligan ' s Island " , and " Lost in Space " , among many others . Adams continued receiving steady work throughout the 1970s , with appearances on " The Odd Couple " , " Mannix " , and " Ironside " , among other TV shows . He was also a part of the cast – along with Elisha Cook , Jr . and Barry Atwater – of 1972 ' s " The Night Stalker " , a TV movie which would lead to the acclaimed but short - lived series " Kolchak : The Night Stalker " , starring John Fiedler . Adams himself appeared in an episode of this series in 1974 , along with Robert DoQui . Adams even continued performing in films , such as Russ Meyer ' s 1971 drama " The Seven Minutes " ( with Charles Napier and Jan Shutan ) , Woody Allen ' s 1972 comedy " Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask " ( with Ian Abercrombie and Jay Robinson ) , and the 1974 crime drama " Act of Vengeance " . His life came to an end by his own hand when he committed suicide in 1977 . He had just turned 62 years old .