Eddie Paskey

Eddie Paskey was a former actor remembered mainly for his role as Lieutenant Leslie, a recurring character during . According to the , "He had been working at the gasoline station where all Desilu studio trucks and cars were serviced when studio vice-president Herbert F. Solow got him the job on Star Trek."
Paskey had previously appeared in Gene Roddenberry's unsold 1965 pilot, Police Story, which also featured DeForest Kelley, Grace Lee Whitney, Malachi Throne, and Steve Ihnat, and made background appearances on The Lucy Show, starring Lucille Ball; both produced at Desilu. According to Paskey, it was assistant director Gregg Peters (rather than Solow), who got him his job on Star Trek, after working together on The Lucy Show. 
He appeared in 57 episodes but only received onscreen credit for and . His speaking opportunities on the series were limited to the two on-screen credited episodes plus and . In addition to his role as Lieutenant Leslie, he portrayed Connors in . 
Paskey served as William Shatner's stand-in and occasional body double (most notably in ). He was also a hand double for James Doohan, who was missing a finger, in . In , he was the truck driver who struck and killed Edith Keeler. For the episode , he appeared as a Zeon resistance member and chauffeur who drove Kirk and Spock. He retired during the third season due to a back injury, and severe headaches that were aggravated by the stage lighting on the set. The last episode he worked on was . 
Aside from his work in Star Trek, his other television credits include appearances on Ben Casey (1965) (with Marsha Hunt and Harry Landers), The Dick Van Dyke Show (1966), The Lucy Show, and Mission: Impossible (1966, with George Takei, Barry Russo, Victor Tayback, William Smithers, Michael Barrier, Jack Donner, Blaisdel Makee, Chuck Courtney, Bob Johnson, and Don Marshall). 
After retiring from acting, Paskey and his wife, Judy, established "The Air Shop", a car-detailing business, in Santa Ana, California in 1981. He and Judy continued to operate the business until they sold it in 2002. 
He was interviewed for an article in in . He tried to return to acting after his pain had disappeared but he had lost many of his Hollywood contacts. Although he thought about auditioning for initially, he later reconsidered. He also admitted that he was a fan of the but not the spin-off series, . 
Paskey appeared in the pilot episode of the fan-produced internet series , "Come What May", in . This time, he portrayed Admiral Leslie, the father of Lieutenant Leslie.
Paskey passed away three days before his 82nd birthday on 17 August 2021. 
== Star Trek appearances ==
File:Leslie, 2268.jpg|LeslieRecurring character
File:Connors.jpg|Connors(uncredited)
File:Starbase 11 patient and assistant.jpg|Starbase 11 medical care assistant(uncredited)
File:Eddie Paskey Kirk.jpg|Photo double for William Shatner(uncredited)
File:Truck (1930).jpg|Stunt truck driver(uncredited)
File:Eddie Paskey, Wolf in the Fold.jpg|Hand double for James Doohan(uncredited)
File:Bela's hoods.jpg|Bela's hood(uncredited)
File:Zeon rebel disguise.jpg|Zeon resistance member(uncredited)
=== Appearances as Leslie ===
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* (archive footage)
== Further reading ==
* Kathleen M. Gooch, Lieutenant Who?, , issue 132, p. 93
== External links ==
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* – former official site
* – once documented every appearance by Lt. Leslie
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Category:Performers
Category:TOS performers
Category:DS9 performers
Category:Stand-ins