In Memory of 'Star Trek' Actor Merrit Butrick: 35 Years After His Tragic Death

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As an actor, Merritt Butrick was cast in one of the most coveted roles in the history of science fiction media. He played David Marcus, the son of the iconic Captain James T. Kirk, portrayed by William Shatner in the 1982 theatrical movie, Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn. Sadly, Butrick died of AIDS in 1989. He was only 29 years old. This is his story.

A Closer Look

After his stunning screen debut as David Marcus in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Merritt Butrick returned to the role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (released in 1984). But after that, the character was killed off.

Fortunately, Butrick returned to the world of Star Trek in a TV episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the first small-screen sequel to The Original Series (as it's now known).

In The Next Generation episode, titled, "Symbiosis" (from the first season), Butrick played an alien with a drug addiction.

At the time, Merritt, who had previously appeared on TV shows like Square Pegs, was lacking health insurance, and suffering from AIDS. He was cast in Star Trek: The Next Generation to help cover his medical expenses.

Closing Thoughts

Tragically, Merrit Butrick died only one year after he completed filming his episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But he will never be forgotten by his legion of Star Trek fans from around the world.