"Stuntlady" Sandra Gimpel Publishes Autobiography
Image: Paramount.
MAY 5, 2023 – This isn’t the return of Trek Trivia, but what do a Talosian and an M-113 salt vampire have in common?
The answer: Sandra Gimpel.
If you didn’t know that, you don’t lose any cred, as Gimpel was not credited for her screen appearances as a Talosian and the salt creature in Star Trek: The Original Series’ first pilot “The Cage” and season one episode “The Man Trap.” Now that you do know, you’re probably wondering, well, who is this Sandra Gimpel? You can let Gimpel herself answer that question.
As she announced on Facebook the other day, Gimpel has published an autobiography, Stuntlady: Falling for the Stars. Gimpel has been a dancer, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and second unit director for many television shows and films. Her stunt work began with Star Trek, when Central Casting, the company that casts background performers, sent her to appear as a Talosian and to stunt-double fellow Talosian Meg Wyllie. She went on to appear as the salt vampire and soon became Bill Mumy’s double in the last two seasons of Lost in Space. She was still working as of her interview with StarTrek.com in 2016.
Stuntlady can be ordered from Amazon or from Gimpel’s website, which includes the option of a signed copy.
David is a contributing writer for Daily Star Trek News on the Roddenberry Podcast Network. He is a librarian, baseball fan, and book and movie buff. He has also written for American Libraries and Skeptical Inquirer. David also enjoys diverse music, but leans toward classical and jazz. He plays a mean radio.
