The film’s original title was Captain Starshine
The first version of the Galaxy Quest script, by co-writer David Howard, was entitled Captain Starshine. Originally it explored how actors are pigeonholed after working in sci-fi, but then Howard hit on the idea of adding real aliens. The script was later purchased by DreamWorks producer Mark Johnson, but it wound up being entirely re-written by Bob Gordon.
The film’s original director Harold Ramis quit when Tim Allen was cast
Galaxy Quest was directed by Dean Parisot, but the first director attached to the project was the late comedy legend Harold Ramis (director of Groundhog Day and Caddyshack). However, when Tim Allen was hired to play Jason Nesmith, Ramis was so against this that he quit. Ramis’ preferred candidates for the role included Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Kevin Kline, who all passed.
Alan Rickman said it was one of the funniest scripts he had ever read
The late English actor Alan Rickman praised Galaxy Quest highly, describing it as “really … one of the funniest scripts I’ve read.” Speaking to Starlog Magazine in 2000, he was delighted to be playing a less serious or villainous role than his usual fare. Rickman went on to say that “actors are probably the only professionals who send themselves up.”
Tim Allen did NOT base his performance on William Shatner’s Captain Kirk
Despite many believing otherwise, Tim Allen did not base his performance on William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk. Rather, the actor took inspiration from Yul Brynner’s Rameses II in the 1956 biblical epic The Ten Commandments, specifically his regal posture. Allen revealed this perhaps unlikely source of inspiration in a 15th-anniversary interview: “I worked off of that. I studied that.”
Sigourney Weaver’s blonde wig and enhanced bosom gave her “a totally new personality”
Sigourney Weaver was said to have been surprised when she was offered the part of Gwen DeMarco. The Alien series star revealed that this role “was closer to telling the truth about myself and science fiction… I’m much closer to Gwen than I am to Ripley.” Weaver has also noted that her blonde wig and enhanced bosom gave her “a totally new personality.”
Alan Rickman’s character was originally the villain
In the earliest script, Alan Rickman’s character Dane was very different, and the film’s main villain. David Howard explains, “He’s written all these sci-fi novels and made a lot of money and he has decided he’s going to discover the real thing… he opens this rift in time and space and goes to this planet… [where] he kind of establishes himself as Ming the Merciless.”
The villain is named Sarris after a movie critic who trashed one of the producers’ films
Galaxy Quest’s alien antagonist Roth’h’ar Sarris is played by English actor Robin Sachs, who’s unrecognisable under heavy make-up. The name Sarris was used at the insistence of Galaxy Quest producer Mark Johnson as revenge on film critic Andrew Sarris, who had written an unkind review of Mark Johnson’s earlier film The Natural.
Tim Allen almost took the lead role in Bicentennial Man instead
On top of not being everyone’s first choice for Jason Nesmith, Tim Allen wasn’t always sure about taking the part himself, because at the same time he was under consideration for another sci-fi movie: Bicentennial Man, director Chris Colombus’ film about an android trying to become more human. Ultimately, Bicentennial Man would be made with the late Robin Williams in the central role.
A Galaxy Quest TV ‘mockumentary’ was produced to tie in with the film
Galaxy Quest had some creative promotion, much of which was built around the pretence that the Galaxy Quest TV show really did exist. Part of this was mock documentary Galaxy Quest: 20th Anniversary, The Journey Continues. Produced for TV network E!, the 20-minute show is presented as a genuine look back at the imaginary TV show, with the cast interviewed in character as their characters.
Steven Spielberg was behind the film’s romantic subplot
The romance between Missi Pyle’s Thermian Laliari and Tony Shalhoub’s Fred Kwan was added at the suggestion of Steven Spielberg. Pyle recalls, “I was only supposed to be in two scenes and then they realized they didn’t have another female except Sigourney Weaver. And I just think, ‘Am I in a dream, because this is ridiculous?… So they added the relationship with Tony Shalhoub’s character.”
The film originally had an adults-only rating for violence and cursing
Galaxy Quest was originally given an adults-only ‘R’ rating, but DreamWorks wanted it to release it as a family-friendly film to release at Christmas, in competition with Stuart Little. The film was subsequently recut late in the day, removing sex and drugs references and significantly toning down the violence and swearing.
William Shatner and Patrick Stewart are both big fans of the film
Some of Galaxy Quest’s biggest fans are actors from the Star Trek franchise. William Shatner said he “thought it was very funny.” Patrick Stewart admits, “I had originally not wanted to see it because I heard that it was making fun of Star Trek… [but] I found it was brilliant – no one laughed louder or longer in the cinema than I did.”
There’s been talk of a sequel since the movie came out
In 2014, fans were thrilled to hear that a script for a Galaxy Quest sequel was in the works. Rockwell and Weaver both expressed keenness to return, but the death of Alan Rickman in 2016 seems to have derailed plans. Tim Allen remarked in 2021 that the sequel “could happen now or in five years… But right now it’s in a holding pattern.”
Director John Landis has accused Galaxy Quest of being a rip-off of ¡Three Amigos!
13 years before Galaxy Quest featured actors forced to become their screen roles for real, much the same idea had been explored in director John Landis’ western spoof ¡Three Amigos! The similarity between the two films is not lost on director Landis, who once complained, “They completely ripped it off!” But graciously added, “If Galaxy Quest weren’t so funny, it would probably bother me more.”
It was Rainn Wilson’s big-screen debut
Rainn Wilson made his film debut as a Thermian alien in Galaxy Quest. Six years later, Wilson would join the cast of the US remake of The Office and earn three consecutive Emmy nominations for the character of Dwight Schrute. He’s since returned to the sci-fi world with a recurring role in the 2017 series Star Trek: Discovery.
Guy Fleegman’s ‘redshirt’ character suffers the least in Sarris’ attacks
‘Redshirt’ is an informal term originating from Star Trek, referring to stock characters who die swiftly after they appear onscreen. In Galaxy Quest, Sam Rockwell’s Guy Fleegman is an actor cast in exactly these kinds of roles, so he naturally expects to get killed when they go to space for real. However, Fleegman reaches the end of the movie almost entirely unscathed.
The bathroom banter in the movie mirrors a real-life experience for William Shatner
Early on in Galaxy Quest, Tim Allen’s character overhears some unkind words said about him in a men’s bathroom. This scene is actually lifted from the real life of Star Trek actor William Shatner, who reportedly heard similar criticisms of himself whilst he was preparing behind the scenes for a Star Trek convention in 1986.
Tim Allen was completely starstruck around Sigourney Weaver
Tim Allen is a huge fan of the Alien franchise, so he was starstruck to share the screen with Alien star Sigourney Weaver. Allen also pestered Weaver to sign his Alien merchandise – including a section of wall from Alien’s spaceship the Nostromo. Weaver acquiesced, but then she signed it with the words: ‘Stolen by Tim Allen. Love, Sigourney Weaver,’ which Allen was reportedly upset about.
J.J. Abrams jokingly described the film as one of his favourite Star Trek films
J.J. Abrams, director of two of the most recent Star Trek and Star Wars movies, has said on record that he considers Galaxy Quest one of the best Star Trek movies. Abrams has also said that the scene in 2009’s Star Trek in which Kirk and Sulu fall to Vulcan is “clearly an homage to Tony Shalhoub’s great save in that film.”
Alan Rickman’s character is credited as Sir Alexander Dane
In the Galaxy Quest script, Alan Rickman’s character Alexander Dane has a more esteemed theatrical background, and had even received a knighthood. This detail was eventually cut from the movie, as Rickman felt it didn’t fit in so well with his character. Yet in the film’s final credits, Alan Rickman’s character is still listed as ‘Sir Alexander Dane.’
Gwen DeMarco was in part informed by Jeri Ryan’s experiences as a female sci-fi star
As Galaxy Quest’s Gwen DeMarco, Sigourney Weaver plays a heavily objectified actress judged solely on her appearance, whose actual abilities are ignored. This was in part inspired by the career of Jeri Ryan, who starred in Star Trek: Voyager as the character Seven of Nine. Despite her acting skills, Ryan was frequently dismissed as little more than eye candy.
Sam Rockwell based his performance on Bill Paxton in Aliens
For his performance as the anxious Guy Fleegman, Sam Rockwell has admitted to being hugely influenced by Bill Paxton’s performance as Private Hudson in Aliens. Like Fleegman, Hudson is often hysterical at the thought of danger, in contrast to his stoic associates. Outside of Aliens, Paxton appeared in many hits including Titanic and Twister, before sadly passing away in 2017 aged just 61.
Galaxy Quest was one of the first movies to have its own website
When Galaxy Quest was released in 1999, the internet wasn’t quite so omnipresent as it is today. GalaxyQuest.com was one of the very first sites of its kind created in promotion of a major Hollywood movie. Rather than being presented as movie promotion, the site was presented as a fan-built site for the ‘real’ Galaxy Quest TV series, all presented in gloriously dated HTML.
The film gave Justin Long his very first acting role
As well as being Rainn Wilson’s first movie, Galaxy Quest is literally the first screen credit of actor Justin Long, who was 20 years old and had no professional experience when cast as super-fan Brandon. He would follow Galaxy Quest with roles in Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Die Hard 4.0 and Drag Me To Hell. Long’s more recent credits include Barbarian and upcoming Disney+ series Goosebumps.
The film’s changing aspect ratio caused problems with its cinema projection
Unusually, Galaxy Quest changes aspect ratio twice. Beginning with a squarish TV format, the screen then broadens to a ratio of 1.85:1. Then, as the spaceship doors open, the screen widens even further to a suitably epic 2.35. This caused issues at some cinema screenings, when projectionists failed to open the screen curtains far enough for the wider aspect ratio to display correctly.
It spawned two comic book series and a novel
As well as being novelized, Galaxy Quest also got a comic book sequel in 2008 from IDW Publishing, entitled Galaxy Quest: Global Warning. This proved popular enough for a second Galaxy Quest comic series to arrive in 2015, entitled The Journey Continues. Both comic book runs have since been released as trade paperback collections.
DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg apologised for failing to properly promote the film
It’s widely agreed that DreamWorks messed up Galaxy Quest’s theatrical release, as the studio demanded it be recut for family audiences and failed to build a real buzz around the film. Director Dean Parisot recalls receiving an apologetic phone call from studio boss Jeffrey Katzenberg: “Jeffrey called me during the second weekend and said, ‘I think we screwed up the advertising for this. I’m sorry.’”
Jennifer Coolidge auditioned for the film
Jennifer Coolidge is having a renaissance of late, with shows like White Lotus reminding general audiences of how great the actress is. But what audiences may not know is that Coolidge actually auditioned to play Laliari in Galaxy Quest (a role that ultimately went to Missi Pyle).
Harold Ramis later apologised for questioning Tim Allen’s casting
Harold Ramis backed out of directing Galaxy Quest because he was convinced Tim Allen was wrong for the lead, but when he saw the completed film, Ramis happily ate his words. Producer Mark Johnson recalls, “Harold was very gracious about how wrong he was.” Ramis told the producer that he thought Galaxy Quest “was a great film and that Tim Allen was a fantastic commander.”
Tony Shalhoub’s performance was modelled on David Carradine in Kung Fu
At director Dean Parisot’s suggestion, Tony Shalhoub based his performance as Fred Kwan on David Carradine in TV’s Kung Fu. Shalhoub explains, “I’d heard [Carradine] was high the entire time, and whether it was true or not, we used that as a jumping-off point for Fred Kwan.” This, Shalhoub says, explains Kwan’s total lack of anxiety over being taken to space and meeting real aliens.
Director Dean Parisot deliberately used an unconvincing overdub on Sigourney Weaver’s F-bomb in protest
One of the most obvious moments of censorship in Galaxy Quest comes when Gwen cries, “well, screw that!” – but you don’t have to watch Weaver’s lips too closely to tell that she was originally crying the F-word. Director Dean Parisot has admitted he was unhappy about being forced to censor the line, so he deliberately made basically no attempt to conceal what Weaver originally said.
George Takei loved it
One of actor George Takei’s most well-known roles was Dr. Sulu in the Star Trek television series. With Galaxy Quest spoofing the series so blatantly, the opinions of the cast could have differed wildly. However, Takei loved the film calling it a “chillingly realistic documentary […] I was rolling in the aisles.”
Sigourney Weaver really wanted the role
While the director Dean Parisot was a little hesitant to hire Sigourney Weaver due to not wanting well-known sci-fi stars in the film, the Alien star badly wanted a part in Galaxy Quest. Weaver wanted to work with both Tim Allen and Alan Rickman and apparently fell in love with the script after she’d read it. Famously, the actress said, “If anyone can spoof science fiction, surely it’s me.”
Alan Rickman designed his own headpiece
Alan Rickman’s head prosthetic for Galaxy Quest is one of the most identifiable images from the film. But what many people don’t know is that the actor actually played a role in designing his own headpiece. He aided the special effects makeup creator Stan Winston in designing one that was both convincing and also “cheesy enough to imagine that it was something he applied himself.”
Guy Fleegman’s scream was real
During one scene, Sam Rockwell as cast handler Guy Fleegman lets out a dramatic scream and the cast responds accordingly. These reactions were all real as Weaver wasn’t told Rockwell would scream, so when he let out his cry, she was genuinely surprised.
Amazon was considering a sequel
In 2016, Amazon began planning a Galaxy Quest TV show that would act as a sequel. Screenwriter Georgia Pritchett (The Shrink Next Door, Veep) was reportedly working on a television version of the movie, with Simon Pegg involved in an unknown role.
It was voted the seventh greatest Star Trek movie by fans
Star Trek’s huge fanbase is an iconic example of the most dedicated fans of a franchise ever to exist. At a Las Vegas convention in 2013, ‘Trekkies’ or ‘Trekkers’ voted on the greatest Star Trek movies ever made and actually voted Galaxy Quest to the number seven position – proving how beloved the film is by sci-fi fans.
The spaceship features a nod to Star Trek
There are many little details in the Galaxy Quest film that nod to other sci-fi franchises, specifically for fans of the genre. One of these is a very subtle nod to Star Trek. The serial number of the spaceship in Galaxy Quest reads ‘NTE 3120’. It’s believed that ‘NTE’ stands for Not The Enterprise, referencing the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek.
The Thermians have a connection to another sci-fi film
The Thermians are a race of aliens who go to the crew of the Protector in Galaxy Quest for help. This race of aliens claims to be from the planet Klatu Nebula. This little factoid is actually a reference to the classic sci-fi and alien invasion thriller film The Day the Earth Stood Still. The 1951 film features an alien with the name Klaatu.
Weaver kept her wig after filming
One of the best and most iconic facts about the film Galaxy Quest is what Sigourney Weaver did with her costume. Apparently, the actress loved her wig so much that she often would refuse to have it removed after the shooting and would wear it home. Weaver even took the wig home for good after filming ended.
There would be no Galaxy Quest without Leonard Nimoy
The late Leonard Nimoy is beloved for playing Spock in the Star Trek franchise for half a century. However, his reach goes far beyond the realm of Star Trek. Galaxy Quest story writer David Howard heard Nimoy narrating in Destiny in Space and started thinking about typecasting which lead him to the story for the meta-fictional work of Galaxy Quest.
The film used a fully finished miniature convention hall
During one scene in the film, the Protector command module crashes into the Galaxy Quest convention. To achieve this model makers created a complete miniature convention for a model to crash into. It took weeks to create the tiny banners and VHS tapes to fill the convention.
Mathesar was named after a sci-fi writer
In a film with so many references to great sci-fi franchises, novels, and icons of the genre it’s not too shocking to hear that the leader of the Thermians was named after horror author Richard Matheson, who wrote Twilight Zone episodes. The character was originally named Betzalar before being renamed Mathesar.
Rainn Wilson left to film a pilot
Despite being best known for his role as Dwight Shrute in The Office, Rainn Wilson’s first ever film credit was in Galaxy Quest. He played one of the Thermian aliens, Lahnk. However, Wilson had to leave filming halfway through the film to go shoot the TV movie The Expendables with Sylvester Stallone.
Rickman and Allen originally didn’t get on
In a film filled with so many well-known Hollywood stars, two of the most impressive names in the cast were Tim Allen and Alan Rickman. However, apparently, the two did not get on when they began shooting. Eventually, the pair did grow close, and even went to dinner parties together and bought each other gifts.
The name Guy Fleegman was a niche sci-fi reference
Jojo Rabbit and The Green Mile actor Sam Rockwell plays Guy Fleegman in Galaxy Quest, who ended up being a fan favorite character even with less screen time than many of the other protagonists. But what fans may not know is that the character was named after The Next Generation actor Guy Vardaman in another nod to the Star Trek franchise.
Mathesar’s voice was an original idea by actor Enrico Colantoni
The leader of the Thermians onboard the Protector, Mathesar, has a very iconic voice that many have come to associate with the alien race. However, the voice wasn’t originally scripted for the character. Instead, it was an idea that Canadian actor Enrico Colantoni had for the character that was loved by those on set and kept.
Alan Rickman hated sci-fi
With credits in the Harry Potter franchise, Sense and Sensibility, and years as a stage actor, it was perhaps a surprising choice for Alan Rickman to star in Galaxy Quest. It’s an even more surprising choice when you learn that Rickman hated sci-fi as a genre, and only took the role as he found the script funny.
Alexander Dane never removes his headpiece
Alan Rickman’s character wears a prosthetic headpiece for the entire film, and never actually takes it off once. Even when Alexander Dane and Gwen DeMarco are talking through the home phone, he still wears the headpiece.
There’s a shirtless nod to Captain Kirk
Tim Allen’s character Peter Quincy Taggart fights with a rock monster at one point in the film. During this fight, he loses his shirt in a humorous nod to the iconic way in which Captain Kirk (protagonist and hero of the initial Star Trek series) loses his shirt during most hand-to-hand fight scenes.
The film spoofs William Shatner’s diva-like behavior
According to many of the cast and crew of the Star Trek TV series, William Shatner behaved like a diva on set and was extremely unpleasant to work with. This was another Star Trek reference worked into Galaxy Quest when Alexander Dane accuses Jason Nesmith of stealing all his best lines.
Eric Bana took inspiration from this film for Nero
In J. J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot, Eric Bana plays Nero – a captain set on getting revenge on Spock. Apparently, Bana was struggling with how to play Nero until Abrahs showed the actor a copy of Galaxy Quest and instructed him to imitate how Robin Sachs plays Sarris in the film.
Sam Rockwell almost backed out
Sam Rockwell’s portrayal of Guy Fleegman has become beloved by sci-fi fans but they almost missed out on it all together. Rockwell was offered a part in an independent film and wanted to drop out of Galaxy Quest to take the role. It was actor Kevin Spacey who convinced him to stay.
Tony Shalhoub almost played Sam Rockwell’s character
Five-time Emmy award winner Tony Shalhoub played Fred Kwan in Galaxy Quest but was very close to portraying a completely different character. The actor had initially auditioned for the role of Guy Fleegman but was cast as Fred Kwan instead.
The upside-down tracker was an homage to Star Trek
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of small connections to Star Trek in Galaxy Quest. But the joke about Alexander holding his tracker upside down is perhaps the most enjoyable for fans. It’s a reference to Star Trek’s first season in which Leonard Nimoy held his tricorder upside down as he didn’t know what the prop was for.
Dane’s catchphrase wasn’t meant to be permanent
Catchphrases can be key to cementing a film’s legacy and Alexander Dane’s catchphrase “by Grabthar’s hammer!” is beloved by fans. But you may not know is that it was a line used by Bob Gordon until he could think of something better. However the phrase stuck, and the crew began creating T-shirts and so it was never changed.
Shatner doesn’t seem to recognize any of the Star Trek parody
While many of Star Trek’s cast love the film and have enjoyed the homages to their franchise, William Shatner claimed that he found the actors they cast were pretending to be totally unrecognizable. He said of Tim Allen, “For the life of me I was trying to understand who he was imitating”.
There’s another Robin Williams connection
There are a few connections between the late comedic legend Robin Williams and Galaxy Quest, one of which is that Tim Allen almost starred in Bicentennial Man instead of Williams. Another is that the robot used on stage at the beginning of the film is the same as the robot used in the 1992 film Toys which stars Williams.
Daryl Mitchell is actually older than Sam Rockwell
In the film, Rockwell’s character Guy Fleegman is played by an adult in the meta TV series. However, Daryl Mitchell’s character Tommy Webber is supposedly played by a child. In reality, the actors are only three years apart, with Mitchell being older than Rockwell.
Some of the cast recorded a music video that is on the DVD extras
While filming Galaxy Quest, it was Sigourney Weaver’s agent’s birthday. The star decided that as a gift – and to pay tribute to her agent – she would film a music video with other stars of the film, Sam Rockwell and Daryl Mitchell. The amateur music video is available to watch on the Blu-ray special edition of the film.
Tim Allen riffed on Captain Kirk’s “thinking position”
Tim Allen’s performance in Galaxy Quest was intended as a satire of William Shatner, and as such he adopted many of the Star Trek actor’s Captain Kirk mannerisms. Amongst these was Shatner’s trademark “thinking position,” leaning forward in his chair and holding his chin. This makes the fact that Shatner couldn’t tell who Allen was parodying all the more hilarious.
Enrico Colantoni’s audition went incredibly well
Enrico Colantoni landed the role of Mathesar, leader of the Thermians, after an incredibly successful audition that dazzled the casting directors. In fact, they were so impressed that they broke protocol by showing the tape to other actors auditioning to play Thermians, instructing them to base their performances on it.
The original script was much darker
According to Dean Parisot and Tim Allen, the original version of the film had a much bleaker tone. After witnessing how viewers responded during test screenings, the decision was made to pare back some of the darker elements to allow the comedy to come through, although Dreamworks insisted they make further cuts to secure a PG rating.
William Shatner approved of the rock monsters
While William Shatner seems to have missed the satirical aspects of Galaxy Quest, he did express his approval of the rock monsters. The actor had apparently pushed for his own vision of rock monsters to be included in 1989’s Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but Paramount had declined due to budget constraints.
The set of the N.S.E.A Protector moved unreliably
The set of the N.S.E.A Protector was built on a suspended platform that could be moved, to enhance the sense that the actors were really swaying in response to movement. The first time this rig was used, it unexpectedly dropped two feet, sending several actors sprawling out of their chairs and bringing down a couple of lights.
The 2009 Star Trek movie borrows details from Galaxy Quest
J.J. Abrams has spoken at length of his love for Galaxy Quest, and he paid homage to it in 2009’s Star Trek. Details borrowed from Galaxy Quest include the green lighting inside Nero’s ship, as well as the way said ship is destroyed by being charged headlong. Abrams also instructed Eric Bana to base his performance off Robin Sachs’ portrayal of Sarris.
The movie uses sound effects from Doom
While the sound made by the Starship Enterprise’s doors is iconic in its own right, the sound for the doors of the N.S.E.A Protector is borrowed from a different sci-fi franchise: the video game series Doom. Whether this was a deliberate nod to the games, or simply a case of the same stock sound being used, has never been addressed.
The original script was inspired by The Wizard of Oz
Director Dean Parisot originally intended for Nesmith to fall asleep in his limousine before waking up on the N.S.E.A Protector, similarly to how Dorothy finds herself in the land of Oz. However, Dreamworks felt that this was too confusing, so they insisted on the limousine being beamed up to the spaceship to “simplify the narrative.”
There are two CGI models of the N.S.E.A Protector
Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects studio hired for Galaxy Quest, created two CGI models of the N.S.E.A Protector for the film. The first is used for the TV episode shots of the ship, and it looks noticeably rough around the edges. The second model, used for the real version built by the Thermians, looks much more realistic.
The “chompers” were inspired by Event Horizon
In one of Galaxy Quest’s funniest scenes, Nesmith and DeMarco (played by Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, respectively), come up against a corridor of moving blades and crushing devices known as chompers, prompting DeMarco to have a meltdown. Screenwriter Robert Gordon’s inspiration for the scene was the corridor lined with spinning blades in 1997’s Event Horizon.
