

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

Charles Lewis Napier (12 April 1936 – 5 October 2011; age 75) [1] was an actor and musician from Scottsville, Kentucky who played two distinctive Star Trek characters in episodes which were made more than a quarter of a century apart. These roles were Adam in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode "The Way to Eden" and Lieutenant General Rex Denning in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fourth season episode "Little Green Men".

Napier wrote the songs featured in "The Way to Eden" together with Craig Robertson and Arthur Heinemann, the latter providing the lyrics. Napier also performed the vocals for these songs. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three, p. 555; Star Trek: The Original Series Soundtrack Collection liner notes)

He filmed his scenes for "The Way to Eden" between Friday 22 November 1968 and Friday 29 November 1968 at Desilu Stage 9 and Stage 10. He was also called in for a music recording session on Wednesday 20 November 1968, and a makeup and costume test on Thursday 21 November 1968 at Stage 9.

Napier also played Murdock, the intelligence officer commanding Rambo, in Rambo: First Blood Part II (with Julia Nickson), Commander Gilmour in the Austin Powers films (with Clint Howard), Tucker McElroy in The Blues Brothers (with Henry Gibson and James Avery), Chrome Angel in Handle with Care (with Bruce McGill and Ed Begley, Jr.), and Lt. Boyle in The Silence of the Lambs (with Dan Butler, Tracey Walter, and Brent Hinkley). He appeared as Sheriff Bates in the Monk episode "Mr. Monk Bumps His Head" (with Stanley Kamel).

He lent his voice to the film Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron along with James Cromwell, Adam Paul, Richard McGonagle, and Matt Levin, and played the role of Duke Phillips in The Critic. He also voiced several military type roles in The Simpsons.

He starred in the TV movie Big Bob Johnson and His Fantastic Speed Circus (1978, with William Daniels).

Napier also guest-starred in three episodes of Mission: Impossible (with Ed McCready, John Colicos, Barry Atwater, Gregory Sierra, Leonard Nimoy, and William Shatner), as well as Kojak, The Rockford Files (with Mitchell Ryan and Clyde Kusatsu), The Incredible Hulk (with Marc Alaimo and Peter Mark Richman), Knight Rider (1982, in the pilot episode "Knight of the Phoenix", with guest appearances of Lance LeGault; the series starred William Daniels, Patricia McPherson, and Peter Parros), The Dukes of Hazzard, Night Court (with John Larroquette), L.A. Law (with Larry Drake, John de Lancie, and Francis Guinan) Murder, She Wrote (with Michael Horton, William Windom, Ronny Cox, and Gregg Henry), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (with Teri Hatcher, Erick Avari, and Michelle Phillips), Roswell (with William Sadler), The Practice (with Steven Anderson, Mary Mara, and Dey Young), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (with Wallace Langham and Liz Vassey), and Cold Case (with Richard Herd).

On 3 October 2011, Napier collapsed in his home. He was found the following morning and taken to Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, California. He was taken off life support just before 1 pm EST on 5 October and died shortly thereafter. He was 75. [2]