Terry Lee Rioux

Terry Lee Rioux’s From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy tells the story of DeForest Kelley in beautiful detail, covering the actor’s early years under the Paramount studio system through his work in Westerns on both TV and film and finally his rise to international stardom through Star Trek. Rioux describes Kelley’s essential gentleness and humility, revealing how he built a quiet network of personal friendships and rose above the pettiness in Hollywood through his love of a quiet life. Rioux concludes of Kelley and Gene Roddenberry, “Gene’s message was clear: You are better than you think you are. DeForest’s message was also clear: You are more beloved than you think you are. Gene lived and fought so that when the future arrives, there will be humans in it. DeForest lived and endured so that when the future arrives, it will be humane” (pg. 330). Rioux thoroughly researched her subject, drawing upon personal archives from the Kelleys and their friends, interviews, as well as previously-published or recorded interviews. From Sawdust to Stardust is a beautiful contribution to the collection of Star Trek biographies.… (meer)

Although I really enjoyed learning more about DeForest Kelley, this book was actually kind of hard to get through. The author has an obvious, and almost overwhelming, "love" for Kelley that really comes through in his writing. The book is really more about Kelley (well, the Kelleys really) than it is about events that happen in Kelley's life. It's about what kind of person he was. He must have been incredibly wonderful because every page of this book presents another person or another story that proves it.

It's not a bad book but a little too worshipful for my taste.… (meer)