Steven Lance, also known as Steven L. Hersh, is an actor who played a Rhaandarite crewman in the recreation deck scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He received no credit for his appearance. [1]
Lance was "gifted" this role by Gene Roddenberry's office for his longtime association with Star Trek as host of Star Trek conventions. Lance hosted Al Schuster's Star Trek '74 at New York's Commodore Hotel, and Star Trek '75 and Star Trek America, both held in New York City's Americana Hotel. Lance (who initially worked under the stage name "Heash") hosted up to three conventions a year, including conventions in Philadelphia and Atlanta, Georgia.
The alien makeup Lance wore was actually one of five additional castings made from the mold created for Billy Van Zandt for other extras appearing in the "Rec Deck" scene. Following the work on Star Trek, Lance played the emergency room intern in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories. He is also the author of the pop culture television reference book, Written Out of Television: A TV Lover's Guide To Cast Changes.
Lance was also the lead research assistant for James Robert Parish's The Unofficial Murder, She Wrote Casebook. His books currently in the works include a new book about his Star Trek years and a history of tea, for which he is collecting tea quotes from television and motion pictures.
Lance is currently the Sound Supervisor at Bulletproof Sound Design. [2] He is also the Post-Production Sound Supervisor and voice of the Public Address Announcer on the kid's comedy series TV pilot Arthur Futuro (2019). In addition, he is the creator, producer, and former co-host of the Planet Showbiz podcast on WCCR Rutgers Camden. [3]
Lance is the nephew of Animator and Production Director Harvey Siegel.