Scotty diagnosed with Alzheimer's

James Doohan, the actor who played Scotty in the 60s Star Trek TV series and in films, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his agent confirmed.

Doohan, 84, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s “within the last couple months”, agent Steven Stevens told said yesterday.

He said Doohan is in the beginning stages of the disease, a progressive neurological disorder that afflicted former US President Ronald Reagan, who died on June 5.

Canadian-born Doohan also has suffered for some time with Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and fibrosis due to chemical exposure during Second World War and the D-Day invasion in France, Mr Stevens said.

He lives in Redmond, a suburb north east of Seattle, Washington.

Mr Stevens said he last saw Doohan in January in Los Angeles when the actor made a cameo appearance in the forthcoming horror film, Skinwalker: Curse of the Shaman.

“He didn’t have any energy and he seemed very frail,” he said. “But as soon as they yelled: ‘Action’, he was the same old feisty Scotty.”

Doohan’s career spans more than 50 years, but he is best known for his role as the USS Enterprise’s affable chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, in the original 1966-69 Star Trek TV series. He also appeared in several Star Trek movies.

Doohan has lived in Redmond, a suburb north east of Seattle, Washington, for almost a dozen years with his wife, Wende. They have a four-year-old daughter and two older sons, and the actor has four children from a previous marriage.

Doohan is scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 31 and plans to attend a three-day Star Trek farewell convention in Hollywood, Mr Stevens said.

All surviving members of the original Enterprise crew are scheduled to attend, including William Shatner, who played Captain James T Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy, who was Mr Spock.