The mid-1960s were a busy time for Kovack. From 1965 to 1968, Kovack appeared in 14 films and TV shows, including “Batman,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” “The Silencers,” “Enter Laughing” and “Frankie and Johnny.” Into the middle of this swirl of work came “Star Trek,” a series that Kovack admitted she wasn’t familiar with; she was too busy working to stop and watch a few episodes of the show.
In “A Private Little War,” Kovack played Nona, a cavewoman who had the ability to cure people from the poisonous sting of the gorilla-like Mugato. When Nona heals Kirk, however, he becomes in her thrall. Later in the episode, she steals a phaser (something she’s not supposed to know about) and offers it to an attacking tribe. She’s killed for her efforts.
Kovack knew what was in the script, but little else. She recalled coming to the set and hoping that someone would call her aside and explain to her what a “Star Trek” was, who Kirk was, and why she should care. Sadly, that moment never came. Novack said:
“I didn’t have time. I was so busy working in Los Angeles, I never got to see Star Trek. I may have seen half a show one day in my life, and then I worked on a show. But when I did that character, I got that script, and I thought, ‘Well, when I get on stage they’ll explain. When I get to the set they’ll explain.’ Nobody explained anything to me! And I couldn’t understand why this woman had a husband, and then she was trying to make the star of the show do something else. Why would she have a husband and be doing that? I tell you, that was in my mind nonstop.”
Confusing.