Colleagues Pay Tribute To Trek's Michael Piller

Michael Piller, who died at the age of 57 last week, touched the lives of many people: actors, writers and fans included. Since the news of his death, a number of those who worked with him have made public their thoughts about him. Many of these tributes have been posted at StarTrek.com and TrekToday.com, and taken together, these thoughts and comments tell the story of a quietly influential man.

Pillar is probably best known for his work in the Star Trek universe. “Gene Roddenberry and I met Michael Piller in 1989,” said Rick Berman, executive producer and co-creator of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” as well as producer of “Star Trek: Insurrection,” “and immediately knew he would become an integral part of the Star Trek family.”

Many believe that he saved “Star Trek: The Next Generation” from early cancellation. “When Michael Piller came to ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ as the show runner and head writer during its third season,” said Eric A. Stillwell, who worked with Pillar on “The Dead Zone”, “Star Trek: Insurrection,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Pillar “creatively saved the show from an early demise, and in so doing set the groundwork for the most successful television franchise in the history of entertainment.”

"Michael Piller gave TNG its heart and soul,” said Paula Block, co-author of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion" and senior director, Publishing, for Nickelodeon a Viacom Consumer Products.

He “was the creative genius behind” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” said Stillwell, “not only because he had enormous talent as a writer, but because he also honored and deeply respected the creative wisdom of Gene Roddenberry.”

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