Merritt Butrick

• Name — Merritt Butrick • Birth Name — Merritt R. Butrick • Born — 3 September 1959 • Birthplace — Gainesville, Florida, U.S. • Died — 17 March 1989 • Place of death — Hollywood, California, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1981–1989

Butrick was born in Gainesville, Florida, and was an only child. He graduated in 1977 from Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California. He attended the California Institute of the Arts for acting, but did not complete his degree. His first screen role was as a rapist in two 1981 episodes of the police drama Hill Street Blues. He was cast as John "Johnny Slash" Ulasewicz, a major supporting character in the teen sitcom Square Pegs (1982), which received critical praise but was cancelled after one season of 20 episodes. The character was described by one critic as an "apparent (but never declared) gay student." While Square Pegs was in pre-broadcast production, Butrick was cast to play David Marcus, the son of James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his former lover Carol Marcus (Bibi Besch), in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). He continued the role in the follow-up film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), in which the character was killed. He later appeared as T'Jon, the captain of a cargo vessel rescued by the crew of the Enterprise in "Symbiosis" (1988), an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Meanwhile, he appeared in the comedy film Zapped! (1982), the horror film Fright Night Part 2 (1988), and as Barbara Hershey's hillbilly son in the drama film Shy People (1987). He had a variety of guest roles on television series and television films. He received critical praise from Time magazine for his performance at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in the play Kingfish, in which he played a ditzy, petulant muscle-boy prostitute. It was his last acting role.

• Film • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1982 — Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan — Dr. David Marcus • Zapped! — Gary Cooter • 1984 — Star Trek III: The Search for Spock — Dr. David Marcus • 1985 — Head Office — John Hudson • 1986 — Wired to Kill — Reegus, The Gang Leader — Alternative title: Booby Trap • 1987 — Shy People — Mike • 1988 — Fright Night Part 2 — Richie • 1989 — Death Spa — David Avery — (final film role) • Television • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1981 — Hill Street Blues — Rapist — 2 episodes • Splendor in the Grass — Glenn — TV movie • CHiPs — Kevin Whalen — 1 episode • 1982–1983 — Square Pegs — Johnny Slash — 20 episodes • 1983 — When Your Lover Leaves — Aaron Scott — TV movie • 1984 — Fame — Billy Christiansen — 1 episode • Sweet Revenge — Captain Paul Dennison — TV movie • 1985 — Promises to Keep — Reg — TV movie • 1986 — Blood & Orchids — Duane York — TV movie • Stagecoach — Lieutenant Blanchard — TV movie • When the Bough Breaks — Tim Kruger — TV movie • 1987 — Vietnam War Story — Siska — 1 episode • Beauty and the Beast — Shake — 1 episode • The Law & Harry McGraw — 1 episode • 1988 — Why on Earth? — Oscar — TV movie • Jake and the Fatman — Taylor Fleming — 1 episode • Star Trek: The Next Generation — T'Jon — Episode: "Symbiosis" • Hooperman — 1 episode • 1989 — From the Dead of Night — Rick — TV movie