Hunter Doohan is a rising star in the entertainment industry, best known for his roles in the TV series Your Honor and Wednesday. James Doohan was a legendary actor and author, most famous for his role as Scotty in the Star Trek franchise. Both of them share the same surname and a passion for acting, but are they related in any way?
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The Short Answer: No
According to various sources, Hunter Doohan and James Doohan are not related by blood or by marriage. They have different origins, backgrounds and family histories. Hunter is from Los Angeles, California, whereas James was from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Hunter entered the acting field after James had passed away in 2005, so they never met or worked together.
The Long Answer: A Tale of Two Doohans
Hunter Doohan was born on January 18, 1994, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He is the son of Australian tennis player Peter Doohan and Angie Harper Carmichael. He has an older brother, John Doohan, who is a tennis coach. Hunter grew up “all over the south” but mainly in Fort Smith. He became interested in acting via high school and community theatre programs. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. He worked in various jobs such as background extra, waiter and Universal Studios tour guide while studying acting and auditioning for parts. He got his breakthrough role as the younger version of Aaron Paul’s character Warren Cave in the 2019 Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told. He then starred as Adam Desiato in the 2020 legal drama series Your Honor, opposite Bryan Cranston. In 2022, he portrayed Tyler Galpin in the Netflix series Wednesday, based on the Addams Family characters. Hunter identifies as queer and has been married to producer Fielder Jewett since June 2022.
James Doohan was born on March 3, 1920, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He was the youngest of four children of William Patrick Doohan and Sarah Frances Montgomery, who both emigrated from Bangor, Northern Ireland. His father was a pharmacist, veterinarian and dentist who reportedly invented an early form of high-octane gasoline in 1923. James’ autobiography recounted his father’s serious alcoholism and abusive behavior. James attended high school at Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School, where he excelled in mathematics and science. He enlisted with the Royal Canadian Artillery in 1939 and served in World War II as a lieutenant and a pilot. He saw combat in Europe, including the D-Day invasion of Normandy, where he was wounded by friendly fire and lost his right middle finger. After the war, he had extensive experience performing in radio and television, which led to his role as Scotty in the original Star Trek series in 1966. He also made contributions behind the scenes, such as developing the Klingon and Vulcan languages. He reprised his role as Scotty in the animated and film continuations of the series until 1994. He also appeared in other shows and movies such as The Twilight Zone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Fantasy Island and Loaded Weapon 1. He was married three times and had seven children, including Chris Doohan who also became an actor. He died on July 20, 2005, at age 85 from pneumonia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The Conclusion: A Coincidence of Names
Hunter Doohan and James Doohan are two talented actors who share a common surname but have no familial connection whatsoever. They have different origins, backgrounds and family histories that do not intersect at any point. They also have different styles and genres of acting that appeal to different audiences. The rumors of their relation are based on speculation and misinformation that can be easily debunked by doing some research online or reading their biographies.
