Makee K. Blaisdell
Makee Kalaikinipeakapalekaikalawaiaopuna Blaisdell, also known by his stage name Blaisdell (or Blaizdel) MaKee, is possibly known best for his titular role in the short film “Johnny Lingo,” produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1969.
He was born in 1931 and grew up in Hawaii. Soon after graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in theatre arts, he embarked on a television career. He played small roles in many television series throughout the 1960s and ’70s, including "F Troop", "I Spy", "Paradise, Hawaiian Style", "Iron Horse", "Hondo", "The Felony Squad", "Daniel Boone", "Ironside", "The Big Valley", "Mission: Impossible", "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers", and "Star Trek." “It is rumored that Blaisdell would have replaced Leonard Nimoy as Spock should Nimoy have left "Star Trek" after its second season.”
The person who played “Mahana”—Naomi Kahoilua Wilson—in “Johnny Lingo” said of him, "He was such a nice man, so easy to work with. He came to introduce himself to me before we started shooting and he was definitely Mr. Hollywood on campus. Everyone had a crush on him."[1]
At BYU he was selected BYU’s actor of the year in the late 1960s.
Blaisdell passed away in 1988 in Ventura, California, at age 56.
External Sources
Find a Grave, “Makee Kalaikinipeakapalekaikalawaiaopuna Blaisdell” Wikipedia, “MaKee K. Blaisdell” Deseret News, “Church News: Death” LDS Living, “Johnny Lingo Cast, The Jets, and Other Mormon Celebs: Where They Are Now”
