▁he ▁was ▁a ▁big ▁sci - fi ▁fan ▁and ▁had ▁hoped ▁the ▁role ▁would ▁launch ▁a ▁second ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁sci - fi ▁actor . ▁Some ▁of ▁Allen ' s ▁sci - fi ▁knowledge ▁influenced ▁production : ▁for ▁example , ▁when ▁the ▁crew ▁is ▁about ▁to ▁land ▁on ▁an ▁al ien ▁planet , ▁Allen ▁brought ▁up ▁the ▁issue ▁about ▁a ▁potential ▁breath able ▁atmosphere ▁with ▁Johnson ▁and ▁Paris ot , ▁which ▁became ▁lines ▁for ▁Fle eg man ▁and ▁K wan ▁in ▁the ▁movie . ▁About ▁his ▁role , ▁Allen ▁said ▁he ▁based ▁his ▁performance ▁on ▁Y ul ▁Bry n ner ' s ▁Ram esses ▁II ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁The ▁Ten ▁Command ments , ▁more ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁William ▁Sh at ner ▁as ▁Captain ▁James ▁Kirk ▁from ▁Star ▁Tre k . ▁ ▁Alan ▁Rick man ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁be ▁Alexander ▁D ane ▁who ▁played ▁the ▁al ien ▁Dr . ▁Laz arus . ▁Rick man ▁had ▁been ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁part ▁not ▁so ▁much ▁for ▁the ▁sci - fi ▁elements ▁but ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁comedy . ▁He ▁said ▁" I ▁love ▁comedy ▁almost ▁more ▁than ▁anything . ▁This ▁really ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁fun ni est ▁scripts ▁I ' ve ▁read ." ▁and ▁that ▁" act ors ▁are ▁probably ▁the ▁only ▁profession als ▁who ▁send ▁themselves ▁up . ▁We ▁actually ▁have ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁humor ▁about ▁ourselves ." ▁While ▁the ▁original ▁script ▁had ▁made ▁D ane ▁a ▁cer emon ial ▁kn ight , ▁Rick man ▁suggested ▁the ▁title