Actor Jackson DeForest Kelley (1920–1999), the “dear and beloved” Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy of the original Star Trek crew, was born on this day in Atlanta, Georgia. The son of a Baptist minister, Kelley caught the acting bug while still in his teens.

After serving in the Army during World War II, he earned a starring role in the mystery drama Fear in the Night (1947), the first of many appearances as a character actor. In westerns, Kelley was often cast as the villain, a far cry from the compassionate doctor he would later portray.

In 1966, he found the role of a lifetime as Dr. McCoy in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek. With the three-year series, its endless syndication, and many feature films, McCoy, along with Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), became international stars and cultural icons.

“I’m just a country doctor,” Kelley, as Dr. McCoy, said on more than one occasion. But for fans, he was much more.

He was the Enterprise’s chief medical officer who celebrated compassion and humanity. A bit cranky at times, especially with Spock, but always honest, the good doctor brought humor and heart to the interaction of the characters. He was the moral glue.

In addition to his Star Trek role, Kelley appeared in 35 motion pictures, including Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957) and Raintree County (1957). He also appeared in 60 television shows, including Gunsmoke and Bonanza.

In tribute, writer Harlan Ellison called Kelley “a courtly man. You can call 1,400 people, and not one of them would have a bad word to say about him.”