Orson Welles

Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 - October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, writer and producer who lived on Earth during the 20th century.

On October 30, 1938, Welles and The Mercury Theatre on the Air presented a radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds, a late 19th century science fiction novel by H.G. Wells which depicted a Martian invasion of Earth. (SS DS9 (Captain Proton and the Orb of Bajor))

The broadcast caused a mass panic in the United States of America as many believed that it was in fact a news report about a real Martian invasion. James Wainwright, who was then 21, did not hear the broadcast but read about it in the newspapers the next day. On September 23, 1947, Professor Jeffrey Carlson told him that there was a theory that the broadcast was used as a cover story for the discovery of an actual alien spaceship. However, Wainwright dismissed this theory, branding it "crazy." 

Behind the scenes

 * Welles narrated the teaser trailer and television advertisements for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.