Star Trek built its audience slowly. Some viewers discovered the series during its original run, while others joined the fandom through reruns.

There may not have been one single moment when everything clicked for Star Trek, but for one of its stars, there was a moment that proved just how massive the series had become.

In 1979, DeForest Kelley, who played Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, visited Australia to promote Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

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While there, Kelley spoke with The Sydney Morning Herald about the sci-fi series’ growing influence in pop culture. Specifically, he recalled the moment he realized Star Trek had become something much bigger than a television show.

"The first time I went to a Trekkies convention was in New York in 1973 or so," Kelley said.

By then, the show had been off the air for four years.

"It was the second [convention] they had," Kelley continued. "I walked out onto the stage and was confronted by 10,000 screaming fans... It was like being a rock ’n’ roll star."

Kelley returned home to California and told his wife that something had to happen, whether it was a film or a new television series.

"The feeling for the series was running very high," Kelley said.

Decades later, Star Trek continues to grow in relevance and stature. Every few years, the series and its characters are rediscovered by new generations of viewers, renewing interest in the original series.