Posted in: Opinion, Preview, Star Trek, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: george takei, paramount, star trek, william shatner

Critical Star Trek Stars "Consumed by Envy and Hate": William Shatner

If you're a "Star Trek" franchise fan, then you know that it's creeping on 57 years since the original series premiered. That means that William Shatner (Kirk) has had over a half-century to reflect on his behavior and attitude on set. Specifically, what his co-stars George Takei (Sulu), the late Leonard Nimoy (Spock) & Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), and others have said about him over the years. And after all of that time for a little introspection and soul-searching, what Shatner realized was that they were… doing it "for publicity." Speaking with The Times to pimp his memoir Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, the 91-year-old actor took the approach that "with age comes condescending dismissiveness" when discussing the critical arrows that have been slung at him for decades. "Sixty years after some incident, they are still on that track. Don't you think that's a little weird? It's like a sickness. I began to understand that they were doing it for publicity," Shatner countered. To say that there hasn't been much love lost between Shatner and Takei would be the most gracious of understatement, and it doesn't sound like it's going to get better any time soon. "George [Takei] has never stopped blackening my name. These people are bitter and embittered," "The Shat" argued. "I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?" As for learning that Nichols was on record as describing him as "cold and arrogant," Shatner said he was "horrified to learn this" and that he was "ashamed that I hadn't realized it." And with Nimoy, Shatner admits that their friendship soured a number of years before Nimoy's passing in 2015.

William Shatner Takes a "Shat" on Star Trek During NYCC

During a Q&A session hosted by Kevin Smith during this year's SDCC, Shatner was asked by a fan if there were any new "Star Trek" series from the Paramount+ era that rivals his own, The Original Series. Spoiler? His response wasn't exactly what one would accuse of being respectful. "None of them. I got to know [creator] Gene Roddenberry in three years fairly well. He'd be turning in his grave at some of this stuff." Those types of comments from Shatner were what Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Melissa Navia addressed in a tweet not long after. "Curious: Has Mr. Shatner seen any episodes of DISCO ['Discovery'] or SNW ['Strange New Worlds']? Or 'Lower Decks'? Didn't he not watch himself on 'TOS'? I know actors who can't watch their own work, but oh boy, not me. 'All Those Who Wander' hit me differently after losing my partner. He, too, fixed what was broken," Navia wrote in the first tweet. After close to an hour, Navia responded with, "General consensus then is…no? Unless the man himself tells me differently." And if Shatner were to block Navia, at least there would be a small silver lining to it: "If he blocks me for asking the question, then at least we'll all have an answer."

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