He was Star Trek’s first leading man, and he was behind the franchise’s most famous and iconic captain. The legendary William Shatner talks to David Bassom about the life – and death – of James T. Kirk...

William Shatner wishes that the Trek wasn’t over. 10 years after his last appearance as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations, the 73-year-old actor, writer, director, musician and all-round cultural icon admits that he would still like to be on the big screen, boldly going where no man had gone before.

“I would have loved to have continued the examination of the aging hero – the aches and pains – in the movies,” reveals Shatner, who famously portrayed Captain Kirk in Star Trek’s three-season TV run and later reprised the role in the first seven Star Trek movies, as well as the Star Trek animated series and numerous other spin-offs. “The character was getting older as I got older.

“But as I was unable to do that in the movies, I continue to do that in the Star Trek books I’ve written with Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens,” he notes, referring to the epic book saga which began with 1996’s The Ashes of Eden. “They’re a series of books about the character and his aging process. It’s been interesting to work with the writers on ideas about what would have happened.”

Kirk to Enterprise

Shatner’s legendary voyage through the final frontier began nearly 40 years ago, in 1965, when the rising star was invited to follow in the footsteps of Jeffrey Hunter’s Captain Christopher Pike and play Captain James T. Kirk in the second pilot episode of Gene Roddenberry’s new sci-fi series, Star Trek. While other actors – including future Hawaii Five-0 star Jack Lord and Mission: Impossible’s Martin Landau – declined leading roles in the show, Shatner reports that he was always keen to beam aboard the Starship Enterprise.

“I liked the idea of the TV show,” he says. “The magic of Star Trek was not lost on me. I knew the show had a lot of potential. I had also read a lot of science fiction and I’d always found it to be a fascinating genre.”

Shatner’s unmistakable presence aboard the Starship Enterprise helped sell Star Trek to the NBC network, and the Canadian actor went on to star in three seasons of the groundbreaking sci-fi adventure series, between 1966 and 1969. Looking back at the making of the series, Shatner only has fond memories of the time he spent exploring the final frontier.

“I remember what a kick it was,” he explains. “It was really exciting. I made a couple of really good friends and I enjoyed the whole process, from working on the set to doing the publicity to hanging out with the guys to try to work on ideas. Science fiction can be very creative and there are no rules because no one knows any more than you do, so it can be liberating. “The show had some wonderful stories and the actors were all enthusiastic. I was certainly excited all the time by the show.”

During his initial three-year tour of duty aboard the Starship Enterprise, Shatner found that Kirk became less of the “standard leading man” he originally set out to make him. Instead, he notes, the character increasingly emerged “as an idealised version” of the actor who played him. Shatner also recalls that his on-screen chemistry with Spock actor Leonard Nimoy and the late DeForest Kelley’s Dr McCoy came completely naturally. “None of that was forced,” he says. “We enjoyed each other’s company a lot, and I still enjoy spending time with Leonard.”

Sadly, after three years of adventures, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise were beamed off the small screen by NBC, who axed the show in response to its lacklustre ratings. Shatner readily admits that at the time of Star Trek’s cancellation, he had no idea that the show was destined to become both a showbusiness and pop culture phenomenon.

“From the moment it was cancelled, I thought it was behind me,” he recalls. “I wish I could say that from the moment I picked up the script, I knew Star Trek would be a hit that would stay in people’s minds for years. But nobody knew. Nobody had any idea of the success it would become.

“I think the show’s popularity has always been down to the interplay of the characters and the vitality of the storytelling,” he continues. “It’s because of all the things people talk about.”

The Motion Pictures

Following its cancellation, Star Trek found unprecedented popularity in US syndication during the 1970s, and was revived by Paramount Pictures as a big-budget, Star Wars-inspired movie franchise in 1979. Reviewing Kirk’s big-screen adventures, Shatner admits that his personal favourite remains the 1989 Star Trek movie that he co-wrote and directed, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. “I had so much to do with it,” he explains. “It was probably the highlight of my entire Star Trek experience. For me it was a seminal and influential watermark – a milestone.”

After starring in six movies featuring the cast of the original Star Trek, Shatner made his final appearance as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations, the 1994 film which marked the big-screen debut of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast. Controversially, Generations saw Kirk falling to his death after helping Picard to save an alien world.

“I had mixed feelings about Kirk’s death,” admits Shatner. “But when they said the character was going to die there was nothing I could do about it. So I went with the flow and tried to give the character as good a send-off as I could.”

In the decade since Kirk’s death, Shatner has kept himself busy with a variety of projects. As well as making memorable appearances in movies like Miss Congeniality, Showtime and Free Enterprise, he hosted the TV shows Iron Chef and Full Moon Fright Night, wrote and directed the sci-fi movie Groom Lake and recently recorded a new album. And, rest assured, Shatner has no plans to reduce his output in the immediate future.

“I just want to get my ideas out there,” he says of his prolific workload. “There’s just a lot of stuff that I’m in the process of trying to sell, have sold or am doing. Perhaps I’m doing a little too much, but you never know what’s going to work and what’s not going to work.”

Long Live Captain Kirk!

Despite his varied ventures away from the Star Trek franchise, Shatner is well aware that he will probably always be best known and best loved as James T. Kirk. Fortunately, he insists that he’s completely happy to be associated with the Starship Enterprise’s Captain and dismisses the idea that there have been times in his life when he felt overwhelmed by Star Trek.

“I’ve always felt comfortable with the idea that the character was in my life,” he states. “There are the obvious drawbacks – they all concern the question of, ‘What would have happened if Star Trek hadn’t come along?’ It’s possible I would have done some other series and who knows what else might have happened. I may have been successful, or I might not.

“But you can’t live on speculation. What actually happened was very beneficial and I’m all right with it. Star Trek has been good for me. The books that I’ve written and the shows that I’ve been able to write and direct are a result of Star Trek’s popularity.”

Shatner is not only content with his indelible association with Star Trek, but he’s also pursuing several new Star Trek-related projects. After sharing his thoughts on the Star Trek phenomenon with co-star Leonard Nimoy in Mind Meld, he’s currently hoping to make a similar documentary with another Star Trek icon like Patrick Stewart. He also confirms that he has pitched a “live-action Star Trek project” to Paramount Pictures, and has talked to the makers of the fifth Star Trek series, Enterprise, about a possible guest-starring role.

“They approached me and I indicated that if I played Kirk’s grandfather and had some form of disguise, it could happen,” he reveals. “But they haven’t asked me to do it yet.”

Even if he never works on another Star Trek-related project, William Shatner is destined to remain one of the most famous and iconic people on Earth. But he insists that he’s long been accustomed to that particular aspect of his life. “I’ve been in this position for a long time. I was recognisable even before Star Trek, because I was popular on American television. So I’ve spent most of my adult life being asked if I’m William Shatner and denying it!” he laughs. “What are people gonna do? Argue with me? They’re not!”

This article originally appeared in Dreamwatch Issue 117 (June 2004).

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