Some of closest colleagues may have reached or be near that final frontier, but William Shatner is calling them out for being jealous of his success.
In an interview with The Times to promote his new memoir, “Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder”, the 91-year-old William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) opened up about feelings towards some of his primary Star Trek co-stars, particularly as they relate to what he calls “envy and hatred.”
“I began to understand that they were [making comments about me] for publicity,” said Shatner. “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. These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?”
Some of William Shatner’s comments stem from learning from Nichelle Nichols (lieutenant Noyota Uhura,) that some of the core cast found Shatner “cold and arrogant.” While it came as a shock at the time, Shatner did pay tribute to Nichols upon her 2022 death, saying she “did so much for redefining social issues both here in the US and throughout the world.”
Things didn’t go as well for Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (Spock), who had a falling out before Nimoy’s 2015 death. And things aren’t looking too bright for the future of Shatner and George Takei (Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu). Takei publicly made fun of Shatner’s trip to outer space, saying he was nothing but a “guinea pig.” Shatner says, “George has never stopped blackening my name.”
William Shatner’s new book “reflects on the interconnectivity of all things, our fragile bond with nature, and the joy that comes from exploration in this inspiring, revelatory, and exhilarating collection of essays.”
What do you think? Are William Shatner’s former Star Trek colleagues jealous of his post-series stardom?