William Shatner Admits Rarely Rewatching ‘Star Trek’ Episodes

William Shatner revealed during a recent discussion about his career that he wouldn’t mind stepping back into his iconic role as Admiral James T. Kirk in the Star Trek sci-fi franchise. Interestingly, he mentioned that he has only watched a few episodes of Star Trek despite its global popularity.

Shatner acknowledged that creating another Star Trek installment would be challenging. However, he views the franchise as so legendary that he wouldn’t hesitate to participate if the opportunity arose. His last appearance as Kirk was in 1994’s Star Trek: Generations. Since then, he has shifted his focus to comedy and TV dramas.

Unlike his fans, Shatner dislikes watching himself on screen and isn’t much of a TV viewer in general. He prefers documentaries, as well as news, sports, and history programs. Despite efforts from his family to get him interested in certain shows, they’ve been unsuccessful. This is somewhat ironic given that much of Shatner’s work involves reality programs, sitcoms, and comedy series.

Shatner, who turned 93 in March, humorously expressed a wish for a company to freeze his brain and body in case there’s ever a need for Captain Kirk in a future Star Trek project.

Recently, Shatner has become quite reflective about his life and career. He has been sharing these reflections through interviews and his latest book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. One of the emotional experiences he detailed was his 2021 trip aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin New Shepard space-bound vehicle, where he made history as the oldest person to reach space.

In an interview with Variety, Shatner mentioned that he is acutely aware of the limited time he has left, which fuels his desire to make the most of life. Despite various health issues, including skin cancer and tinnitus—resulting from a loud blast on the set of Star Trek—the father of three has lived a long and fulfilling life. Over the years, he has grown accustomed to the persistent ringing in his ears caused by that long-standing injury.

Source: Variety