Shatner, Nimoy Live from Las Vegas

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy delighted the crowd at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention last weekend, discussing their upcoming work and agreeing that they would both be happier if Shatner as well as Nimoy would reprise his role in the upcoming Star Trek film.

"Thousands of Star Trek fans, millions of Star Trek fans, millions of opinions," Nimoy said of the feedback he had seen on the internet concerning his casting as Spock and supposed plot of the movie. "They have hired a very talented director and very talented writers, and you have to turn them loose and let them make their movie. Okay? I have faith in these people," the actor added, according to a report at StarTrek.com. "I think they're going to invigorate the franchise. I really do, I believe that."

Nimoy reiterated that he had told director J.J. Abrams that the movie would be better with Shatner as Kirk. Once Shatner joined him onstage, the pair joked about how Abrams had not called Shatner. "I am not in the movie, okay? I am not in the [grumble] movie. Doesn't bother me! I'm okay about this!" Shatner insisted. Then he exhorted the crowd to write to Abrams, saying, "I don't understand it! I'm up for an Emmy for Boston Legal...I'm not in the movie!" He agreed with an audience member that perhaps Abrams, like Shatner's character Denny Crane, suffers from mad cow disease.

Shatner said that he had been as surprised as fans to learn that Rene Auberjonois (Odo) would not be a regular on Boston Legal next season, saying, "I don't get it. Rene and I adored each other." However, he was happy to discuss his new talk show Shatner's Raw Nerve and said that he planned to test the format on Nimoy, whom he asked to give away the plot of the movie.

Nimoy joked that he was under surveillance and could not give away any secret twists, pretending that Abrams was keeping an eye on him, to which Shatner said, "Give him my best, will ya? Tell him I love him. He's the best director, best writer I've ever seen. And a stupid sh** for not having me in the film." He also learned that Nimoy is expected for several months of filming, "more than a cameo and less than a leading man", leading to jokes between the two about Nimoy's sex appeal, which Shatner said was "sort of in a niche" and then amended to say, "You appeal to girls only, I think is what I mean."

Shatner taunted Nimoy about how he had declined roles on Boston Legal with the claim that he was retired from acting, suggesting that he only agreed to play Spock again for the money. "It's Star Trek, Billy, it's Spock! They need Spock in Star Trek, they want me back!" Nimoy told him, adding that it wasn't his fault that Kirk had died in Generations: "If I had been in it, I would not have allowed you to die! I told you that!" The pair then performed a reenactment of Spock's death in The Wrath of Khan, to the great pleasure of the audience.

For much more, the full report is at at StarTrek.com.

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