Shatner: Space? No Thanks!
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When it comes to traveling high above the Earth, William Shatner would rather keep his feet on the ground.
Virgin Galactic‘s Richard Branson revealed that Shatner turned down a chance to go on one of the first commercial space trips offered by Branson’s company.
“He actually said he’s frightened of airline travel, which is slightly disillusioning,” said Branson. “Captain Kirk is scared of flying.”
Shatner explained why he had no desire to go into space several years ago. “I’m interested in man’s march into the unknown but to vomit in space is not my idea of a good time,” he said. “Neither is a fiery crash with the vomit hovering over me.”
But a fear of space travel may not be all that kept Shatner from accepting the trip from Branson, and had the conditions been right, Shatner might have gone after all. “He wanted me to go up and pay [the $200,000 for the trip] and I said: ‘Hey, you pay me and I’ll go up. I’ll risk my life for a large sum of money. “But he didn’t pick me up on my offer.”
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Not all that odd that he wouldn’t enjoy flying. After all, there’s always the change that there might be “some one, some…*thing*…on the wing” out there!
as captain kirk shatner I found a sympathetic man, shatner today is nothing more than an arrogant prig with an extremely unpleasant irritating character. hollywood man who can not let go retire by definition and allow them to quit his acting work. shatner is an expired actor with an insufferable annoying narcissistic ego.
Do you realize most of what you object to is Shatner’s schtick personality that he has developed over the years, largely to rile and agitate humorless individuals?
For a time, I too thought Shatner was a real jerk. I based this opinion on things like Nichelle Nichols’ and others’ tales. Then as I got older, I realized that it was unfair to judge the man based on the sour grapes of others who didn’t have the chance to share his limelight and, as I came to realize, may in fact have egos that outstrip the Shat’s. You don’t get along with everyone you work with. I actually think Shatner had been far more graceful than a few of his old colleagues.
Maybe he’d quote Scotty here, “If my mother had wheels, she’d be a wagon.”
I totally agree with this, and I’d even take it another big step forward: They’re sour because they don’t have his talent.
Did Shatner have a career outside of Star Trek because he got a few more lines from the other actors? Indeed not. Did he have a career because he’s an egomaniac? To some extent… he wouldn’t have a career if he were a shrinking violet… But were people in the industry hiring him because he’s a jerk? Or because he had talent and could and still does draw an audience, not based on nostalgia, but based on being entertained? I submit the latter, since, there is plenty of evidence that people don’t just lap up whatever Shatner throws out… There have been plenty of failures or disappointments at the box office and ratings wise over the years, and if it was all based on Kirk, they’d all have worked for years… But they didn’t… Only some roles and performances and shows and movies worked, and some didn’t…. which is simply the nature of being an actor.
So, why didn’t George Takei ever do anything else besides, what, a cameo on god-awful Heroes? What else has he done? What else has Nichelle Nichols ever done? What did James Doohan do? I suppose Walter Koenig did do Babylon 5, but of everything in this post, that comes closest to cashing in on one’s Trek legacy without actually earning popularity by stepping outside that box. Who did have careers outside of Star Trek? Well, Leonard Nimoy probably came closest after Trek in that he went on to Mission Impossible, In Search Of, his photography, directing, and other appearances. DeForest Kelley had a career before Star Trek… no much of one after… but the talent of the main three are what made them the main three… and, shockingly, have you ever seen or heard DeForest Kelley knock Shatner? Or Nimoy knock him for real? The people that had careers and true talent beyond cashing in on Trek for decades have no apparent issue with William Shatner.
As for him being expired, well, I guess that’s up to the public… and there, I’d wager the negativity is in the minority.
Might he be a jerk? He might. Might he be an egomaniac? Sure. Might I supremely enjoy just about everything he does? Oh, indeed.
Despite the very un-scary costume, one of the best Twilight Zones EVAR.
DENNY CRAAANE.
A lot of the infighting does smack of “me-too”ism, which is sad and puzzling. Most of the other Trek veterans’ careers were lower-key, to be sure, but none of them were hurting for work, and Shatner’s post-Trek resume’ isn’t consistently stellar either. Doohan continued to do voice work well into his last years, and only made film or TV appearances when he wanted to. De Kelley semi-retired in the 70s largely for health reasons, but kept coming back to Trek for the “family”. Takei and Nichelle Nichols have continued to have stage careers and speaking engagements out the yinyang. Majell was a backbone of Trek and everything else Roddenberry did after. Walter… I have to worry that his son’s death broke something inside of him. I love him anyway and wish him the best.
I love all these people. They are sometimes wonderful, sometimes jumbo-sized bags du douche, but aren’t we all from time to time?
Virgin Atlantic wanted the publicity of “Captain Kirk” flying in space, which would have been worth millions to them. Why should Shatner pay for that? And maybe he just didn’t want to go.
Well, at 83 he is not the same as he was when he was playing Kirk. When you are younger, you do things you most likely wouldn’t do later.
Now we now where Vic Mignogna got some of his horrible personality from. Let John Broughton and Michael Bednar.
It’s sad that Walter has changed since the death of his son. But what is really sad is the fact that he has become almost like what he has accused Bill Shatner of over the years. Honestly, he has conveyed an ‘I don’t give a shit’ aura about him since Andrew’s suicide. In a way, I saw it coming when I first saw him bald.
Like certain things, death has a way of bringing out the worst in someone.
“Like certain things, death has a way of bringing out the worst in someone.”
Like the ability to comment on a Star Trek forum does with you.
How now brown cow?
Jumping him on the one post he’s made where he DOESN’T rave about you-know-who? And then downvoting the only civil post he’s made in probably ever? Bad form.
Now THAT post deserved the spanking.
Well, yes and no… if you ask him, one of the central reasons/examples he would cite for Walter Koenig going off the deep end is working with you-know-who… So, six of one, half a dozen of the other… There’s only one chord this guy plays…
Well, if he’s not going to write in actual sentences, or ones that are coherent, I figured I may as well, too.
He actually didn’t this time. Maybe there’s hope for him yet….?
I’ll concede maybe…
It depends on the subject, Mike.
From what I can tell, Mike does have a bad habit of that.
You’d be surprised as to how many chords I can play.
Do you deny that’s one of the main reasons you take issue with Walter Koenig at this point? That he was involved with a fan production? And also in that fan production was VM? Do you deny these things? Don’t wait for the translation! Answer me now!
😉
You’re going to call me bringing VM into the conversation a bad habit? You must be a hardcore addict then, eh?
Maybe this will be coherent….
Nope. I do not deny it all. Unlike the Farragut Films staff, I am brutally honest in my answers. So, in answer to your question, I do not deny it at all.
By the way, as much as I appreciate the reference to General Chang, Christopher Plummer was better at saying that last quote.
Nope. Just someone who has no problem voicing his dislike for a bunch of cretins(FF and VM)who represent the dark side of fandom.
Since I didn’t say it, but typed it, I don’t take offense… nor would I regardless…
Which reminds me…