william shatner star trek generations

Working With William Shatner On Star Trek: Generations Was A Pleasant Surprise For Patrick Stewart

The final episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," called "All Good Things...," aired on May 23, 1994, bringing seven seasons of a highly successful TV show to a close. The feature film "Star Trek: Generations" was filmed on some of the same "Next Generation" sets, and was shot almost immediately after "All Good Things..." wrapped. The film was released on November 18 that same year. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was already on the air at that point, and only took a break from June to September of 1994, meaning Trekkies didn't really have to wait very long to see their favorite show on the big screen. 

Curiously, "Star Trek: Generations" was fixated on themes of "passing the torch," and the film's screenwriters invented a complex time-travel conceit to get Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) together on screen at the same time. Thanks to an idly wandering temporal nexus, the two were able to meet, travel to Veridian III, and take turns punching Malcolm McDowell. This plot was curious as the original "Star Trek" came to an effective close in 1991 with the release of "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," and "Next Generation" had clearly emerged as its own entity. There was no longer a need to "pass the torch." 

Regardless, Shatner and Stewart met inside the Nexus and enjoyed an on-screen team-up fistfight together. 

In his new autobiography, "Making It So: A Memoir," Stewart talked a little bit about filming with Shatner, and how the actor, despite a reputation for treating his co-stars badly, was actually a delightful person to work with. 

This wasn't goodbye

Stewart recalls the fast turnaround between the last episode of "Next Generation" and the start of "Generations." He also expressed some regret that the film didn't turn out as well as he had hoped, feeling that the story wasn't anything different than what might have been covered on the TV show. He also, at least initially, balked at the idea of including Shatner in a NextGen movie, as the studio seemed to be displaying a lack of faith in the material. Stewart wrote: 

"But it does highlight the notable pairing of Jean-Luc Picard and Captain James T. Kirk, who, by some writerly trick of extradimensional logic, is allowed to coexist with his successor in his full brown-haired, middle-aged virility. Up to this point, Bill Shatner had been relatively cold to TNG, professing to the press that he'd barely watched any of it, and I was a little disappointed that the producers and writers had decided to insert Kirk into our first movie — it made me feel that they didn't trust the TNG cast to carry a film by ourselves." 

But Shatner proved to be a delight. The two actors, after all, had the common experience of more or less leading a "Star Trek" series. They had also both appeared at "Star Trek" conventions and had likely met a lot of the same people in those ultra-long autograph-signing con lines. They also both had their start in classical theater, having experience with Shakespeare. Stewart played Shylock at the Old Vic in 1965, while Shatner played Duke of Gloucester at the 1956 Stratford Shakespeare Festival (taking over for an ailing Christopher Plummer ). One might wish to hear the two actors' conversation.

'It was ... fun'

About William Shatner , Stewart wrote: 

"I ended up eating my words, for Bill was a pleasure to work with, open and generous, and his death scene is moving. In the film, Picard and Kirk team up to foil a plan by the movie's villain, Tolian Soran, who was played by Malcolm McDowell, a long way from his days as a Royal Shakespeare Company walk-on background actor. Kirk and Picard succeed in locking down Soran's deadly space probe, but not before Kirk makes the ultimate sacrifice to do so, incurring fatal wounds." 

Kirk clung onto a collapsing iron catwalk as it plummetted toward a boulder. Kirk died, speaking to Picard. His last words, Stewart recounts, were "It was ... fun." Then, as the life drained from him, he uttered, "Oh my." Stewart recalled "Our fans loved that Kirk died virtually in Picard's arms, even as they grieved for their original captain."

Some Trekkies were excited enough to see "Next Generation" characters on the big screen that they were happy to overlook the "passing the torch" plot and some of the film's clunkier writing. The film isn't particularly beloved these days, currently sporting a mere 48% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But in 1994, it felt like a miniature event for many people, including this author. It's nice to know that Shatner and Stewart got along and that they had chemistry both on and off the screen. Two Trek legends, at the very least, had a blast filming together. 

William Shatner Explains His Approach To Filming Kirk’s Unusual Death In Star Trek Generations, And It Makes A Lot Of Sense

Star Trek Generations was William Shatner’s final hurrah as James T. Kirk.

Although 1991’s Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country marked the last hurrah for The Original Series cast together, William Shatner ’s James T. Kirk had one more cinematic adventure left in him. Three years later, Shatner reprised his most famous role for Star Trek Generations , which ended with Kirk during his team-up with Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard. While the manner in which Kirk died is a polarizing topic among Star Trek fans, Shatner has explained how he approached filming this emotional moment in the franchise’s seventh movie.

In an interview with Variety , William Shatner addressed that he had some “say” in how James T. Kirk perished in Star Trek Generations , namely that the character he’d played for over 25 years by that point would face death with a sense of wonder, which makes a lot of sense. As he explained:

I’m of the opinion that you die the way you live. I thought Kirk would die with a ‘Wow, look at that coming at me. There’s a guy with a scythe. Holy shit!’ He’d seen all these weird aliens before. Here comes death and he meets it with awe and a sense of discovery.

For those who need a refresher, William Shatner’s James Kirk was fatally injured when he fell from a collapsing metal catwalk after de-cloaking the missile that Malcolm McDowell’s Soran, Star Trek Generations ’ main antagonist, planned to launch. You can stream Generations with your HBO Max subscription to remind yourself of the full scope of Soran’s grand plan involving the Nexus, but ultimately he was defeated, and before he died, Kirk told Picard that helping his fellow captain of the Enterprise save the day was “fun.” Kirk’s final words were, “Oh my,” and Picard then retrieved the body and gave it a proper burial on Veridian III. 

Although William Shatner later wrote a series of novels where James T. Kirk was resurrected thanks to an alliance between the Romulans and the Borg, within the official canon, Generations marked the end of his journey. As Shatner saw it, taking into account all the amazing things Kirk saw and did during his years exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations, of course he would be captivated by the presence of death and embrace walking into the great unknown. For Kirk to face something that grand any differently would feel out of character.

We’re coming up on three decades since William Shatner last played James Kirk, and although the actor was given an opportunity to cameo in 2009’s Star Trek , he turned it down, calling what was written “the stupidest scene I have ever heard of” in 2017. By 2021, Shatner said he would consider playing Kirk again if “they could explain the 55-year difference,” but otherwise he’s keeping busy enough and is comfortable with Star Trek being in his past. Along with sharing his comments about Kirk’s death scene, Shatner has been in the news lately for explaining why he skipped Leonard Nimoy’s funeral and calling Elon Musk out on Twitter .

Meanwhile, Chris Pine played James Kirk in the three movies set in Star Trek ’s Kelvin timeline, but given the numerous setbacks Star Trek 4 keeps facing , it’s hard to say if we’ll ever see him return to that role either. Then in the TV realm, Paul Wesley debuted as a younger version of the main Kirk in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 finale, and he’ll be back for Season 2, which premieres to Paramount+ subscribers on June 15.

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Star Trek: Generations (1994)

William shatner: kirk.

• Photos (25)
• Quotes (24)

Photos 

Quotes 

Kirk : Captain of the Enterprise, huh?

Picard : That's right.

Kirk : Close to retirement?

Picard : I'm not planning on it.

Kirk : Well let me tell you something. Don't! Don't let them promote you. Don't let them transfer you. Don't let them do *anything* that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there... you can make a difference.

Picard : Come back with me. Help me stop Soran. Help make a difference again!

Kirk : Who am I to argue with the captain of the Enterprise? What's the name of that planet? Veridian III?

Kirk : I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim?

Picard : You could say that.

Kirk : You know if Spock were here, he'd say I was an irrational, illogical human being for going on a mission like that.

[pause] 

Kirk : Sounds like fun!

Kirk : Did we do it? Did we make a difference?

Picard : Oh, yes. We made a difference. Thank you.

Kirk : Least I could do for the captain of the Enterprise.

[last words] 

Kirk : It was... fun. Oh, my...

Kirk : [to Sulu's daughter, Demora]  Congratulations, Ensign. It wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm.

Chekov : I was never that young.

Kirk : No, you were younger.

[Kirk is invited to give a command to the new Enterprise-B] 

Kirk : Take us out.

Chekov : Very good, sir.

Scotty : Brought a tear to my eye.

Kirk : Oh, be quiet.

Kirk : You left spacedock without a tractor beam?

Harriman : It won't be installed until Tuesday.

Kirk : You say history considers me dead. Who am I to argue with history?

Picard : You're a Starfleet officer. You have a duty!

Kirk : I don't need to be lectured by you. I was out saving the galaxy when your grandfather was in diapers. Besides which, I think the galaxy owes me one.

Kirk : [to Harriman]  Risk is part of the game if you want to sit in that chair.

Picard : Good luck, Captain.

Kirk : Call me Jim!

Scotty : Finding retirement a little lonely, are we?

Kirk : You know, I'm glad you're an engineer. With tact like that, you'd make a lousy psychiatrist.

Kirk : [after being saved from Soran]  I thought you were headed for the launcher.

Picard : I changed my mind; Captain's prerogative!

Kirk : Load torpedo bays. Prepare to fire at my command.

Demora : Captain, we don't have any torpedoes.

Kirk : [to Captain Harriman]  Don't tell me. Tuesday.

[first lines] 

[the journalists are all talking at the same time, trying to get their questions in] 

Journalist #3 : How does it feel to be back on the Enterprise bridge?

Journalist #1 : Captain Chekov, what are the most significant changes...

Journalist #3 : Captain Kirk, can I ask you a few questions?

Journalist #1 : Did you participate in the redesign?

Journalist #3 : We'd like to know how you feel about being...

Kirk : I appreciate the...

Harriman : Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. There will be plenty of time for questions later. I'm Captain John Harriman and I'd like to welcome you all aboard.

Kirk : It's our pleasure.

Harriman : I just want you to know how excited we all are to have a group of living legends with us on our maiden voyage. I remember reading about your missions when I was in grade school.

Kirk : Oh, really? Well, may we have a look around?

Harriman : Please. Please.

Picard : This is not your bedroom.

Kirk : No, it's not. It's better.

Kirk : I was like you once, so worried about duty and obligation I couldn't see past my own uniform. And what did it get me? An empty house. Not this time. This time, I'm gonna walk up these stairs, march into that bedroom, and tell Antonia I want to marry her. This time, it's gonna be different.

Picard : [following him, he finds himself in a horse stable]  This is not your bedroom.

Picard : Better?

Kirk : This is my uncle's barn in Idaho. I took this horse out for a ride 11 years ago on a spring day.

[opening the barn door] 

Kirk : Like this one. If I'm right, this is the day I met Antonia. This Nexus of yours, very clever. I can start all over again and do things right from day one.

Harriman : Captain Kirk - I would appreciate any suggestions you might have.

Kirk : First - move us within transporter range and beam those people aboard the Enterprise.

Harriman : What about the gravimetric distortions? They'll tear us apart.

Kirk : Risk is part of the game if you want to sit in that chair.

Harriman : Helm, close to within transporter range.

Kirk : [to reporter shining a camera light into his face, pushing him away]  Second - turn that damn thing off.

Kirk : Scotty, keep things together till I get back.

Scotty : I always do.

Lieutenant : [Minutes Later]  45 seconds to structural collapse!

Kirk : Bridge to Captain Kirk!

Kirk : Kirk here.

Scotty : I don't know how much longer I can hold her together!

Chekov : I'd like you to meet the helmsman of the Enterprise-B. Demora.

[Demora steps forward] 

Chekov : Ensign Demora Sulu.

Demora : It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. My father's told me some interesting stories about you.

Kirk : Your father is Hikaru Sulu?

Demora : Yes, sir.

Chekov : Oh, you've met her before, but she was...

[he indicates the size of a small child] 

Kirk : It wasn't that long ago. It couldn't have been more than...

Chekov : Twelve years, sir.

Kirk : Twelve years?

Chekov : Absolutely.

Kirk : Incredible.

Scotty : [caught in the energy ribbon]  There's just no way to disrupt a gravimetric field of this magnitude.

Lieutenant : Hull integrity at 82%.

Scotty : But I do have a theory.

Kirk : I thought you might.

Lieutenant : [trying to rescue the El-Aurians on the Lakul]  Sir, I'm having trouble locking onto them. They appear to be in some sort of temporal flux.

Kirk : [going to his station]  Scotty!

Scotty : [joining them]  What the hell? Their life signs are phasing in and out of our space-time continuum.

Kirk : Phasing? To where?

Navigator : Sir, their hull's collapsing!

Kirk : Beam them out of there, Scotty!

Scotty : [as the Lakul is destroyed]  Transport complete. I got 47... out of 150.

Journalist #3 : This is the first Starship Enterprise in 30 years without James T. Kirk in command. How do you feel about that, sir?

Kirk : Oh, just fine. I'm glad to be here to send her on her way.

Journalist #3 : And what have you been doing since you retired?

Kirk : Keeping busy.

Scotty : [on the Enterprise-B]  Damn fine ship if you ask me.

Kirk : Scotty, it absolutely amazes me.

Scotty : And what would that be, sir?

Kirk : [glancing at Demora at her station]  Sulu. When did he find time for a family?

Scotty : Well, like you always say, if something's important, you make the time.

Kirk : Come on in. It's all right; it's my house. At least it used to be. I sold it years ago.

Picard : I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship... Enterprise.

Kirk : The clock.

[going to a clock on a mantelpiece] 

Kirk : I gave this clock to Bones.

Picard : I'm from what you would consider the future, the 24th century.

Kirk : [hearing a bark and seeing a dog in the doorway]  Butler!

[petting him] 

Kirk : Butler. How can you be here? He's been dead seven years.

Antonia : [off-screen]  Come on, Jim. I'm starving. How long are you gonna be rattling around in that kitchen?

Kirk : Antonia. What are you talking about? The future? This is the past. This is nine years ago.

[opening a box and taking out a gold horseshoe] 

Kirk : The day I told her I was going back to Starfleet.

[going to the kitchen] 

Kirk : These are Ktarian eggs, her favorite. I was preparing them to soften the blow.

Picard : I know how real this must seem to you, but it's not. This isn't really your house. We are, both of us, caught up in some kind of temporal nexus.

Kirk : [cracking the eggs into a skillet]  Dill.

Picard : I beg your pardon?

Kirk : Dill weed. In the cabinet, second shelf to the left. Behind the oregano.

Picard : How long have you been here?

Kirk : I don't know. I was aboard the Enterprise-B in the deflector control room, and...

[handing him the skillet of eggs] 

Kirk : Stir these, will you? The bulkhead in front of me disappeared, and then I found myself out there just now chopping wood right before you walked up.

[taking the skillet back] 

Kirk : Thanks.

Picard : Look, uh, history records that you died the Enterprise-B from an energy ribbon 80 years ago.

Kirk : You say this is the 24th century?

Picard : Uh-huh.

Kirk : And I'm dead?

Picard : Not exactly. As I said, this is some kind of...

Picard , Kirk : Temporal nexus.

Kirk : Yes, I heard you.

Picard : I, um...

Kirk : Something is missing.

[bread in a toaster pops up] 

Picard : Captain, look, I need your help. I want you to leave the Nexus with me. We have to go back to a planet, Veridian III. We have to stop a man called Soran from destroying a star. Millions of lives are at stake.

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Star Trek Generations

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Watch Star Trek Generations with a subscription on Max, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

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Generations stands as a mediocre changing of the guard for crews of the Enterprise, with a dull plot that sometimes seems like an expanded episode of the television series.

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The " Star Trek " saga has always had a weakness for getting distracted by itself, and "Star Trek: Generations," the seventh film installment, is undone by its narcissism. Here is a movie so concerned with in-jokes and updates for Trekkers that it can barely tear itself away long enough to tell a story. From the weight and attention given to the transfer of command on the Starship Enterprise, you'd think a millennium was ending - which is, by the end of the film, how it feels.

The movie opens during a maiden run for the Enterprise B; plans call for it to take a little dash around the solar system with some reporters on board. But then a call for help is received, and there's polite jockeying for position between the newly appointed Capt. Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and the just-retired Capt. Kirk ( William Shatner ). Kirk is obviously better-equipped to handle the crisis, but alas the ship itself is unequipped, unmanned and unready for an emergency.

The emergency involves a free-floating coil of space energy, which has captured two ships in what I think was called its Gravametric Field. ("Star Trek" has never been shy of polysyllabic pseudoscientific gobbledygook, and "Generation" bathes in it; the victims' "life signs are phasing in and out of our space-time continuum"!) One of the survivors is the intense Dr. Soran ( Malcolm McDowell ), of the El Aurian species, who insists he must get back to the ship. It explodes in the Nexus force field, however, and the story leaps forward 78 years. Capt. Picard now finds himself on a rescue mission to an observatory where Dr. Soran is again rescued, and again insists he must return, and lo, here comes the Nexus again, along with an explanation by Guinan ( Whoopi Goldberg ), the Enterprise's resident mystic, who says that those caught in the Nexus are "bathed in joy." We learn that Soran will do anything for that joy, including destroying stars and their planets with millions of inhabitants, just to nudge the Nexus a little out of its way. His calculations are astonishingly precise: By using Solar Probes to destroy an entire solar system, he can steer the Nexus so that it brushes right above a rickety steel platform he has constructed in an alien desert, and he can sort of leap up into it and be absorbed in joy.

Meanwhile, there is a lot happening aboard the Enterprise, which has a way of being constantly buffeted by force fields and Gravametric explosions ex cept when Quietly Meaningful Dialogue is being exchanged; at such times the ship is perfectly still. I would estimate that the command deck is being buffeted, filled with smoke, and showered with electri cal sparks, a good third of the time, with the computers all flashing superfluous "Alert!" warnings, just when you want them to tell you something helpful.

The "Star Trek" series has always specialized in hilariously klutzy hardware, but outdoes itself this time; the TV cameramen in the opening scenes wear little lights on their heads which illuminate only the centers of the faces of their subjects (surely by the 21st century Man, even Newsman, will not have forgotten how to light a whole face?). And the computer controls aboard the starship now seem modeled on the multiple-choice cash registers at McDonald's, where you just push the Big Mac button instead of needing to know how much it costs.

The running joke this time involves Lt. Cmdr. Data ( Brent Spiner ), a computerized android who tries out a tricky emotion chip and suddenly understands jokes he was told years ago. This notion could have led to some funny scenes, but doesn't, and the scene where Data shorts out (or his chip crashes, or something) is acted and directed so uncertainly it is positively puzzling.

The "Star Trek" movies and TV shows always consider at least one Big Important Human Question, and this time it has to do with the Choice Between Happiness and Reality. When you get sucked into the Nexus, see, you think you are living once again through the most joyous days of your life. This would be great, except you kinda know you're not, and so both Capt. Kirk and Capt. Picard must choose between the hazards of reality and the seductive dream world. There's a lesson here somewhere. Hell, there's a lesson here everywhere.

I will not be giving away any secrets if I reveal that Capt.

Kirk dies in the course of the movie. Countless Trekkers have solemnly informed me of this fact for months, if not years. Leave it to Kirk to be discontent with just one death scene, however. Kirk's first death is a very long silence, but he has dialogue for his second one. Oh, my, yes he does. And slips away so subtly I was waiting for more.

I, for one, will miss him. There is something endearing about the "Star Trek" world, even down to and including its curious tradition that the even-numbered movies tend to be better than the odd-numbered ones. And it's fun to hear the obligatory dialogue one more time (my favorite, always said by someone watching the giant view screen, where an unearthly sight has appeared: "What . . . the . . . hell . . . is . . . THAT?").

"Star Trek" seems to cross the props of science fiction with the ideas of Westerns. Watching the fate of millions being settled by an old-fashioned fistfight on a rickety steel bridge (intercut with closeups of the bolts popping loose and the structure sagging ominously), I was almost amused by the shabby storytelling. Why doesn't more movie science fiction have the originality and imagination of its print origins? In " Stargate ," the alien god Ra was able to travel the universe, yet still needed slaves to build his pyramids. In "Star Trek: Generations," the starship can go boldly where no one has gone before, but the screenwriters can only do vice versa.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

118 minutes

Malcolm McDowell as Soran

William Shatner as Capt. Kirk

Patrick Stewart as Capt. Picard

Directed by

• David Carson

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William Shatner

William Shatner is best known for his distinctive voice and his roles on 'Star Trek' and 'Boston Legal.'

Who Is William Shatner?

Actor, director, author, singer William Shatner is best known for his roles on Boston Legal and Star Trek .

Born on March 22, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Shatner started his career as a child performer in radio programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. As a student at McGill University, he continued to pursue acting. Shatner spent his summers performing with the Royal Mount Theater Company. He graduated from the university in 1952 and joined the National Repertory Theater of Ottawa. Working with Sir Tyrone Guthrie, Shatner also appeared in productions at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario.

Early Stage and Screen Roles

In 1961, Shatner had a small part in the Holocaust drama Judgment at Nuremberg , playing an army captain. He had a lead part in The Intruder (1962) as a racist who fought against school integration. On the small screen, Shatner had his first series, For the People , in 1965. He starred on the short-lived drama as an assistant district attorney in New York City.

'Star Trek' Series and Films

The following year, Shatner took on the role that made him famous around the world. As Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek , he commanded the U.S.S. Enterprise , a starship traveling through space in the twenty-third century. Kirk encountered all sorts of unusual aliens and challenging situations during his journeys. Accompanying him on these adventures was his loyal crew, which included first officer Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and medical officer Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley). The science fiction series created by Gene Roddenberry premiered on September 8, 1966, and lasted for three seasons.

During the run of the show, Shatner also made an unusual career move. He recorded an album, The Transformed Man (1968), which featured spoken word versions of contemporary pop hits. Already known for his dramatic, but earnest delivery of his lines on Star Trek , Shatner recorded renditions of such songs as the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

Not long after the album, Star Trek was canceled. The show, however, continued to live on in syndication and became even more popular. Star Trek became a Saturday morning cartoon that ran during the mid-1970s, and it was resurrected a live action film in 1979. Returning to the role of Kirk, Shatner starred in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . The film's warm reception by film-goers showed how much affection the public had for the old series. At the beginning of the film, Kirk has become an admiral, Bones has retired, and Spock has returned to the planet Vulcan. But the three return to work on a new version of the Enterprise to solve a crisis involving a mysterious cloud that has destroyed several spaceships.

In the sequel Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Kirk has to overcome an old adversary out for revenge, Khan Noonien Singh (Richardo Montalban). He followed with Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986).

The next chapter in the Star Trek film series received a lukewarm reception. For Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Shatner not only returned as Kirk, but made his debut as a feature film director as well. The film, unfortunately, received some fairly negative reviews. Movie critic Roger Ebert called it "a mess," involving "not much danger, no characters to really care about, little suspense, uninteresting ... villains, and great deal of small talk."

Not matter what the reviews said, the Star Trek film series continued at warp speed. The next installments were Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) and then Star Trek Generations (1994). In Generations , the members of the original Star Trek hand the baton to the cast of the spin-off series Star Trek: The Next Generation , marking the end of Shatner's starring role in the franchise.

TV and Movie Roles

't.j. hooker'.

In 1982, Shatner took on a new leading television role in T. J. Hooker , as a veteran police officer who returns to a street beat. The supporting cast included Heather Locklear and Adrian Zmed as younger officers who work with and look up to Shatner's character. Unlike the original Star Trek series, T. J. Hooker was immediately popular with television audiences.

Shatner remained a fixture on television even after T. J. Hooker went off the air, becoming the host for Rescue 911 in 1989. This was an early entry into the reality television genre, featuring reenactments of emergency situations.

'The Practice,' 'Boston Legal'

On the big screen, Shatner appeared as a beauty pageant host in Miss Congeniality (2000) and its sequel Miss Congeniality 2 (2005), with Sandra Bullock . In 2003, he made a guest appearance as a talented, but eccentric lawyer on The Practice . His turn as Denny Crane brought him his first Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He had been previously nominated for his guest appearance on the science fiction sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun in 1999.

The Practice creator David E. Kelley created a spin-off series, Boston Legal , featuring Shatner's character Denny Crane in 2004. Law partner and master litigator Crane acts as a mentor of sorts to Alan Shore (played by James Spader). For his work on the series, Shatner won his second Emmy — this time for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series — in 2005. More nominations in this category followed in 2006 and in 2007.

'Shatner's Raw Nerve,' 'Weird or What?'

In 2008, Shatner began work on Shatner's Raw Nerve, a celebrity interview program on the Biography Channel. He then worked on another Biography Channel project entitled Aftermath with William Shatner , which focused on the stories of ordinary citizens who became overnight celebrities, and also hosted the supernatural-themed Weird or What?

'$#*! My Dad Says,' 'Better Late Than Never'

In 2010, Shatner returned to sitcom TV in the short-lived $#*! My Dad Says , based on a Twitter feed of the same name. He began hosting the U.S. version of the stop-motion series Clangers in 2015, and enjoyed some success with the reality-travel series Better Late Than Never the following year, alongside Henry Winkler , George Foreman and Terry Bradshaw .

'The UnXplained' on HISTORY

Shatner is the host and executive producer of the HISTORY nonfiction series The UnXplained , which premiered on July 19, 2019, at 10 pm ET/PT. The series tackles subjects that have mystified mankind for centuries, from mysterious structures and cursed ancient cities to extraterrestrial sightings and bizarre rituals.

“It’s an intriguing show that will offer viewers credible answers to questions about mysterious phenomena, while also leaving other theories left unexplained," Shatner said.

Shatner has experienced great success as an author. During the writers' strike of 1987, he transformed a screenplay idea into a novel. The result was TekWar (1989), a work of science fiction featuring a middle-aged private detective working in the twenty-second century. More Tek titles followed and were later adapted for television.

Additionally, Shatner worked with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens to create a series of Star Trek novels, and launched the Quest for Tomorrow and Samuel Lord science fiction series.

Also a veteran of nonfiction, Shatner co-authored Star Trek Memories (1993) and Star Trek Movie Memories (1994) with Chris Kreski. He and Kreski also worked together on Get a Life! (1999), a look at the whole Star Trek fan phenomenon. The actor went on to pen several nonfiction books with David Fisher, including Up Till Now: The Autobiography (2008) and Live Long And...: What I Learned Along the Way (2018).

Marriages and Personal

From 1956 to 1969, Shatner was married to Canadian actress Gloria Rand. The couple had three children together. Shatner married actress Marcy Lafferty in 1973. That marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Shortly thereafter, he married model Nerine Kidd. Kidd's life came to a tragic end in 1999, when she accidentally drowned in a pool at the Shatners' home in Studio City, California.

After such a tragic loss, Shatner was able to find happiness again with his 2001 marriage to Elizabeth J. Martin, a horse breeder. In late 2019, it was reported that the 88-year-old actor had filed for divorce.

As part of his own love of horses, Shatner started the annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show to raise funds for children's charities in 1990.

In late 2017, Canadian Governor General Julie Payette appointed Shatner an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to popular culture and his charity work.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: William Shatner
• Birth Year: 1931
• Birth date: March 22, 1931
• Birth City: Montreal
• Birth Country: Canada
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: William Shatner is best known for his distinctive voice and his roles on 'Star Trek' and 'Boston Legal.'
• Astrological Sign: Aries
• McGill University

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: William Shatner Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/william-shatner
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: December 11, 2019
• Original Published Date: April 2, 2014
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When ‘star trek: generations’ nearly stalled the franchise.

Twenty five years ago, 'Star Trek: Generations' put Captains Kirk and Picard in a shared universe movie — to mixed results.

By Phil Pirrello

Phil Pirrello

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Star Trek: Generations

Captains Kirk and Picard finally meet, their two ships — the Enterprise — locked in battle on the film’s poster. 

That was the original (and exciting) idea co-writer Brannon Braga pitched for what would become Star Trek : Generations , released 25 years ago Monday. Unfortunately, what could have been an inspired and action-packed first encounter between William Shatner and Patrick Stewart ’s iconic Star Trek characters went another way, one that introduced the two captains for the first time over Kirk scrambling eggs and, in the process, almost stalled the very franchise it was intended to reinvigorate.

Generations was written by  Star Trek: The Next Generation writers Braga and Ronald D. Moore — integral scribes to the TV show who would go on to write 1996’s First Contact .

But the seventh Star Trek film was an uphill battle from the jump. It started when Braga and Moore were called into producer Rick Berman’s office during the series’ sixth season to be asked to write the film. Unlike the TV series, where Berman and his writers were left largely to themselves to create episodes without much studio interference, Generations was born in part from studio mandates that would ultimately hamstring the movie’s full creative potential. (You can practically feel all the boxes being checked as the film lurches clunkily from scene to scene after the opening teaser featuring a 23rd century Kirk, Scotty and Chekov on one last mission together aboard the newly christened Enterprise-B.) 

Two scripts were originally commissioned — one by former Next Generation showrunner Maurice Hurley, which would focus solely on the Next Gen crew, and the other, written by Moore and Braga, centered on Picard and his crew engaging with members of Kirk’s. Despite Berman’s insistence on the Blu-ray special features that Paramount did not make the filmmakers have the first Next Generation movie include members of the original crew, Moore recalls differently on the disc’s commentary track. “There was a requirement from the studio that the original series’ castmembers only appear in the first 10, or 15, minutes of the film,” Moore said. “But then Captain Kirk can return and come back at the end of the picture and have an adventure with Picard.” 

That adventure consisted of the two Starfleet legends uniting at a log cabin, over the aforementioned eggs, on a mission to stop the villainous Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowell) from course-correcting an energy ribbon home to a living dreamscape known as the Nexus from destroying a planet. That is how the story shoehorns in Kirk’s appearance into this 24th century-set adventure; the good captain somehow was “zapped” into this Nexus when he first encountered it while saving the day one last time aboard the Enterprise-B. (Other story requirements included a central villain, a la Khan, the Klingons and a comedic runner that would become a subplot involving android Data reconciling with his first use of an emotion chip that allows him to feel.)

The end result is a noble misfire, an extended-length TV episode with a medium-sized film budget ($38 million) whose reach exceeds its ambitious grasp. Nothing great — or on the level of the great Star Trek pics like Wrath of Khan or Undiscovered Country  — could come from a story that, of all the possible ideas the production could afford to execute a (brief) shared universe with these iconic characters, the best ones to win involved making breakfast and riding horses with guys who belong on starships. (In fact, writing that scrambling eggs scene is when Braga, in a June 2019 episode of the Inglorious Treksperts podcast, admitted that that is when he and Moore knew the movie had taken a turn.) 

Despite Generations ’ shortcomings, including the emotionally unsatisfying choice of having Kirk die being crushed by a bridge instead of on the bridge of his ship, the movie does boast still-impressive ILM model work — especially the signature set piece of crashing the Enterprise-D’s saucer section on an alien world. The Data subplot has maybe one too many groan-worthy dad jokes, but it is an effective and charming arc for the character. And watching the two captains take a beat to size up their first (and last) mission together — Kirk: “I take it the odds are against us and the situation is grim” — sparks the same fanboy glee we felt when seeing Iron Man team up with Cap and Thor and the rest of Marvel’s Avengers in 2012, some 18 years after Star Trek piloted the shared universe idea that Marvel would refine and make their own. 

The movie opened at No. 1 at the box office, making just shy of $76 million domestic throughout its theatrical run. It was a base hit but felt like a disappointment, both creatively and financially, given the hype surrounding the team-up of the two captains. The film, and its lead stars, even appeared on the cover of Time  magazine back when that was a big deal. The Next Gen crew, coming off one of the best TV series finales ever, “All Good Things…” (also written by Moore and Braga), deserved a better, bigger, feature film launch. The studio wanted the movie to service as a passing of the torch from Kirk to Picard, but the mixed-to-negative response to the pic from both critics and fans risked extinguishing that flame. The best thing to come out of the movie, however, was another sequel. 

Star Trek: First Contact —  “The One With the Borg” — all but erased the bad-ish taste Generations left in the mouth of audiences, eliminating any doubt the studio may have had about Stewart and his fellow castmembers being worthy successors to the franchise that Shatner and his crew pioneered.

While we never got to see the two captains locked in battle the way Braga envisioned, we did get to experience a landmark moment in pop culture — one that arguably helped pave the way for the current landscape of blockbuster IP and movie crossovers. 

But we’ll never get over that damned egg scene.

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Stardate: the 23rd Century. Retired Starfleet officers James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) are guests of honor aboard the newly christened Enterprise-B. A test run takes an unexpected turn, however, when the starship encounters two vessels trapped inside the Nexus, a mysterious energy ribbon. During a perilous rescue attempt, Kirk is swept out into space. Seven decades later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the crew of Enterprise-D rescue an El Aurian physicist named Soran (Malcolm McDowell). Unbeknownst to Picard, Soran harbors a deadly plan that includes the destruction of the Enterprise and millions of lives. Now Picard's only hope for a future rests within the Nexus... and a legendary captain from the past.

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Star Trek's William Shatner Knows How His Captain Kirk Can Return (But It's Gross)

James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) is without a doubt one of the best Enterprise captains in "Star Trek." The bold, brash Starfleet officer was the main man of "Star Trek: The Original Series" and multiple movies, but with the Kelvin Universe version (Chris Pine) possibly notwithstanding, it's easy to assume that time has passed him by — especially since the character dies in "Star Trek: Generations" when the movie quite literally drops a bridge on him. 

Despite this, Shatner was willing to entertain the idea of bringing Kirk back in an interview with the Canadian Press (via Global News ), and he even came up with a somewhat unsettling plot where Kirk's frozen remains would be used to transplant his brain into a younger version of the character — played by a digitally de-aged Shatner, of course. 

"A company that wants to freeze my body and my brain for the future might be a way of going about it," he described the idea. "'We've got Captain Kirk's brain frozen here.' There's a scenario. 'Let's see if we can bring back a little bit of this, a little salt, a little pepper. Oh, look at that. Here comes Captain Kirk!'"

Shatner isn't happy with the way Kirk dies

William Shatner would change some things about Kirk's death in "Star Trek: Generations," and he's even said that he would go back and demand a better death for Kirk if he could . As such, it's hardly surprising that he's willing to speculate about ways to give his famous character one more whirl — and possibly, a better ending. 

Still, don't take that to mean Shatner is chasing Kirk clout at any cost. On the contrary, he's quite aware of the character's importance in the franchise, and as such, any potential return would require a story worthy of Captain James T. Kirk's time. 

In the Canadian Press interview, Shatner himself notes that while he might be willing to revisit the role in the right circumstances, bringing Kirk back would be a tall order. "It's almost impossible but it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it," he said. As such, if Kirk ever ends up returning on screens big or small, expect Shatner to make sure that fans are in for a thrilling ride. 

Screen Rant

Star trek generations: why leonard nimoy & deforest kelley refused to return.

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Although  Star Trek Generations  saw the return of the original series star William Shatner, the iconic actor wasn't joined by colleagues Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley. Instead, Shatner appeared alongside Walter Koenig and James Doohan, who reprised their roles as Chekov and Scott respectively. Paramount Studio's original plan was for the entire cast of  Star Trek: The Original Series  to appear in  Generations  in order to pass the torch to the  TNG  crew. However, it soon became clear that several original members were unhappy at the prospect.

Released in 1994, Star Trek Generations marked  Star Trek: The Next Generation 's  leap to the big screen. Not only was it the first and only meeting between Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk and Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but Star Trek Generations also climaxed with the death of Captain Kirk . As the screenplay took shape, it became clear that other  TOS  legends would appear in the film's prologue set in the 23rd century, with Kirk moving into the 24th century to meet Picard and heroically die fighting the film's villain, Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell).

Related: Star Trek Generations: Why Only Some Uniforms Changed To DS9's

As a result of this change, the challenge of finding adequate roles in the story for every member of the  TOS  cast proved incredibly difficult. Many of the classic Star Trek actors were disappointed that their appearances basically amounted to cameos instead of sharing equal screen time with  The Next Generation 's cast. However, the studio was adamant that  Star Trek Generations  primarily focused on  TNG 's actors since they would carry the Star Trek movie franchise forward. As a result, and despite the integral William Shatner signing on, both Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley decided not to appear in the film.

In  The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years  oral history of Star Trek by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, DeForest Kelley explained that he was disappointed that Dr. Leonard McCoy and his crewmates only appeared in one scene, commenting:  "When I read the script and saw we were only in the first ten minutes, I thought it was best to pass and go out with [Star Trek] VI."  At that time, Kelley didn't know that Nimoy also said no and he admits,  "I certainly wouldn't have done the film without him in it."  Both Kelley and Nimoy agreed that the well-received  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country  was a rousing and satisfying farewell for the original cast.

Leonard Nimoy's issues with Star Trek Generations ran deeper than simply disliking Spock's minor role in the story. Not only was he not happy that the Vulcan had what amounts to an inconsequential cameo, but he had also been Paramount's original choice to direct the movie. However, Nimoy, who developed the story for the incredibly successful Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home  (which he also directed) and Star Trek VI, hated the screenplay for Star Trek Generations . When producer Rick Berman refused to change the script, Nimoy walked away from Star Trek Generations entirely. In fact, Nimoy went on to candidly voice his disdain for Star Trek Generations in The Fifty-Year Mission , revealing: " My feeling about Generations is very negative...  Generations bothered me. My God, what are they doing? Why that scene? What's this scene about? Where are they going with this? That was the reason I wasn't involved in making it."

For his part, William Shatner tried to get Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley to sign onto the film anyway, but to no avail. Instead, the only actors featured in the  Star Trek Generations  scene aboard the USS Enterprise-B with Captain John Harriman (Alan Ruck) were James Doohan as Scotty and Walter Koenig as Chekov. It was especially bizarre for Trekkers to see Kirk joined by Scotty and Chekov instead of Spock and Bones since Doohan and Koenig had long-standing personal issues with Shatner. Star Trek Generations ultimately delivered on its gimmicky conceit, but unfortunately, audiences never got a true Star Trek crossover movie where The Next Generation meets The Original Series casts that they, as well as Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, hoped for.

Next: Star Trek Generations' Plan For Kirk Had William Shatner Refused To Return

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“I might consider it”: William Shatner is Ready to Reprise His Star Trek Role With One Technology Marvel Has Used for Years But Refuses to Make a Cameo

93-year-old veteran actor William Shatner, famous for his appearance in Star Trek movies, still remains a remarkably robust legend within Hollywood. So much so, that the actor even expressed his desire to return to the very franchise that turned him into a global icon. Popularly known for playing the Starship Enterprise’s commander Captain Kirk, Shatner mentioned being open to reprising his role.

Although his character’s last appearance was in 1994’s Star Trek Generations where Captain Kirk was killed off, William Shatner suggested that he could potentially portray a younger version of the character, citing digital de-aging technology. Willing to return to the franchise under certain circumstances, Shatner emphasized that in no way is he willing to return for a mere cameo.

William Shatner is Open to Reprising His Star Trek Role

It’s been over three decades since William Shatner last appeared in a live-action Star Trek movie, after wrapping up his work as Captain Kirk in 1994’s Star Trek Generations . Thereafter, the legend’s voice and image repeatedly appeared in several works, including video games, but Shatner remained offscreen, for most of it.

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As per IGN , William Shatner even made headlines for rumored cameo appearances in films including 2016’s Star Trek Beyond , but those cameos never materialized. So now, the 93-year-old legend has decided to refrain from cameos and rather focus on opportunities to reprise his iconic role as Captain Kirk in the franchise.

Speaking with the Canadian Press , William Shatner, therefore, called returning to Star Trek an “ intriguing idea” . Although he admitted that it would be challenging, Shatner suggested some ideas and demands that would make it easy for him to return to the franchise. Under the right circumstances, the actor mentioned he would be willing to consider it.

William Shatner Suggests Ideas and States His Demands

Claiming that he wouldn’t dismiss the idea of returning as Captain Kirk in a new Star Trek project if the script impressed him, William Shatner admitted that his age might pose an issue. This is why the actor immediately came up with the idea of using digital de-aging technology, which has been often used by Marvel.

“I believe it was all planned”: Star Trek Actor William Shatner Accused Legend Leonard Nimoy for Playing a Cunning Trick to Cement His Legacy In the Franchise

Citing the use of modern technology, William Shatner mentioned that there’s nothing a bit of de-aging technology couldn’t fix. Therefore, ruling out the idea of brief cameos, especially after his commitment to the franchise till 1994, Shatner noted that he would be happy to bring Captain Kirk back if the story made sense.

“ It’s an intriguing idea. It’s almost impossible. But if it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it. ”

Going on to suggest that he could play a younger version of the character with the aid of de-aging technology, William Shatner even admitted considering possible scenarios wherein Captain Kirk could be physically resurrected. Brainstorming technological ideas that have been regularly used by blockbuster franchises like Marvel since MCU Phase 2 to bring convincing results catering to vast timelines, the actor even suggested plot points.

“ [It] takes years off of your face, so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are. A company that wants to freeze my body and my brain for the future might be a way of going about it. We’ve got Captain Kirk’s brain frozen here. There’s a scenario. Let’s see if we can bring back a little bit of this, a little salt, a little pepper. Oh, look at that. Here comes Captain Kirk! ”

The idea of William Shatner reprising Captain Kirk by using digital de-aging isn’t actually a bad idea. However, the question still remains, if the franchise would agree to bring the actor back for a major role.

Star Trek movies are available on Paramount+. 

'Here Comes Captain Kirk!': William Shatner Open to Star Trek Return

William Shatner admits he's open to a Star Trek return and pitches a possible scenario to make it happen.

William Shatner hasn't completely closed the door on returning as James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. He's admitted that he would come back as the character, but it would have to be done in a meaningful way.

Shatner spoke about the possibility of revisiting Kirk in a new interview with the Canadian Press to promote his new documentary, You Can Call Me Bill . He said it intrigued him to think about reprising the role of Kirk, but he wouldn't want to come back for a brief cameo that didn't have a well-written reason behind it. Shatner also commented on how modern technology could de-age him by decades, which would lend to all kinds of possibilities for how a Kirk return could happen. The actor even shared a pitch for how the Kirk character could be resurrected in a Star Trek show .

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“It’s an intriguing idea,” Shatner said. "It’s almost impossible but it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it .”

Shatner added that Otoy, a tech company for which he has signed on to become a spokesperson, could take " years off of your face , so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are."

“A company that wants to freeze my body and my brain for the future might be a way of going about it,” the actor also said about how to bring back Kirk. " ‘We’ve got Captain Kirk’s brain frozen here.’ There’s a scenario. ‘Let’s see if we can bring back a little bit of this, a little salt, a little pepper. Oh, look at that. Here comes Captain Kirk!’”

A 57-Year-Old Star Trek Mystery Has Finally Been Solved

William shatner's last appearance in star trek was in 1994.

Shatner last played the role of Kirk in the 1994 film Star Trek Generations . In the movie --- SPOILER ALERT --- Kirk dies in the end and is buried by Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Shatner has recently shared his regrets about the way he portrayed his characters's final moments in the death scene. That regret could be one reason why he's feeling open to returning to Star Trek , possibly to give him a send-off that he feels happier with.

Shatner's new documentary, You Can Call Me Bill , drops digitally and on VOD on Tuesday.

Source: Canadian Press

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Iconic Star Trek Star Is Willing To Reprise Franchise Role, Even If It Involves AI

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One of the Star Trek franchise’s biggest stars from the past has given fans quite an unexpected piece of news about a potential return to their iconic role, touching on an issue that has been largely contentious in the industry for years.

Star Trek is one of the most popular science fiction properties in the cultural zeitgeist, setting the standard for far-future utopian fiction and spawning a full-fledged multimedia franchise that spans games, films, television, and more. This success all started with Star Trek: The Original Series from 1966, a three-season run that established the franchise and became the foundation for its domination of the small screen science fiction space. A lot of this success is often attributed to series lead William Shatner , whose role as commanding officer of USS Enterprise James Tiberius Kirk was so synonymous with his career that he even used the iconic Star Trek character in an ill-fated stand-up comedy set .

Paul Stamets is one of the most celebrated new characters in Star Trek, but his namesake is a fascinating figure with a shared interest in fungus.

Shatner, who has been away from Star Trek for a while, with his most recent active involvement being a 2013 video game ad for the franchise, recently revealed in a Hollywood Reporter interview that he’d be willing to return to the Star Trek role conditionally . However, the iconic actor has come out even more recently to double down on this claim with the addition of a fairly unexpected element; he’s willing to be de-aged significantly to play a younger version of the character in a new project. In a video conference interview with Global News to promote the biographical film You Can Call Me Bill , Shatner expresses this desire to return to the great, well-written role quite clearly, despite being well into his twilight years at age 93 and accepting that the proposition is somewhat impossible given the circumstances.

It’s almost impossible but it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it.

While Shatner self-admittedly hasn’t kept up with the Star Trek franchise at all from the onset, he still proposed a potential way to work his character back into the franchise, vague alluding to a plotline that would see the character’s preserved brain and body by a company for posterity and then subsequently being brought back as a younger version of himself. This is a stark contrast to his previous statements about only wanting to do it if there was a storyline written that wasn’t a “stunt” and would work with a Kirk that was 50 years older in the narrative, similar to the situation with Jean Luv in Picard that spawned the original question. However, it seems like one of the very few ways the character, who was killed off in Star Trek: Generations, could make a meaningful return.

The degree of digital de-aging required to achieve this can only realistically be achieved with AI, which has been widely contentious in the industry since the technology started making its way into film and television. Where another prominent figure like Neil Newbon would describe AI use as a slippery slope , it’s strange that Shatner would advocate for its use, especially as skepticism tends to go up with age on the topic. However, it is worth noting, as Global News did, that Shatner is a spokesperson for Otoy, a company that has specialized tools for the sort of drastic de-aging that Shatner suggests could be used here. This would mark a conflict of interest with the concerns that led to AI being such a pivotal part of the twin strikes of 2023.

Whether or not fans and his contemporaries will feel as comfortable with the idea as Shatner seems to be is up in the air, but it’s unlikely that the man himself cares much one way or another . His Star Trek co-star George Takei has had harsh words for Shatner on multiple occasions, and it has never phased the former franchise lead. In the end, the whole thing is probably not on Paramount’s radar and will pass without too much fanfare.

The Star Trek franchise is currently available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek is a space exploration franchise originally created by Gene Roddenberry. The series has spanned shows like The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Voyager. More recently, developer Scopely came out with Star Trek Fleet Command, a mobile title where you get to be captain of your own ship.

They may be renowned blood enemies, but have the Romulans and Klingons ever formed a military alliance?

Source: Global News

• Movies & TV

Chris Pine got his movie-star education from Denzel Washington

The director, cowriter, and star of "Poolman" reflects on his rise through Hollywood's ranks, from his rom-com days to playing Captain Kirk.

"Is this on camera?" Chris Pine asks me as we stare at each other through the magic of Zoom.

Sporting a graying beard, perfectly combed shoulder-length hair, and a loose-fitting yellow and white cardigan, Pine certainly appears camera-ready. But once I tell him that video won't be recorded, he slouches back in his chair, seemingly pleased that he can keep a toothpick dangling from his mouth during our conversation.

Whether he's playing the handsome leading man in a rom-com or an intensely focused franchise star, Pine has the uncanny ability to adapt into the movie star that's needed at any particular moment. And right now, with the cameras not technically rolling, he doesn't have to be one at all.

Pine didn't want to be a movie star growing up, either. A third-generation actor, he first avoided going into the family business. As a die-hard Yankees fan thanks to his East Coast-raised father, a teenage Pine dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player like his idol, Yankee great Don Mattingly.

When that phase passed ("Kids were starting to pitch faster," he said), he dabbled in theater. But it wasn't until he returned home from a stint studying abroad in the UK during college that he decided to pursue acting in earnest.

"It wasn't a passion," Pine says. "It's something that I found."

But the childhood memories of both his parents struggling to find work as actors stayed with him. His mother, Gwynne Gilford, eventually gave up acting to become a therapist. Though his father, Robert Pine, is still working as a veteran character actor best known for playing Sergeant Getraer on the late-1970s hit series "CHiPs," he was keeping the family afloat gig by gig during Pine's childhood.

Those Hollywood anxieties are present in Pine's directorial debut, "Poolman," in theaters Friday. Though the film is hardly autobiographical — Pine stars as a burnout pool cleaner in LA who's trying to uncover a city scandal — his character gets support from two parental figures in his life, who are struggling showbiz types played by Danny DeVito and Annette Bening.

"There's a scene at the end when Danny's character, Jack, says that his agent finally called back and offered him a sitcom for $75,000 an episode, and he turned it down," Pine says. He looks down in his lap, almost reliving what he's describing. "And Annette's character has a conniption fit."

Pine finally looks up.

"That's my childhood," he continues. "The dream was for my father to get a television show that paid $70,000 an episode, and that would finally get us out of financial distress."

With a filmography that charts an impressive ascension from heartthrob to the face of IP-fueled blockbusters to prestige fare, it's safe to say that distress is now behind him.

In Business Insider's latest Role Play interview , Pine discusses why he refuses to watch some of his rom-coms, learning how to be a movie star via Denzel Washington, and the untimely end of the "Wonder Woman" franchise.

On hating working at restaurants and refusing to watch his old rom-coms

Early Chris Pine is a trip to watch. You played a hard partier in an episode of "E.R." You cried in front of David Caruso in "CSI: Miami." At that time in your life, were you just going after anything?

Fuck yeah! Don't be a waiter. Actually, I was a host at a restaurant and just hated it. Could not have hated it anymore. I was not a people person. It was all about just getting work.

You started getting noticed thanks to romantic comedies — "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement," "Just My Luck," "Blind Dating" — would you watch any of those titles now? Like, if you're in a hotel room flipping through the channels and it comes on.

I mean, not a chance. And that's for most of my films. It's too difficult because then you're thinking, "God, why did I fucking do that?" Or "Why did they pick that take?"

What I will say, though, is I get more people coming up to me about "Princess Diaries 2," and I think that's because it's played for so many generations of young girls now. So that's a trip.

On being comfortable playing Captain Kirk — by movie No. 3

Playing Captain Kirk in the "Star Trek" movies must have been daunting — not only were you taking on an iconic IP, but the actor who originated the character, William Shatner, is still so synonymous with Kirk. Were you ever comfortable in that role?

It's interesting. Karl Urban decided to go head first into McCoy because Karl loved "Star Trek." With Spock, you have to do Spock-like things, plus Zach [Quinto] kind of looked like Leonard [Nimoy]. And then Kirk is a tricky one. You are the lead of the band of characters, so you don't want to occupy too much space. It's fine if they are doing a thing, but you don't want to. And J.J. [Abrams] never asked me to do a thing, though I did do little nods to Shatner because it was fun.

But I would say I felt most in his shoes in the third movie. By that point, I think I mellowed into it and didn't feel like I was trying too hard.

Has the ship sailed to do Kirk again?

I honestly don't know. There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it's always been with "Trek," I just wait and see.

On getting a crash course in being a movie star from Denzel Washington and playing a 'non-charming' leading man

"Unstoppable" is the moment, I feel, where you're not fucking around anymore. Tony Scott, working across from Denzel Washington —

Youth really is wasted on the young [ laughs ]. It's such an awesome moment. It's one of the biggest films of the year; all the lights are shining on you, all the possibility of you being able to do whatever you want. I really wish I took more effort to enjoy that moment. 

I was reading a lot of scripts at the time, and I was on a plane when I read this one. And I didn't want to like it because it's a train. It's like, what is my job in this fucking film? The train is going to explode and then it's not. You know exactly what is going to happen.

But Mark Bomback wrote this incredible script, and I was on the plane, and I couldn't stop reading it. I would push it away — No. Buuut. No, nope. Buuut. I just could not turn away from it. Plus, Tony Scott was a god to me. He'd done "Days of Thunder" and "Top Gun," and then you add into that mix Denzel, plus that it's a two-hander that takes place in one location. From an acting class standpoint, I'm getting paid a lot of money to learn at the feet of one of the best who has ever done it. It was out of control cool. I learned more from that set about what it means to be a movie star than probably anything else. 

Before "Hell or High Water," you'd worked with Ben Foster in "The Finest Hours." How much of the praise you received for that movie do you attribute to the comfort you two had in working together?

I think it's more than that. Taylor [Sheridan] wrote a banger script. That script is one of the five best scripts I've ever read in my entire life. So you have the writing. Then you have David [Mackenzie] coming off of making "Starred Up," which is an incredible film, and then you have the Jeff Bridges of it all.

I think I held my own there, but you have these two incredibly dynamic actors: Jeff is the legend, and Ben is a caged animal of an actor. I had a lot of fun because up until that point, I hadn't played a closed-off, non-talkative, non-charming leading man. So I was really stoked to take that on. I think it was all the pieces coming together, not just one thing.

On turning down 'Wonder Woman' twice before director Patty Jenkins convinced him by bringing up 'Casablanca'

By the time you did the "Wonder Woman" franchise, you had done your fair share of blockbusters. Was there a moment in filming the first movie when you realized this one was different than the others?

I got pitched the film and didn't want to do it. Patty came on board and I still didn't want to do it. I had no interest in playing the boyfriend, and it sounded like second fiddle. Then, in talking to Patty, the way she described it was, "Forget the superhero of it all, this is a romance, this is "Casablanca," that's the movie I want to make." And I was like, oh, now that is very cool, because when had you seen a superhero film that was a love story, ultimately? That had nothing to do with blowing shit up.

For me, the pivotal moment is the scene on the tarmac; it's "Casablanca" by a different name. So when I saw that film, man. Film is not an actor's medium, it's a director's and editor's medium, and shit can go wrong really fast, and that was a movie where you're in the theater and you get lost in it. You forget you're in it. That's when you know it's gold.

Do you or Gal Gadot or Patty feel that there's unfinished business with the franchise not doing a third movie?

Me? No. Homie is dead. Steve is gonzo. It would be ridiculous to try to bring me back.

I'm stunned that they said no to a billion-dollar franchise and decided to pivot elsewhere. I don't know what the reasoning was behind that; it's above my pay grade, but Wonder Woman is an incredible character, and Patty is such a thoughtful director. Even think of "Wonder Woman 1984" — that's a blockbuster movie that is a hero's journey not about revenge. I mean, wow. People poo-pooed it, but wow!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

"Poolman" is in theaters May 10.

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