What will it take for William Shatner to reprise ‘Star Trek’ role? ‘Injection of speed’
Beam him up, Scotty.
William Shatner exclusively told The Post what it would take for him to return for another “Star Trek” project.
“An injection of speed or something,” the 93-year-old actor said with a laugh while promoting his new children’s album, “Where Will the Animals Sleep? — Songs for Kids and Other Living Things!”
“I don’t know,” he added. “It’s a commitment I don’t know if I’m ready to make at this point in my life.”
Shatner played the popular Capt. James T. Kirk in the original run of the sci-fi series from 1966 to 1969 and in several “Star Trek” films.
All these years later, Shatner has nothing but fond memories about the job that made him a household name.
“What I loved most about playing Captain Kirk was the writing. The way they wrote for the character was wonderful,” he said. “It was a real kick, a real joy to try and find ways of playing what they wrote for me.”
Shatner is best known for his “Star Trek” role, but he’s just a regular guy to his family. In fact, he said that his own grandkids aren’t Trekkies.
“I don’t know that they’re aficionados,” the dad of three said, adding, “They’re not. They haven’t seen much of it. I’m not a prophet in my own life. Just grandpa. Pops.”
Actor Paul Wesley took over the character in the Paramount+ show “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” which debuted in 2022.
“He’s actually a lovely guy. He’s been nothing but supportive, which obviously means the world to me, because his support is all that really matters,” Wesley exclusively told The Post about Shatner in March.
“Did I feel pressure? Yes. Oh, my God. Are you kidding me?” he went on. “I was, like, ‘OK, do I do an impression of William Shatner? Do I do my own thing?’ I ended up going, ‘I’m going to do my own thing,’ because it’s free enterprise. I’m going to try to create my own career, maybe have him slowly develop into more of the Shatner version of Kirk.”
In 2021, Shatner had a real-life “Star Trek” experience when he flew to space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin shuttle.
In January, it was reported that the ashes of the series’ creator, Gene Roddenberry, and his wife, Majel Barrett Roddenberry, who played nurse Christine Chapel on the TV show, would be sent to space on a United Launch Alliance rocket, appropriately named Vulcan Centaur. Also scheduled to take flight were the remains of the late “Star Trek” actors DeForest Kelley, who played Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy; James Doohan, who portrayed engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott; and Nichelle Nichols, who starred as communications officer Lt. Uhura.
“The universe changes so rapidly,” he said. “There’s such a ferment going on in the universe, which includes us. Tectonic plates move and stars explode and your ashes … I don’t know. It’s a desire for immortality, and I don’t believe that exists.”
Although Shatner has been successful in his career, the two-time Emmy Award winner said that he wants to be remembered for “raising money for people in need,” rather than his acting performances.
“I don’t think there is such a thing as legacy. You know, I mean, who remembers? Leonard [Nimoy] for example, was so popular and played such a great character [Spock] and all that kind of thing,” he said about his late “Star Trek” co-star, who died in 2015 at 83.
“But, you know, if you say to somebody, ‘Who was Spock?’ they barely know. What is it,
10 years later? He’s barely being remembered in terms of, ‘Oh, my God, Spock.’ It’s all disappearing.”
“The only legacy, in my opinion, that’s worth anything is helping other people,” Shatner continued. “And that reverberates till the end of time. You help somebody, they help somebody else. Suddenly there’s this whole activity going. I think you need to help other people, whether it’s financially or physically, and that’s your legacy.”
Shatner’s new children’s album is out now.