‘Cantankerous’ William Shatner branded his Star Trek co-stars “weird” over a “bitter” 60-year feud, even calling it a “sickness”.
The long-running spat has mostly consisted of Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, and George Takei publicly exchanging barbs, with the latter stating that Shatner was “difficult” to work with on the set of the 60s show.
Canadian born Shatner, who turns 92 today (March 22), however, said he was shocked when Takei’s comments were echoed by Uhura actor Nichelle Nichols, who told him others including Spock star Leonard Nimoy, found him “cold and arrogant”.
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“I was horrified to learn this, ashamed that I hadn’t realised it,” Shatner wrote of the breakdown of his friendship with his co-stars, in his essay collection, Boldly Go.
(Image: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
After Hikaru Sulu actor Takei called Shatner an “unfit” guinea pig for taking flight on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space flight in 2021, however, the Captain Kirk actor responded to the six decade feud.
And he suggested he had finally figured out what it was all about.
“I began to understand that they were doing it for publicity,” Shatner told The Times UK.
“Sixty years after some incident they are still on that track. Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness.”
(Image: Corbis via Getty Images)
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He added: “George has never stopped blackening my name.
“These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?”
In addition Shatner tweeted that he finds “it sad that a handful of day players who were on set for maybe 20-30 days a year total spent 50+ years creating fantasies to get noticed in the press.
“Why did actors in other shows I was in not have the same issues? I stupidly allowed them to do it I guess. No more!”
(Image: WireImage)
In 2015, Takei, who had referred to Shatner as a “prima donna”, told The New York Times (via ABC News ): “It’s difficult working with someone who is not a team player.
“The rest of the cast all understand what makes a scene work — it’s everybody contributing to it,”
He added: “But Bill is a wonderful actor, and he knows it, and he likes to have the camera on him all the time.”
(Image: CBS via Getty Images)
Speaking to The Guardian ahead of his appearance in the British production of the musical Allegiance, Takei was asked if there was camaraderie on board the Starship Enterprise.
“Yes. Yes. YES,” Takei responded. “Except for one, who was a prima donna.”
“But the rest of us shared a great camaraderie.”
Asked later in the interview if any of the cast got along with Shatner, Takei added: “No, none of us.”
“He was self-involved. He enjoyed being the centre of attention. He wanted everyone to kowtow to him.”
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