William Shatner responds to George Takei on the issue of George's continuing commentary to the press on him and offers to settle the feud that has been brewing with George for decades.
I met George Takei years ago just after the release of Star Trek V. I can’t stress enough that he was a very nice man to me, but he was clearly his own biggest fan. He needs to let it go already.
@@donkey3187 ....and increasingly so over the years. I have no doubt Shatner was probably a dick to him, but how sad that his public life revolves around it.
"Star Trek (TOS)" had three stars (initially two): Shatner, Nimoy, and subsequently Kelley. All the rest were supporting cast (Doohan, Nichols, Koenig, Takei). Takei has made comments about Shatner having an influence over directors and writers, about him changing scenes, about him modifying scripts to focus more on Kirk. Well, that's what the star is entitled to do! There episodes without Sulu; there was a whole season without Chekov; there were even episodes without Uhura. If anyone was the fourth star of "Star Trek," it was Doohan. So all of Takei's claims about Shatner hogging the glory are simply petty jealousy.
No. Shatner was a dick and hogged the camera and had an out of control ego. I would have liked to have seen more episodes around Sulu, Uhura & Chekov. The show was poorer without it. The show was poorer due to Shatner's arrogance and ego.
I know stars have more power than TV show directors often because series directors are usually only there for a short time, but a lot of directors would have a word or two with any star who tells them how to frame shots. Not least of which because they know their job better than the guy in front of the camera. They might get away with some dialogue changes here and there, writers are often bottom of the pile at Hollywood rightly or wrongly, but it'll still be someone in the crew that lets them know whether that line being changed was okay. In Bill Mumy's television academy interview, speaking about DS9, he said Star trek was incredibly strict about even one-word changes in dialogue, which had to be passed up the chain to get approval.
@@paarethBut Shatner also had a crew role in that he had a hand to play in writing and script changes. So part of him taking liberty to change shots I think was also coming from that role he played
@@SeansModelBuildsThey aren’t. George is. Shatner has never said a word until this, and as we see, there no animosity toward George from him. The negativity is all from George. Shatner doesn’t care..
Takei's constant attacks on Shatner have had the effect of making Shatner look better. Everyone feels sorry for Shatner now. Takei does himself no favours.
takei's biggest grief is that shatner got too much camera time in the series. the nerve of those writers to give the *captain* of the enterprise a star role. i think we can all agree that the guy who fires photon torpedoes is the real brains behind everything.
@Enjoy and Travel The World! - impressions influenced through perceptions and actual deeds - William Shatner per direct and indirect experiences continues to prove that Bill Shater per His verified public and private deeds is pompous and bombastic and arrogant who is loved due to His masterfull displays of being humble - He has a well rehearsed insincere humility, offline and online - @maxrafaelwaller ended getting blocked on Twitter! - ¡11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, 14 April 2019! ......................................... ¡Over And Out! ...... ¡end of line! .......
Takei needs to get over his 50 year grudge with a coworker he worked with for a couple years. Who cares that he didn't like someone in his office? You move on and forget about it, not hold a grudge for the rest of your life.
+kewkabe Your math is off. Couple of years = three years and 79 episodes of the original series, countless convention and special appearances together, six movies over 15 year period....that's not working with someone just a couple of years.
Christopher Turco Your math is off. They weren't filming 52 weeks a year -- at a week per episode that's what, a year and a half? Then six movies at a month a movie but not always in the same scenes. How many conventions did they both appear together? Five? At a couple hours per convention. Total a "couple of years." Get over it, Takei.
I can't help but wonder. Well Takeis family was put in a internment camp. I wonder if Shatners ego somehow reminds George too much of the authority used against his family? From some of the stuff George has mentioned, it seems that William Shatner exercized his granted authority within the filming of Star Trek almost profusely. I think that type 'authority' perhaps connects too sensitively with Takei, and wonder if perhaps he needs to come to terms with that, within his undying hatred toward Shatner? Even Nicelle Nicoles has mentioned along the lines of "a little too much" of Shatners ego in those days, but also that Shatner called her and asked her "was I really that bad?" and from there a conversation ensued that was productive in thier relationship, and now they keep in touch. I just wish that this could happen with George. I think everyone likes to remember The Family of Star Trek. I don't know if Takeis going to be remembered that well. Not that he should give in to media oriented pressure. Just that, it is too bad he can't find forgiveness within himself over it.
My family was put in an interment camp. Big fucking deal. In Australia during ww2 Germans and Italians were put in interment camps. Don't see them constantly going on about it.
I think George Takei finds Shatner an easy target, and his fans enjoy that. It's easy to make fun of the star of the show and say "oh, he demands to get all the lines and closeups." Ummm... yeah, that's what the star gets, George. Welcome to Hollywood, that's how TV shows go. So I think all of the barbs that Takei tosses at Shatner are only to support Takei getting press and such. And I say this as a fan of both.
George wants to be an internet personality, and he could be a good one just by telling anecdotes about his experiences and being accessible. Apparently he doesn't have the verbal skills to do that, and his whole theme is "I hate the same people you hate". It's not just Shatner, this is his attitude towards everything. "I hate Politician X as much as you do." "I hate these people as much as you do." Et cetera. He's a very divisive personality, at least in public.
Hey, Shatner, I don't care, either way. You have been a wonderful contribution to my life. You and Takei, and I'm thankful for you both! Thank you for existing!
As you say total correct: there is no problem with William Shathers ego. I want to say : its NECESSARY (imo) that William Shatner has a big ego, because that flows into a much more believable 'Captain Kirk'-character, even when Kirk is fictional. Sometimes Spock has the bridge , sometimes scotty. Both of they was quiet believable. But i could never imagine : chekov, uhura, or zulu , to command the enterprise, even if they were very good at their roles. When zulu was older he get his ship - it was ok for his age. But in the TOS, he seemed to young and somehow not with the same charism like Kirk. The power from Kirk is not only came from : 'Im the hero, and i command' , but also from a kind of 'take it easy' . for me he seemed like a captain: i want AND can trust to , because it was feelable, that he quiet control every situation - not only with his abilities, but also with his optimism. Shatner was the right choice from gene roddenberry for the Captain.
I actually met Shatner last year. He was full of jokes, laughs, energy and NOTHING objectionable what so ever. George has to be wrong about him. Shatner has also admitted all his mistakes and by not taking himself seriously anymore, he has redeemed himself of that.
Just do a little digging what some of his other colleagues has said about him and you realize the true nature of the man. Also people tend to mellow with age. In the case of men the decrease in testosterone tend to help with that.
Agreed. Regardless of the truth of the Shatner/Takei feud, Bill has tried to kept a sense of decorum and politeness every time journos ask him about the feud or George spews out another bitchy allegation. Shatner has lived rent-free in Takei's mind for decades, it seems.
He never missed the opportunity to take a shot at takei also. If you want to be nice, be nice. I adore Bill, but he is clearly the way he is. A far better actor than Takei for sure too. And very underrated in that regard. I love and envy that his mind stays with him in his age. The thirst for knowledge keeps you young I guess
Shatner seems to be able to overcome how he used to be and usually the best jokes about Shatner at Shatner's expense is usually being told BY Shatner. Takei seems to have some sort of overblown entitlement. There were three main characters on Star Trek, Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly. He was always a second tier character. I do enjoy his work in Star Trek don't get me wrong. but even if he did have issues with Shatner it's time to get over it. Shatner has apologized in different forums for some of his earlier behavior. So I do not see the sense in continually attacking Shatner.
I could probably write this off as and chalk it up to "rivalry", "On screen tension," etc and say that George Takei IS the problem. But then I find out that Leonard Nimoy had a problem with William Shatner that he took to his grave, I find out that even (Of ALL people) Walter Koenig has a problem with him, as well as Nichelle Nichols. Something is obviously going on because you can't sit here and tell me that the problem is with everybody else EXCEPT Bill Shatner. But yes, I would say that it is time to let things go.
@@Ma007rk Nimoy, Koenig, and Nichols are/were all holding a decades-long grudge against Shatner for the way he was when they filmed the original series. Back then he was a camera-hog. He complained if the other actors got more screen time than him, and always wanted to be in every scene. I've heard Nimoy talk about it. George Takei has been using this "feud" argument to keep himself in the limelight.
Whatever Shatner's personal character really is, one thing Takei has proven to me loud and clear about himself is that he's a VERY small and bitter man who doesn't tolerate descent from his personal views, even slightly. To him evidently there's the righteous whom will walk in total lockstep with George, and then there's the "subhuman" who deserve nothing but scorn and hate at every turn, and nobody in between. Apparently Takei will never rest in peace until everyone on the planet does nothing but sit around stabbing Shatner voodoo dolls and praising George's eternally virtuous victimhood, in which case even if William is in fact the world's biggest asshole as he claims, it begs the questions "Um, don't you have a LIFE???" Well get one George and maybe take a few acting lessons in between.
While there may be no doubt that Takei had a point about the shallowness of Shatner during the taping of the show, even manslaughter caries a limited time conviction. He should of had his say decades ago, and then let it go. Instead, he repeated these grievances over and over spanning decades. It became worse than anything Shatner may have done, and quite frankly, a little weird.
Takei can't live with the fact that someone, somewhere on planet earth may actually NOT hate Shatner as much as he does. George is a sick, petty little bastard in my book.
***** I don't know Shatner and I've heard mixed stories about him as a person, but Takei is just soooo friggin relentless and bitter in his hatred of him it's ridiculous and speaks more about him than Shatner.
***** For the record I'm not an expert on either of them and of course I could be wrong, but from what I've heard from Takei over the years and what he said in his autobiography isn't compatible with him considering Shatner a friend, his hate is palatable
I used to take George's side in all of this years ago since he was so vocal about it, but just started looking into it more for some reason the other day, and I gotta say, every single response I've found from Shatner so far has been extremely mature whereas Takei's responses are full of childish put-downs and insults. I haven't actually followed Takei's stuff for years ever since he and Brad became and ad machine for random blogs & online merch and those allegations about George drugging a guy in his apartment came out. Of course, I don't have any way to know if those allegations are true or not, but as an abuse survivor I wasn't able to engage with him as a fan anymore without thinking about that every time, so I left. Now that I'm seeing this all again from a fresh perspective after studying psychology for a few years, I gotta say that whatever I thought or believed about Shatner seems to be wrong and now I'm trying to figure out what the truth is. Regardless, this interview showed a lot of maturity, so good on him.
Same, I sincerely think Bill was arrogant as a young man (leading role syndrome), but as time went on I doubt it went beyond anything real, or at least intently malicious.
@@johnskinnwr4629 Maybe. I had to stop following him when his constant advertising for random stuff on Amazon got to be too much. I mean, no shade to someone trying to make a living, but I just wasn't interested in seeing it. Whatever the truth is about the feud, I guess it's none of our business. I hope they're all happy and living fulfilled lives.
Dr.DouglassD You nailed it. Tarzan, Flash Gordon, the Lone Ranger, etc., cannot die unless viewers tire of them and stop watching them. Then they fade away like AOL.
I would love to see some citation for that assertion about Shatner making homophobic remarks about George. If he did that would be all over the internet. Don't be making shit up, One.
George Takei is simply full of hate on so many levels - it really is a shame and a rather sad situation. Shatner used to be arrogant and full of himself, but in the last 10-20 years has become much more humble, relaxed and reflective. So while Shatner has mellowed, Takei has just become more bitter and hateful.
@@amechealle5918 no George takei is a very bitter old geeser little boy Man. In every single video he always trashes Willam shatner just like with me I'm not close with my only grandmother Left alive do I go on national videos always trashing her and writing books about her know if you don't like the person that much just leave them alone it's not that hard and it's also called show a little respect seriously
The man is F*CKING AMAZING...HE LOOKS AND ACTS MUCH YOUNGER THAN HIS AGE!! OK so he has put on a few lbs. but he still looks damn good for his age!! Btw I saw him at one of his comedy shows and I had NO IDEA HOW F*CKING FUNNY HE WAS!! As far as the drama amongst the cast members of TOS Ihave mixed feelings!! Check out Wil Wheaton's You Tube video when he wanted to meet William Shatner when he was in STNG and how that went!! Also check out Leonard Nimoy's You Tube interview where he does an imitation of the Shat!! Interestingly he brings up the fact that Bill wasn't happy when Spock started getting more attention in the show and picked up the phone and next thing you know they ask the camera guy who was interviewing or filming Nimoy to leave the set so yeah when you have several colleagues say the same thing you have to really reconsider that this is all " Sulu" and nothing to do with Kirk!! Don't get me wrong I ABSOLUTELY LOVE ST ...ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL but just remember they are HUMAN and as such each have their own faults/ shortcomings as we ALL DO!!!!
Not just his looks but the way he still communicates. To listen to him after going into space at the age of 90… He doesn’t look or sound 90 years old! I love him for so many reasons and super happy for him right now that I’m just consuming almost every video with him featured 😆🥰
I have been saying die 20 years that William shatner doesn’t look a day over 55. He’s 90!! Unbelievable. And he is sturdy too, not a bit frail. And he’s flying in to space!
Shatner might have tried to hog the limelight, in Takei's mind, but is that a reason to hold a grudge for decades? Also, wouldn't it be the director, writers, etc. fault if they kept giving scenes to Shatner ... or didn't like it when Shatner took focus?
I like both actors, but William Shatner has always been one of my favorites. I love him in everything he does. George Takei is a fine actor, but the role of Sulu was easily replaceable in the original series. With the growth of Trek fandom, his profile grew to the point where the Sulu role became bigger than originally envisioned. It seems some of the actors who played the lesser roles are the one's who have the ego problems. Star Trek was always Kirk, Spock & McCoy. They are the only three irreplaceable characters, with Kirk being most important. Love you, Bill Shatner. Keep doing what you do. You are the man!
No one cares about Sulu -- the show would have been a hit without him. Anyone could have played Sulu. Kirk/Shatner, on the other hand, was an integral part of the success of Star Trek, period.
@Eagle1 And when will it sink into your skull that I disagree that he is not important? Thinking that I would agree with you simply because you feel the need to tell me things I already know and have seen for myself shows exactly the kind of intellect you have. :)
@Eagle1 Now why would I do that? I am sorry, your grace, but I don't know you. - Jon Snow There are two types of people, one who wants to force their tastes and opinions upon others, and others who are equally interested in the views of others. The latter brings more conversation. You never really asked me why I think the way I do. To add! I am far more glorious, witty, and superior to you in every way. My sexual performance satisfaction rating is higher than yours for example. And my sword is longer than yours. To compare my mind to yours is like comparing Einstein to a sperm cell. That! Is how banters should be done.
I met Shatner back in the late Seventies, when he was excited about the upcoming "Star Trek - The Motion Picture" theatrical release. It was in Atlanta at one of the early Star Trek Conventions. I got his autograph and had a brief verbal exchange with him. I found him to be most gracious and of good humor. He was entertaining and friendly...
I remember watching a special about Bill and everyone they interviewed said he was the nicest man in Hollywood, I would love to see him in the new Star Trek 4 reboot! If they can give old man Stewart his own Trek show , why not Sir William Shatner???
Takei, Koenig, and the rest were there for diversity's sake. They were nearly extras with lines. Nichols & Doohan had definitive characters, but Takei & Koenig's roles were to sit at the console, push buttons, and say exposition, plot-driven dialogue. There were several episodes were it was totally different people at the helm. Not until the movies did Takei & Koenig have characters that mattered.
My mum and dad got divorced late 70s and watching star trek when my mum and dad was fighting and shouting was a way off escape for me and I idolized captain Kirk , when this great man dies it's going to be so tough for me , I wish bill a long life but damn I dread the day.
I feel like Takei doesn't really want to resolve this feud. It is probably rooted in genuine offense at some point; everybody seems to agree Shatner was no fun to work with... but Takei seems to have public encouragement to keep it going. He should ignore that, and extend an olive branch, for his own peace of mind.
The problem is the two of them have personalities that are too similar, both like to be the center of attention, but Takei has made no effort that I am aware of to make amends.
The issue is that in Star Trek VI he was shown as commanding his own starship. I think they filmed a scene of him getting promoted and getting command but it was cut. There was also talk of a Star Trek show with Sulu commanding the Excelsior and maybe Takei blames Shatner for that not happening.
@@LandersWorkshop Why? I think Sulu's swashbuckling style would have been fun. And he might have made "oh my" a huge catchphrase. I separate all that from Takei's political & other agenda, and from his seeming personal pettiness.
@@IrishCarney Yeah I see what you mean, but I think by the time ST VI came along George was too old and salty to pull off the swashbuckling style. I too thought he was a cool dude in the 60s series and some of the films.
+Don Diego Vega You really bought this low intellect response? He spent the entire 5 minutes trying to talk about himself and he speaks like he's donald trump. The guy has an ego, that much is obvious. They don't get along and Shatner is NOTORIOUS for being a hard to work with and demanding asshole. That doesn't mean he's automatically the worst person in the world, but it does entitle others to criticize his attitude if it's affecting them.
George Takei is a professional victim. From the Japanese internment camp he lived in as a child to being gay. The man needs to get over himself and whatever hardships he may have had in his life. Shatner is so jovial and positive.
It's such as shame that at the end of "Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country" Shatner and Takei played the final scene so well where Kirk and Sulu part company on their respective ships and talk to each other like such close friends. Yet, in real life we have this. Ironic that the cast of Star Trek the Next Generation generally got along so well.
Lets be honest, Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly were the stars of Trek. As much as I respect the rest of the TOS cast, they were the side characters. Takei just keep this feud going because it gets him attention.
George never did talk face to face with Shatner over what bugged him the way Walter Koenig did. They managed to trash out all the issues Koenig had with Shatner, which Shatner didn't even realized that Koenig was upset with him.
Trump Derangement Sydrome really hit him hard. I saw the other day him calling Trump the worst President in US history. Which wouldn't be such a crazy thing to say, except when you remember that FDR literally put his entire family in an internment camp for 3 years... I mean. Get some perspective dude.
@Jev Dedalus Gaming Wishful thinking. Do you know what happened to all the "Obama is the anti-christ" loons after Obama left office and the Apocalypse still hadn't been wrought? Yeah, neither do I, but you should find out, cause that's where YOU'LL be 6 years from now too...
Little dies anyone know,these two guys got together and decided to make everyone think there is an axe to grind,for publicity reasons only.One of the oldest tricks in the book to keep your.popularity so people don't forget you.Great job guys,it worked as always.
I don't understand why a person would hold a feud for so long. I have met people that i really don't like and i feel that they are this and that but i just remove myself from them and i don't then have to be bothered by them ever again. Whether William Shatner was a bad person or not to George Takei, George Takei should just forget about him and focus on his life and its future not past. Holding a grudge as silly as this makes him seem a little bit like he has "psychosis".
There you go. Finally someone said it. Move on George before whatever motives you are trying to accomplish backfires. If every time you are interviewed, Shatner is the only one negative you have to say Something about, you don't have a life.
The way Takei ripped into Shatner for his flight into space at 90 years old, I'm sure Shatner at this point in his life and with the experience he's had could care less about Takei right now. IMHO at this point this is nothing more than pure jealously on Takei's part and it just really makes him look petty more than anything else.
Hasn't anybody figured out yet that this "feud" is a clever publicity stunt? While Shatner and Takei are not close friends, they ARE consummate professional entertainers and know a good gig when they see it. This "feud" serves the needs of both men because it keeps them in the public eye and adds an element of notoriety to their otherwise moribund careers. They're having a good laugh over it, and so should we.
It's been speculated by tons of people for years, including myself. It's good publicity. It's not that "nobody has figured it out" lol... it's just that the fool makes an absolute conclusion while the wise just says what's likely...
I agree. But if they are really feuding I hope for some sort of reconciliation before they die. Arguing like this tarnishes the memory of a great program. Life is too short. They shouldn't take a grudge to their graves.
Sorry but jealously will get him no where. Takei is clearly jealous the fact William was the star. William had a TV career of which Takei had none. Not to mention successful in business. Takei is a child who cannot grow up that he was not the star William was. Takei is a unsuccessful child of which without William never would have done anything.
Have you ever even been around Shatner??? I have at DragonCon and he has to be the center of attention. Want to make Shatner mad? I've seen someone do this. Tell him that you like Leonard Nimoy more and watch what happens. I'm sure there are other people that would vouch for me on this.
I am team Shatner. Loved him as "The Big Giant Head". I've also seen him do standup and he's hilarious. Star Trek was great, but I'm a fan of the man, not just the characters he played.
It is pretty ironic that Takei complains about Shatner above a huge ego, when he himself gets to bask in all the attention for his endless grudge. Whatever it's about, it's been over nearly fifty years. TIME TO LET IT GO.
I agree. George Takei has been holding onto this grudge for too long. I read somewhere that William Shatner didn't know that George was gay back on Star Trek and that the only person who knew was Gene Roddenberry. One of the reasons that Gene hired George,besides him being asian,was because he was gay. When he was pitching Star Trek,Gene told NBC that he wanted to include lots of diversity on the bridge and he did. But,besides just including race,he wanted to also include homosexuals because in Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future all of humanity gets along. Men and women,gay and straight,black and white,Gene just saw everybody getting along. That is the foundation that the Federation is built upon after all-cooperation. But,here's the key thing now,even though Gene knew George is gay and accepted it,if NBC knew they would not accept it,especially not on the bridge in a place of prominence. It was 1966,after all. So,Gene Roddenberry kept George Takei's sexuality a secret. No one on the crew knew,especially William Shatner. So,maybe George and him had an encounter behind the scenes and he might've gotten more rough emotionally with George than he should have. But he's not gay and George probably assumed that he knew. Things probably spiraled after that and just got worser and worser. So,who knows,right? Something to think about,huh?
@@johnnydiamond79 That's more than likely. Also on a different note one of the actresses playing the Yeoman woman was apparently raped by one of the producers / directors, which is why she didn't do too many episodes and left the show.
@@LandersWorkshop Yes, I heard and read about this. Her name was Grace Lee Whitney. She played Yeoman Janice Rand. She was originally supposed to be Captain Kirk's love interest on the show per NBC. But Gene Roddenberry fought hard to keep him single because he felt that if the Captain had a steady love interest that the show and the character of Captain Kirk himself would stagnate and the audience would grow tiresome of the show faster. If you're interested in learning more about Grace Lee Whitney, she has an autobiography that's very interesting to read. She was an addict of many things and that's another reason for her being fired from Star Trek. Many different factors came into play when she was fired from Star Trek. Because she was fired from Star Trek. The incident you described did happen. It's in her book. But Grace Lee Whitney was a sex addict and that was known by a lot of people who knew her back then. Rape is rape. But the producer who attacked her was a very powerful man and he played a part in getting her fired. He figured because she was a sex addict that she just slept with anybody and that wasn't true. It's all in her book if you want to read it. I recommend it. She overcomes a lot to finally build a life for herself. Live long and prosper, Watch Ryder 🖖.
I don't think anyone should think too deeply about these exchanges between Shatner and Takai. It's just a bit of bantering, that's been going on for some years, that seems to keep the interest of a few Star Track fans.
ITs obvious Takei fell in love with Shatner when he met him on the original series and when Shatner rejected him, Takei became furious and has held a grudge ever since. It didnt help that Shatner made fun of him behind his back.
From day one of all of this, I have known what this was all about. George cannot stand not being the center of attention, and William Shatner eclipses him. Every role Shatner has ever had he has knocked out of the park. Denny Crane? No WAY George could EVER in a million years, do something remotely as good.
@@switchbladekid57 That is heresy!!! How do you explain his IMDB then? He is always on TV or in movies well into his 90's he has been a working actor. With 253 Acting credits, TONS of Emmys, Shatner is one of the GOATS.
@@Wayneraltman He does have two Emmys and was great as Denny Craig. However, he has frequently been just awful, something most easily seen when he shared the screen with Patrick Stewart. I do admit that my opinion is colored by his truly awful personality but I also studied acting--at the Lee Strasberg Institute--and would never have been allowed to act as badly as he often has.
+Ed Weibe It's more accurate to say that he has a beef from a perspective Shatner will never *comprehend*. Considering how many other cast members have had similar issues with him, it's not really that hard to know who's more likely to be telling the truth and who (notice the singular there) isn't.
Takei has recently said that Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner were never friends and that their friendship was "just something fans made up." However Nimoy has spoken of his friendship with Shatner on several occasions (including both his autobiographies), so clearly what Takei has said is not true. Shatner has said how it still hurts how things between Leonard and him ended. So it seems that Takei has been talking maliciously deliberately to hurt Shatner.
Hi, I just wanted to say that I love Mr Shatner. The roles he portrayed played a very important part of my upbringing especially after my father died when I was 13. I was lucky enough to have a few pleasant and good natured interactions with him on Twitter. Unfortunately, I mentioned one of his characters and how he takes no nonsense. Unfortunately, the conversation strayed into politics when a few of my followers mentioned Brexit. I know Mr Shatner doesn’t like getting involved in politics (something I’ve always liked about him). Unfortunately, he blocked me. Please would you extend my deepest apologies to Mr Shatner on my behalf as I would never wish to cause him any frustration, grief or trouble. I am truly very sorry. Mr Shatner, thank you for being an important part of my life when I needed some escapism and hope. Kind regards Always
2:52 Star Trek is Real people! Galaxy Quest was a coded message to the enlightened among us. And so is the Shatner's statement here. We must prepare for the alien invasion!
I saw that immediately. I was wondering if those are those lousy terrible "cordless venetian blinds" which are quite common now to appease the lawyers. (corded venetian blinds apparently can strangle small kids and cats, if you leave the cord hanging down). I prefer corded venetian blinds and I keep the rope up higher so the cat wont mess with it.
You would think Takei was his son, the way he goes on about Shatner. He should be glad Shatner and Nimoy created two characters that guaranteed Takei an income stream. Takei's non-Trek credits are pretty skimpy.
well, to be fair, Hollywood did not have too many roles available for Asian actors, and in many instances, white actors portrayed Asians on screen with makeup.
I don't think it's Bill's ego that Takes is afraid of, it's his charisma, the way he commands attention just by entering a room that comes from being a star for as long as Shatner has been. Takei can't bear the thought of being over-shadowed, which begs the question, who is the real narcissist here?
I'm such a fan of Willliam Shatner. He's been such an inspiration and source of joy. Watching this interview only makes me appreciate him more. I do feel the interviewer was a *tad* biased towards George and injecting her "you know what you should do" comment was quite unprofessional so Mr. Shatner handled even that with the level of decorum and grace of a real starship captain. 😌💖👍
Mr. Shatner thank you for being the humanitarian in Star Trek and TJ Hooker. The characters you played were heroes. Also, Happy birthday. The great thing about being 90 years old is you can say things and get away with it. You look like you are in your 60s. Stay active and truck.
Takei is upset that Shatner got the great majority of on screen visibility, dialogue and close ups? Is that right? Captain Kirk was obviously the lead role and the scripts were written geared toward Shatner and his "over acting" appeal. I do not understand why is Takei mad at Shatner? Shatner was just playing the part like he thought it was best to be done in the show. His style of overacting is actually comical and entertaining and certainly one reason why fans really liked watching Star Trek. What did he do wrong? I am a fan but not a Trekie so I do not know, I don't quite understand what does Takei think Shatner did that was wrong?
@xxx yyy I would have advised them to look for other roles on TV or in movies when they were not busy working on Star Trek. If you want a change, often it is hard work that will help you attain your goals. They also could have quit if they were very successful when they got roles in movies or TV. Like Tavolta did. That is very rare, though. I would have thought that they would be happy to be working (period) as an actor, Most cant. Just be your best in the role you have and audition for other roles in spare time. If you really shine in your performance as Sulu, writers will use you more in storylines. That is how Spock got so big. Originally he and McCoy were not necessarily going to be so big in story lines in Star Trek. Fans liked Spock, so writers gave Leonard Nimoy more air time and he became nearly as big as Kirk (William Shatner).
I love both these actors, but Bill is just about my all-time favorite actor. George, even if you are in the right, maybe you can put aside the enmity and let all the bad feelings go. Both of you should get together to talk about this. It's not worth the hard feelings and anxiety for both of you. The "back and forth" stuff always makes things worse. You're both better men than this.
Shatner attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, and when I attended back in the 90s, we voted to rename the Student Union building to the William Shatner building in his honour.
The way I've always seen it is that back then Shatner was the lead of Star Trek, which the reality of it is he was. The show entirely rode on his shoulders. Not Nimoy. Not Kelley. And certainly not Takei. Shatner is a classically-trained, professional actor. Let that sink in, that this description is not some throw-away hyped line to make him look good. He was working his ass off even before Star Trek came along. If he looked at one of the Star Trek scripts, and questioned the writers of the logic of having Sulu or any other supporting character in a scene when they really weren't necessary to the story, I would expect him to balls out bring it up to get the writing fixed. Which probably happened a lot, and because of it likely cost the other actors some scenes and lots of misguided resentment. That they could perceive it as "Oh, Bill is a egotistical, scene-hogging ahole" clearly speaks as to why everyone outside of Shatner never rose above their Star Trek fame. Publicly denouncing Shatner? Who is really being the unprofessional one here? Shatner continues to work on non-Trek stuff, regardless of whether it might end up being hit or miss, because he does it as a profession. What have the others done? They have never used their Trek clout to do anything else except ride the Trek interview cash cow.
The problem: Shatner wasn't actually questioning the logic of having this character or that say a line, he was making sure that he had most of the dialogue. Leonard Nimoy almost left at the end of ST's first season because Bill was always taking lines from him. It was a dick move.
I love them all. I do. I love what they created together. I don't think we will ever know the complete truth. When you put big personalities together, many of them with their own eccentricities and mix them together it's inevitable that there's going to be issues. I suspect William Shatner has a tendency toward narcissism, and narcissist usually can't see anything wrong in themselves. They can talk a good game at trying to dismiss behavior. George Taki has the same issue. Leonard Nimoy was a bit narcissistic but I'm guessing was the codependent with Shatner. So, you've got a complex set of personalities and egos bouncing off each other. George needs to grow up because all he's accomplished is making Shatner look better and he has carried his anger far too long. He's never gotten passed his bitterness and preconceived notions of what actually went on during the filming. Did he ever ask Shatner or the directors or Gene Rodenberry what was going on? Voice his concern? I'm not really expecting a response. Just saying too many big egos. I still love classic Star Trek and everyone involved. Without them and their talent there of course would be no Star Trek.
The "feud" between Shatner and Takei could be just a good publicity stunt for George. Bill is very good at actually creating his own real PR worthy attention.
Poor little victim Takei, big bad mean agressor Shatner. To the average ear, all this sounds a bit one sided and distorted. Not to mention that Takei is homosexual, so necessarily he's the good guy, right? Please, let's stop demonizing Shatner, it's getting old.
The one thing I've noticed about George Takei (aside from his excellent skill with puns) is his penchant for cognitive dissonance. I don't think he's got too big an ego, but he's certainly not self-aware enough to realize his hypocrisy, ie. his constant attacks on Shatner coupled with claims that Bill is the one being the jerk.
Shatner s great...at his age and he keeps reinventing himself and never stops. i believe that is very admirable. i like george takei s opinions...he s a very thoughtful person
Today, Leonard Nimoy passed away. If William Shatner and George Takei were to bury WHATEVER hatchet, and just let bygones be bygones, no matter WHO is/was at fault, and for this-ever-or-what-ever reason, just let it ALL fall by the wayside for the memory of Doohan, Kelley, and Nimoy, and especially RODDENBERRY, that would do SO much for the fans who have loved and supported them through nearly FIFTY years of loving this show. Nimoy has passed away. Come ON, guys. Can a missed wedding invitation be so important to you that you fracture a fanbase that made your careers? Or can fracture a fanbase that Gene Roddenberry worked so hard to create? Come on. Bill. George. Nichelle. Walter. Can you NOT work together to reunite the TOS crew in the new universe???? SERIOUSLY???? Come ON, y'all. We have supported you since 1966! Can you support us ONE MORE TIME??? Let bygones be bygones. For the FANS. ONE more voyage for NC-1701? For Leonard, for James, for Gene, for DeForrest? ONE more voyage?
***** Yes, I agree with both of those things, Shatner's a conceited cock and George is a pretty nice guy. But regardless, they both have a grudge that they're clearly holding. :\
George Takei just can’t get over the fact that he is only a glorified extra.. I mean, I’ve never seen him in anything but Star Trek, and William Shatner has been in all kinds of stuff... sounds to me like a chronic case of butt-hurt... 😂🤣. No pun intended for Takei..
Does anyone have the sketch Bill did on SNL where he was in his boxers and t-shirt talking about sexy he was. It was the same show where he pokes fun of the Star Trekk fans with his famous, "Get a life" speech.
That Shatner had an ego and other Star Trek castmates had issues with him is well known, but Takei needs to let this go. Almost 13 years after this video was posted and George is STILL bitter and hateful! For goodness sake Shatner was the LEAD of the series - and TOS was NOT an ensemble show in the way the later movies and TNG, DS9 and VOY were. With TNG one week there was a 'Data' episode; the next week a 'Crusher' episode, followed by a 'Worf' episode then a 'Picard' one. That's not how TOS worked. The show was Kirk, front and centre, with Spock and Bones either side. The rest were a support act - a damn good one which is why they followed into the movies, which were an ensemble - but they were a support act in the original series. I recently re-watched TOS season 2 and Sulu is HARDLY THERE! Whole episodes go by and he's not even in the background at the helm. Just like Shatner said once, "George was on set maybe one day a week for a few hours and then gone." Takei may feel like Bill Shatner stole his limelight but he's delusional about what his place was in 60s Star Trek.
Atheos Some of us aren't stupid enough to race to some creep's defence just because he plays the gay card. Political correctness never sat well wit Vikings.
I have watched a number of interviews between WS and GT and I have noticed that both of these men do agree upon one thing... and, that is that neither of these two men had much off camera interaction in the two years of Star Trek (66-68). I think WS explanation of his schedule and focus while leading the series makes sense. His job and responsibility was 7 days a week and many, many, hours each day. For GT his role was more of a day or two each episode of work. In other words, WS was there 7 days a week and always on the go. GT was there when needed and got to go home (mostly) when his shooting scenes were done. So, it makes a great deal of sense to me that both men had a different reality of the time. I find both men very likable on screen and off and I believe both have valid recollections of the same event, even though both versions differ. After the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, survivors were interviewed and it was noted that although all of these survivors were at the same event at the same time, each had a different perspective. And, each story or perspective - even though different - was just as valid as the other. I think both WS & GT have valid - though differing - perspectives. I hope the "feud" can be forgotten and forgiven.
Takei always comes across as childish in all of his interviews when throwing barbs at Shatner. Anyone who publicly insults a person (Conan show) in public when they are not around is a coward and childish. He's petty and pitiful.
He is not the only person that has worked with Shatner that has had a problem. The only thing I have to say is Shatner's enemies have one thing in common, Shatner's ego. hmmm?
I met him twice and he remembered me (2 years prior) and smiled, then toss out some self deprecating humor at himself cuz he couldn't remember my name and seem annoyed at himself for it. I'm sure ego for anyone can become an issue but if he did there is no sign of it and he's always been excellent to others and causes.
IMO: "Sulu" was an already rather flat character, that George Takei's seemingly limited acting abilities allowed him to present as anything more than the wide-eyed and capable Sulu that we all know and admire. It's great that he's been able to leverage the notoriety that came from his Trek role, but does his contribution to the franchise really merit the grandiose aires that he exudes? I mean Kirk's on-screen ego is one thing (since he's always "on"), but Takei's off-screen ego is quite another! Perhaps Bill's diagnosis has an element of insight in it? Seriously tho...Does anyone NOT have Sulu at the bottom of their list of favourite (regular) Trek characters? Sure, he's at more renowned than Nurse Chappel or Yoeman Whoever...But his stiff acting had him constantly being upstaged by his nearest rival, Walter Koenig. I we don't see Chekov trying to leverage his Trek role all over the Net, do we? IMHO: The best thing that George Takei ever had going for him was a deep/resonant voice, and racial profile, that fit Rodenberry's mandate, and of course, the ability to look concerned while staring ahead into space... The rest has been mostly the result of circumstances...Which as far as anyone can tell is measured by the intrinsic value of being yet another socialmedia-content aggregator/regurgitator...yawn