William Shatner spent 60 years watching “Star Trek” going from a canceled television show to one of the most recognizable entertainment franchises. However, when the 95-year-old actor looks back on his time aboard the USS Enterprise, he no longer thinks first about its futuristic sets or costumes.
Instead, his memories return to the friends who worked alongside him, including Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, both of whom William Shatner now survives.
William Shatner remembers the friends he lost
Shatner opened up about his changing memories during an exclusive interview with AARP’s Movies for Grownups. “My memory of Star Trek is filled with lovely people,” he said. “Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, just to name two. They were wonderful people who were good friends of mine, all dead now.”
Nimoy, who played Spock, died in February 2015 at age 83. Kelley, best known for playing Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy, died in June 1999 at age 79. Along with Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk, the two actors formed the central trio of the original series.
The personal relationships behind these characters now hold more meaning for Shatner than the production surrounding them. His comments reveal how the passage of time has transformed “Star Trek” from a professional milestone into a collection of memories involving people who are no longer around to share them.
‘Star Trek’ puts humanity before technology
The original “Star Trek” film premiered on September 8, 1966, giving viewers an unusually diverse vision of the future for the time. The Enterprise’s bridge included an Asian helmsman, a black communications officer, and a half-human, half-Vulcan science officer. They were not treated as visitors or strangers but as competent members of the same team.
Shatner believes it was human attention, rather than the show’s spaceships or imagined technology, that allowed “Star Trek” to survive. “Even though the background was futuristic, the foreground was what’s happening because you’re a human being,” Shatner said. “And I think that’s the key to Star Trek’s success.”
The series used science fiction to explore recognizable issues involving prejudice, loyalty, heartbreak, courage, and the consequences of difficult moral decisions. By placing these conflicts in unfamiliar worlds, the series could examine contemporary social issues while presenting audiences with a more inclusive version of the future.
Fans saved the canceled series
Despite its possible cultural influence, “Star Trek” was not an immediate ratings powerhouse. NBC canceled the original series in 1969 after three seasons, but viewers continued to experience it through syndicated reruns. This growing fan base helped turn a completed television program into an expanding entertainment property. Audiences supported the conventions and a revival effort that eventually produced an animated series, feature films, and numerous television spinoffs.
Sixty years after Enterprise first appeared on television, the franchise includes films, streaming shows, novels, animation, podcasts, merchandise, and fan events that span generations. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” will continue this legacy when its fourth season premieres Thursday, July 23 on Paramount+. The series follows the crew of the Enterprise in the years before Shatner’s Kirk became its captain.
William Shatner’s definition of success has changed
Shatner continued to work long after Star Trek made him famous, building a career in television, film, music, writing and live-action appearances. Her post-“Star Trek” credits include “TJ Hooker,” “Boston Legal,” the “Miss Congeniality” films and countless appearances tied to her enduring place in popular culture.
However, Shatner doesn’t measure this longevity against a permanent definition of success. “The definition of success varies from moment to moment. Anyway, I was trying to be good at what I did. I don’t remember, I have to be successful, but I have to be good at what I do,” he said.
William Shatner took Captain Kirk’s legacy into space
In October 2021, Shatner’s connection to space exploration went beyond fiction when he traveled aboard a Blue Origin flight at the age of 90. At the time, this trip made him the oldest person to travel to space. It also created a surreal overlap between the actor and the character who spent years commanding the Enterprise.
Shatner’s real journey, however, didn’t leave him focused solely on the excitement of space travel. Seeing Earth from above gave him a heightened awareness of the planet’s vulnerability and the thin atmosphere that protects life below. The experience echoes what he now identifies as “Star Trek”’s greatest strength: using space to tell stories about humanity.
After six decades, Shatner has seen the franchise survive its initial cancellation and reach viewers who weren’t born when the first episode aired. He also endured the most painful form of longevity that comes with saying goodbye to close friends.
For Shatner, the Enterprise may have launched “Star Trek,” but the people who stood alongside it on its deck are what made that voyage worth remembering.