Are the core values of “Star Trek” too out of this world?
The successful film and television franchise, which marks the 55th anniversary of the premiere of the original series with Star Trek Day on Wednesday, September 8, has long preached the progressive mantras of inclusivity, respect and friendship. But for William Shatner, who played Captain (and later Admiral) James T. Kirk, and the late Leonard Nimoy, as Vulcan scientific officer Mr. Spock, friendship was not always a stellar success.
In a Paramount + interview to provoke remastered versions of the franchise’s first four films: “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock “and” Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home “- Shatner talked about his and Nimoy’s five-decade bond since his show premiered in 1966.
“Leonard was my best friend. I loved Leonard Nimoy. We had success, envy, anger, love, passion, ”Shatner shared about her friendship with Nimoy, who died in 2015 at the age of 83.
“I loved Leonard as my most beloved brother,” he continued. “When he died, a part of me died.”
His on-screen performances even matched that. In his scene of deadly tears in “The Wrath of Khan,” Nimoy’s Spim confronted a painful Admiral Kirk and proclaimed, “I have been – and will always be – your friend,” before moving on to the Great Volcano. there with a fall (and uttering his iconic phrase, “Long live and prosper”).
Still, “always” apparently wasn’t the case with Shatner and Nimoy.
Nimoy’s son, Adam Nimoy, told The Post in 2016 that their relationship had supernova moments, despite Shatner’s starry image.
“I think Bill and Dad loved each other, but they had their ups and downs,” said Adam, 65.
Shatner even missed his alleged BFF funeral, saying he felt “really horrible” about it, but he had a previous charitable commitment to fulfill.
And Shatner, who in his 90s still works with the butt, revealed in a 2016 book, “Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Notable Man,” that he and his co-star had been estranged in recent years. five years of Nimoy’s life. . In the book, Shatner tried to include Nimoy in a documentary related to “Star Trek” without his permission.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that year, Shatner referred to the document, but eventually stated that he was unaware of its breakup. “I don’t know why he stopped talking to me,” calling the turn of events “sad” and “permanent.”
He added that he only had a trinket to remember his friend.
“I have nothing of Leonard. I have no reminder of Star Trek. I have a picture of him and me laughing in my office, “a seemingly wasted Shatner told THR.” I have the echo of the laughter we had among us, but that’s all I have. “
Of course, Nimoy wasn’t the only person who would have despised Shatner.
“Star Trek” actor George Takei, 84, has for decades resented his former co-star and described him as “very self-centered.” Shatner, meanwhile, has once again claimed ignorance theirs dustup, saying of Takei: “There is such a great disease, that it is so painfully obvious that there is a psychosis. I don’t know what his original thing was about me, I have no idea. ”
And actor Walter Koenig, 84, who played Ensign Pavel Chekov in the original series, turned down an interview with The Post television editor Michael Starr for a biography of Shatner he was writing in 2016. ” Unless you have several photos in your book that show Mr. Shatner having sex with a horse, I have to politely dismiss it, ”Koenig responded sharply to Starr’s request. Shatner also reportedly blocked Starr on Twitter and “put the kibosh” in an interview with one of the actor’s longtime friends.
More recently, the family of the late creator of the series, Gene Roddenberry, is still fooled by a December 1986 “Saturday Night Live” cartoon in which Shatner, playing a disgruntled man at a science fiction convention, told cosplayers of “Star Trek” that “get a life … To cry out loud, it’s just a TV show. I mean, look at you. Look at the way you dress. You’ve turned a nice little job I did d ‘alosa for a few years in a colossal waste of time “.
In an interview scheduled for Star Trek Day and the show’s 55th anniversary, Roddenberry’s son Rod told the Hollywood Reporter last week that while he didn’t “condemn” him and said ” funny, “nor did he ever” really appreciate this skit because I think it was degrading to the fans, “and added that he was” disrespectful. “
However, Diehard Trekkies may not even care.
On the occasion of the show’s anniversary – and the franchise’s still-stellar fan base – Paramount + has scheduled a two-hour live broadcast celebration – starting at 8:30 pm ET Wednesday from of Los Angeles and is led by “Star Trek: The Next Generation” student Wil Wheaton and Mica Burton, daughter of actor “Next Gen” (and aspiring to be “Jeopardy!”) LeVar Burton. The event will include more than a dozen roundtables and other events with cast members and franchise creatives and will feature “surprise appearances, announcements and revelations.” (Check out clips and trailers that hadn’t been seen before for upcoming shows.)
Free live streaming will be available at StarTrek.com/Day, Paramount +, and the network’s Twitch page. It will also be available later on Paramount + and its YouTube page.
In addition, for every person who tweets with the hashtag #StarTrekUnitedGives that day, Paramount and the Roddenberry Foundation will donate $ 1 to organizations that “do real-world work advocating for equality, social justice, the arts, and innovation. ”.
Star Trek Day panels will include:
- “STAR TREK: PRODIGY ” with the cast of the series, including Brett Gray and Dee Bradley Baker, along with executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman and co-producer / executive director Ben Hibon.
- “STAR TREK: DISCOVERY”Starring Wilson Cruz, Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander and co-showrunner and executive producer Michelle Paradise.
- “STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS“, With series stars Anson Mount, Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck, joined by co-showrunners and executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers.
- “STAR TREK: LOWER BEACHES“, With voice cast members Noël Wells and Eugene Cordero alongside series creator, showrunner and executive producer Mike McMahan.
- “STAR TREK: PICARD“, With series stars Patrick Stewart and Jeri Ryan, co-showrunner and executive producer Akiva Goldsman, and a special live performance by Isa Briones, singing” Blue Skies, “who appeared at the end of the PICARD season.
- RODDENBERRY LEGACY PANEL, with a conversation with Gene Roddenberry’s son and Roddenberry Entertainment CEO Rod Roddenberry, alongside Gates McFadden (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), LeVar Burton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and George Takei (“Star Trek: The Original Series”), while discussing the indelible impact of the creator of “Star Trek” on science fiction and culture.