STAR TREK creator Gene Roddenberry wrote scathing letter to William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy over their egos

It’s no secret that there was a lot of drama on the set of the original Star Trek series while it was in production. This drama was caused by the growing egos of some of the cast members including William Shatnerwho played Captain Kirk, and Leonardo Nimoywho played Spock.

Since the two actors had top billing on the show, they thought they were the stars, even though the show was praised for its diverse cast that all played a part in the stories they were telling. It turns out that Shatner and Nimoy have always been trying to upstage them and bask in the spotlight.

We mostly heard stories about Shatner, but Nimoy also had an ego that sometimes got the better of him. At one point things got too out of hand and Shatner and Nimoy’s behavior angered Roddenberry and he ended up writing them a scathing letter berating them for their behavior.

It got to the point where the actors were trading lines and taking dialogue from their co-stars. They were fighting for as much screen time as possible. They also had production delays and their characters started to change. When Roddenberry learned of what was happening, she wanted to end the abuse of their privilege.

The letter he wrote was addressed to both Shatner and Nimoy and was published in The Fifty Year Mission: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek: The First 25 Years (via /Movies). It is read:

Throw these pages in the air if you want, stomp and get angry, it doesn’t mean much since you’ve driven me to the edge of giving a damn. […] No, William, I’m not really writing this to Leonard and including you just as a matter of psychology. I’m speaking to you directly and with an angry honesty you’ve never heard before. And Leonard, you’d be very mistaken if you think he’s actually kidding Shatner and just pretending to include you. The same letter to both; you have divided the market quite well between selfishness and self-centeredness.

I want you to fully realize where your fight for absolute screen domination is taking you. It’s already affecting Captain Kirk’s image on screen. We’re heading towards an arrogant, loud, half-assed Queeg character who is so blatantly insecure on that screen that he can’t afford to let anyone else have an idea, give an order, or solve a problem. You can’t hide things like that from an audience.

And now, Leonard. I have to say if I were Shatner, I too would be nervous and nervous about you by now. For a man who makes no secret of his sensibilities, you show a strange lack of understanding in your fellow actors.

As long as I stay with the show, starting Monday, there will be no more line changes from one to the other. No more long discussions of scenes that waste about half a day of production on a show: the director will only allow it when there is a valid dramatic story at stake or an interpretation point that he believes makes it necessary. The director will be told that he is also replaceable and the inability to remain at the top and in charge of the set will be grounds for dismissal.

Damn… that’s a great letter! It’s always interesting and fun to learn behind-the-scenes stories behind the things we love. If you’ve never seen this letter, I hope you enjoyed it! Shatner and Nimoy definitely deserved to be put in their places.