William Shatner addresses STAR TREK feuds and blames them on his ‘bitter and embittered’ co-stars

At 91, Star Trek star William Shatner he’s still holding on and thinking about the way he’s been portrayed by his co-stars in the press over the years. Over the years he’s been criticized for his behavior on the set of the classic sci-fi drama series, but now he stands up for himself and takes on those feuds.

In a recent interview with The Times of London, Shatner blames the feuds on his “bitter and embittered” co-stars. In his new memoir Boldly Go: Reflections on a life of awe and wonderShatner recalled feeling revived when Nickelle Nichols she told him that most of his colleagues found him “cold and arrogant”. shanner said:

“Sixty years after an accident, I’m still on that track. Don’t you find it a bit strange? It’s like a disease. I began to understand that they did it for publicity”.

Shatner and George Takei they had a famous feud for years, publicly jabbing each other several times. Takei recently called out Shatner for being “unsuitable” and then went on to liken him to a “guinea pig” as he prepared for his Blue Origin space flight. Well, Shatner says he can’t take it anymore:

“George [Takei] he never stopped tarnishing my name. These people are bitter and embittered. I ran out of patience with them. Why give credit to people consumed by envy and hatred?”

In a 2020 interview on David Tennan’s podcast, Takei said the tension between the original Star Trek the cast started when Leonardo NimoyShatner’s Spock has become a bigger deal than Shatner’s Kirk. He said:

“It just got more and more intense. How can I tell? It started from the TV series. There was a character whose charisma and mystery was like a magnet. It was Spock, the strange alien with pointy ears. This intrigued the public, and the women thought, ‘I’m the one who can turn him on.’ His fan mail was so many, and Leonard’s so many, and that created an insecurity.”

Shatner went on to point out in a tweet that none of the other actors he’s ever worked with on other shows had the same problems as some of the Star Trek cast members:

“I find it sad that a handful of daytime actors who were on set maybe 20-30 days a year total spent over 50 years creating fantasies to get noticed in the press. Did they have the same problems? I stupidly let them do that, I guess. Not anymore!”

As you might imagine, the interview caused a spate of fan comments on social media about Shatner and his co-stars. It’s sad that things turned out like this with the cast. I love the original Star Trek series and movies, and it’s sad that this is how some of their relationships ended.

I find it sad that a handful of day players who were on set maybe 20-30 days a year total spent 50+ years creating fantasies to get noticed in the press.
Why haven’t actors from other shows I’ve been in had the same problems?
I foolishly let them do that, I guess. Not anymore!🙄 https://t.co/BytOOFxwJl

—William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) November 13, 2022