TORONTO 鈥� At 93, William Shatner would entertain boldly going where no man has gone before 鈥� again.
The Montreal-born actor, famed for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in 鈥淪tar Trek,鈥� says he is open to reprising the iconic role in the sci-fi franchise as long as the storytelling is stellar.
鈥淚t's an intriguing idea,鈥� Shatner says on a video call while promoting his new documentary 鈥淵ou Can Call Me Bill,鈥� which drops digitally and on video-on-demand Tuesday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 almost impossible but it was a great role and so well-written and if there were a reason to be there not just to make a cameo appearance, but if there were a genuine reason for the character appearing, I might consider it.鈥�
Shatner鈥檚 last appearance in the franchise was in the 1994 film 鈥淪tar Trek Generations,鈥� where Captain Kirk is killed off. He suggests he could play a younger version of the Starship Enterprise captain as he鈥檚 recently signed on to be the spokesperson for Otoy, a company specializing in technology that 鈥渢akes years off of your face, so that in a film you can look 10, 20, 30, 50 years younger than you are.鈥澛�
He muses on a scenario where Kirk is resurrected.
鈥淎 company that wants to freeze my body and my brain for the future might be a way of going about it,鈥� he says in a recent call from Los Angeles.
鈥溾�榃e've got Captain Kirk's brain frozen here.鈥� There's a scenario. 鈥楲et's see if we can bring back a little bit of this, a little salt, a little pepper. Oh, look at that. Here comes Captain Kirk!鈥欌��
鈥淵ou Can Call Me Bill,鈥� directed by Alexandre O. Phillippe, offers a look back at Shatner鈥檚 body of work 鈥� from his 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� TV show and films to TV series including 鈥淏oston Legal鈥� and 鈥淭.J. Hooker鈥� 鈥� and follows his trip to outer space aboard Jeff Bezos鈥� Blue Origin shuttle in 2021. It also features the actor鈥檚 musings on life, death and nature.聽
鈥淥ver the years, people have come to me and said, 鈥楲et's make a biographical film,鈥� Shatner says.
鈥淚'd say, 'Oh no, I don't want to do that.鈥� A biographical film sort of signifies the end. Cut! And then you die.鈥�
But Shatner says he was sold on the idea when the doc鈥檚 producers Legion M approached him with the idea of crowdfunding the film.
The self-described 鈥渇an-owned鈥� company allows fans to own a financial share in the film and any profits it generates. 鈥淵ou Can Call Me Bill鈥� raised US$750,000 in four days.聽
The actor also wanted to 鈥渓eave some part of a truth鈥� about him for his children and grandchildren after he dies.
Shatner says he learned a great deal about himself while making the film but on the other hand, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what 鈥榢now thyself鈥� means.鈥�
Even at 93, he says he doesn鈥檛 believe he has much wisdom to offer.
鈥淭hat's a mystique that has no basis in truth: as you get older, you get wiser. If you're dumb as a young man, you're dumb as an old man. You're a dumb old man is what you are. It doesn't necessarily mean time foists wisdom on you. What it does put upon you is how quickly life is over. That's for certain.鈥�
Well aware of his fleeting mortality, Shatner is making the most of the time he has left. He鈥檚 releasing a children鈥檚 album, 鈥淲here Will The Animals Sleep? Songs For Kids & Other Living Things鈥� later this month and will join a cruise to Antarctica with astronaut Scott Kelly and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in December.
He's also joined several "companies of the future," as a spokesperson for some and in the background for others, including one that develops "technology like the medical device on 'Star Trek,' so it's the size of a pack of cards and can tell you whether you have a disease or not," and one "that will take your DNA, make an artificial gem out of it and give you two: one that you keep and one that goes into a box that will be released on the moon."
鈥淟ife is so short, you've got to do something now. Go to that place, know that person, read that book now!鈥� he says.
鈥淭hat's what I think old age (teaches you). But then, by the time you learn that, you're dying. You don't have any time. That's right. You're dead.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
