It’s not every day you get to speak with someone that has influenced hundreds of millions of people on a planet, but it happened a few days ago when I spoke with William Shatner for our latest episode of Collider Connected. During the extended interview, Shatner shared some amazing stories about his entire career ranging from his time on Broadway in the 50’s, to being on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958, to his recent partnership with Storyfile which will allow future generations to have conversations with him (he recorded with Storyfile for five days to make this happen).
In addition, Shatner talked about his life long love affair with animals and horses, why he owes Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green an apology, how David E. Kelley cast him as "Denny Crane" after seeing him in a Priceline commercial, what it was like winning two Emmy’s for the role, what it was like being Christopher Plummer’s understudy on Henry V, directing T.J. Hooker, Star Trek, his fantastic album with Ben Folds, and all the various projects he’s been working on during the pandemic.
However, before going any further, the reason Shatner was doing interviews was to promote his new movie opening this weekend, Senior Moment. In the film, he plays a retired NASA test pilot living in Palm Springs whose life changes when he loses his license. Forced to take public transportation, he meets his polar opposite Caroline (Jean Smart) and learns to navigate love and life again. Senior Moment also stars Christopher Lloyd, Esai Morales, Katrina Bowden and Carlos Miranda.
Check out what Shatner had to say in the player above and below is everything we talked about. If you’re a fan of Shatner’s, or just want to hear some great stories, you’re going to really enjoy this conversation.
William Shatner:
• Has he been vaccinated yet?
• What has he been during the past year while he’s been trapped at home?
• Talks about Storyfile and how future generations will be able to have a conversation with him. Took him 5 days to record his answers.
• His album with Ben Folds has a song called “It hasn’t happened yet.” I asked him if its happened.
• In the song there is a line “at my age I need serenity. I need peace.” Has he gotten it yet?
• For the young viewers that have never seen your work, what is the first thing or things that he’d like them to watch?
• What does it mean to have influenced so many people on our planet?
• When did he realize he wanted to act?
• What did his parents say when he told them he wanted to act for a living?
• Did his family come see him on Broadway after telling him not to act for a living?
• How he was Christopher Plummer’s understudy on Henry V and shares a great story about what happened the night he had to go on.
• What it was like getting roles in the 50s and 60s (he did a lot of television episodes).
• What was it like being on an episode of The Ed Sullivan Show in 1958.
• Shares a story about the night he opened his one man show on Broadway and what happened because of food poisoning.
• What was it about Senior Moment that made him want to get involved?
• I jokingly ask if he did the movie because the production said they would give him the classic Porsche he drove in the movie.
• What was it like working with Christopher Lloyd?
• Did he have flashbacks to playing Denny Crane in the courtroom scene?
• Did he improvise on the film?
• Did he take home and props or costumes from the things he’s worked on?
• What was it like directing episodes of T.J. Hooker and shooting episodic television?
• What did he think of Galaxy Quest?
• How he’s ever watched Star Trek.
• Why he owes Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green an apology.
• Is it true David E. Kelley cast him as Denny Crane after seeing him in a Priceline commercial?
• What did it mean winning two Emmy’s for playing Denny Crane and did he think he was going to win?
• His support for animals.
• When did he fall in love with horses?
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