William Shatner Boldly Goes to the Pabst Theater

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“My motto is to take it easy. Nothing matters in the end”.

-William Shatner

In a career spanning seven decades, actor William Shatner is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the “Star Trek” franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the television series to his final appearance as Kirk in the seventh feature film, “Star Trek Generation.” On March 10, the charismatic Shatner will bring his one-man show to the Pabst theater to share behind-the-scenes stories from “Star Trek” as well as highlights from a career as a producer, director and writer. Shatner will also field questions from the audience-as part of the fun. The evening will begin with a showing of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on the big screen. During a recent interview, Shatner candidly talked about the ups and downs he's experienced over the years.

Interacting with a live audience seems to be something you really enjoy,

I enjoy it very much. Actors take themselves so seriously and it’s just silly. I love the opportunity to laugh at my image and let the audience have fun in the process. 

The COVID lockdowns affected performers who’ve finally returned to the stage.

Those were trying times, yes. A few years ago, I was scheduled to perform a show in London. The people who had purchased tickets were ordered by [Prime Minister] Boris Johnson not to gather in groups of more than 10. Consequently, I wondered what the show would be like, or if there was even going to be a show. I walked out onstage and there were 3,500 people in the audience who had defied Johnson’s orders. It was very emotional for me, and I had tears in my eyes. I could see that many in the seats had tears as well.

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What made you choose The Wrath of Khan to accompany your Pabst theater appearance?

I think it’s the best of the films, and it’s certainly the most loved. That installment’s success allowed us to make the rest of the sequels.

At the time that “Star Trek” premiered on television, a critic wrote that you were cast as Captain Kirk because you were handsome, you were on time, and you knew your lines.

(laughs). Nothing about talent, huh? (laughs) I got the role because Paramount had filmed the pilot with another actor and didn’t like how it turned out. I was working in New York at the time, and I was called to Los Angeles for a reshoot. I got the part, and it was wonderful because it changed everything for me.

Do you think “Star Trek” emphasized people of different colors getting along with each other?

I certainly do. I recall an episode in which one of the aliens had a body that was black on the left side and white on the right. The other alien was white on the left and black on the right. Of course, the script called for them to hate each other, and that’s just one way we were able to work important topical issues into the show.

Prior to “Star Trek”, you were doing a lot of television, and one of your “Twilight Zone” appearances has become a cult classic.

That’s “Terror at 20,000 Feet” and thank you for bringing that up! I’m the anxiety-ridden passenger on an airplane who sees a gremlin ripping the wing apart. There was an actor dressed in a furry suit and I started laughing because it looked so absurd. I couldn’t help but wonder what disaster I’d gotten myself into this time! It wasn’t until I watched the finished product that I was able to appreciate the brilliance of the story. It tapped into the fear that many people have of flying, and it was something everyone could relate to.

Many people have no idea that you were homeless five years after “Star Trek”.

Yep. I was flat broke in 1970. I lost everything when I got divorced. The house, cars, savings, all gone. I lived in a pickup truck bed under a canvas you could put up like a tent. I found work doing summer theater, but that really didn’t pay much. It took a while for things to turn around for me. Star Trek: The Motion Picture was a godsend. It helped a great deal.

You’ve had a spectacular career. Is that how you’d like to be remembered?

The career doesn’t matter. We have so little time on Earth and when it’s over, people tend to forget you. That’s natural. I have a plot of land where I’ll be buried, and a tree will be planted over me. That’s how I want to be memorialized. With a tree that grows, reaching toward the sun.