How William Shatner Is Celebrating His 90th Birthday (comicbook.com) 72
When the Star Trek franchise was awarded a special Emmy in 2018, it was William "Captain Kirk" Shatner who'd co-delivered its acceptance speech, remembers ComicBook.com. "Thank you so much. 52 years. What a gift. We're grateful... Star Trek has endured because it represents an idea — one that's greater than the sum of our parts... we watch and we reach to see the best version of ourselves..."
And now three years later, they report that Shatner "will celebrate his 90th birthday back on the bridge of the USS Enterprise." Sort of... Shatner will partake in a two-day event at the Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour site in Ticonderoga, New York. The exhibit is famed among fans for its replica of the bridge set where Shatner gave orders as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series.
The two-day event begins on July 23rd (a belated celebration coming a few months after his actual birthday in March), with the COVID-19 mask and social distancing rules still in effect... The limited $1500 all-inclusive packages will let fans participate in Shatner's 90th Birthday Dinner Celebration, take a set tour with Shatner, plus a Bridge Chat, a photo, and an autograph. Regular admission is $80 for a standard tour with a la carte photos and autographs available... The replica set is likely the closest fans will ever come to seeing Shatner return to a Starfleet bridge.
So what is William Shatner doing on Monday, the actual date of his 90th birthday? The New York Daily News reports: He's got a series airing on the History channel, he's heading overseas to shoot an episode of a television show, and is in the middle of promoting his latest feature film, a romantic comedy called "Senior Moment..."
The indie film features Shatner as Victor, a former test pilot who dates younger women and loves burning rubber behind the wheel of his beautiful 1955 Porsche.
The movie also stars Watchmen actress Jean Smart, along with Christopher Lloyd (who memorably played a Klingon in the 1984 movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.)
And meanwhile Priceline.com plans a special series of deals this week to honor Shatner's years as their spokesperson (as well as his singing in their earliest dotcom-era commercials, which revived Shatner's spoken-word singing career).
In Captain Kirk's final appearance in 1994's Star Trek: Generations, one of the last things he says is "It was fun." But it looks like in real life, William Shatner is living long and prospering.
Here's that great moment in Slashdot history when Shatner actually answered questions from Slashdot's readers. Have your own favorite William Shatner memory? Share it in the comments to help celebrate his 90th birthday!
And now three years later, they report that Shatner "will celebrate his 90th birthday back on the bridge of the USS Enterprise." Sort of... Shatner will partake in a two-day event at the Star Trek: The Original Series Set Tour site in Ticonderoga, New York. The exhibit is famed among fans for its replica of the bridge set where Shatner gave orders as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series.
The two-day event begins on July 23rd (a belated celebration coming a few months after his actual birthday in March), with the COVID-19 mask and social distancing rules still in effect... The limited $1500 all-inclusive packages will let fans participate in Shatner's 90th Birthday Dinner Celebration, take a set tour with Shatner, plus a Bridge Chat, a photo, and an autograph. Regular admission is $80 for a standard tour with a la carte photos and autographs available... The replica set is likely the closest fans will ever come to seeing Shatner return to a Starfleet bridge.
So what is William Shatner doing on Monday, the actual date of his 90th birthday? The New York Daily News reports: He's got a series airing on the History channel, he's heading overseas to shoot an episode of a television show, and is in the middle of promoting his latest feature film, a romantic comedy called "Senior Moment..."
The indie film features Shatner as Victor, a former test pilot who dates younger women and loves burning rubber behind the wheel of his beautiful 1955 Porsche.
The movie also stars Watchmen actress Jean Smart, along with Christopher Lloyd (who memorably played a Klingon in the 1984 movie Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.)
And meanwhile Priceline.com plans a special series of deals this week to honor Shatner's years as their spokesperson (as well as his singing in their earliest dotcom-era commercials, which revived Shatner's spoken-word singing career).
In Captain Kirk's final appearance in 1994's Star Trek: Generations, one of the last things he says is "It was fun." But it looks like in real life, William Shatner is living long and prospering.
Here's that great moment in Slashdot history when Shatner actually answered questions from Slashdot's readers. Have your own favorite William Shatner memory? Share it in the comments to help celebrate his 90th birthday!
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Fuck off, Georgie.
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Re:Who cares? (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, the $1500 VIP package is gone, so I guess some people care.
Unrelated, but although I grew up with TNG so I am of the Picard > Kirk crowd (I am more the intellectual type in general), I must say I really appreciated Shatner as Denny Crane in the Boston Legal series. I mean, just the fact that I watched an entire courtroom dramedy series, would be remarkable by itself for me given my tastes, but I watched it *twice* and it still ranks among my favourite TV series. Not recommend it you don't like politics in your shows though.
Unlike his Boston Legal character, Shatner seems amazingly sharp at 90. And nice that he is still so active.
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...just the fact that I watched an entire courtroom dramedy series, would be remarkable by itself for me given my tastes, but I watched it *twice* and it still ranks among my favourite TV series.
David Kelley has hits and misses in his shows, but I will say he's at least consistently made an effort to stretch the conventions of network TV. Boston Legal and Pickett Fences are definitely on my list of all time favorites.
Not recommend it you don't like politics in your shows though.
IDK, Kelley definitely has a liberal bent, but he always gives his conservative characters fair hearing and frequently even a great deal of nobility and genuine conviction.
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David Kelley has hits and misses in his shows, but I will say he's at least consistently made an effort to stretch the conventions of network TV. Boston Legal and Pickett Fences are definitely on my list of all time favorites.
Not recommend it you don't like politics in your shows though.
IDK, Kelley definitely has a liberal bent, but he always gives his conservative characters fair hearing and frequently even a great deal of nobility and genuine conviction.
Re-watching Ally McBeal now and it's striking how well conservative characters are allowed to make their points (and often succeed, or at least inject nuance into the debate). Definitely a product of its era that Kelley wouldn't be able to get made as-is today.
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Re-watching Ally McBeal now and it's striking how well conservative characters are allowed to make their points (and often succeed, or at least inject nuance into the debate). Definitely a product of its era that Kelley wouldn't be able to get made as-is today.
I'm not going to say you're entirely wrong (about it would be unable to be made today) BUT there is also a bit of a misconception that this scorched earth, gridlock the other side, culture war, no-compromise at all mentality is relatively new when it actually started brewing with Reagan and really came into the forefront during Clinton's years, i.e., this has been going on for over 20 years.
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Not recommend it you don't like politics in your shows though.
IDK, Kelley definitely has a liberal bent, but he always gives his conservative characters fair hearing and frequently even a great deal of nobility and genuine conviction.
This is one thing I liked about Boston Legal. I remember once James Spader's character defending a racist(?) parents right to raise his kids how he saw fit - There were a number of occasions where respecting freedom of speech and personal liberty above all else; even though contentious or potentially abhorrent were a big part of the story.
Re: Who cares? (Score:2)
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I don't think Kirk's speech pattern is Shatner's speech pattern, it just seems like a misconception from people who have not really watched him act. I mean, the first Shatner role I watched other than Kirk (Judgement at Nuremberg) made it pretty obvious. To me, it looks like when Shatner was asked to portray the best 23rd century StarFleet captain, he aimed to sound grave, pompous, severe, which gave that speech pattern with dramatic pauses. The director seems to have found it fitting, so they rolled with i
Re: Who cares? (Score:5, Insightful)
Also the training for Acting on TV requires different skills than for a Theater (Plays and Movies). In a Theater before the ultra sound systems, it was a big echo chamber for audio. So when you speak you needed to pause, to allow the words to to actually sit into the audience, otherwise it will just become a wall of sound.
Star Trek was made early in TV History, so much of the acting training was still around Theater type of acting. A large TV then had a 19" CRT A mono speaker. Where people will be watching the Show often off a fuzzy reception from about 6-8 feet away from the screen. So subtle acting just wouldn't work well as well.
When TNG came along TVs were much better, often with Stereo sound and better picture quality. Where more nuance can be added to the acting.
Now we have 40"+ displays in 4k with full sound. So now we have actors who are often just whispering to each other most of the time.
Re: Who cares? (Score:2)
Re: Who cares? (Score:2)
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I have really watched him act, and he sucks. I worked as a techie in a star circuit summer stock theatre in Michigan when his traveling Broadway show came through, and it stank. It was a dramatic role requiring the character to evidence some depth and introspection, but he was still Captain Kirk. I found him to be a vile, arrogant, petty, demanding primadonna, in addition to a shitty actor.
This was during his run of 'TJ Hooker' on the boob tube where he played a "tough on drugs" cop. The third night of
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Haha, no, don't worry, I was not below average physically - quite a lot of time spent at the basketball courts :D
But from my signature you should understand that my sci-fi preferences are more "cerebral" than "action" - although the combination is even better... Picard is more how I would hope future leaders are.
Re: Who cares? (Score:1)
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No more just someone that thinks they are a smarter or better informed than everyone else. I am not even sure TNG is more 'intellectual' than TOS. TOS is genius because it works for a wide audience, it works best if you are familiar with some classic literature though, and I am not just talking the in your face stuff with Apollo. The writers were usually riffing on something..
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I grew up watching the original Star Treks, but I could never get into the ST shows of the '90s as much. I did watch a lot of those law firm shows. I blame a woman. When I met her, she hosted an Ally McBeal night at her house every week. It was fun.
There wasn't actually a whole lot of time spent in courtrooms from what I remember. Ally McBeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal seemed to me to be about stuff that went on in the firm and the ethics and personality clashes while trying to provide enough comic
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Shatner is the baseline Star Trek. With the Star Trek Franchise still going after 55 years (Second only to Doctor Who) which is amazing to how fickle Science Fiction is to audiences.
While. We. MakeFunOf. His.ActingStyle as hammy and often over the top, this has flowed down to other Treks as well... Picards well rehearse speeches, Sisko Wide Range of Emotions... Really do call back to Shatners interpretation of what a Captain of a Star Ship should be.
Even in the new stuff, Like the JJ Movies where there was
Re:Who cares? (Score:4, Funny)
You know, before I answer any more questions there's something I wanted to say. Having received all your letters over the years, and I've spoken to many of you, and some of you have traveled... y'know... hundreds of miles to be here, I'd just like to say... GET A LIFE, will you people? I mean, for crying out loud, it's just a TV show! I mean, look at you, look at the way you're dressed! You've turned an enjoyable little job, that I did as a lark for a few years, into a COLOSSAL WASTE OF TIME!
[ a crowd of shocked and dismayed Trekkies.... ]
I mean, how old are you people? What have you done with yourselves?
[ to "Ears" ] You, you must be almost 30... have you ever kissed a girl?
[ "Ears" hangs his head ]
I didn't think so! There's a whole world out there! When I was your age, I didn't watch television! I LIVED! So... move out of your parent's basements! And get your own apartments and GROW THE HELL UP! I mean, it's just a TV show dammit, IT'S JUST A TV SHOW!
Written by: Bob Odenkirk & Judd Apatow, whoa, WTF?!!!
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Written by: Bob Odenkirk & Judd Apatow, whoa, WTF?!!!
You did read to the bottom, right? It was an SNL skit from a long time ago now. And yes, Shatner took the job. Of course he did. He's an actor. It's a job. The fact that it's overtly rude to fictional fans was just icing on the cake.
Most, if not all, of the iconic actors from cultural touchstone movies of the last half century have chafed at the straitjacket of their "success" at one time or another, and sometimes it leaks into public awareness. There was a time when Mark Hamill was noticeably bitter
Pretty active 90 year old (Score:5, Interesting)
I think it's inspiring to see him be such an active and healthy 90 year old, still doing his thing. I hope I am so lucky.
Happy birthday, Bill.
Re:Pretty active 90 year old (Score:5, Funny)
I think it's inspiring to see him be such an active and healthy 90 year old, still doing his thing.
You're saying he's lived long and prospered?
Re:Pretty active 90 year old (Score:5, Insightful)
I think it's inspiring to see him be such an active and healthy 90 year old, still doing his thing.
You're saying he's lived long and prospered?
A logical conclusion.
Re:Pretty active 90 year old (Score:5, Informative)
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I think you've summed it up nicely.
It is the difference between the Zen notion of a Beginner's Mind and someone who thinks new music ceased to be made in their senior year of high school.
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Still watch TOS (Score:3, Interesting)
I still watch Shatner almost daily.
Just watched "The Doomsday Device" last night in fact.
Still good TV.
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I still watch Shatner almost daily.
Just watched "The Doomsday Device" last night in fact.
Still good TV.
Do you not mean The Doomsday Machine?
Force of nature (Score:5, Interesting)
I first met him about three years ago, on his initial visit to the set tour.
He was 87 then, and my first impression was that this is a man who is fully alive. At that age, most people look backwards, lost in reminiscence and nostalgia. There was none of that, and I don't think there ever was. This is a man who looks forwards, moving towards the next hill until he takes his last step. He really is the captain.
He did a thing on the bridge for about 20-30 people. He sat in his command chair while everyone circled around him, at the stations. While the guests came onto the bridge, I was lucky enough to be in the turbolift with him, waiting to work the doors for his grand entrance. We chatted for about five minutes. At several points, he paused - the "Shatner Pause" - but it was to select a word so appropriate, so exactly correct, that it became clear that I was watching a master at work in his medium. Not in the least surprised that he did an Esperanto film.
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While his singing leaves something to be desired, I think his acting has been very underrated just because he has certain mannerisms. Well newsflash , so do a lot of actors including a lot of the supposed "greats". He can really pull it out the bag when required IMO.
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Well SNL got a lot of mileage out of those mannerisms. And then there's his pre-star trek career.
Inadequate punctuation in TFA (Score:3)
I tried adding punctuation to Mr. Shatners pronouncement to indicate his speaking cadence when in character, but the "junk" character filter . . . blocked . . . it.
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Well one might argue 'acting' is all about portraying the character effectively. If you can't mask your own idiosyncrasies when the role requires it, I'd call that a weakness in your acting ability.
On the other hand when you are playing a fictitious character that does not have a large existing body of work behind it letting some idiosyncrasies shine through can make things more natural and fun and just make that character richer. Knowing when to do that is a strength.
Personally I think Shatner is solid act
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I base my opinion on the pantheon of "great" actors, every one of which is recognized immediately in all their roles by their idiosyncrasies.
There is a reason it is so easy for an audience to identify the various actors an impressionist is presenting.
(And by impressionist I'm not referring to Van Gogh, more like Gorshin.)
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Can we explore that a bit. You might be right. It is true about recognizing those greats. However my memory of them tends to be them playing their greatest roles. Stewart in Its a Wonderful Life, Flight of Phoenix, etc not necessarily his other works.
These are examples of course where for the most part we are being introduced to the character for the first time on screen. Maybe there is a novel behind it but the audience probably hasn't read it. So Stewart being Stewart works, and gives the character life.
I
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Why, when I compare 'The Transformed Man' to the albums of fellow actors from the series it clearly ranks as the best, it goes to Eleven
BTW:
I got my copy of 'The Transformed Man' when he came to Seattle on the promo tour for the album.
When he asked my name as he was signing the album I found that I couldn't speak: It was too important an event for this youngster.
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Wow! (Score:4, Funny)
My take from all this? "Christopher Lloyd is still alive and younger than William Shatner!?"
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For some reason, I now have a memory (probably a false one) of seeing a Taxi episode where Ignatowski says..."Really? Am I still alive?"
Closest thing is probably when Louie had to tell Jim his father was "no longer with us".
"He never was. He lives in Boston."
"No, Jim. He's gone on to his final resting place."
"A condo in Palm Beach?"
Tek Books. (Score:2)
And then there's the Tek series of books which was his other career.
Doing more at 90 than I was at 30. (Score:2)
Trigger Warning: (Score:5, Funny)
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The only people who would be offended by Orion slave girls would be Orion slave girls....
No they wouldn't - they're the ones in charge!*
*Pheremones - they literally control the men...
Memory? Every year! We share a birthday. (Score:3, Interesting)
Shatner and I share March 22nd. Happy Birthday to us!
Has Been (Score:2)
And let's not forget (Score:2)
A Shatner Memory (Score:1)
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"no matter what", because if he didn't go he wouldn't get paid. AFAICT that's always been his primary motivation in any role, be it on stage, in front of a camera, or at a con. His performance could suck, and often did, but as long as he did the minimum to fill out the contract it was good enough. In the case of the show I worked with him on he was required to be at the closing night party for a minimum of ten minutes to schmooze with the theatre patrons and donors, he started counting his time when he e
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Felicxan Naskigxtagon! Mi esperas ke vi vivas ali (Score:1)
Congrats to Bill Shatner on his 90th (Score:2)
Shatter is 90?! (Score:2)
Wow, I feel old.
Happy birthday, Captain.
He's had a great life (Score:3)
He really hit the jackpot with that Priceline deal. Apparently it netted him $600 million in Priceline stock, which he took in liu of cash for being an endorcer. Kind of reminds me of the Mark Hammel deal on the original Star Wars movie.
So unlike the other Star Trek alumuni, forced to sign books to eke out a living, Shatner literally hit the jackpot. Good for him. I think that the key to his success has been his ability to poke fun at himself and to project a real zest for life. People seem to like being around him. Maybe that's why he still looks so good at his age.
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Maybe that's why he still looks so good at his age.
The plastic surgery also helps.
Denny Crane! (Score:3)
Capt. Kirk was an arrogant, egotistical emotional basket case. No real-world organization would allow such a personality to be in a position of great responsibility. The show itself was a morality tale, the substance of which was little different from Bonanza or other popular shows of the age. Shatner's role as a clown (relative to Spock) didn't show his potential.
But Denny Crane (Boston Legal series) was semi-autistic/senile, again with a huge ego but this time with occasional hints of mental deterioration that evoked sympathy. For the first time I sensed that Shatner was a brilliant mind as he played Crane with subtlety. I'd love to see other vehicles that fully allowed his real personality to come through.
Ageless Shatner (Score:2)
I was there for his country music debut... (Score:2)
I went to see him at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 2019 when he decided to branch into country music. I thought his spoken-word albums were crazy enough to be interesting, so I wanted to see how he'd do.
I've seen him before a few times at cons, but that was the first time I've ever seen him nervous before. He belted out one or two songs, and it went about how you might expect.
I give him props for trying something new, especially given his age.
William Shatner sez.... (Score:4, Funny)
"Well! I must say that the reaction to a 90th birthday is overwhelming. Don’t you people have better things to do? ["Rolling on the floor laughing" emoji]
Thank you to everyone for your well wishes and love!"
Shatner talks to Slashdot readers (Score:4, Interesting)