William Shatner is an actor with a prominent career spanning decades. However, he has opened up about harder times in his life, even after having achieved goals many dream of. He also shared one of the biggest takeaways he’s gotten from one of his biggest roles.
William Shatner Started Playing Captain James T. Kirk In The 1960s & Reprised The Role In Various Projects Over The Years
For many, Shatner’s most prolific role is playing Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. Making his 1966 debut in the original series’ second pilot, he continued to play the character over the decades, including the animated series and the Star Trek Generations feature film.
Over the years, Shatner has also become known for a number of projects. This includes appearing in Boston Legal, hosting Rescue 911, and serving as a mascot of sorts for Priceline.
That said, despite his career, Shatner revealed that there were times when things weren’t easy for him. While people expect actors to go through rough patches early in their career, he shared that this was a time that actually took place after taking on his most famous role.
According to a 2015 interview with Parade, Shatner was asked about a story claiming that he lived in his truck after Star Trek ended. He confirmed that it was true, noting, “They didn’t pay very well, and I got a divorce at that same time, and I had three children, so it was a little rocky.”
It Took Some Time For Star Trek To Become The Pop Culture Hit It Is Remembered As Being Today
During the original 1960s run of Star Trek, the show didn’t become the massive hit that it is often remembered as. That is because the show was vindicated by reruns and fan conventions, who made the show a pop culture juggernaut long after the show’s cancellation.
At the time, Shatner was also dealing with other issues. Around the time of the show’s end, his first marriage ended in divorce. Having three daughters, he took to whatever jobs he could find.
Since then, Shatner has pursued a number of ventures, with some even literally taking him out of this world. Befitting his background working in sci-fi, he made history when he flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard at age 90. At the time, this made him the oldest person to travel in space, although this record was later surpassed.
Seeing Star Wars become a success over the years, Shatner added one positive takeaway: “It gave me the opportunity to raise funds for people.” He noted this included Priceline’s Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which he had spent decades hosting.
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
