Anyone feel...sorry for Shatner?

[Harmon Bokai]

Not a whole lot to feel sorry about. Shat's got Boston Legal among other things. And his character is dead — and has been for 13 years.

Nimoy being in the movie could make some sense because Vulcans live 200 years — but I don't think Shatner is needed or makes sense.

Besides, the only time I ever saw the man in person, in the middle of a Hawaiian jungle, he was wearing socks and sandals. You just don't get over seeing that easily.

 

[Profhig]

Shatner is good actor, but he's an even better entertainer and it's that quality that would make his appearance in Star Trek such a delicate matter. If Kirk was put in the film without the situaion being perfect than it would ruin the film!

 

[igrokbok]

I don't feel sorry for him. He has one of the best shows on TV to keep him busy. Not to mention all the other stuff he has on his plate.

But I do have regrets. I would have loved to see a 76 year old Kirk. The man created the character in his early 30s and over the course of the next 3 decades, portrayed the same character in his 40's. The a little older in Trek 6, probably his late 50's. Then he was even older in Generations, long retired. I'd love to see the character of Kirk, played by the man who created him, experience space once more as a man pushing 80. THe opportunity to see one man create a character, then play him again and again over the span of 40 years, growing as the character grows, is not one that is likely to happen again, any time soon.

Yep, I'd love to see a 76 year old Kirk...so, in his absence, the only person I feel sorry for is me.

 

[CoveTom]

Many people here seem to assume that because Shatner has a success in Boston Legal that he could not genuinely be disappointed about Star Trek, or that there is no reason to feel sorry for him about not being in the new film. The assumption seems to be that since he is making a good amount of money, and doesn't need the income from another film, that he has no reason to be disappointed. I just don't agree.

Regardless of what is or is not true about Shatner in his earlier years, in his later years I think he has come to appreciate both Star Trek and Kirk. He has finally realized just how good of a character that was and how good a role it was to have. And I think he finally got to the point where he truly enjoyed playing the character, as well as interacting with the fans and being a part of the Star Trek universe.

Now, with the release of this new film, he is starting to realize that Star Trek has passed him by, and that he's considered unnecessary to its success, even concerning a film in which Kirk is integral to the plot. I don't think he's upset, as some have said, because he's not getting a paycheck. I think he's upset because he sees something good on the horizon, something that his good friend Leonard Nimoy is getting to be a part of, and he suddenlly feels left behind.

"What am I feeling? Old. Worn out." - Kirk, TWOK

So, yes, I feel sorry for him, and I also feel sorry for us that we won't get the opportunity to see Shatner -- a Shatner who now truly appreciates Kirk and all Trek has done for him -- reprise the role one last time.

 

[CaptainStoner]

It's a mistake not to have him if it does go down that way.
It would be very sad I think since he will likely pass on without getting to play his main character one more time. If he wants to do it, he's William Effing Shatner! You write him in. It doesn't have to be a lot, maybe not even as much as Spock since after all, you're dead, Jim.
So it would probably have to be a dream sequence of Spock's. We see dear friends long departed in dreams all the time, it is a very...human experience.
Another possibility though is that Shatner might be open to some kind of meaningful bit or cameo. An old timer who gives his younger "self" a piece of his mind, it would be just priceless.
There are always possibilities....

 

[SeamusShameless]

I don't feel sorry for him. He let Ron Moore and Brannon Braga kill his Kirk 13 years ago. Besides, it'll be better for Nimoy's Spock if he doesn't have Kirk. Then he'll have an opportunity to wish Kirk was there and regret that he isn't.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Shatner and Nimoy have a favoured nations contract (since TMP), which may still be valid, so Paramount and Shatner will have to be prepared to accept whatever Leonard Nimoy is getting for the new movie. Shatner's agent couldn't come to a money agreement with ENT when they were trying to secure Shatner a role in that TV series, so who knows the situation for ST XI.

Shatner's a rich man, and his character got a swansong in "Generations". Why should we feel "sorry"?

 

[3D Master]

The God Thing said:
I wouldn't feel sorry for Shatner even if he was sodomized to death by a wild boar. Actors are like any other order of low-IQ psychopath. There is simply nothing inside them except a rudimentary deterministic automaton equipped with a semi-convincing mimetic algorithm. The ability to actually experience emotions such as grief or regret is as far beyond them as the ability to solve a partial differential equation is beyond a chicken.

TGT

Don't agree... entirely, but that was brilliant.

 

[EyalM]

i think Shatner has a case of the " they won't let me play with them..!!!". The more he realize they don't want/need hi,. the more he wants in.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Therin of Andor said:
Shatner and Nimoy have a favoured nations contract (since TMP), which may still be valid, so Paramount and Shatner will have to be prepared to accept whatever Leonard Nimoy is getting for the new movie. Shatner's agent couldn't come to a money agreement with ENT when they were trying to secure Shatner a role in that TV series, so who knows the situation for ST XI.

My suspicion is that this is the case: he's simply asking for a good deal more than the studio is willing to pay.

And it's possible that the salary cap is being set by other people at the studio, rather than the producers, in a defacto matter if not directly: "Here's the budget we'll go for. If you choose to spend half of it on aging television actors, you'll have to make cuts somewhere else."

The flip side of the "favored nations" clause may be that if they ante up for Shatner they have to raise Nimoy's payday as well - at least one good reason for him to say that "the movie would be better with Bill in it."

 

[seigezunt]

I think he'll be fine. He will be missed by me when this movie comes out, but he made the decision to stand with that awful Generations flick. Love the guy, but he'll be OK.

 

[Phantassm]

CoveTom said:
Many people here seem to assume that because Shatner has a success in Boston Legal that he could not genuinely be disappointed about Star Trek, or that there is no reason to feel sorry for him about not being in the new film. The assumption seems to be that since he is making a good amount of money, and doesn't need the income from another film, that he has no reason to be disappointed. I just don't agree.

Regardless of what is or is not true about Shatner in his earlier years, in his later years I think he has come to appreciate both Star Trek and Kirk. He has finally realized just how good of a character that was and how good a role it was to have. And I think he finally got to the point where he truly enjoyed playing the character, as well as interacting with the fans and being a part of the Star Trek universe.

Now, with the release of this new film, he is starting to realize that Star Trek has passed him by, and that he's considered unnecessary to its success, even concerning a film in which Kirk is integral to the plot. I don't think he's upset, as some have said, because he's not getting a paycheck. I think he's upset because he sees something good on the horizon, something that his good friend Leonard Nimoy is getting to be a part of, and he suddenlly feels left behind.

"What am I feeling? Old. Worn out." - Kirk, TWOK

So, yes, I feel sorry for him, and I also feel sorry for us that we won't get the opportunity to see Shatner -- a Shatner who now truly appreciates Kirk and all Trek has done for him -- reprise the role one last time.

Well said-you said it better than me and I agree totally.

 

[Orac Zen]

I don't feel sorry for him. It's nice that he's at a stage where he "appreciates" Trek (for lack of a better word), but that shouldn't automatically green-light his involvement. Frankly, in the absence of definite info about the nature of his involvement, I'm not certain Nimoy's presence is necessarily a positive thing (that may change with more info, though). Shoehorning OlderKirk into the movie as well...I think this movie will have enough burdens to carry without finding a way to make that work.

 

[Kieran]

NO.

 

[VulcanJedi]

Profhig said:
Shatner is good actor, but he's an even better entertainer and it's that quality that would make his appearance in Star Trek such a delicate matter. If Kirk was put in the film without the situaion being perfect than it would ruin the film!

A like Mr. Shatner and Love Kirk, but you are so right.

He could very much spoil the suspension of disbelief.

 

[JBElliott]

No need to feel sorry for him. He's in the movie, no question about that. All this denial is a publicity stunt. Mark my words.

 

[Phantassm]

^^What's your source for that bit of tantalizing information?

 

[Herald]

Sorry if this is a re-post. It seems to fit the theme of this thread so well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u7m7BiX1JI

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

JBElliott said:
No need to feel sorry for him. He's in the movie, no question about that. All this denial is a publicity stunt. Mark my words.

Oh, we will indeed.

This is not a publicity stunt, although it may be a bit of a campaign on Shatner's part.

 

[Stardate]

no i don't. Come he is in his 70s, pretty soon he will be wearing adults diapers and a walking stick.