Good acting from William Shatner?

[TREK_GOD_1]

Shatner hit a grand slam in Where No Man Has Gone Before, which is even more impressive considering this was his first time playing Kirk.

..which is why he was the superior performer to lead the series over someone like Jeffrey Hunter (or any of the other names often cited as possible casting choices). A significant part of the success of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (and one of the reasons it sold Star Trek as a series) was Shatner's performance in a story taking him from friend, leader, troubled and enemy all in one episode, and he delivered a wonderful performance. He was tough, adverturous, but all so human, establishing Kirk as a partially tragic character, which would be explored in other episodes (e.g., the back-to-back punch of "City on the Edge of Forever" and "Operation -- Annihilate!"), but it was in WNMHGB that Shatner made an unforgettable mark as Kirk.

 

[GNDN18]

Shatner is very naturalistic and on par with a lot of the acting at the time in the first season of TOS. It gets more and more bombastic as the show wears on. But he immediately gets Kirk from day one, whereas it took Nimoy several episodes to find Spock. And I'd argue Shatner is more charismatic as an actor and has more emotional range than Nimoy and Stewart.

He just has "it" and you can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen. Sure, he has some hammy traits ("you Klingon bastard!"). But so does Nimoy ("PAIN!") and Stewart (Sarek's emotional outburst).

What I find is that Shatner is really good at convey through his body language where his character is at emotionally in a scene. For example, he taps his fingers during the Enterprise castoff in TMP... illustrating Kirk's own internal anticipation and anxiety about being back in the chair.

As for examples of great acting in Trek, "The Enemy Within" is a perfect one. He becomes more and more subdue as the split, weaker Kirk. The scene where the dog comes back dead... the anguish and fear in his face. They way he delivers the line right before, "Don't hurt him." Then when faced with what to do with his evil half, the way he rubs his face and contorts his face as the decision weighs heavily on Kirk. Then the way he amplifies everything as the "evil" double.

And at the end, when he snaps back as the whole Kirk. Great stuff.

But if you want to see more naturalistic acting from Shatner, check out the show he did right before Trek, "For the People". You can find some episodes on YouTube.

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That was fantastic. “Obsession” without the happy ending. All this … and George Coe, too.

 

[JaxsBrokenHeart]

I always thought that Mirror, Mirror was one of Shatner's triumphs given how frequently he has to pull off the role of Kirk imitating his mirror universe counterpart with varying success. Definitely demonstrative of how he could do complex layers when he had to.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Shatner is really good at convey through his body language where his character is at emotionally in a scene. For example, he taps his fingers during the Enterprise castoff in TMP... illustrating Kirk's own internal anticipation and anxiety about being back in the chair.

Shatner uses a lot of little tics. One I like, is the thing he does with his jaw, like he's grinding his teeth or something.

 

[Vger23]

Shatner uses a lot of little tics. One I like, is the thing he does with his jaw, like he's grinding his teeth or something.

When standing, he does subtle little things with his posture and even his hands while they are at his side. It’s something I picked up on as a kid and I can’t unsee it now.

 

[PCz911]

Even today, if you take a Broadway cast and have them do a scene on TV for one night, the acting will look different from most TV acting.

Interesting… I suppose they must go “bigger” on a stage so folks in the cheap seats (like me) can get the plot.

 

[Neopeius]

That was fantastic. “Obsession” without the happy ending. All this … and George Coe, too.

I like Shatner, I really do. But I found his character in For the People generally unlikable.

 

[GNDN18]

I like Shatner, I really do. But I found his character in For the People generally unlikable.

Just so. But as a former assistant prosecutor appointed to that position fresh out of law school, I assure you that he nailed the self-important angst that typifies young lawyers on their first job. Oh, he nailed it.

 

[Ssosmcin]

He just has "it" and you can't take your eyes off him when he's on screen. Sure, he has some hammy traits ("you Klingon bastard!"). But so does Nimoy ("PAIN!") and Stewart (Sarek's emotional outburst).

With Stewart, "the line must be drawn here" followed by "and IIIIII...will make them PAYYYYYY...for what they've done" is worse than what most people accuse Shatner of doing.

Shatner did go broad in the films, mostly because he wasn't really being directed all that often. Wise and Meyer were the only two people who had a handle on him. His best friend certainly didn't, even though I felt the "klingon basterd" bit WAS damned excellent. "Standard" for Shatner is still great. "I have had enough of you" was action hero funny and there was no serious way to deliver that. After III, Kirk and Shatner were interchangeable. Evenin Trek 6, he was still a bit Shatnery.

However, the TV series had his best work and it was often sublime and subtle. Year three was a crazy time and he probably felt he was the glue holding the series together. Nimoy had checked out and most of his work was "cooly bland" and coasting. Shatner never coasted. The Paradise Syndrome "I am Kirookkkk!" and And the Children Shall Lead were honestly his worst, but for the most part, he was great. He had a huge bag of tricks, more than many other actors, and he could do almost anything. He had amazing control over his body, could whip his hands and arms around like lightning and stop them suddenly like a freeze frame. He doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves mostly because of a) Kevin Pollack and b) some of his post Trek work was pretty over the top (like in The Six Million Dollar Man).

EDITED FOR CORRECTION

 

[XCV330]

It's not Trek, but Shatner's acting on Incubus is really good. I haven't watched the movie in years, but when I was trying to study esperanto years ago, I gave it a try.

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you can see it, here.

The entire movie is done in a language hardly anyone has ever spoken, Esperanto.

 

[Phaser Two]

Also, "Trouble with Tribbles."

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Yeah, I mean, that's an amazing job by both Bill and Jimmy. Flawless line readings and acting by both. The director must have been thrilled beyond belief.

 

[PCz911]

With Stewart, "the line must be drawn here" followed by "and IIIIII...will make them PAYYYYYY...for what they've done" is worse than what most people accuse Shatner of doing.

Shatner did go broad in the films, mostly because he wasn't really being directed all that often. Wise and Meyer were the only two people who had a handle on him. His best friend certainly didn't, even though I felt the "klingon basterd" bit WAS damned excellent. "Standard" for Shatner is still great. "I have had enough of you" was action hero funny and there was no serious way to deliver that. After III, Kirk and Shatner were interchangeable. Evenin Trek 6, he was still a bit Shatnery.

However, the TV series had his best work and it was often sublime and subtle. Year three was a crazy time and he probably felt he was the glue holding the series together. Nimoy had checked out and most of his work was "cooly bland" and coasting. Shatner never coasted. The Paradise Syndrome "I am Kirookkkk!" and And the Children Shall Lead were honestly his worst, but for the most part, he was great. He had a huge bag of tricks, more than many other actors, and he could do almost anything. He had amazing control over his body, could whip his hands and arms around like lightning and stop them suddenly like a freeze frame. He doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves mostly because of a) Kevin James and b) some of his post Trek work was pretty over the top (like in The Six Million Dollar Man).

Yea, the TNG movies were…. Interesting. The characters seemed to have the same names and appearance of the series actors but were written and acted very differently. Just my personal opinion, mind you.

 

[daedalus5]

Shatner’s Kirk is superb. TOS has lasted 55 odd years now, and you can put a lot of that credit on him making the role so believable.

 

[Commishsleer]

Yeah, I agree. One review of Generations I read quite rightly pointed out that the Nexus sequence in the movie was Williams Shatner's fantasy, not Kirk's. (Reunited with his pet Doberman, horseback riding, etc.)

And there I was blaming the TNG writers for the stupid irrelevant fantasy.
Mmm apology 20 years later.
Please don't tell me it was Shatner's idea for his death on the bridge on that stupid planet.

Yea, the TNG movies were…. Interesting. The characters seemed to have the same names and appearance of the series actors but were written and acted very differently. Just my personal opinion, mind you.

I read that Shatner and Nimoy claimed they had much input into the films keeping Spock and Krk in character. As did Spiner and Stewart. However thats a 2 edge sword as then the actors had too much power. Shatner got his stupid horse fantasy, Stewart the dune buggies, Spiner the singing, the wacky emotion chip.
Someone needed to step in and say who the heck is Antonia (say substitute Edith), no jumping in the haystack for you Data and can the dune buggy scene be cut in half?

 

[JonnyQuest037]

He doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves mostly because of a) Kevin James

Huh? What does Kevin James have to do with people thinking that Shatner is hammy? Do you mean Kevin Pollak?

And there I was blaming the TNG writers for the stupid irrelevant fantasy.
Mmm apology 20 years later.
Please don't tell me it was Shatner's idea for his death on the bridge on that stupid planet.

No, I still blame Ron Moore and Brannon Braga. They were obviously trying to court Shatner with the horseback riding scenes, and it worked. To their credit, they're pretty upfront about GEN's story problems in their audio commentary for the film.

It was Shatner's idea to change the name of Kirk's dog* to Butler (after a dog that he'd recently lost IRL) and for Kirk's last words to be "Oh my" after the Moore & Braga written "It was fun."

*BTW, Memory Alpha tells me that Butler was a Great Dane, not a Doberman. Mea culpa. I was misremembering.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Huh? What does Kevin James have to do with people thinking that Shatner is hammy? Do you mean Kevin Pollak?
.

Whoops yes, I got my Kevin's mixed up. Edited the post for correction. Thanks!

 

[Neopeius]

Whoops yes, I got my Kevin's mixed up. Edited the post for correction. Thanks!

Funnily, I knew what you meant, but I was thinking "I'm not sure that's his last name..."

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Whoops yes, I got my Kevin's mixed up. Edited the post for correction. Thanks!

I'm glad I've preserved your mistake by quoting you from before your correction, then.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I'm glad I've preserved your mistake by quoting you from before your correction, then.

The internet is forever.

 

[Maurice]

Yeah, I mean, that's an amazing job by both Bill and Jimmy. Flawless line readings and acting by both. The director must have been thrilled beyond belief.

Maybe. The end result is the best bits cut together. Sometimes getting there is a painful process and the director might be more relieved than thrilled.