is Shatner...Kirk?

[Joker]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

Ashes to Eden was actually a VERY good book.

Rob

 

[Jeri]

...When ever I bowl, and have to get that f'ing 10 pin? I whisper his name and, 90% of the time, I get it...

You are a lunatic; and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

 

[Orcus]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Ummm...shatner is not an actor...he is GOD. I mean that. When ever I bowl, and have to get that f'ing 10 pin? I whisper his name and, 90% of the time, I get it...

A mere actor? Sorry..not WILLIAM SHATNER!!!

Rob

May the Shat be with you!

 

[RobertScorpio]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Ummm...shatner is not an actor...he is GOD. I mean that. When ever I bowl, and have to get that f'ing 10 pin? I whisper his name and, 90% of the time, I get it...

A mere actor? Sorry..not WILLIAM SHATNER!!!

Rob

May the Shat be with you!

We were at YOGARTWORLD last night, a place where they serve several different yogart..and I was thinking..they need a flavor called Shat Berry! I'm not sure what Shatner would taste like; paging Heather Locklier!!

Rob

 

[Nerys Myk]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

But writers do look at what the actor does and what his strengths might be and tailor the scripts for that. Which is why (IMO) Kirk became less like Pike as the series progressed.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

But writers do look at what the actor does and what his strengths might be and tailor the scripts for that. Which is why (IMO) Kirk became less like Pike as the series progressed.

I think you have something there. But I think NIMOY is right; had PIKE or more serious KIRK continued it would have clashed with SPOCK's characters..

Rob

 

[Rackon]

Of course Shatner is Kirk, its his role, his take on the character he made the character his own.

As for the rest, he's 78 years old now, did a lot of stuff, some good some bad, he's a human being afterall but heck what would anyone else have done in his shoes?

I like to be able to remember him as Kirk, and the other characters he played, he's an actor afterall.

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

But writers do look at what the actor does and what his strengths might be and tailor the scripts for that. Which is why (IMO) Kirk became less like Pike as the series progressed.

Agree.

There's no doubt Shatner brought something unique and compelling to the role. He was highly memorable and appealiong as Kirk in a way that Hunter, possibly a better actor, was not. Certainly the revamped series, scripts and concept all contributed, but I would never underestimate the wisdom of casting Shatner as Kirk, the right actor for the part.

Shatner was very proactive (even aggressive) in shaping Kirk with producers and writers and highly protective of the character, especially as the series went on (not to mention jealous of Kirk's screen time vs Spock et al). It's easy to get annoyed with the Shat's mannerisms and OTT performances in season 3, but the fact remains that his is an indelible protrayl of an iconic figure. Larger than life really worked in this case.

I've watched the series for over 40 years. Recently revisiting the Hunter as Pike material, I have to say I'm glad things turned out the way they did.

 

[AtoZ]

Shatner brought an energy and zeel to the role that Hunter lacked, though respectfully, Hunter was a fine actor.

I originally liked Boston Legal for the first couple of shows until it became smug and annoying with it's quick scene cuts and that highly annoying goofy music. Couldn't take it at all after a few episodes of that.

Shat to me is mostly Kirk....but sometimes he's also TJ Hooker.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Shatner didn't write Kirk.

But writers do look at what the actor does and what his strengths might be and tailor the scripts for that. Which is why (IMO) Kirk became less like Pike as the series progressed.

Agree.

There's no doubt Shatner brought something unique and compelling to the role. He was highly memorable and appealiong as Kirk in a way that Hunter, possibly a better actor, was not. Certainly the revamped series, scripts and concept all contributed, but I would never underestimate the wisdom of casting Shatner as Kirk, the right actor for the part.

Shatner was very proactive (even aggressive) in shaping Kirk with producers and writers and highly protective of the character, especially as the series went on (not to mention jealous of Kirk's screen time vs Spock et al). It's easy to get annoyed with the Shat's mannerisms and OTT performances in season 3, but the fact remains that his is an indelible protrayl of an iconic figure. Larger than life really worked in this case.

I've watched the series for over 40 years. Recently revisiting the Hunter as Pike material, I have to say I'm glad things turned out the way they did.

agreed...Pike was too much like Spock so I am sure Spock would have evolved differently (since Hunter was the bigger star and would have had more power on the show) Shatner's coming to the show is what, I think, made it click...

Rob

 

[trevanian]

Does anyone know if he has ever had face lifts?

Without a doubt. Check a candid picture of him.

The question is, how many? He seemed to have his face implode around the time of his first COLUMBO, and then he started having that diagonal line on his forehead get more prominent in the 80s. Then around TUC he seemed to look like Lee Majors for awhile, and he became progressively more asian from GEN onwards, suggesting even more overtightening.

As for his toups ... my mom thought he got a pubic hair transplant in the 70s, but I think it is just bad taste in hairpieces (until TUC, that is.)

Watch THE INTRUDER. That is Shatner's best ... and he does most of his Kirk stuff in it, but not gratuitously. Shat stopped being actor and started being persona most of the time around OUTER LIMITS or early TREK ... then he finally hit on 'going low' starting with TWOK and has made a virtue of it in later years, which works wonders for credibility IMO.

 

[trevanian]

On the 2012 movie, they build a special giant machine to rock all the sets so that folks wouldn't have to fake reactions to being in a quake. The vfx guy said they all referred to that kind of gyration as 'do the Shatner.' I'm thinking we should set a Kirk falling on bridge montage to 'do the hustle' in tribute.

 

[barnaclelapse]

DENNY CRANE did a great job in helping to seperate Kirk from Shatner. But, now, a year removed from Boston Legal, I find myself reverting to my old habit of not being able to seperate Shatner from Kirk.

When he was on CONAN last week, and read Palin's Twits, I couldn't get past his being Kirk. But now Shather is so beyond TREK I consider Kirk, and all that kirk was, absorbed by shatner...I don't know how to explain it.

Are you the same? Can you seperate Kirk/Shatner, or do you see them as blurred?

Rob

I've always been able to separate Shatner from Kirk. The man himself is just too strange, too large a personality to be completely defined by one single character. Although if you ask me to name the first character he's played that comes to mind then I'm obviously going to say Kirk first.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

I understand what you folks are saying because when he went on TJ Hooker, I could never watch it because I thought Spock would jump in from off camera and say: "Jim, your investigation in ancient criminology has run its course. We need to get back to the Enterprise. And they'd beam out and Jimmy Darren would just look at the other actors and shrug his shoulders.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I understand what you folks are saying because when he went on TJ Hooker, I could never watch it because I thought Spock would jump in from off camera and say: "Jim, your investigation in ancient criminology has run its course. We need to get back to the Enterprise. And they'd beam out and Jimmy Darren would just look at the other actors and shrug his shoulders.

 

[Orcus]

I understand what you folks are saying because when he went on TJ Hooker, I could never watch it because I thought Spock would jump in from off camera and say: "Jim, your investigation in ancient criminology has run its course. We need to get back to the Enterprise. And they'd beam out and Jimmy Darren would just look at the other actors and shrug his shoulders.

 

[barnaclelapse]

I understand what you folks are saying because when he went on TJ Hooker, I could never watch it because I thought Spock would jump in from off camera and say: "Jim, your investigation in ancient criminology has run its course. We need to get back to the Enterprise. And they'd beam out and Jimmy Darren would just look at the other actors and shrug his shoulders.

BEST. SHOW. EVER.

 

[The Squire of Gothos]

A pointed review from the AV Club of Dagger of the Mind;

It’s part of what makes the character so much fun, really; beneath all his heroism is an ego so large that he has to stick his nose in everything. If he wasn’t so likeable, he’d be, well, William Shatner, I guess.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I understand what you folks are saying because when he went on TJ Hooker, I could never watch it because I thought Spock would jump in from off camera and say: "Jim, your investigation in ancient criminology has run its course. We need to get back to the Enterprise. And they'd beam out and Jimmy Darren would just look at the other actors and shrug his shoulders.

BEST. SHOW. EVER.

Love that picture!!! great stuff

Rob

 

[VulcanVixen]

I have no trouble differentiating Kirk and Shatner, but Nimoy and Spock... that's another story x.x