Shatner's weight gain across the series

[Gotham Central]

Shatner looked good thin or "heavy"...IMO he certainly was not heavy in season 3, yes he packed on a few pounds...but never, ever did he not look good. Personally in the show and in real life I don't mind a little belly fat...I think it's sexy.

The only time it became distracting was when the shirts seemed tight enough for the girdle to show.

 

[rramarr]

He was an avid horse rider so feel sorry for the horses. Do you see him now on Raw Nerve with Bill Shatner? He looks like he makes travel agents give him a cheaper deal. He's still the captain.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I'd like to see season 3 shat in tunics from the same material as the first 2 seasons....I mean obviously the man put on some weight but I think the one-two punch of this and the crappy new material magnified it.

I disagree. Those velour tunics from the first two seasons had a tendency to ride up - they were also cut too short. The third season used wool gabardine, IIRC, and hid a multitude of sins, and skin!

The third-season uniforms were made of a double-knit polyester/nylon blend. However, the third-season onwards TNG uniforms were made of wool gabardine.

 

[Keith1701]

He did gain weight, he looked much heavier by the end of the thrid season.

 

[Trekwatcher]

It may be in the Justman/Solow book or in one of Shatner's own books, but I remember reading that he gained weight over each and every season and then dieted agressively on hiatus, only to gain the weight back again the following season.

The camera is merciless, btw.

 

[Agenda]

deleted

 

[Ward Fowler]

It may be in the Justman/Solow book or in one of Shatner's own books, but I remember reading that he gained weight over each and every season and then dieted agressively on hiatus, only to gain the weight back again the following season.

Yes, that was documented in Inside Star Trek, along with the fact that the producers took pictures of Shatner's costume and sent them to him. I guess showbiz is tough, but at least the actor's get paid well.

 

[Iowagirl]

Shatner looked good thin or "heavy"...IMO he certainly was not heavy in season 3, yes he packed on a few pounds...but never, ever did he not look good. Personally in the show and in real life I don't mind a little belly fat...I think it's sexy.

Exactly!

 

[seigezunt]

It only bothers me when I've watched a "fat" episode, and then go on to read a novel, and I keep picturing him fat in the book.

Seemed more a problem to me with Brent Spiner.

"I see that obesity chip is working well, Data..."

 

[Botany Bay]

He's one of those people who, unless they excerise four nights a week they get chubby. Plenty of us out there!

While quitting smoking it's impossible not to pack on the weight, it's hell. I put on too much weight quitting, but I thought it was a decent trade off to get rid of the habit.

I agree with the comments that he really packed it on from mid season 2 onwards then seemed to slim down dramatically from early season 3.

What I want to know is - was that green wrap around thing designed to help him suck his gut in during this quit smoking phase?

 

[Jeri]

I remember later on during the movies era he commented on dieting and that he was relieved when he didn't have to take his shirt off anymore.

He said what kind of life is that when you can't ever have a nice dessert?

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Never mattered to me .....i loved him then and i love him now. For a 78 year old man, i think he is pretty damn amazing looking. Theres just a bit more of him now to love.

 

[Esteban]

The green wrap-around costume, first seen way early in Enemy Within, was actually designed to make it easier to get it on and off without messing with Shat's very carefully applied hairpiece. You can see that he also wore a V-neck black T-shirt underneath, both in those photos of him being made-up for Deadly Years and occasionally you can detect the Vs lines underneath the velour gold shirts.

The Avocado Wrap also had the bonus of being able to cinch-up the belly.

Bill Thiess, genius.

But as he gained weight in the Second Season, the wrap-around started to become too, er, confining, making Bill look like a poorly wrapped sausage. I think it would have looked like hell in the Third Season, both because of his weight and the new material.

I'm making most of this stuff up, but call it a deep understanding about how things happen to Star Trek...and chubby people with hair issues.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

<snip>

"I see that obesity chip is working well, Data..."

 

[KimMH]

Shatner looked good thin or "heavy"...IMO he certainly was not heavy in season 3, yes he packed on a few pounds...but never, ever did he not look good. Personally in the show and in real life I don't mind a little belly fat...I think it's sexy.

Exactly!

I like and admire Bill and the way he has reinvented himself but I do not and think I never will find belly fat sexy.

 

[137th Gebirg]

Hell, if I'm half as active as Shatner when I get to be his age without drinking my meals out of a straw -- IF I even reach his age (he's almost 80!) -- I'll consider myself doing alright. I say give the man a break.

 

[Botany Bay]

The green wrap-around costume, first seen way early in Enemy Within, was actually designed to make it easier to get it on and off without messing with Shat's very carefully applied hairpiece. You can see that he also wore a V-neck black T-shirt underneath, both in those photos of him being made-up for Deadly Years and occasionally you can detect the Vs lines underneath the velour gold shirts.

The Avocado Wrap also had the bonus of being able to cinch-up the belly.

Bill Thiess, genius.

But as he gained weight in the Second Season, the wrap-around started to become too, er, confining, making Bill look like a poorly wrapped sausage. I think it would have looked like hell in the Third Season, both because of his weight and the new material.

I'm making most of this stuff up, but call it a deep understanding about how things happen to Star Trek...and chubby people with hair issues.

Made up or not, sounds like a good explanation to me! Thanks, I always wondered why he wore that green thing

 

[Cakes488]

It only bothers me when I've watched a "fat" episode, and then go on to read a novel, and I keep picturing him fat in the book.

Seemed more a problem to me with Brent Spiner.

"I see that obesity chip is working well, Data..."

LOL I love your avatar!

Let's be honest here...as far as fat goes...William Shatner was not fat in this series. He was hot in every single frame.

 

[KimMH]

Agreed. In the series he was quite the pretty young thing (paraphrasing him . . .)

 

[Cakes488]

^ Finally a voice of reason!