William Shatner: ‘I don’t know’ George Takei anymore
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Second only to Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, of course.
[/QUOTE]Toured the HMS Surprise in the San Diego Maritime Museum. What a disappointment, they basically destroyed the interior of the ship to make it 'touristy". I almost cried.
To the topic at hand, the question seemed entirely out of place and entirely asinine.
TNG is also a weird anomaly in that all the cast genuinely are great friends and see each other all the time. But they are very much the exception rather than the rule. Maybe some fans think everyone should be like that.
^ Well, when you really enjoy watching a group of actors together, it's a perfectly natural warm-and-fuzzy feeling to know they enjoy each others' company in real life, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying such stories. One just shouldn't expect those sorts of situations to arise every time, is all. (And again: how many scenes did Shatner and Takei really shoot together, let alone dialogue exchanges, let alone non-exposition/plot stuff? I haven't seen much TOS, but I doubt it was very much.)
If George had nothing to do in an episode except sit at the console and say a few lines like "Aye, sir" and "Entering standard orbit, Captain", he was probably on set only 1 or 2 days out of a 6 or 7 day shooting schedule.
Bill Blackburn, who frequently did non dialogue extras and was Kelley's stand-in, probably was on set more often.
Bill Blackburn, who frequently did non dialogue extras and was Kelley's stand-in, probably was on set more often.
The whole reason they had Shatner on was likely his connection to Star Trek. People recognize him based mainly on that work, so it makes sense they would bring it up.
I was under the impression Dorn and Stewart weren't on the best of terms?
I think Free Enterprise might be my favourite Star Trek movie.
I don't know about currently. I think it's on the TNG Season 7 dvd set, Patrick tells a story where he made a joke on the set but used a word that had racially negative connotations (by American standards possibly), and Michael and LeVar called him on it. Apparently relationships were strained for a while during production, but it sounded like things were resolved.
^^^ I do remember hearing something about that. Yes, there definitely was something there, although I can't remember the context.
We learned the truth the moment Shatner's "Star Trek Memories" hit bookshelves back in the 90s along with similar books from the cast members that followed.
True - he was very open about including how each of the other cast members felt about him (the ones who would talk to him, at least). His ego clearly didn't want to let him believe it at first, especially since he claimed he didn't really have much to do with any of them on or off stage, but he eventually started coming to grips with it and it made for a more compelling back-story watching his new mission of discovery about "Why did they hate me so much?" in his books.
As arrogant as Shatner may be or might have been, he got the top billing - he was the star of the show, with Nimoy and Kelley running in close second and third. That's what Roddenberry wanted. Period. The rest were just window dressing that happened to have the occasional line, and Roddenberry knew Kirk couldn't run a ship that size with only 2 other senior officers at the top of the pyramid. The fact that they had any lines at all should have been viewed as a gift. If anyone they should be mad at, it should be Roddenberry for making the creative choices in the scripts for who said what. That a couple of them think that they should have had more to do with the production...well...the actor's best advocate is himself/herself - a philosophy that could apply in any profession, really. If they didn't bother to fight for it when it mattered and are bitter about it now, they have nobody to blame but themselves and really should get over it. In any case, it was 50 years ago for heaven's sake! Of all the people to "get a life"...
As arrogant as Shatner may be or might have been, he got the top billing - he was the star of the show, with Nimoy and Kelley running in close second and third. That's what Roddenberry wanted. Period. The rest were just window dressing that happened to have the occasional line, and Roddenberry knew Kirk couldn't run a ship that size with only 2 other senior officers at the top of the pyramid. The fact that they had any lines at all should have been viewed as a gift. If anyone they should be mad at, it should be Roddenberry for making the creative choices in the scripts for who said what. That a couple of them think that they should have had more to do with the production...well...the actor's best advocate is himself/herself - a philosophy that could apply in any profession, really. If they didn't bother to fight for it when it mattered and are bitter about it now, they have nobody to blame but themselves and really should get over it. In any case, it was 50 years ago for heaven's sake! Of all the people to "get a life"...
Well, it was 50 years ago, but Trek fans still talk about the past themselves.
I vaguely recall one of the cast members (I think it was actually Takei) who felt that he couldn't speak out because some of the more fanatic Trek fans would blast him because he was 'breaking up the family.'
I don't think it was a 'gift' these non-Shatner performers were given lines. The show was supposed to be a future where there was different ethnicities and races coming together. If they were supposed to window-dressing, then Trek was just paying mouth-service and pushing tokenism.....(Of course, it kinda did that in later franchises with LaForge in TNG and Mayweather in ENT. Even Nichelle Nichols, as we know, wanted to walk off the show because she felt her part - as a woman, and as a black woman - wasn't amounting to anything).
According to David Gerrold, Shatner and the others were counting lines. And, sometimes those lines were changed to benefit Shatner, after he would bring it up to whomever. (Basically, there was a lot of drama...much of it suppressed because many Trekkies wanted to only see a 'family' where they couldn't realize it was people doing a job).
Many of us have things that happened years ago that affect us greatly, and if we are able to channel that frustration or hardship into something that makes us stronger and productive all the better. In regards to Takei, he apparently has 'gotten a life' since he is a name himself. And, he has broken stereotypes of Asian Americans (he's gay, outspoken when Asians are supposed to be meek and quiet and, um, 'white washed').
^^^ All true and very good points. I strongly applaud Takei for his accomplishments. They certainly aren't insignificant by any stretch.
But how much of what Takei has accomplished could have happened if it were not for his rather sensationalized pestering of Shatner that was continuously putting him in the attention spotlight? I argue he could not have done it all on his own. Why does Takei still continue to take snipes and potshots at Shatner if he's truly moved on? He shouldn't be heckling Shatner - he should be thanking him for keeping him relevant! And to be fair, almost all of the second-tier actors long harbored this animosity towards Shatner, BTW, not just Takei. It was only Takei that seemed to be the most vocal and venomous, though.
I suspect that, for a time, things were relatively cool and quiet between the cast back in the 70's. But I think Shatner's right when put to the question - it was the fans at the conventions that asked the others "Why didn't you get more to do?" "What's with the rumors that you all hated Shatner?", etc., etc., that rekindled the cinders and fanned the flames. Aside from the top guys, none of them really went all that far after Trek died. Sure, Takei did some films, including, IIRC, "Return to the River Kwai". Doohan did "Jason of Star Command" and a couple other things. Koenig really was the only one out of all of them that got into writing, directing and made it big in B5 and (interestingly) was the least vocal about his negative history with Shatner. In fact, I even think there was a "Shatner's Raw Nerve" interview with Koenig (still wish I could find it), where the first question out of Shatner's mouth was, "Walter...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" IIRC, from people that did see it, was that apparently Walter was somewhat manipulated by the other cast members - particularly Takei - into thinking he should hate Shatner and that he never really had much animosity towards him at all. And all that happened long after Trek had been canceled, not during its run with all the "line counting" allegations (and remember, regardless of all that, Shatner was the star, of course he should have more lines). Methinks the bitterness of a vocal few really needlessly stirred up things in the subsequent years and it literally took Shatner to straighten it all out after being blind-sided, the best he could, using his book writing and interviewing skills as a vehicle. Personally, I think he did an admirable job of it. He tried to make amends and some people refused to throttle back the hate. Hell, it wasn't until Doohan was on his death bed a couple years back that he finally mended ways with Shatner. 50 YEARS of hate and it took death to mend it without any real time remaining afterward to share the re-forged friendship. Now THAT is a fucking needless tragedy!
In short, there's plenty of blame to throw around at everyone, but I think the time has come to start putting that aside. If Takei continues his sniping at Shatner, I'm more inclined to believe it's for his own benefit and more inclined to side with Shatner when he, in turn, says, "George...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" I personally have been thinking that for years...
But how much of what Takei has accomplished could have happened if it were not for his rather sensationalized pestering of Shatner that was continuously putting him in the attention spotlight? I argue he could not have done it all on his own. Why does Takei still continue to take snipes and potshots at Shatner if he's truly moved on? He shouldn't be heckling Shatner - he should be thanking him for keeping him relevant! And to be fair, almost all of the second-tier actors long harbored this animosity towards Shatner, BTW, not just Takei. It was only Takei that seemed to be the most vocal and venomous, though.
I suspect that, for a time, things were relatively cool and quiet between the cast back in the 70's. But I think Shatner's right when put to the question - it was the fans at the conventions that asked the others "Why didn't you get more to do?" "What's with the rumors that you all hated Shatner?", etc., etc., that rekindled the cinders and fanned the flames. Aside from the top guys, none of them really went all that far after Trek died. Sure, Takei did some films, including, IIRC, "Return to the River Kwai". Doohan did "Jason of Star Command" and a couple other things. Koenig really was the only one out of all of them that got into writing, directing and made it big in B5 and (interestingly) was the least vocal about his negative history with Shatner. In fact, I even think there was a "Shatner's Raw Nerve" interview with Koenig (still wish I could find it), where the first question out of Shatner's mouth was, "Walter...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" IIRC, from people that did see it, was that apparently Walter was somewhat manipulated by the other cast members - particularly Takei - into thinking he should hate Shatner and that he never really had much animosity towards him at all. And all that happened long after Trek had been canceled, not during its run with all the "line counting" allegations (and remember, regardless of all that, Shatner was the star, of course he should have more lines). Methinks the bitterness of a vocal few really needlessly stirred up things in the subsequent years and it literally took Shatner to straighten it all out after being blind-sided, the best he could, using his book writing and interviewing skills as a vehicle. Personally, I think he did an admirable job of it. He tried to make amends and some people refused to throttle back the hate. Hell, it wasn't until Doohan was on his death bed a couple years back that he finally mended ways with Shatner. 50 YEARS of hate and it took death to mend it without any real time remaining afterward to share the re-forged friendship. Now THAT is a fucking needless tragedy!
In short, there's plenty of blame to throw around at everyone, but I think the time has come to start putting that aside. If Takei continues his sniping at Shatner, I'm more inclined to believe it's for his own benefit and more inclined to side with Shatner when he, in turn, says, "George...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" I personally have been thinking that for years...
^^^ All true and very good points. I strongly applaud Takei for his accomplishments. They certainly aren't insignificant by any stretch.
But how much of what Takei has accomplished could have happened if it were not for his rather sensationalized pestering of Shatner that was continuously putting him in the attention spotlight? I argue he could not have done it all on his own. Why does Takei still continue to take snipes and potshots at Shatner if he's truly moved on? He shouldn't be heckling Shatner - he should be thanking him for keeping him relevant! And to be fair, almost all of the second-tier actors long harbored this animosity towards Shatner, BTW, not just Takei. It was only Takei that seemed to be the most vocal and venomous, though.
I suspect that, for a time, things were relatively cool and quiet between the cast back in the 70's. But I think Shatner's right when put to the question - it was the fans at the conventions that asked the others "Why didn't you get more to do?" "What's with the rumors that you all hated Shatner?", etc., etc., that rekindled the cinders and fanned the flames. Aside from the top guys, none of them really went all that far after Trek died. Sure, Takei did some films, including, IIRC, "Return to the River Kwai". Doohan did "Jason of Star Command" and a couple other things. Koenig really was the only one out of all of them that got into writing, directing and made it big in B5 and (interestingly) was the least vocal about his negative history with Shatner. In fact, I even think there was a "Shatner's Raw Nerve" interview with Koenig (still wish I could find it), where the first question out of Shatner's mouth was, "Walter...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" IIRC, from people that did see it, was that apparently Walter was somewhat manipulated by the other cast members - particularly Takei - into thinking he should hate Shatner and that he never really had much animosity towards him at all. And all that happened long after Trek had been canceled, not during its run with all the "line counting" allegations (and remember, regardless of all that, Shatner was the star, of course he should have more lines). Methinks the bitterness of a vocal few really needlessly stirred up things in the subsequent years and it literally took Shatner to straighten it all out after being blind-sided, the best he could, using his book writing and interviewing skills as a vehicle. Personally, I think he did an admirable job of it. He tried to make amends and some people refused to throttle back the hate. Hell, it wasn't until Doohan was on his death bed a couple years back that he finally mended ways with Shatner. 50 YEARS of hate and it took death to mend it without any real time remaining afterward to share the re-forged friendship. Now THAT is a fucking needless tragedy!
In short, there's plenty of blame to throw around at everyone, but I think the time has come to start putting that aside. If Takei continues his sniping at Shatner, I'm more inclined to believe it's for his own benefit and more inclined to side with Shatner when he, in turn, says, "George...(long, pregnant, Shatnerian pause)...what the fuck?" I personally have been thinking that for years...
There definitely was drama, and some usually take certain things harder than others. (I know I've had some drama from many years ago that still burns me to this day, but it has made me a stronger person...)
With Takei, his wrath or dislike of Shatner might have put him a bit in the spotlight, but we have to remember there's a few new generation of people. Most who know of "Star Trek" casually. Most only know him as 'Sulu' and don't know of his back and forth with Shatner. He's just someone who has reinvented himself and became popular. (Note: Shatner also had articles on himself on how he was reinventing himself on shows like "Boston Legal" and such).
Not many people can do that.
Nichelle Nichols hasn't really done much outside Trek, nor did the late Doohan as you brought out.
Takei has been active on Facebook as well. And his edgy demeanor (and outspokeness on LGBT rights) has brought him attention to young people and people familiar with his work on "Star Trek." (Not so much his clashing with Shatner; that's more for the people who have followed the show and movies and know some of the behind-the-scenes drama).
^^^ True, all that. And good points about Takei adjusting his message for the target audiences - Facebook and other modern means of communication for the younger generation, arguably more interested in his causes but not Trek-centric - and the Shatner feud for the older Trek-based crowd. Hadn't thought of that. 
And good points about Takei adjusting his message for the target audiences - Facebook and other modern means of communication for the younger generation, arguably more interested in his causes but not Trek-centric - and the Shatner feud for the older Trek-based crowd. Hadn't thought of that. 
Shatner has a very weird sense of humor. Believe it or not, he may have thought he was being funny by saying that. What he really meant, who knows.
Today, Doohan, Koenig, Nichols, Takei, and Majel Barrett would be considered recurring roles, since they weren't in the main title. It was common in the 60s for the same faces to show up repeatedly. But guys like Terry Becker, Richard Bull, Paul Carr, Bob Dowdell, Del Monroe, and Paul Trinka didn't make a second career of bad mouthing Richard Basehart and David Hedison on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
Probably because they didn't make convention appearances for years where some fans fall all over themselves worshiping them - tricking them into thinking they were stars and being treated badly by the show's lead actors.
