William Shatner Confirms Talks for Star Trek Return at 93 Years Old

[137th Gebirg]

They had a great opportunity to figure out a way to bring him back somehow in Lower Decks as a voice actor. Or in Prodigy, even. Then they could have depicted him at any age, depending on the story requirements.

Live action, though? I just don't see it happening. Missed opportunities...

 

[Dukhat]

William Shatner and Captain Kirk are mentioned in the same breath by most people. How is he too old to play the character? He would not be playing him in his 30s. The man is still active and was in frickin space not so long ago. But to play a character he is most well known for, he is too old?

That is correct. I don't know how suborbital space travel rules work, but in acting, you need to be insured. And getting insurance for a 95 year old man is next to impossible. That's why DeForest Kelley didn't star in Star Trek Generations and his lines were given to Koenig's Chekov instead.

 

[Turtletrekker]

The insurance issue might be why they ultimately couldn't get their alternate universe Edith Keeler story off the ground.

Then of course there's the OTOY of it all. Bring in Sam Witwer to play Kirk wearing the OTOY digital mask and have Shatner provide the voice. That's really the only way I can see it happening.

 

[Dukhat]

The insurance issue might be why they ultimately couldn't get their alternate universe Edith Keeler story off the ground.

That, and that there would be no way that either Shatner would want to play an alternate version of Kirk, or that Joan Collins would ever want to reprise a role she did once 50 years ago and undoubtedly cares nothing about.

Then of course there's the OTOY of it all. Bring in Sam Witwer to play Kirk wearing the OTOY digital mask and have Shatner provide the voice. That's really the only way I can see it happening.

I think that worked for a small running time project like OTOY's Unification (and they didn't actually use Shatner's voice; they just used old clips.) An actual full-length episode? I'm not so sure about that.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

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[Tomfritz]

The insurance issue might be why they ultimately couldn't get their alternate universe Edith Keeler story off the ground.

Then of course there's the OTOY of it all. Bring in Sam Witwer to play Kirk wearing the OTOY digital mask and have Shatner provide the voice. That's really the only way I can see it happening.

Wasn't Betty White in a show while she was in her nineties. They must have found a way to insure her.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Speaking of Joan Collins:

Joan Collins, 93, displays her youthful looks on yet another night out

She continues to look younger than ever at the age of 93.

www.dailymail.com

 

[Paul755]

That is correct. I don't know how suborbital space travel rules work, but in acting, you need to be insured. And getting insurance for a 95 year old man is next to impossible. That's why DeForest Kelley didn't star in Star Trek Generations and his lines were given to Koenig's Chekov instead.

I thought he, like Nimoy had script issues and that’s why he didn’t appear.

Wasn't Betty White in a show while she was in her nineties. They must have found a way to insure her.

She hosted SNL just a few years before she passed.

 

[fireproof78]

She hosted SNL just a few years before she passed.

"JZ is here. If I had a dime for every time I said that I'd have one dime."

 

[Dukhat]

I thought he, like Nimoy had script issues and that’s why he didn’t appear.

Nimoy had script issues, yes. But the reason they gave the public for Kelley was that he felt he had said goodbye in the last film. The real reason was that he couldn’t get insurance.

 

[Tomfritz]

Nimoy had script issues, yes. But the reason they gave the public for Kelley was that he felt he had said goodbye in the last film. The real reason was that he couldn’t get insurance.

No doubt that insurance is an issue. Don't know what they did to get around insurance issues, but the show Betty White was in when she was in her 90's was Hot in Cleveland.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Perhaps it's more cost-effective to ensure an actor with a contract for an entire season than it is for a guest star or a day player?

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Wasn't Betty White in a show while she was in her nineties. They must have found a way to insure her.

I believe DeForrest Kelly was in quite poor health, that's probably a bigger factor than age

 

[Firebird]

I believe DeForrest Kelly was in quite poor health, that's probably a bigger factor than age

Yup, it wasn't that many years following production on Generations that he died from cancer.

 

[Dukhat]

No doubt that insurance is an issue. Don't know what they did to get around insurance issues, but the show Betty White was in when she was in her 90's was Hot in Cleveland.

I believe DeForrest Kelly was in quite poor health, that's probably a bigger factor than age

Yup, it wasn't that many years following production on Generations that he died from cancer.

And from what I saw of Shatner on the Star Trek Cruise, I am sticking with my assertion that he will never play Kirk again.