Just over a month ago George Takei appeared The Graham Norton Show and made a shocking statement. Takei explained that he will no longer publicly discuss his feud with the former. star Trek co-star William Shatner and apparently struck a joke by calling him a “grumpy old man.” After a period of silence, Takei broke his promise by disparaging Shatner and his much-publicized spaceflight.
George Takei spoke to Shimmer recently and talked about William Shatner’s flight with Jeff Bezos to share his thoughts on directing. Takei singled out Shatner’s spaceflight and wondered if he might actually have more expertise in a specific element of the experience than before. star Trek star did:
Well, he wasn’t actually in space, and he didn’t stay very long. I was also weightless, but did it for longer. I took a parabolic flight and experienced five minutes of weightlessness, while William experienced only three minutes. So I spent more time weightless than him.
George Takei hasn’t missed an opportunity to shoot William Shatner, and this isn’t the first time he’s done it in connection with the aforementioned spaceflight. Takei noted in 2021 that Shatner was an “unsuitable” candidate for spaceflight. For his part at the time, Shatner responded to Takei’s criticisms as he has in previous years, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he responds to that last comment in the coming weeks.
After making the derogatory comment, George Takei was asked about the origin of his decades-long feud with William Shatner. Takei denied any animosity, but shared his thoughts on Shatner without referring directly to his ex star Trek co-star by name:
Oh, there is no animosity. In Star Trek, I’ve been blessed with wonderful friends all my life, and we all enjoyed each other’s company… except the prima donna. Let’s just say she’s not the easiest person to work with and she wouldn’t jump at another opportunity. It’s a universal sentiment, even if others have a better sense of restraint and discretion. I believe in being honest and direct.
George Takei wouldn’t be the first person to disparage his time with William Shatner. Actor Wil Wheaton mentioned an unpleasant encounter he had with the actor while working the next generationprompting a response from Shatner, who believed he had resolved the situation with Wheaton earlier.
William Shatner previously responded to George Takei and others and suggested they were doing it mostly for publicity. Shatner has sometimes caused a stir with his bold views on the state of the star Trek franchise, including the idea that modern shows would have creator Gene Roddenberry roll over in his grave. Some actors associated with these shows did not appreciate this comment and responded to the actor.
Whether or not William Shatner will respond to Takei’s latest comments remains to be seen, as well as whether others in the star Trek franchise has thoughts to share publicly. One thing for sure is, don’t expect Takei and Shatner to get their next Emigrate series together, although it would certainly be a lot of fun if that happens.
Anyone interested can see William Shatner and George Takei perform together star Trek if they have a Paramount+ subscription. I’m sure it won’t be the final word in their ongoing public feud, but it could surprise us later this year.
Source: Cinemablend
