By Erin Free
There were no fiery court cases, and no angry mobs in the street, but when director, J.J. Abrams, was putting together what turned out to be his acclaimed, smack-bang-on-the-money reboot of the Star Trek franchise in 2009, one thing that he did face was the wrath of an old captain scorned. Never one to take the quiet, dignified approach, William Shatner – who had justifiably become a cultural icon thanks to his performances as Captain James T. Kirk in the sixties TV series, Star Trek, and its subsequent cinematic outings – let everyone know that he wasn’t happy about not being offered a cameo role in the new film, particularly in light of the fact this his Star Trek co-star, Leonard Nimoy, had.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Shatner said of what he viewed as a major snub. “I’m not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me. It didn’t seem to be a wise business decision.” Unlike most of the other living members of the original Star Trek cast, Shatner also noisily opted not to attend the film’s US premiere, a no-show which was widely touted by the world’s media. The actor, however, appears to at least bear no ire for Chris Pine, who has now successfully taken on the role of Captain Kirk. “I wrote William Shatner a letter when I first got the part,” Pine told FilmInk in 2009. “Being the wuss that I am, I wanted to take myself out of that conversation [about Shatner’s snubbing]. I said, ‘Look, I’m an actor. I like to work. I got this role that happened to be the role that you originated. I’m not trying to usurp your status as the original Kirk. I’m just trying to do my part to add to this character.’ He was very polite and wrote me back, saying, ‘Good luck. I wish you all the luck in the world and best, Bill.’”
