"It's like being asked what's with you and the Queen of England? I never met her. I know nothing," he tells our own Victoria Recano. "It's peculiar, and I'm sad about it, but that's the way they did it, so I know nothing about it."
The 78-year-old former Captain James T. Kirk says that although he and J.J. had a back-and-forth dialogue via the Internet and video interviews about why he wasn't asked to participate, they never spoke directly about it. "It became funny," says Shatner. "I called him several weeks ago and we laughed about it. And he came to [my] horse show."
Even Shatner's former 'Trek' pal Leonard Nimoy, who has a pivotal role in the film, wouldn't tell him any details about the movie: "[He] is maybe my dearest friend, so I'm so happy for him -- but he wouldn't tell me what the plot was," he says. Of their close friendship, he adds with a laugh, "Spock was my first bromance."
But Shatner sees a positive angle, saying, "As a result of 'Star Trek' and its success and this new movie, they've re-released an autobiography that I wrote many years ago called Star Trek Memories in soft cover, and another autobiography called Up 'Til Now, which was on the bestseller list for awhile and got really great reviews."
"It's going to be interesting to see what happens," he continues. "The movies we made, and even 'The Next Generation' made, peaked out at anywhere between 80 and 100 million dollars in box office grosses. Their movie costs way over 100 million dollars, so they've got to make four times that."
And asked for any advice for Chris Pine, the 28-year-old actor stepping into the role of Kirk, Shatner says, "Look how rugged he is. Look how neat that jaw line is. Does he get the girl? … Chris, I know nothing. If I could help, I would. Do it on your own, it's uniquely yours. If it's successful, it will definitely change everything for [your career]."
The Emmy winner also happens to be a big fan of "Dancing with the Stars," so we surprised him with an appearance by our own Samantha Harris (who co-hosts the hit ABC show), who invited him for a little impromptu waltz!
"I'm addicted to the show. I won't miss it," says Shatner. "I Tivo the show and all its aspects, and what I'm so fascinated by is the evolution of everybody's character as well as their dancing ability. You can see them evolve and their bodies evolve."
He says that he's been invited to do the show, and while he jests "I'd love to lose the weight," he says he's just way too busy to devote the time to the show's demanding schedule. Case in point, when he's not busy shooting "Boston Legal," he works on and promotes Priceline.com, he's got the all-new "William Shatner Presents" comic book series from Bluewater Productions, he updates his own Web site, WilliamShatner.com, and, of course, he just held and competed in his 19th Annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show, benefiting Ahead with Horses and the Camp Max Straus Foundation.
"I have been extraordinarily lucky," says Shatner, reflecting on his success. Looking at a photo of himself in the captain's chair in the original "Star Trek," circa 1966, he muses, "That's so many years ago that it's like another lifetime. I've gone through three lifetimes since then. I've gone through many evolutions since that picture. That person is not me."
Watch "The Insider" for more with William Shatner!
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Comments (21)
Sorry honey. I love you and always will.
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For example, Kirk could have met old spock in the nexus before Spock left to return to the past.