ShatWatch: TV Land Awards, TCA Nomination, Talks Meaning of Life, TekWar DVD, + more June 10, 2008
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Celebrity, Shatner , trackback
William Shatner is such a big star that this week he deserves his own special edition of CelebWatch. We have photos of the original Kirk presenting at the TV Land Awards, news of Shat receiving a critical nomination, video of him talking about his new autobio, quotes from a new interview where he talks about everything from Boston Legal, to Trek to Global Warming, and more.
Shat honors the Office
At the taping for the 6th annual TV Land Awards, William Shatner (along with Ed Asner) presented Steve Carrell and the cast of NBC’s The Office with the Future Classic Award. The awards will air on the TV Land network June 15 at 9 p.m.
Shatner and Asner honor The Office (Bill, couldn’t you find a tie?)
Critics nominate Shatner
The Television Critics Association has announced their nominees for the 2008 Television Critics Association Awards and William Shatner was nominated for the Career Achievement award (along with James Garner, Lorne Michaels, Bill Moyers, and Mike Wallace). JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof’s ABC series Lost was also nominated for Outstanding Drama. The TCA Awards are scheduled for Saturday, July 19.
Shat on the meaning of life
In a new video interview from the Publisher Weekly Book Maven Blog Shatner talks about his approach to writing his new autobiography and how the process helped him find the meaning of his life.
Shatner: There is nothing I can’t do
AP has another extensive feature on Shatner. The article includes an interview with Shatner where he talks about a variety of items.
Shat on his Emmy winning acting on Boston Legal
I’ve obviously had those instruments at my call, but the opportunity to use them wasn’t there
…on climate change
We can’t wait for something dire to happen before this democracy decides to gird up and FIGHT global warming. We’re on … a collision course … with HIStory
…on his future
I have all of the hungers and passions and desires of when I was 20. There’s nothing I can’t do.
The extensive article also includes quotes on Shatner from his “Up Till Now” collaborator David Fisher, Priceline’s Marketing Chief and a Syracuse pop-culture historian, so check it out.
AP has also put together a collection of quotes from the Shatner interview on a variety of subjects, including the original Trek, of which he noted:
The actors were wonderful. And I didn’t care about the sets or anything like that or the cheesy spaceship. … I think that’s what happens in `Star Trek.’ Your eye goes past all the faults because you’re concentrated on the actors and the plot
TekWar is out
The last bit of Shatner news for the week is that his 1995 sci-fi series TekWar (the complete series, but not the TV movies) is being released today on DVD. Pick it up on Amazon.com for $34.99. Here is a description.
In the year 2045, an addictive computer-based reality drug called “tek” has ignited a war that stretches throughout society. Recruited by a mysterious benefactor to stop the advancing drug is Jake Cardigan (Melrose Place’s Greg Evigan), a cop who teams up with a colorful array of partners as the government plots to stop him from revealing the truth. Also starring Eugene Clark (Land of the Dead) and Torri Higginson (Stargate: Atlantis), this riveting series is based on the hit sci-fi novel series by William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal), who also makes special appearances throughout these 18 action-packed episodes!
(Photos: AP & WireImage)
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Comments»
Never seen Tekwar… I’ll have to check it out!
There is nothing this guy cannot do. A legend
Am i first?
Have to check Tek War out myself
For all my criticisms of some of Shatner’s recent comments in the press, he is certainly deserving of their lifetime achievement award, although with names like Mike Wallace and Lorne Michaels on the nominated list as well, to say that it is a sure thing right now would be a bit presumptuous. I believe any one of those three would be a good choice. Garner and Moyers would not quite be the “household names” that Shatner, Wallace, and Michaels have become, IMO.
have Shatner as Jim Kirks grandfather in the movie..id like a scene like something out of the 1978 Superman with Shatner as grandpa Kirk ..his arm around the young Jim (Pine) telling him something similar to ‘you are here for..a..reason..’ as they walk in the farmland of Iowa…or the scene where Clark says goodbye to his Ma in the wheatfield – real Norman Rockwell imagry – actually there was a similar scene to that with jim and his brother in the opening pages of DCs Star Trek Annual from 1991 which was about Kirks academy years
maybe something similar to FIELD OF DREAMS too (which was set in Iowa)…vast open wheatfields..the Kirks in jeans and shirts etc…no futuristic stuff – looking like it could be in the 1950s or 1960s (homaging TOS)…then at the end have a spacecraft decend in a wheatfield (like a UFO) to pick Jim up to go to starfleet academy
#5—I hope it isn’t that cheesy, and Shatner eliminated the possibility of that type of role when he said he wouldn’t “do cameos”…It’s time to let that go.
I think the tek war dvd packkage does not include any of the Tek War movies, which the first and second were quite good.
“We can’t wait for something dire to happen before this democracy decides to gird up and FIGHT global warming. We’re on … a collision course … with HIStory”.
The Michael Jackson album? *scratching my head in confusion*
“There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Right on!! This guy continues to inspire me. We love you, Bill!!
JJ’s loss.
:-)
Tekwar was cool, but i never saw the series, cuz after the tv movies it jumped to cable. Why no movies? Why only the series? That’s just dumb. :-|
Bring back banded collars. And shut the doors on whatever clothier sold Bill that jacket! Lord, that fits worse than Walter’s Santa-sized Starfleet suit.
Re #6. Closettrekker – June 10, 2008
Shatner doest do cameos ,,,
I suggest you have a nost at the internet movie data base,
and look up the movie “Horrorween”
The interviewer calls him ” the Priceline Guy,” and the “Boston Legal Guy.” Something missing?
AJ — of course. Bill’s the “Not in the New Trek Movie Guy.”
#12—SirMartman, I’m aware that his comment may have been rather hypocritical (and it wouldn’t be the first time he has reversed himself on a “story” or issue), but don’t shoot the messenger.
“I don’t do cameos.” —That’s a direct quote (William Shatner, 2007, asked about possible cameo in STXI), and that comment was made at a time when, according to Abrams, the possibility of finding Shatner a role was still on the table. My only point was to say that, IMO, the role which the previous poster had suggested would fall into such a category, and he only publicly changed his stance on “cameos” after filming was wrapped.
But once again, I would like to congratulate Bill on his nomination, and I think his career is worthy of such acknowledgement.
Tekwar was cool. I really enjoyed the movies as well and I’m sorry to see them not included in this DVD set.
And congrats on the nomination, that’s one hell of a career….and even more amazing, at 76, it’s still a work in progress.
Hope the Tek movies come out on dvd, too.
It is interesting to see Bill being philosophical about the meaning of life.
“(along with James Garner, Lorne Michaels, Bill Moyers, and Mike Wallace)”
Wow, that’s some stiff competition. All of those guys deserve the award!
My most vivid memory of the whole TekWar thing was when it premiered, Shatner did an interview in which he pronounced Greg Evigan’s name “Evigaaaahn.” Still makes me giggle.
That AP article was great. Informative and well written. Thanks Anthony!
Let’s all fight the GLOBAL WARMING! GO SHATNER! GO!
Shat looks fantastic next to Ed ASner. And bashers can say what they will, but they can’t deny the man’s appeal. Look at all the coverage of the man…and this is when he is NOT in a Trek movie. Just imagine the buzz if he were.
His absence in the film, if true, is a travesty indeed.
It seems to me that Mr. Shatner has recently lost some weight. He looks, as Billy Crystal would say, “Marvelous”. Too bad this is Boston Legal’s last season :{
Shatner and Bill Moyers? Lorne Michaels? James Garner? Mike Wallace? Wow! Great company. Bill Moyers?…wow. All deserve the honor.
In case anyone has not heard the Great Shat will be on the Coast To Coast show Thursday june 12. You’ll have to go there to find what station it is on in your area (AM 1500 in the Twin Cities).
http://www.coasttocoastam.com/
#22 … I agree. And Ed is only a bit older than Bill! Contrary to what many have said, Bill really doesn’t look all that different than when he appeared in Generations.
After reading the AP piece, it’s clearer and clearer that this is William Shatner’s galaxy, and we’re just bunking in an unused ensign’s quarters.
i like his hairstyle in that Tek war cover…. I’m serious…
“WILLIAM SHATNER’S CYBER MASTERPIECE”
Mm-hm. In which Mirror Universe would that be…?
All those other guys have class; Shatner does not. I hope Garner gets the award.
I admire the man’s achievements, charisma and energy. Congrats to him.
* * * *
#5. Snake, I know where you are going with the thought, but I can count all the wheat fields in Iowa on one hand. Let’s think corn… and the REAL travesty is that Iowa was not a location used. (Probably because we looked like Iceland in March and earlier during filming.)
* * * *
I see a couple posters referring to Shatner-bashing and the lack of Shatner in JJ’s Trek. Are you looking for a fight? (I’m not) No one so far as post #28 has said a bad thing. I am voting for a peaceful board.
Ok, I grant you one or two naysayers above me.
#22—Travesty? I think that’s a bit much…I think it’s better described as honoring the continuity established in the 10 previous Trek films, as well as maintaining the integrity of the story that Paramount (so much so that they have invested $150 million and scheduled the film to be its “Summer Movie”), Leonard Nimoy, and Bad Robot Films all seem to believe is so good.
The only “travesty” here is that some of his fans continue to saddle the baggage of what including Shatner in this film would entail upon the shoulders of JJ Abrams (and continue to whine about the fact that he chose not to handicap the film with that baggage), the one person who had absolutely nothing to do with creating the problem in the first place…
Other than that, you’re absolutely right. He does look fantastic for his age. We should all be so fortunate.
All kidding aside, Shat is still my ideal. I really hope I’m doing half of what he’s doing at that age.
Is The Shat wearing French cuffs in that first pic, or is he going for the rumpled ‘Columbo’ look? It looks like he lurched out there still wearing his jammies. LOL
#34—I hope I’m still breathing.
Check the Shat at the TV Land Awards. Looking svelte- he’s only a year and 4 months younger than Asner (no insult Ed, I love you…).
I was at the Belmont this past weekend. Whenever I go, I put $100 on the long shot- money I figure I’ll never see again. Da’ Tara paid $79. There’s a dent in my $7900 as the family found me all of a sudden VERY attractive!
OK, point being, gotta go with the long shot- Shat’s looking good, he’s IN IT BABY! (you know what I mean).
Ed Asner looks 152. William Shatner looks… 52.
But Bill, please, wear a nicer suit next time… :)
This is one reason I am a Shatner fan: He never gives up! He hasn’t always had it so easy – he got slapped down pretty hard by life in the 70’s, when his divorce and the cancellation of Trek left him broke and living in the back of a truck! He admits in Up Till Now there were times when he considered giving up acting. But he never did, he picked himself up and carried on, and look at him now.
“There’s nothing I can’t do” reminds us of one of life’s most important lessons – belief in one’s self.
The AP article is great; it’s really worth checking out, even if you’re not that thrilled by THE MAN…;)
Cograts on the nomination, Bill – and yes, those are all classy guys, stiff competition indeed.
# 33 how would Shatners involvement have handicapped the new movie?
It was afterall J.J.Abrams who approached Shatner in the first place and started the controversy.It is ironic that we are hearing more in the media at present about Shatner than we are about the new movie or its stars.
#41
Great point. JJ obviously wanted Shatner by talking to him. There would be the same backlash had he left Nimoy out after discussing a role. At the time he met Shatner i guess maybe JJ had not seen Generations.
Yep, he sure does look quite healthy for his age.
Indeed.
But seriously, can someone please explain the involvement of “HIStory”?
#42
- At the time he met Shatner i guess maybe JJ had not seen Generations. -
LOL – I’ve always suspected that. As Abrams repeatedly said he’s not a ST fan in the first place, he probably didn’t know about Generations then. Once upon a Shat there was a meeting after which Orci headed Abrams off and when he told him about that negligible, not actually large-scale, not even real problem they’d have to solve, Abrams declared “THIS IS A DISASTER”, was blown away by his own mainstream approaching mind, dying to forget about the meeting completely, and as a result he’s giving ST a kind of treatment it never has been given before…
#41
- ..how would Shatners involvement have handicapped the new movie? It was afterall J.J.Abrams who approached Shatner in the first place and started the controversy. -
Yeah, your comment makes a lot of sense, and I agree – this is a more than ironic situation and farcical Hollywood at its best.
#41, #42—Generations is the handicap I spoke of. Even Shatner acknowledges it as a writing problem. If Abrams had cast Shatner in anything other than some sort of alternate universe or flashback cameo, it would have been baggage, and that’s all I’m saying (making it fit coherently within the story). It may not be that he had not yet seen Generations at all. Perhaps Abrams had a cameo-type role (like the aforementioned flashback scene) in mind when he approached Bill. We all know what Bill’s thoughts were on that subject (at least at that time).
“I don’t do cameos.”
#46—”…when he told him about that negligible, not actually large-scale, not even real problem they’d have to solve…”
I assume that’s a joke.
#46
And how about the damage control at comic con. “we are desperately trying to get Shatner in. So we are on that” Nimoy is up there with Quinto. No Kirks were available at the time. I think JJ and crew really got it right by using the original characters for the movie. i am sure it will be entertaining. Only after seeing it will we be able to tell if they made the right decision. I personally think they could have found a way. Whether he could have been in it or not, they mishandled the situation.
#47
You’re entitled to assume whatever you like, but I assume you know me well enough by know to assume that there’s reason to assume that I’m dead serious about it – particularly when I’m assumedly joking…
#48—”I personally think they could have found a way.”
Of course they could have. The question is whether that could have been coherently assimilated into the story which was already written, and whether it would have benefitted that story. Since we haven’t seen it yet, it is impossible to make a valid judgement.
“Whether he could have been in it or not, they mishandled the situation.”
Not necessarily. Perhaps it was Shatner’s public comments expressing his aversion to cameos which precluded his involvement in the film. There is no reason to believe Abrams was insincere in expressing his desire to find him a role at that time, so unless “they” includes Bill Shatner, I don’t think that’s a fair statement.
#49—LOL. I was also joking of course…about my assumption, that is…I won’t assume you found my irony funny, but assuming you do not, I’ll refrain from further assumptions along those lines…I assume that’s okay.
#48
- I personally think they could have found a way. Whether he could have been in it or not, they mishandled the situation. -
I personally think he could and should have been in it, no matter what. (Maybe there’s still a chance, I don’t know) And I agree wholeheartedly that they mishandled the situation, because their cat-and-mouse game continued for much too long. They knew about Generations from the start and they knew what kind of film they wanted to make, and that there could be a conflict (well, I don’t see a conflict, neither do many people who are familiar with ST and scifi, but never mind ;), and even if Bill’s “I don’t do cameos” may have been one of the problems, it surely can’t have taken them THAT long to make a decision. And Bill insists that Abrams never called back. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice…
If I remember correctly, we already had about 3,000 post on that topic and some people just CAN’T LET GO…oops…;)
#51
Always assuming best intentions…;)
#50
It could very well be that Shatner is part of the problem. I just think it should have worked out. JJ was interested, Shatner was interested. That fact that it did not happen is ridiculous. Since Bill is now open to a cameo why not do it now. There is certainly plenty of time. Shatner can be difficult but maybe jj has no hard feelings. Or maybe it is just too late.
#52 Iowa girl
You are correct. I as a fan was grateful that JJ called Shatner. I wasn’t expecting him to right the wrongs of Generations. Just like JJ i thought it would be nice to see Shatner as Kirk agin. Flashback cameo works fine for me. If Shatner turned that down then shame on him. JJ should just say that when asked why Shatner is not in the movie. Instead of using the Generations crutch, just say we offered him a role and he refused.
#53—I was long a proponent of a flashback scene, from Spock’s memory, depicting a conversation which took place between James Kirk and Spock prior to Kirk’s boarding the Enterprise-B. It would seem very simple to make that kind of scene relevant and perhaps even beneficial to the ultimate resolution of the conflict within the script.
But I would not be so sure that JJ has no hard feelings. I’m pretty sure I would. After all, Shatner went on for months very publicly criticizing and insulting Mr. Abrams’ “business decision-making skills” and portrayed a possible cameo appearance in JJ’s movie as being somehow beneath him. IMO, he’s also inferred that his absence is due to the writers’ apparent “inability” to solve the writing problems, as if they lack the talent to make it happen. I’m quite sure JJ Abrams has an ego too. If he has no hard feelings, good for him, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Beyond that, it may very well be too late, despite Shatner seemingly changing his stance on his own willingness to accept a minor role. Filming has already been wrapped, and simply inserting such a scene into the film and making it relevant to the plot may not be so easy now.
“If Shatner turned that down then shame on him. JJ should just say that when asked why Shatner is not in the movie. Instead of using the Generations crutch, just say we offered him a role and he refused.”
I don’t believe Abrams ever offered Shatner a cameo role. If you look back at the timeline of events, even as JJ was publicly expressing a desire to find a part for Bill, Shatner was just as publicly demonstrating his supposed aversion to cameos. It would seem unlikely that JJ would even bother dedicating any creative energy to the prospect, much less actually offer him a role after that.
I wouldn’t want to see Shatner’s Kirk resurrected at all. What’s done is done. However, I do believe that the failure of circumstances to align which would have resulted in the type of appearance described above is nothing short of a missed opprotunity.
#54 Abrams comment that he simply didn’t want to cast Shatner in his movie to appeal to fanboys appears to suggest that he never intended to offer him a cameo role.Shatners negative comments regarding the new movie and its makers appears to have been fueled by Abrams not getting back to him,the man afterall has a huge ego.This matter has been handled very badly .
#55—I think you have your timeline messed up. Shatner was publicly stating that he doesn’t do cameos while JJ was still publicly expressing interest in finding Shatner a role. With that in mind, why would you even offer someone something they are already telling the World that they are not interested in?
And I wouldn’t cast him in the film just to appeal to fanboys either. I would only do so if it were benficial to the story I was trying to tell, and I think that is what he meant. I don’t consider that a matter which was handled badly. Shatner’s public comments about cameos and his public criticisms ARE indicative of a matter which WAS handled badly. I think he was trying to bully his way into a large role in the film, and simply overplayed his hand by publicly declaring, “I don’t do cameos”, while the director is out there saying that, “we are desparately trying to get Shatner in the film.”
Bill’s behavior wouldn’t get him anywhere in the business world that I operate in, and IMO, it blew any chance of him getting a paycheck for STXI right out of the water.
The only one we know for sure has misrepresented himself is Bill (and it wasn’t the first time he has flip-flopped on a story). There is no basis for doubting JJ’s word at all, and where I come from, you don’t doubt a man’s word until he gives you reason to do so. The only one who fits that bill is Shatner.
Now, STV: The Great Trek Turd…that was a “bad business decision”!
I think Old Spock should stop on Vulcan, once again posing as Cousin Selek, and smother baby Sybock in his crib…once and for all ridding me of my pain. Just kidding, of course…
Cannot wait to watch TEKWAR!
Shatner doest do cameos ,,,
I suggest you have a nose at the internet movie data base,
and look up the movie “Horrorween” also a heap of other movies hes
done over the last few years
Re #6. Closettrekker – June 10, 2008 had it wrong too, and remember
story about him in hosptial,,Mr Shatner debunked that too,,,
Funny how he ended up on talk shows with a new hip walking with a
cane.
He flip flops more than George Bush !!
#56 with all due respect the point I was making was that Abrams comment about not including Shatner to simply appeal to fanboys appears to suggest that he didn’t intent to offer Shatner a cameo role.Likewise if we are to presume that he was consistent in his dealings with Shatner that this would have been a consistant view from the beginning .
#59—I never said he doesn’t do cameos. I quoted HIM as saying that he doesn’t when asked about the possibility of having such a role in STXI. That is not the same thing.
And in all fairness, he did not “debunk” reports that he was in the hospital. He “debunked” a report that his life was in jeopardy…A hip replacement does not constitue the life-threatening condition that erroneous report would have had the reader believe had stricken him.
But aside from that, you’re right. He does “flip-flop” whenever it suits him or his mood. Whether he is talking about cameos or tanking scenes in movies, you can never simply take his story at full face value.
I love his work as James T. Kirk (at least from TOS-TVY), but as a human being, he does come off as somewhat dishonest at times, and coupled with his reputation for being a jerk, I’m a little less inclined to respect him much as a person.
But back to the subject. He certainly has had a career worthy of such recognition as the nomination for a lifetime achievement award, and if he were to win, I wouldn’t feel as though he were undeserving at all.
#60—I just don’t believe it suggests that at all. I think he felt that to cast him in the movie, the appearance of Shatner’s Kirk would have to offer more than just fanboy appeal, like an actual benefit to the story. I think that, perhaps, in the process of trying to find that benefit, it is easy to see JJ becoming somewhat disillusioned with Shatner’s comments that appear to infer that a cameo appearance in STXI would be somehow beneath him (”I don’t do cameos”–although we all know he does). Therefore, even if Abrams felt that a cameo appearance by Bill would benefit the movie, he would not even make such an offer. I wouldn’t either.
Re 62. Closettrekker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihsSmJNsDX8
:o )
#63—Seen it…
“… Recruited by a mysterious benefactor to stop the advancing drug is Jake Cardigan (Melrose Place’s Greg Evigan), a cop who teams up with a colorful array of partners as the government plots to stop him from revealing the truth…”
Melrose Place’s Greg Evigan?
Sorry, but to me, Greg Evigan is and always will be B.J. McKay
#65—Who the heck is BJ McKay?
Pull Star Trek Generations pictures from google and compare how much he looks the same as back then lately. Except for the Starfleet sideburns, I don’t see much difference.
RE: #66 Who is BJ McKay?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AsqKQptTdQ
“I personally think he could and should have been in it, no matter what. (Maybe there’s still a chance, I don’t know) And I agree wholeheartedly that they mishandled the situation, because their cat-and-mouse game continued for much too long. ”
Amen Iowagirl. I keep hoping that something can be worked out. I can die a happy Trek fan. LOL. It will be a joy to see Spock again but to have Kirk too would be icing on the cake. Heh, if Shat keeps losing weight…well, who knows?
“Shatners negative comments regarding the new movie and its makers appears to have been fueled by Abrams not getting back to him,the man afterall has a huge ego.This matter has been handled very badly .”
I was surprised and puzzled at the LV Creation Con when Shatner was talking about this very thing. Why start something and then not follow through? Oh, I agree there are issues — Nimoy’s “moldering” remark sums it up best and with humor — but heck, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, these are creative people and they could have found a way. Nothing against whatever this movie will be — I’m hoping it’s entertaining as hell but I can always wonder what more it might have been with Kirk/Shatner.
Course, I *do* think it’s being overstated about Shatner’s “negative” comments. He was puzzled and disappointed. Seems like an honest reaction to me.
At any rate, I’m so happy Shatner was recognized with this nomination. He’s certainly worked hard enough over the years.
#69 “these are creative people and they could have found a way. Nothing against whatever this movie will be — I’m hoping it’s entertaining as hell but I can always wonder what more it might have been with Kirk/Shatner.”
You’re not the only one, krikzil. Many fans feel the same way.
#69, #70
You are so right. It is a crying shame that this could not be worked out.
#69—”…I *do* think it’s being overstated about Shatner’s “negative” comments. He was puzzled and disappointed. Seems like an honest reaction to me.”
The notion that he is “disappointed” is almost certainly an honest expression of his feelings. Now, being “puzzled”, is a bit more questionable. He has stated himself that there are obstacles, and going on shows like “The View”, and acting as if he is surprised that he wasn’t offered a role like that of Kirk’s father or grandfather (or any other “cameo” role) is downright dishonest. After all, as I stated earlier, it was he who, after getting a call from JJ Abrams, began publicly saying, “I don’t do cameos.” It makes absolutely no sense that he would be surprised that he wasn’t made such an offer.
As for his negative comments, he is welcome to voice his opinions, but he simply has no basis for calling his absence in the film “a bad business decision”, nor has he any reason to believe that leaving Shatner’s Kirk out was a result of a lack of creativity. It apparently never occured to him that resurrecting Shatner’s Kirk simply might not be the best thing for the story. After all, if it doesn’t benefit the story they want to tell, then shoehorning him in wouldn’t make any sense.
#71–”It is a crying shame that this could not be worked out.”
I think it’s a crying shame that Mr. Shatner did not leave his mind open to any possible involvement in the film (including a cameo) while Abrams was publicly making comments about wanting to find a place for him. IMO, Shatner’s “I don’t do cameos” statements to the press eliminated what was probably the most viable option for his presence in the film—a flashback scene depicting Kirk and Spock interacting prior to his boarding the Enterprise-B. Such a recollection on Spock’s part could have easily been written into relevancy to the plot (once the strike was over), and would not run the risk of interfering or appearing out-of-place with the established storyline. But imagine you are JJ Abrams. You are one of the hottest names in Hollywood, and you also have an ego. The strike has just ended, and you are now free to make writing adjustments if you want to. Meanwhile, Shatner has been out there publicly criticizing your decision-making skills and saying “I don’t do cameos”. Would you write that into the script? Would you even make an offer? I wouldn’t. In fact, I wouldn’t even give him a courtesy call. But hey, that’s just me.
Closettreker…I think you sell Abrams short and are a tad naive. He’s a Hollywood writer, producer and director. William Shatner — ego or not — is not going to be a problem. They eat their young in Hollywood! If he can work successfully with Tom Cruise…well need I say more? ;) And it’s kinda weird that you seem to be proposing and then endorsing egotistic/childish behavior on Abrams but condemning Shatner in the same breath for what you see as egotism on his part. Personally, I don’t see bad behavior on either’s — it just didn’t work out — that happens a lot in LaLaLand — and I’m sad about that.
At any rate, I still think you overstate the whole situation about Shatner, his comments and all. I think he has every right to speak his mind. And let’s remember….every time actors are interviewed they are asked the same questions over and over again. For years. I’ve been watching our wonderful casts repeat themselves to talking heads who obviously have no clue about Trek for 40 years. But of course, the majority of the people in the world maybe catch one or two interviews of a particular celeb and don’t see the redundancy. We however tend to hang on every single word of these people so I think “Shatner is being so negative” is just really blowing the entire thing out of proportion. No, we are just seeing every single time he’s asked about the same thing ad nauseum.
#73—”Closettreker…I think you sell Abrams short and are a tad naive. He’s a Hollywood writer, producer and director.”
Selling Abrams short? I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t believe I said anything remotely disparaging about him. He is an accomplished television series creator, and a hot name right now in Hollywood for big budget projects.
And on the contrary, it would be naive to believe that egos (both on the part of Abrams and Shatner) would not play any role in how this thing turned out. I take Abrams at his word that he would have liked to find a place for Bill in STXI. I also think that JJ would likely be insulted by Shatner’s public criticisms of his decision-making skills. Hollywood is a business world (albeit a strange one) not all that different from the one I operate in as a business owner who has to build and maintain relationships to be successful.
Shatner is a business. He is his own company. He has to make himself marketable. He does a good job for the most part (at least with audiences). But if he were one of my sales people, and I assigned him to a prospective account, and while he was in the process of trying to convince that potential client to hire him (or us) to perform a service or provide a product, he publicly criticized that client’s “business decisions”, I would fire him immediately! If he was looking at the possibility of getting that account to the point where the potential client may not be able to make a large purchase with us, but perhaps a small one, and then he put that account in jeopardy by publicly stating that “We don’t do that”, then there you have another offense which would get him a swift kick in the a$$ from me—sending him right out the door! That is essentially what he did. He had a possible opprotunity to end up with a small gratuitous role in STXI—Abrams said as much at one point. Then Bill proceeded to paint himself, again publicly, as being above “cameos”, and then called JJ’s decision not to give him the role he wanted in the film a “bad business decision”. Naive? I think not. It would be naive to think that such public insults would carry no weight in JJ’s view of Shatner and potentially finding him a role in the film. He did not just say it once, but everytime he was asked about it. That, IMO was a “bad business decision”, and I didn’t get to be successful in building a business, a good business reputation, and lasting business relationships by being wrong about such things, and certainly not by being “naive”…
As for “speaking his mind”, of course he has every right. His speech does not infringe on the rights of anyone else. However, that doesn’t make his comments a smart move, and it certainly doesn’t make his opinions correct. While we have a right to speak our minds, we do not have a right to expect no consequences to what we say, particularly when it is public. Everything you say is cause to the effect, particularly when you operate in the business world, where the people who make decisions do not have to decide to use your service, your product, or either.
“Personally, I don’t see bad behavior on either’s — it just didn’t work out — that happens a lot in LaLaLand — and I’m sad about that.”
It’s only “bad behavior” on Bill’s part if he really did want a part in the film. If he didn’t, then it doesn’t really matter. If he did, then his comments were foolish, whether they actually affected Abrams decision or not. I cannot speak as to whether or not they did, but they certainly had the potential to do so.
I appreciate you being one of the few who are saddened by Bill’s absence who does not blame JJ Abrams for it. It bothers me that some do. Abrams was the one person who had nothing to do with creating the “writing problem” in the first place. Furthermore, he has every right to express his desire to include Bill, and yet still ultimately decide that it was not the best way to go. Obviously, Abrams and co. did not feel that the presence of Shatner’s Kirk would benefit the story that was already written, at least in the type of prominent role Bill wanted. Who knows if JJ could have come up with a beneficial cameo role (like the flashback idea)? We’ll never know, because Bill felt it necessary to say, “I don’t do cameos”, when asked about that possibility. Perhaps if he had been a bit more open-minded at the time, JJ might have called him back.
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Closettreker — “Selling Abrams short? I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t believe I said anything remotely disparaging about him. ”
Hmm, your scenarios of Abrams reacting to Shatner’s supposed egotism with his own pettiness, in my opinion, does disparage him. From all the interviews I’ve seen and read of the guy, he strikes me as pretty balanced and above the fray. And just as you have problems with those that take JJ to task, so do I with those who seem to want to paint Shatner as some sort of villain. He’s earned the right in the Trek patheon and frankly I don’t see that he’s done anything awful. JJ called him and then didn’t call back apparently. And that could simply be because they are both so dang busy! Shatner expressed dismay and when asked, commented on his feelings, but he’s never said a bad word about the movie. And just as Nimoy deserved more than a cameo in Generations, so too did Shatner’s Kirk in the new movie.
In this whole situation, I think the Writer’s Strike had a lot to do with the whole situation — time just ran out.
59:
“He Flip-Flops more than George Bush”
Ah…Anthony??? I was under the impresion that politics was taboo here…. It still is, right? Right???
The Trek universe is failing, J.J. Abrams was brought in to revive the $2,000,000,000.00 a year business. Its about the money, nothing else. Can William Shatner draw a large enough audience, “No.” It happens all the time in every industry on earth. The old are pushed out for the young. It will continue for eternity. Youth sells, old doesn’t. I have watched William Shatner for a very long time and really like him and his style of acting. However, time marches on, new pushes out the old. It must also be mentioned that, fashions in clothing, hair styles and actors do run in cycles. So what may be “out” now, can be “in” later. So the Shat can very well be “in” at a later date. I, in my personal opinion, do believe the appearance of William Shatner in this current Star Trek film and all future films is an opportunity NOT to be missed. He, like the rest of us, is mortal. He’s only the first captain, the captain is the leader of the ship’s company, THE personality that MADE Star Trek such a tremendous success. Will the Trek universe continue to fail, it appears so.