William Shatner looks back at his ‘most illogical’ career
It’s hard to believe that William Shatner — Captain James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker, the guy from Rescue 911 — is an old man now. But at 77, Shatner says his life has never been better.
And it’s not just because of all the free All-Bran.
In an interview with ctv.ca from his home in California, Shatner discussed growing old and the great existential questions, the art of humour, the streets of Toronto and that upcoming movie called Star Trek.
Shatner recently released his autobiography “Up till Now” upon the world. He chronicles growing up in middle-class Montreal to doing live television in New York, and his rise to fame in Star Trek, and then his eventual fall from grace. And then his rise again as “Trek” hit the big screen in the 70s and starring in another hit show, “T.J. Hooker”, in the 80s. And then his falling off the radar in the early 90s only to … oh, you get the idea.
“I made a decision to write the book because I think of it like a legacy to my kids and grandchildren,” Shatner told ctv.ca. “Life is fragile enough but as you get older it becomes even more fragile, so I thought I better do it now.”
It’s hard not to compare Shatner’s thoughts on growing old with the character he is currently playing on television — Denny Crane from “Boston Legal”. For those unfamiliar with the show, Shatner’s performance has been nothing less than shockingly good — he’s won two Emmy Awards for it already.
His character, a brilliant but eccentric lawyer, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has been trying to experience all of life’s pleasures before losing the ability to enjoy them.
But Shatner says he is completely satisfied with his lot in life. In fact, he can’t think of anything he’d change.
“I’m in such a contented arena of my life at this moment, I keep waiting for the bubble to burst. I’m happily married, my children are healthy and are a couple of miles away, plus my grandchildren are here,” he said.[…]
Old at 77? Harrumph. I am not 70. I am still 12. Look in my avitar! ;)
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