Star Trekactor George Takei came out with a response to William Shatner’s criticism of him. His remarks on the matter are purported to be the very final salvo Takei will fire in a decades-long feud between the two stars and others involved in the franchise.
Star Trekis a science fiction franchise that covers multiple TV series, movies, games, and merchandising, which all kicked off with the iconicStar Trekseries in the 1960s. The show chronicled the adventures of the USS Enterprise and its crew, who represent the United Federation of Planets with the charge “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” The franchise is now a cultural icon, ranking high on the list ofsci-fi shows set in the 23rd century, which is a surprisingly extensive list.
RELATED:Star Trek: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Commander Riker
During an appearance onThe Graham Norton Show, Takei, who played Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in theever-political original science fiction seriesand several subsequent movies, spoke out again against former co-star and perpetual rival Shatner after the latter made some comments about him during an interview withThe Times. “Sixty years after some incident, they are still on that track. Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness. I began to understand that they were doing it for publicity,” Shatner said while discussing his reservations about his former castmates before focusing on Takei. “George [Takei] has never stopped blackening my name. These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?”
Retorting in an interview withThe Graham Norton Showto promote his upcoming musicalAllegiance,Takei dismissed Shatner. “When Bill has a book to sell, he needs publicity and accuses us of using him. My subject is more substantial and important,” Takei said. “He is a cantankerous old man and I will not talk about him anymore. I vow that this is the very last time I talk about him.” This supposedly marks the last time Takei will engage in verbal jousting with his longtime rival, whoself-admittedly has never watchedStar Trek.
While cast members of the originalStar Trekseries seem unable to reconcile, their contemporaries fromthe cast ofStar Trek: The Next Generationrecently came together for one more adventure inPicardseason 3. While both Takei and Shatner are allowed their reservations, fans would likely be much more pleased with an attitude more in line with those who are still on working terms.
