3 Questions for William Shatner

At 95, William Shatner is still boldly going everywhere, and he has no interest in slowing down. For more than seven decades, he has been one of the most recognizable faces in popular culture — Captain James T. Kirk to generations of Star Trek fans, bestselling sci-fi author, horseman, space traveler for real, and indefatigable storyteller. While many of his contemporaries have long since retired, Shatner continues to crisscross the country, filling theaters with audiences eager to share in the wit and curiosity that have defined his remarkable career.

His latest book, William Shatner and You, is due out this fall in the 60th anniversary year of the TV series that made him an icon. Shatner invited Star Trek fans to tell him how the series shaped their lives. Their deeply personal stories became the heart of a book that celebrates the extraordinary bond between an actor and his biggest fans.

Jeanne Wolf: There’s an irony in your rise to the top isn’t there? You might have become an accountant instead of captain of Starship Enterprise.

William Shatner: In high school, my academic record wasn’t all that good. I have a vivid memory of teachers who whipped you with a rubber strap on your palm for being late for class or being rambunctious, which I was. I did, however, deny burning the principal’s car. I went on to McGill University to major in business and got a job at an acting company where I convinced them I could handle the books because I was adept at accounting. That was the only other lie I ever told besides not setting fire to the principal’s car. It wasn’t long before they discovered two things: I had no accounting skills whatsoever, and I was a good actor. My father, who paid for my education, was not thrilled. But I started acting and became a writer and never looked back. I’m always reminded that not being afraid of change, always being curious and ready to explore and take chances, not only helped to make me famous, [but] it opened doors to worlds I never dreamed of.

JW: I know your flight in space aboard a Blue Origin rocket was a dream come true and full of powerful emotion. Did it give you a new perspective on Earth as well?

WS: We look through our telescopes and think we can know what’s out there, but we don’t. During the flight, I could see the blue air of earth. And then I turned and I saw the blackness of space. And I thought, “My God, there’s an extraordinary quality of romance about it, the unknown, that sends us farther and farther from Earth to explore.” When I got back on the ground, I was crying and I couldn’t think why. I realized I was grieving the death of the world, the extinction of species. I’m a grandfather. You and I won’t be around before it becomes bad, but our grandchildren will. It’s for them that we must stop what we’re doing to destroy our planet.

JW: In these challenging times, Star Trek is still finding new audiences who seem to feel something more in it than just entertainment.

WS: America was deeply divided politically and culturally when Star Trek was created in the late 1960s, and, in many ways, it was not all that different from today. Many people were pessimistic about the future. Gene Roddenberry created a vision where people cooperated to solve problems like disease, inequality, and hunger, a future where humans sought to peacefully coexist. It was deeply optimistic. One thing that was truly extraordinary about the crew of Starship Enterprise was they were very diverse. And each member of the crew contributed different strengths to that mission. Roddenberry showed America that in our diversity lie our strengths. I say to young people, “As you prepare to boldly go where many people have gone before, help build a future where there is peace and plenty, equality, justice, and where every child could be a starship captain.”

The road of life won’t be linear. It isn’t some grand avenue. It’s a country route, dusty and dirty. Don’t be afraid of striking out on paths that are untrodden. Don’t be afraid of failing. Don’t being afraid of making an ass of yourself. I do it all the time and look at what I got.

This article is featured in the September/October 2026 issue of The Saturday Evening Post.