There is not much that could stop the captain of “Starship Enterprise” – a global pandemic is certainly not one of them. And so actor William Shatner celebrates – for Star Trek fans: “Captain James T. Kirk” – his birthday in July on the set of the famous series in the town of Ticonderoga north of New York, as local media report. The Canadian science fiction veteran will be 90 years old on March 22nd.
Ever been on stage as a child
With William Alan Shatner you could already guess from childhood that he would appreciate his audience well into old age – he loved to be on the stage. The business student also tried his hand at the theater during college. With success: After stints on Broadway in New York and on television, he was acclaimed in 1966 with the role of “Captain Kirk”.
At least from today’s perspective. It was only when Star Trek was discontinued after three seasons due to low ratings and old episodes were repeated in the early 1970s that the small fan base grew into a global “Trekkie” community.
Very active on Twitter
The famous spaceship (“Space – infinite expanses. We are writing the year 2200”) is no longer mentioned in Shatner’s Twitter biography. Instead it says: “Father of three girls. Canadian! Not political – be warned or be blocked! ”With the short message service, the jovial-looking Golden Globe and Emmy winner delights his 2.5 million fans with tweets practically every day.
Took it with humor back then: Tweet Shatner’s about the first lockdown of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 – the “captain” goes into isolation on his home planet …
And it seems almost popular that even a star (trek) actor on the Internet repeatedly and with great passion engages in skirmishes with trolls, that Shatner obviously cannot stop arguing with anonymous users.
NASA award
Otherwise, the artist has always staged himself in the past for good occasions. 20 organizations and 19 He supported charitable causes according to website Look to the Stars. In 2006 Shatner sold a kidney stone to an online casino for tens of thousands of dollars and donated the money to the “Habitat for Humanity” association, which builds houses for the needy. With his horse show in Hollywood that has existed for decades, he generates revenue for charities.
Shatner recently made headlines with his divorce from his fourth wife, Elizabeth Martin. According to media reports, he expressed himself conciliatory after the separation in 2019: “Everything is good here. Everything is good. I wish us all all the best. ”
And in 2014, NASA gave him their highest honor for non-government members. He has inspired a generation of explorers.
Captain James Tiberius Kirk
(Bild: CBS Studios Inc.)
A blues album
Meanwhile, Shatner never lost his enthusiasm for the future and the universe, even beyond many Star Trek episodes and sequels. “TekWar” is the name of the nine-part series of crime books in which private investigator Jake Cardigan puts villains down in 2122. Shatner also had success as a musician at an advanced age, most recently in October 2020 he released a blues album with well-known guests.
And while some of his companions have been quiet for years, Shatner continues to make films: Only a few days after his birthday, the RomCom “Senior Moment” with him in the lead role comes onto the market in the USA.
The fact that the actor is still in demand at 90 is also evident from how much fans have to pay to be able to see him on the Enterprise set in the summer. The tour with Shatner himself costs 499 dollars (more than 400 euros), an additional photo is available for 160 dollars, the autograph for 80 dollars. The “VIP All Inclusive” package costs as much as $ 1,500. You can then dine with “Captain Kirk” and have a chat on the bridge of the Enterprise.
(tiw)
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