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INTERVIEW: William Shatner
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I recently had the chance to be a part of a conference call interview with none other than William Shatner. That’s right; the man, the myth, the legend himself sat down for just short of an hour and had a conversation with about eight entertainment journalists, including myself, to talk about his new film, Stalking Santa, as well as Star Trek, Boston Legal, his writing career, voice-overs, horses, and everything else under the stars. Mr. Shatner was extremely personable, funny, and down to earth, and it was a real treat to have the chance to talk to him.
Below, you can read the entire interview with Mr. Shatner. I’ve marked the questions that I asked individually; all other questions were asked by other members of the panel. Enjoy!
- Mike Spring
Editor
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William Shatner:
Welcome, everybody, to our round table conference. As you know, "Stalking Santa" is a wonderful spoof on Christmas, an entry in the Christmastime rush, and we're happy with it. We hope you're happy if you've seen it, or will be happy if you're going to see it. And I know the audience out there will be delighted to get a copy of "Stalking Santa" at Christmastime. So why don't I just turn it over to questions, and I'll do my best to entertain you and keep the answers light and writable.
Panel:
So I'm curious about "Stalking Santa." I mean, this is such a big myth and it's a spoof. How will this bring a fresh take on the holiday spirit?
William Shatner:
Well, anything that doesn't propose that Santa has got a beard and answers all your requests for gifts and comes at, in the night and needs crackers and milk. Anything that doesn't say that is a spoof, and you know, Christmas is fun, anyway. It's a myth organized over the years and gained different mythological qualities as the years go by, so here's another one to add to the vast variety of things that Santa is.
Panel:
Well, yeah, because this takes you all over the world, so this would probably strike you as miraculous. So is Santa really a saint or an elf?
William Shatner:
Ah, that's the question you have to answer.
Panel:
Well, great. One last question now. This is really a fantasy question. Could or would there be a "Captain Kirk Meets Santa" adventure in the near future of our galaxy?
William Shatner:
I think that would be a great Christmas show. That could have been a great Christmas show for Star Trek, that there's an alien out there with a beard and a pot belly, and he meets Captain Kirk with the same thing, you know.
Panel:
What made you want to be a part of the project?
William Shatner:
Well, the company came to me and outlined what it was they wanted to do and how they were going to do it and presented me the script, and it seemed like fun. And, you know, Christmas is a fun time, it's great for kids and it's something you want to share, and it was a good Christmas project. So it seemed like a worthwhile thing to do, and it certainly was.
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Panel:
Do you prefer working behind the screen or in front of the screen?
William Shatner:
Well, it doesn't really matter. The working in front of the screen, you have to learn the lines. A little more work. Actually, a great deal of work to remember the words. So if you don't have to remember the words and can read them makes the job that much easier.
Mike Spring:
Hi, Mr. Shatner. How are you?
William Shatner:
Really well. Yourself?
Mike Spring:
I'm good, thanks.
William Shatner:
Great.
Mike Spring:
This film is being marketed with your name all over it, because obviously, you're still a big draw. What's the secret to the longevity you've had with your career?
William Shatner:
Just getting into trouble and trying to get out.
Mike Spring:
And now that you've played so many iconic characters, is Santa Claus the next thing to conquer?
William Shatner:
Yeah, but how do you deal with a Santa Claus who's got a slim body and a handsome face and is lithe and athletic?
Panel:
With regard to narration, you, the first part of it would be you narrate it in a very different tone than some of your other projects. It's a softer tone. It's a more calm, collected tone. I'm wondering if that was purposeful. And secondly, how does it, how long does it take to narrate an entire movie such as this one, and is it as easy as just walking up to a microphone?
William Shatner:
Well, I've done a lot of narration, voice-over narration to a variety of things. For example, I, there's "Mars Rising" on the Discovery Channel. I think it's on this week. I did the narration to those, I believe it's five hours. So I'm narrating "Mars Rising."
I've got a record called "Exodus" coming out at the end of the month, I think the first week of November, in which I narrate Exodus, the abbreviated version of the Biblical chapter Exodus, with 350 voices behind and a 72-piece orchestra. And during the performance that I recorded, there was a palpable connection between the audience and the actor, and essentially, that was a narration.
And each project that requires my voice, I try to characterize differently in that the challenge for me is to try and reach your ear, which then becomes, as the well-known phrase, "the theater of your mind," and I'm able to inculcate your imagination into projecting what you see, what you hear, from my voice.
So when you say it's a different type of narration, different use of my voice, it's something that I've done for a long time, and that's the challenge and the joy of narrating--choosing a sort of character way of doing it. I thought this was what was required for the project of "Stalking Santa," and if you've noticed that difference, that's both good and bad. You shouldn't. I hope you forgot it after the first few lines and then just went with it. But narrating, but doing a voice-over has a whole series of challenges that are unlike anything else. As for the length of time it took, I, if I remember correctly, I spent one big chunk of time. I think it was like mostly a day.
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Panel:
Is it the kind of thing where, as you progress in your career, narration and your voice suddenly becomes more wishful, a more precious asset to the media than your appearance--one's appearance, not yours necessarily?
William Shatner:
Right. Well, that's interesting. I started off in radio in Canada. I did a lot of radio work prior to getting out after college and getting out and my face became better known in Canada. I did a lot of radio work. I put myself through school on radio work. So I'm very much aware of the colorations that the voice carries when speaking.
As a matter of fact, just as a sidebar, because I get paranoid being recognized in places, I sort of think if I avert my eyes, if I don't make eye contact with the person who's coming at me, maybe they'll ignore me. So I walk around a lot in crowded places looking down and looking away, pretending not to notice, and hoping the people will do the same. So I become much more aware of people's voices and what the message is they're sending me by the coloration of their voice. I become very closely attuned--as we all should, really--as to what people are saying when they say a word. When they say "yes," what are they really saying? And so I've, I've sort of incorporated that in my performance in that words carry intention and emotion, and they're not just a word. It's not just a printed word. The spoken word carries innumerable currents with it.
Panel:
Did you contribute at all to the soundtrack to the film, or you know, based on your illustrious singing career? And if not, why not? And if so, why?
William Shatner:
[Laughs.] No, I did not. I contributed everything I was capable of in the narration, but there were far better vocalizations than I could manage.
Panel:
Okay. Did they, do you think maybe they were afraid it would take it to a whole new level?
William Shatner:
You mean a superior level?
Panel:
Yes, a superior level. Yes.
William Shatner:
[Laughs.] Yeah. Maybe they didn't want to reach that kind of superiority. It might have alienated a lot of people.
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Panel:
What was your relationship growing up with Santa? Weren't you raised Jewish?
William Shatner:
I was. But you know, Christmas has gone from a pagan holiday to a Christian holiday to another pagan holiday. Maybe it's cyclical. And so Christmas is secular for the most part, and if done in the right tone, it's a time to give thanks, it's a time to share, and a time to give to people who are not doing as well as you are. And so I take that opportunity at Christmastime for people that I'm associated with in one way or another, working with, working for, working, people working for me, and try and make an effort to make some kind of difference with them. And in addition to that, family and friends, in addition to that, to try and make a specific moment in time to give a, to whatever charities I'm giving to that year, and so it becomes a definitive moment. And most people, a lot of people choose Christmas to do that because of the expectations our culture has engendered. So trying to fulfill some of those expectations.
Panel:
Have you done any other Christmas-related projects in the past?
William Shatner:
I must have. I'm sure I did over the years, but this is the, this is the ultimate.
Panel:
Out of the hundreds and thousands of scripts, projects, that you might come across your desk, how did you decide? What appealed to you most about "Stalking Santa"?
William Shatner:
The fun of it. They approached me with a fun, with a script that amused me. It was a voice-over, did not require commitment of a lot of time, and it seemed like a project that would be exuberant and amusing and spoofing, and all those words that apply to somebody sitting down in front of their screen, whether it's a television, and having an enjoyable couple of hours. That's really all it is--for me--is fun. And I think the audience for this piece will have fun looking at it. It's not going to change the world, but if it makes people feel better when looking at it, that's all we ask.
Panel:
Will you be joining Robert Meyer Burnett in the sequel to "Free Enterprise"?
William Shatner:
I haven't been approached. I had heard some stuff a while ago. That was an amusing idea, but I've heard nothing further. Have you?
Panel:
I spoke with him at Comic-Con this year, and he didn't really tell me much, either. I think everything's under wraps.
William Shatner:
I think it's more than under wraps. [Laughs.] It's mummified, it's under mummified wraps. The wraps have stiffened, I think.
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Panel:
After so many different roles on television and film, what still gets you excited? What gets your creative juices flowing after all these years?
William Shatner:
Well, so many things. I'm, I think what an actor needs, or an entertainer in any of the various media, is a sort of childlike attitude of awe and wonder. And so as I move through the days and the week and the year, I find myself doing a variety of things that when they are finished and they have some success, I'm almost surprised.
I was mentioning "Exodus" as an example. It took two years to put this project together and issue the recording. I've done it myself, found a release, and it will be out there in Wal-Mart sort of thing, and it's a really good performance of a, something that's totally different, and it's got a religious overtone, or a religious-historical overtone, and yet it's entertaining.
I've got a book out there, a new book that's coming out--a Star Trek book. It's called "Collision" "Academy--The Collision." And it's out there in the bookstores right now. A new Star Trek book dealing with the adolescents Kirk and Spock, and I started writing about a 17-year-old Jim Kirk and a 19-year-old Spock and took the Soldiers of Darfur, the tragedy that's going there, the children soldiers, made them, updated them 300 years to a scourge that was happening then, and what the plans were going to be with Kirk and Spock adolescents.
That entertained me to tell that story. It entertained me to get this record going, and it's entertained me to do this voice-over, this narration for "Stalking Santa." So my year goes by, and you say, "Why pick that project?" and I sort of reverse the question and say, "Why not?" If I've got the time and energy, I like to do these variable things.
Panel:
And you mentioned earlier how you try to somewhat keep a low profile. How do you feel about nowadays in Hollywood, where it seems like everything you do is online? There's news shows. Do you miss the privacy sometimes?
William Shatner:
Yeah. That's a big deal. But, you know, the areas I tread on usually, like this morning I wasn't working on Boston Legal. I stopped work at nine o'clock yesterday night and fell into bed, and this morning was up at seven in order to compete in a horse show as a reiner. And so prior to talking to you, I've been on about three or four horses, and the people that I'm competing against--which I've done over the years--ignore the fact that I'm on television and a familiar face and treat me as a contestant, as a person who is trying to get a blue ribbon, and so are they, and that's the basis upon which they know me.
Panel:
Have you ever thought about directing again, or no?
William Shatner:
I like directing, and I'm working on a project that I will direct. But directing is a lot of energy and a lot of time, and so I haven't even approached the producers on Boston Legal to direct because of the expenditure of time and energy.
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Panel:
A couple of questions I'm sure people would love answered tangential to this subject of Santa. It's Star Trek, and there's rumors that you have signed on for a cameo role in the brand-new Star Trek film. Is this true?
William Shatner:
No, that's not true. I have not been approached. I know, I've heard the thing about this cameo. I don't know what that's in reference to, and I would be reluctant to do something that had so little value as to be a cameo. I'm disappointed that the story that they chose to do does not include the character I play. Having been in on the birth of Star Trek, I would love to have been in on the rebirth, or the resuscitation of it. And the fact that I am not is disappointing, but, and I think a foolish business decision on their part. But somebody decided how to play their story, and you know, they're knowledgeable people and wonderful entertainers, so we'll see what happens.
Panel:
The book you were referring to, which is basically about the first time Spock and Kirk meet.
William Shatner:
That's correct.
Panel:
You wrote it, but wasn't it with, along with two other people?
William Shatner:
Gar and Judith Reeves-Stevens.
Panel:
Now, to what input was it proportioned off to in the writing category?
William Shatner:
Well, the way, we've written several books together, all the major Star Trek books I've written with Gar and Judy. And the way it seems to work out is I develop the story and write out a full-fledged story outline--several, many, many pages. And they take that and work that over, and then we begin to work on it together, going through several rewrites until the three of us are satisfied with the work.
Panel:
Now, it does seem awfully like it could be a movie. I mean--.
William Shatner:
All the books I've written--every book I've written--could have been a movie. I write them as though I'm seeing a movie. I don't like A, B, and C stories and all that stuff, so I write as though it were a movie. When I read a book, I'd like to see the movie, and that's the way I write. The story line you are following, you are following the main characters, it's classically built as a beginning, a middle and an end, it's got character evolvement, anxiety, tension, the ticking clock--all the wonderful ingredients of a good, old-fashioned story. And that's what I've tried to do in all these books, and I think that "Academy" has caught it fully in terms of an imaginative history of the characters and the ongoing plot of how they must get from A to X.
Panel:
It just doesn't seem like there's ever, there ever could be an end to the Star Trek phenomenon. I mean, just when you think it's over with movies or with books or such, then you go backwards. You go sideways. I mean, it's been so important.
William Shatner:
It's amazing, and nobody understands why. Nobody understands the phenomena of Star Trek.
Panel:
Not even you?
William Shatner:
Especially me. All I know is that we've got these wonderful characters and we invent a history for them, and the history becomes more and more fascinating. When you read this book, you'll see what we planned here, the diverse things that went into make Jim Kirk Captain Kirk.
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Panel:
The roast--the roast that Comedy Central did for you. Man, that was below the belt in certain aspects. Was any of that night verbally painful to you?
William Shatner:
Halfway through, I looked over at one of the guys who was roasting me, and I was thinking, "That guys really means what he's saying! How did I get myself into this?" And I was aware that the camera was on me. I could see the camera's little red light on over his shoulder looking at me, and I knew that my face was on camera, listening, you know, absorbing the blows. And, but what was going in my head was, "How did I get myself into this thing?" And then we get nominated for an Emmy.
Panel:
Yeah.
William Shatner:
Is that wild?
Panel:
Well, it was a powerful piece of television, I'll tell you that for a fact.
William Shatner:
Well, the concept, the idea of being in a roast in itself is a two-edged sword in that they only do one person, and there's sort of an honor in that. And then what they write about you--because most of that stuff is written down by the writers of the show--is so dishonorable. It's wild. It was a wild thing to be a part of. I'm glad I did it. Ultimately, I'm glad I did it. And as Leonard Nimoy, who is my dear friend, said when I said we were nominated, he said, "That's absurd." [Laughs.]
Panel:
Mr. Shatner, about the original Star Trek series, having been redone with new special effects, remastered, and now it's coming to HD DVD with the phaser remote control. Is this something you're going to add to your collection?
William Shatner:
Yeah, I dimly recollect them saying they were going to do that. You know, I don't collect those things. I mean, I'm sure they're around somewhere, but I never look back at those things. I don't have any--I don't even take pictures. I've got all kinds of cameras. I love cameras, but I find myself reluctantly taking pictures because what's past is past. You can't recapture it, and I hear these heartbreaking stories of people who lose everything in a fire and the thing they most care about are pictures, and I'm thinking, "Why?" You know, what, the pictures remind you of something that can never be recaptured. The time is gone.
The only thing you know is the present. That's all that's knowable, and even the present isn't knowable, because the present becomes the past and then it's a second into the future. So you really don't know anything, and least of all, seeing either a picture of you when you were younger, which is somewhat horrifying, or someone you love who was younger. And I'm trying to find out, discover the answer to the mystery of "Why pictures?"
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Panel:
That's definitely a good question. Do you have any plans for any other Biblical CDs? You were mentioning Exodus earlier.
William Shatner:
Well, that's an interesting question. I was asked by Seattle to do another chapter. I'm trying to remember which one it was. And I thought, "I might do that, and maybe I could start recording with orchestra and chorals, every chapter of the Bible," edited down so that you get the sense of it, and do it within the time of a symphony, which is what this--it's really an oratorio--do that within the time limits of that. And yet I didn't have the physical time to go up to Seattle when they wanted me, so I'm not going to do it. But it did occur to me to do some other chapters. Maybe the opportunity will present itself again.
Mike Spring:
Hello again, Mr. Shatner.
William Shatner:
Hello again.
Mike Spring:
You mentioned getting nominated for the Emmy for the roast, and obviously you've picked some up as Denny Crane. So how does it feel to finally start collecting Emmys after having been in the business for so long?
William Shatner:
It feels so good. [Laughs.] It really feels good. And I was, you know, you get nominated and think, "Wow. That's an honor." And then that slowly dissipates as the Emmy time approaches, and then you realize, you know, then you think, "All right. The nomination's fine, but I want to win."
So I've done my share of winning, and I was nominated this year as the Best Supporting Actor, and I didn't win the Emmy. I was really disappointed. I thought I might do it this year. There was some interesting stuff that I did as Denny Crane, and again, it will be the same this year. They're writing some really good stuff for the character, and so you've got your fingers crossed. The truth of the matter, it is an honor to be nominated. There's so many people out there, and there are five nominations in the category, so it is definitely an honor. But like driving a new car, after a while, you begin to think of it as an old car. The pleasure of the nomination goes away very quickly, and then you want to win the Emmy.
Mike Spring:
Right. Well, congratulations on your wins, and that leads to my next question. Is playing Denny Crane as much fun as it looks like it is?
William Shatner:
Yes. Yes, it is. It's a lot of work. I'm learning a big, three-page closing speech, and that's a lot of work. I go over it and over it, because I have a sense of pride about my memory and my ability to recall, and I don't know whether it's any harder to do now that I'm older. I still have good recollection. I think probably it's when you're fatigued, that the memory goes somewhat, and that's a bit terrorizing on these long speeches. So Denny Crane is great fun and a lot of work, and I don't mind the work.
Mike Spring:
Great. Well, I enjoy watching him. Thank you.
William Shatner:
Thank you.
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Panel:
I was just curious what you would like to say to everyone who's been a fan and supporter of you and your work.
William Shatner:
Well, this is all about "Stalking Santa," so if you want to have some fun, go get a copy of that DVD. I'm sure you will enjoy it, and there's other stuff coming down the pike, it's in the pipeline, and this is the first of the--there are three things out there this year, this fall, this winter season, and "Stalking Santa" is one of them.
Panel:
A quick follow-up to--previously you were talking about the myth of Santa Claus.
William Shatner:
Yes.
Panel:
You're not implying that Santa's not real, are you?
William Shatner:
No, Santa is real. It's just, "Where is he?"
Panel:
And when you were growing up, were you immersed in Santa?
William Shatner:
Yeah, you know, the, I was brought up in Montreal, a very Catholic city, especially then. There are a lot more people from all over the world. It was a very--it's a much more cosmopolitan city now. But when I was there, it was fairly, whatever the opposite of cosmopolitan is. It was very rural, and it's called "the City of Churches" for a reason. So Christmas was celebrated in its, with much of its religious meaning. But in addition to that, there was a lot of lights and music and gifts and food and scent and snow. A lot of snow.
And my passion in those days, besides acting, was skiing. So when I was out for the Christmas holidays in school, I would go skiing up to the Laurentian Mountains, and there they had Santa on a sled and pulled by horses and not a reindeer, and it was, it was a very, very picturesque time. And that struck me very emphatically then and has remained with me all this time.
Panel:
You've done so many different mediums. Is there one thing that you've done that you're really proud of but it didn't really catch on with an audience, and you wish that people would maybe now give it a chance?
William Shatner:
That goes for most of the things I've done. No, I mean I'm sure that's so. There's all kinds of things lying around that didn't see a lot of air. I did a recording that got really great notices called "Has Been," and that was a couple of years ago, and I wish that had sold more copies. And, you know, getting back for the moment to "Stalking Santa," let's hope that sells a lot of copies so that everybody's happy to have done it.
Panel:
And what aspect of the movie industry, and I guess the entertainment industry, has changed since you first started? What do you think is the major difference from when you first started to now as far as the entertainment industry?
William Shatner:
The major difference, as far as I can see, is technical. You know, HD and cameras are smaller and lights need to be less hot and all that kind of thing. The essential story-telling doesn't change from times immemorial around a campfire. People are moved and thrilled and pleasured and disgusted by the very same things we did when we were knocking things on the head and cooking them over the campfire.
Panel:
As you look back now on your career, has it been what you expected?
William Shatner:
I had no expectation. You know, age is a--I don't know, the neutral word is interesting. You don't think you're going to get old, and then when you're old, you don't think you're old, and I don't know what old is. I don't know how I'm supposed to feel as old. And if I have a muscle aches, would it have ached if I was 25? It's just, there are no expectations. I mean, I don't know how you have expectations, because the moment you expect something, it changes about anyway.
Moderator:
And we're going to be wrapping this up. Thank you for your time.
William Shatner:
Well, let me say goodbye, then. It's been a pleasure talking to all of you. "Stalking Santa" is worth your audience's attention. I hope you'll write well about it. It was a great, fun project for me to do, and I know the people who produced it have great expectations for it. So I hope you'll help us fulfill them. And the other things I talked about, I hope you'll mention those as well. Thank you so much.
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