Have U Heard??

William Shatner will be appearing this weekend at the New York City’s Big Apple Comic Con.  The cultural icon gained worldwide fame for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk, captain of the starship USS Enterprise, in the television series Star Trek from 1966 to 1969.

With over fifty years in the business he has starred in many movies, worked as a musician, bestselling author, producer, director, and celebrity pitchman.  He has also won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award as attorney Denny Crane on the television drama Boston Legal, which he starred in from 2004 to 2008.

Haveuheard correspondents Brian Dolingo and Glenn Day recently had the pleasure to speak with Mr. Shatner.

Haveuheard:  Do you have any hobbies? What do you find relaxing?

Shatner:I don’t have hobbies per-se, I send a great deal of time with horses. A passion of mine.  A thing that occupies a great deal of my time is horses.  The selection of breeding of horses and training them and competing on them and selling them.  I’m in the entire scheme of the business of horses.  It is more than a hobby, but less than a vocation.

Have U Heard: Is your wife involved with the horses?

Shatner:  It is a thing we do together.  It is a form of great joy for both of us.

Have U Heard:  Do keep in touch with any of your Star Trek co-stars?

Shatner:  Leonard Nemoy is a dear friend of mine.  We stay in touch all the time.

Have U Heard:  Was there any particular guest star that stood out to you?

Shatner:  Most of them were blond.

Have U Heard:  I rented the movie Incubus. 

Shatner:  Uh-huh

Have U Heard:  Describe your experience with the movie.

Shatner:  The amusing thing that happened on that film is that I learned the language by rote … I did not know what I was saying. When the film came out it was entered in Venice film festival.  Months later, I saw a version of the film with me talking in Esperanto which I no longer understood, with Italian subtitles which I didn’t understand, and I had forgotten much of the plot by that time.  So I was watching a movie with me in it having no idea of what I was saying or what I was doing.

Have U Heard:  How was the show TJ Hooker received by the public at that time?

Shatner:  The LAPD liked it.  We were on for 6 years so something good must of happened.

Have U Heard:  I wanted to know about your experience more recently, in Boston Legal.  In particular your relationship with James Spater?

Shatner: I had seen Sex Lies and Videotape several times, years before and admired James as an actor for a long time.  I got a kick out of meeting him.  He is a wonderful performer.  It was a lovely experience…we became good friends.  The show lasted 5 years and I had 5 years of these wonderful people being part of my experience.  It was one of the better times that I’ve had as an actor.  Frequently, when you get into a long term show whether it is on stage or on film you’re in a shotgun marriage.  You might not have chosen to be with these people, so you are forced into a relationship… and you are very lucky if you meet nice people, mannerly people, who are generous in both their personal and professional lives, and that is what happened here.  It was just a joyful experience from the beginning to the end.

William Shatner will be making a rare convention appearance at Big Apple Comic Con,  Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Oct 16-Oct.18) to greet fans and sign autographs. Don’t miss your chance to meet this pop culture icon!  For tickets and more info go to www.wizardworld.com .

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