Star Trek actor William Shatner, who celebrated his 93rd birthday on Friday, feels as youthful as ever.
Shatner’s secret to staying youthful into his 90s is “to stay active and curious about life. But good health has a lot to do with luck.”
“The energy of your life, the energy of your body’s soul, is a product of health,” he told People. “If you get sick, you can’t get well. You die. So I was lucky. I was healthy all my life.”
William Shatner reveals biggest regret of Hollywood career: ‘I screwed up badly’
William Shatner shares his secret to staying young even into his 90s. (Getty Images)
The actor, who starred in the original Star Trek series from 1966 to 1969, is proud to still be “in good spirits.”
William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin attended the Living Legends of Aviation Awards together in January 2023. (Photo by Victoria Silakova/Getty Images)
He told People magazine Thursday at the premiere of his documentary, “You Can Call Me Bill,” that he owes his positive outlook largely to his “wife,” Elizabeth Martin.
Shatner was married to Martin from 2001 until their divorce was finalized in 2020. Rumors of a reconciliation began to spread after the former couple attended the Living Legends of Aviation Awards together in January 2023.
He told the media that he doesn’t take birthdays too seriously and tends to prefer relaxed celebrations.
William Shatner takes responsibility for the poor reception of his film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. (Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCUPhotoBank via GettyImages)
“Well, they say birthdays are important days. I think there’s a reason why someone out there celebrates, ‘Oh my god, I’m 93 years old,'” he said, adding, “I think it’s a big day. I’m not proud,” he added.
Ahead of his birthday, Shatner talked about his biggest regret in his long Hollywood career.
Talk candidly about the 1989 film. ”Star Trek V: The Last Frontier” Shatner implied that the project was doomed from the start. He reprized the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the film, which he originally played in the television series.
“I wish I had the backing and the courage to do what I felt I had to do. My concept was, ‘Star Trek is about finding God.’ Management said, “So who is God?” “No, we can’t be gods, because we’re going to alienate people who don’t believe,” he explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
William Shatner not only starred in Star Trek V: The Last Frontier, he also directed the film. (Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“And someone said, ‘What about the aliens who think they’re gods?’ Then it was just a series of incompetences on my part to deal with administration and budgets,” he said. He talked about the subsequent steps in making the film, which he directed. “I failed. In my mind, I failed terribly.”
“If you ask me, ‘What is your biggest regret? “The void was filled with people who didn’t make the decisions I would have made,” he lamented.
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At the time of release,Star TrekShatner said he takes full responsibility, even if people later question his budget or his support.
William Shatner sits in front of his “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” co-stars, including Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Walter Koenig, DeForest Kelley and Nichelle Nichols. (Paramount Pictures/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images))
“That’s my responsibility,” he reiterated, citing the example of mismanaging a $30 million budget. ”[In the final scene] I wanted granite [rock creatures] Explosion from the mountain. The special effects guy said, “We’ll make you a suit that burns and emits smoke.” I said, “Great, how much does it cost?” They said, “$250,000 a suit.” “Can you make me 10 suits?” He said, “Sure.” ”
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“That’s $2.5 million. Our budget is $30 million. We certainly want to spend it.” [it on that]”That’s a pragmatic decision,” he remembers thinking.
Shatner’s plans famously fell through due to mechanical problems towards the end of filming.
William Shatner previously revealed the secret to his longevity in Hollywood. (Olivia Wong/Getty Images)
Despite facing some memorable challenges, Shatner continues to find success both in front of and behind the camera.
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“It’s a blessing. I’m lucky to be healthy,” he told Fox News Digital in June about his longevity in the entertainment industry. “I think that was the first thing…I had a lot going on, but nothing was debilitating for a while. So having a life force inside me was probably pretty much everything. It’s about that.”
Fox News Digital’s Caroline Thayer contributed to this report.
