William Shatner Devastated Over How Things Ended With Leonard Nimoy
William Shatner recently spoke candidly about how hurt he was that Leonard Nimoy died before the old friends could mend fences.
William Shatner is devastated that he never made peace with Leonard Nimoy. The pair began a decades-long friendship working together as James Tiberius Kirk and Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series. But in the years leading up to Nimoy’s death in 2015, the two had become very distant. Speaking to Entertainment Tonight about his new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, the 91-year-old shared his feelings about his friend.
“He was a wonderful guy who struggled, the same way I did, with family and children and career and gradually made his way up, through talent and attendance,” William Shatner recalled about his friendship with Leonard Nimoy. “We were like brothers. I loved him as family.”
The Star Trek legend went on to explain that they didn’t have a real falling out. They just drifted apart for reasons the 91-year-old still doesn’t fully understand.
“I don’t know what happened. He wouldn’t answer my calls, I wrote him a heartfelt letter saying how much I loved him and I wished him well because he was dying,” William Shatner said about trying to get in touch with Leonard Nimoy. The Star Trek alum said he really wanted to see his friend and is hurt that he never got the chance to say goodbye.
However, he explained that when people get really ill they don’t want to see anyone.
“I’d like to say that was the reason,” William Shatner said, making peace with Leonard Nimoy’s decision. Fortunately, the actor got the reassurance he craved from his co-star’s daughter, Julie. He told USA Today that she told him her father loved him.
“The universe is sending me messages back that whatever happened, he loved me as I loved him… He was my brother. We shared a lifetime,” he told the publication.
While William Shatner may have found solace in the message from Leonard Nimoy’s daughter, he has written off his friendship with another Star Trek actor. Addressing his decades long feud with George Takei, the Emmy winner explained that his co-star’s criticism of his trip into space was the last straw. The actor-turned-activist threw enough shade at his former on-screen captain, telling Page Six he was just an “unfit guinea pig.”
Takei also implied that Shatner was only invited as an experiment due to his advanced age.
“Why would George Takei put that in public? After I came down from space… had this experience, talked about global warming,” William Shatner said after being ok with the Leonard Nimoy situation. He added that the comment was very mean-spirited and completely uncalled for.
Speaking candidly, Shatner added that he doesn’t give “a cup of tea” what Takei’s opinion is. And the guy is just “not well.”
For more about William Shatner’s relationship with Leonard Nimoy and other Star Trek trivia, fans can grab a copy of his book which was released on October 4th. It’s currently available on Amazon in hardcover, Kindle eBook, and audiobook narrated by the 91-year-old. Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder also sees the actor reflect on the interconnectivity of all things, our fragile bond with nature, and the joy that comes from exploration.
The book is described as an inspiring, revelatory, and exhilarating collection of essays.
