George Takei is firing back weeks after William Shatner claimed that Takei has used his name for publicity purposes over the years. Based on the back-and-forths that the two Star Trek alums have had in the past, few probably expected Takei to let the comments go, and sure enough, the Sulu actor didn't hold back when addressing them.
The veteran star spoke to international news outlets ahead of the London run of the musical Allegiance, which is based on his experience growing up in an internment camp. While George Takei spoke to Mirror, William Shatner’s recent comments were brought up. Takei went on to vehemently shoot down the assumption that he evokes his former co-star's name in order to bring attention to himself:
Bill says I talk about him to get publicity… nonsense! I don’t need him for publicity so I’m not going to play his game by talking about him.
Most would probably agree that the actor's response here is incredibly clear. At this point, it shouldn’t be too hard for Star Trek fans to believe that It doesn’t take much for either actor to speak ill of the other, regardless of the attention they’ll get for doing so. Takei’s beef with Shatner has been well documented and has persisted for quite some time.
Those weren't the only comments that George Takei shared, either. The 85-year-old actor once again brought up past Star Trek drama, slamming William Shatner while also throwing some praise towards Leonard Nimoy’s performance as Spock in the process. Here's what he said exactly:
Nobody got on with Bill. He was and is a prima donna. He likes to be the center of attention. Yes, he started out as the star of the show but he was overshadowed by Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, a much more compelling character. Sadly, Leonard isn’t with us anymore.
For anyone out of the loop, this kind of animosity is hardly new. When William Shatner made headlines for going to space, George Takei cracked a joke about his health. And when Takei alleged that Shatner was jealous about how well Leonard Nimoy was received by fans, Shatner quipped that Takei wasn’t even on the set often enough to know something like that. It goes without saying that this feud runs deep and, at this point, it doesn't look like it'll be resolved anytime soon.
At this stage, It also doesn’t seem likely that other former Trek actors will stop bringing up William Shatner’s past behavior, as George Takei isn’t the only one who's called him out. (Wil Wheaton was particularly vocal about one run-in.) Some of the comments that Shatner has made in recent years have also seemingly rubbed some people the wrong way. For instance, when he once said that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry would be turning in his grave over the franchise's current state, he upset some Trek actors who are tied the recent wave shows. Of course, the franchise will continue to change and evolve as time goes on, but I'm honestly not sure we can say the same for Shatner and Takei's relationship.
Off-screen drama aside though, there are a ton of upcoming Star Trek shows on the docket. Anyone looking to see the final season of Picard or Season 5 of Discovery better ensure their Paramount+ subscription is firmly secured. tied the recent wave shows. Of course, the franchise will continue to change and evolve as time goes on, but I'm honestly not sure we can say the same for Shatner and Takei's relationship.
