George Takei Talks to TVSquad about Bill Shatner

[JamesG]

George Takei on William Shatner
by Joel Keller
posted Oct 13th 2010



What do you attribute this resurgence of your career? I mean, you've always been around, but this piece of your career in the last 5 years or so, what do you attribute it to?

Do you attribute it to Stern, do you attribute it to "Heroes"?

I think it's a combination of one, you know, I really had to think about my... I'd been out, quietly out, for decades, without blowing a trumpet about it.

But in 2005, when both houses of our California legislature passed the same-sex marriage bill, I was elated. You know, it was extraordinary. Massachusetts had same sex marriage equality by that time, but that came through the judicial route.

And for the first time in the history of the United States, the legislature passed such a bill, the representatives of the people.





And I thought it was really going to change America, beginning with the state of California. And all that was needed was a signature of man who campaigned for the governor's office by saying "I'm from Hollywood, I've worked with gays and lesbians, I'm comfortable with them."

You know, and I thought surely Arnold Schwarzenegger would sign the bill. When he played to the reactionary conservative segment of his Republican base and vetoed it, I was enraged.




But you know, that night I was watching TV here at home, and I saw that rage pour out onto Santa Monica Blvd. And here I was at home, safe and comfortable. And I felt that I needed to speak out on that. And for me to speak out on it, my voice had to be authentic.

So I spoke to the press (about being gay) for the first time in 2005, and I thought of the downsides of that, but you know, I thought "Well, I had a fun career, and maybe it's time for me to look elsewhere for the rest of my career." And I made that decision to talk to the press.





And that brought about an invitation from Howard to, he wanted me to be a regular on the show, as the "official" announcer. And I think it's the combination of those two that revitalized my career, regalvanized my career.

And then, you know, "Heroes" happened after that.









And a small amount of it also was the Shatner roast, too, I think.

I mean, people knew about you and Bill, and we don't have to go into that because that's kind of old news, but just the act you had there...

(laughing) And I think that was exaggerated.





But the act that you put on at the roast kind of enhanced your image a bit.

(chuckling) Yes.












But you do say that that whole thing has been exaggerated, basically because why?

What, the Bill thing? Well, you know, that discomfort with Bill has been shared by the entire cast. So that was the standard feeling that we all had.

But then it really got exaggerated when Brad and I got married. We sent invitations out to everybody, particularly because we asked Walter (Koenig) and Nichelle (Nichols) to be part of the wedding party.

So we sent invitations out to everybody, every one of my colleagues from "Star Trek". Bill got an invitation. And he never responded. You know, Leonard responded, and he was coming, but at the last minute, he had something that he had to do in NY so he couldn't come.





But Bill never responded.

And Bill's never, you know, done anything with us. That's part of the kvetch from all of us. Like when Leonard got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, we were all there.

When Gene Roddenberry, or when DeForest (Kelley) or Jimmy Doohan, you know, Bill's the one that's always absented himself. Or when we would have a party, Bill would never come. So it wasn't surprising that Bill didn't RSVP.





But then a month and a half after the wedding, he goes public with this ranting and raving about our not having invited him. I mean, for one thing, you know, I never got any invitations to any of his many, many weddings, you know. So why should he, first of all, expect an invitation.

But we did send an invitation, and he goes public complaining about it. And we were absolutely baffled by that.









So he's kind of continued on the whole...

He's the one that's holding it up. And then later on I realized, you know, we were driving down Sunset Blvd. and here's a billboard advertising "William Shatner's Raw Nerve", a new talk show, you know. And I said to Brad, that's why he's been making all that noise about not getting an invitation to our wedding.

So Bill exploits situations for his own benefit. So we know that about Bill. But he's been playing it up. And then we went on YouTube, saying something about "George must have some psychosis," you know, "He didn't invite people...what is this with George?"

So whenever he needs publicity, he revives it.





Will you go on "Raw Nerve"?

He's asked me to. But you know, he is in charge of everything. He controls everything. Why should I subject myself to that?

I've passed on it. And you know, he's relentless. He has his producer call, he has a woman call...I don't know who she is. And we've passed on it all the time.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/10/13/ge...ing-with-howa/