The original Star Trek cast may have represented a united front on screen, but George Takei, who portrayed Hikaru Sulu, said no one liked William Shatner.
During a chat with The Guardian, Takei was asked if the camaraderie on the fictional USS Enterprise translated on set. The actor was quick to say, "Yes. Yes. YES! Except for one, who was a prima donna." The prima donna in question is William Shatner, who played Captain James. T. Kirk. The feud between Shatner and Takei has been never-ending as the former crewmates have traded words long after their time on the original series and the subsequent films they appeared in together.
Takei went on to mention that he made lifelong friends with the rest of the cast. Walter Koenig's Chekov was the best man at his 2008 wedding while the late Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Nyota Uhura, insisted on being his best lady. When asked if anyone in the cast got along with Shatner, Takei said, "No, none of us," and he elaborated on the reasons why by saying, "He was self-involved. He enjoyed being the center of attention. He wanted everyone to kowtow to him."
Shatner has had his share to say about the feud with his Star Trek castmates as well. Just recently, Shatner stated, "Sixty years after some incident, they are still on that track. Don't you think that's a little weird? It's like a sickness. I began to understand that they were doing it for publicity." The former Captain of the USS Enterprise also spoke about Takei directly by saying, "George [Takei] has never stopped blackening my name. These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?"
The Original Cast of Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series, which was created by Gene Roddenberry, premiered in 1966 and ran for three seasons and 79 episodes. The show followed the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew, which consisted of Captain James T. Kirk (Shatner), First Officer and Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Chief Medical Officer Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Second Officer and Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Communications Officer Nyota Uhura (Nichols), Helmsman Hikaru Sulu (Takei) and Navigator Pavel Chekov (Koenig).
Despite its relatively short run, Star Trek became a hit in syndication and this helped launch the film franchise, beginning with 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The movie reunited the cast of the original series and despite mixed reviews, the film grossed $139 million globally on a $44 million budget. The original cast would return in 1982's Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, 1984's Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which is the final installment to feature the full original cast of the TV series.
Star Trek: The Original Series and all the films featuring the original cast can be streamed on Paramount+.
Source: The Guardian