Exclusive: William Shatner remembers his friend Leonard Nimoy and talks about the late Spock actor’s concern for the environment.
Summary
- William Shatner remembers Leonard Nimoy as a giver of love, with a bond that spanned nearly 50 years.
- In discussing climate change, Shatner reflects on Nimoy’s concern for the environment.
- Leonard Nimoy’s legacy lives on as an icon of love and attention, even after his passing in 2015.
William Shatner remembers his Star Trek friend and co-star Leonard Nimoy as “a magnificent giver of love and attention.” Shatner and Nimoy are two of pop culture’s most enduring and beloved icons, originating the roles of Captain James T. Kirk and his Vulcan Science Officer, Mr. Spock, in Star Trek: The Original Series. Together, Shatner and Nimoy co-starred in 3 seasons of Star Trek, 1 season of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and six Star Trek movies. Shatner, who is about to turn 93, looks back on his remarkable 70+ career on stage and screen in a new documentary, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant to discuss You Can Call Me Bill, William Shatner was asked about Leonard Nimoy, who was friends with Bill for nearly 50 years. When asked if there was anything new Nimoy would have learned about Shatner if he’d been able to watch You Can Call Me Bill, Mr. Shatner said no, but discussed his and Leonard’s mutual concern for the environment and the threat of climate change. Read his quote below:
He would probably no learn specific facts. But, you know, 10 years ago, the imperative of global warming wasn’t as strident as it is now. There are very few insane people who don’t believe that the globe is warming at an accelerating rate. Most of us believe that it is. Most of us believe that it’s harmful. And most of us believe we’ve got to do something about it. So Leonard would have been a participant in all that. The specifics, probably not, because it wasn’t known. But he was certainly a magnificent giver of love and attention.
Leonard Nimoy passed away on February 27, 2015, at the age of 83.
Kirk and Spock’s enduring friendship ran through all of Star Trek: The Original Series and movies, and these 10 moments highlight that bond.
What Happened To William Shatner & Leonard Nimoy’s Friendship?
Shatner was estranged from Nimoy when he died
William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were friends for 50 years, and they even had a ‘favored nations’ clause when it came to their contracts for Star Trek. This was the reason Shatner was able to direct Star Trek V: The Final Frontier after Nimoy’s back-to-back hits directing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.Sadly, towards the end of Leonard’s life, a rift formed between him and Bill. Their friendship was reportedly fractured when Shatner was filming his 2011 documentary The Captains, and Nimoy was upset at footage of him that was captured without his consent.
Nimoy’s daughter Julie reached out to Shatner and told Bill that Leonard loved him.
Tragically, WIlliam Shatner and Leonard Nimoy weren’t able to mend fences when Nimoy passed away in 2015. Shatner also chose to honor a charity commitment rather than attend Nimoy’s funeral. In Leonard, Shatner’s 2016 biography of his friend and Star Trek co-star, he writes, “One of my greatest regrets is that Leonard and I were not as close as we had been during those last few years of his life,” later adding that “[…] it is heartbreaking, heartbreaking. It is something I will wonder about, and regret, forever.” However, Nimoy’s daughter Julie reached out to Shatner and told Bill that Leonard loved him.
