William Shatner: When Star Trek was canceled after only three years, I had no money

When William Shatner landed the role of Captain James T Kirk in the iconic TV series Star Trek in 1966, he was already an established stage and film actor in his native Canada.

He famously reprized his role in the hugely successful film franchise, playing the eponymous veteran police officer TJ Hooker in the 1980s TV drama series.

After the Star Trek mantle was passed to the next generation, Shatner received praise for his role as defense attorney Denny Crane in the comedy-drama Boston Legal.

At the age of 90, he also traveled where no one his age had gone before, by shooting into space.

Now 92, he remains an avid equestrian and lives with his two Dobermans in his villa overlooking the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles. He has been married four times and has three daughters, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

What was your first job after leaving school?

After graduating from McGill University in Montreal, I worked in a summer theater for two or three months. After the season, the manager left for Ottawa to run the Canadian Repertory Theater this winter, and I asked about a job. She said they didn’t have any acting jobs, but since I had a business degree, she could hire me as an assistant manager.

I became a terrible business manager, was promptly fired and rehired as an actor. I was paid $50 a week, which was enough to pay the rent on an apartment with a bed with a rope mattress (where rope supports the mattress instead of wooden slats), and usually enough money for food. But if I wanted to get my laundry done or go to the movies, I had to forfeit a meal.

Did you think being an actor would be well paid?

I had been performing since I was six, all through school and college. My fault or my benefit is that I didn’t think about whether acting would make enough money to live on.

It never occurred to me not to be on stage until I told my father I wanted to be an actor. He just said, “Don’t be ridiculous!” and we got into an argument about my career prospects because he didn’t want me to be, as he put it, a “supporter.”

Does Star Trek offer more job security?

In the mid-1960s I had three children with my first wife Gloria and could no longer sleep in a small apartment on a rope mattress.

Hanging over me like a storm cloud about to break was the thought: Can I make enough money to support everyone?

Star Trek may have offered financial security, but like any other show, the danger is canceled. We were not paid brilliantly, even by the standards of the time.

So when Star Trek was canceled after three years, I had no money and was divorced. I put together a summer theater program and toured the US with it. I kept myself alive by being on stage and making just enough to live on.

How was Star Trek reborn?

Star Trek disappeared for about six years, and then it was shown in syndication everywhere, played to a younger audience, and suddenly it became very popular.

But the original cast received none of the financial benefits.

Was there a year that stood out as your most financially successful year?

I have always been a saver and not one to spend a lot of money, so I was able to save it, put it in the bank and invest it. Gradually I got to the point where I thought I didn’t have to worry from year to year, so I felt most financially successful back then, in the 1980s, when I played TJ Hooker.

Are you a spender or a saver?

I always felt financially at risk because I had three children and they needed health care and care. Now there are many people around me that I can help. In addition to my three daughters – Lisabeth, Leslie Carol and Melanie – I have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Have you ever had a pension?

No! I think retirement requires a well-funded venture, with a beginning, middle and no end. I think it’s a very English thing.

Do you own real estate?

I bought a modern Spanish Colonial style house with four bedrooms in 1974. It is located in a suburb of Los Angeles, overlooking the San Fernando Valley. I also keep horses at a trainer stable about 30 minutes from my house.

What has been your best financial decision?

I knew investing was a good idea. Managing my money carefully so I could take care of the family, fix the roof or whatever, and invest has been my best money decision.

What is your financial priority?

I feel comfortable now. I don’t think about money for myself, but for those I love. My top priority is to ensure that my family has enough food and shelter for years to come.

Did you have to pay to go into space?

I was lucky enough to be a guest of Jeff Bezos in the Blue Origin orbit, but from what I hear, commercial flights of the future will cost between $200,000 (£158,000) and $300,000. That’s a ticket!

You went into space in 2021 at the age of 90. How did that happen?

I actually turned down the first offer – which invited me to go after Jeff Bezos. I thought I wouldn’t come second.

But I have a book out called Boldly Go, which says, “Say YES! to the adventure of life.’ So I convinced myself that I had to be true to that.

Anyway, they took me there a day earlier and I thought, ‘What am I doing here, is there no one here yet?’ And then someone from the space team suggested we drive to the launch site, which is located at an altitude of almost 1,500 meters in the desert. When we got there, one of the space crews said, “Let’s walk through the portal to the launch pad.”

Well, I made three, four flights – trying to catch my breath – and then a few more, and finally I reached the top. They said, ‘That’s great, let’s go back down’ and I thought, ‘Why do I have to come down here?’ Then I realized they were checking to see if the old man could reach those eleven floors at 5,000 feet.

• William Shatner’s book Boldly Go: Reflections On A Life Of Awe And Wonder is now available in paperback. A biopic, You Can Call Me Bill, will be released this summer