William Shatner and Takei revisit six decades of Star Trek
William Shatner, 95, and George Takei, 89, have looked back on six decades of Star Trek, telling AARP that the franchise endured because its futuristic setting always foregrounded human stories—and that fans, not executives alone, gave the canceled series its unexpected longevity. Their reflections arrive as the original series marks 60 years since its Sept. 8, 1966 premiere, a milestone still driving celebrity breaking news around the cast.
Key Takeaways
- William Shatner told AARP at GalaxyCon Richmond in March 2026 that Star Trek succeeded because it put human behavior in the foreground.
- George Takei said Sulu was the first fully developed role he was offered—not a stereotype.
- The original series ended after three seasons, but fans helped turn it into a multigenerational franchise.
- Both actors say aging, work, and caregiving have deepened their gratitude for the show’s message.
Why does William Shatner say Star Trek still connects?
In an AARP Movies for Grownups interview published July 20, 2026, Shatner argued the future was never the show’s true subject.
“Although the background was futuristic, the foreground was what happens because you’re a human being,” he said. “And I think that was the key to Star Trek’s success.”
He now remembers the people more than the sets. “My memory of Star Trek is filled with the lovely people in it,” Shatner said, naming Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley as friends who have died.
What did George Takei say about playing Sulu?
Takei recalled that American television offered Asian actors few substantial parts when he auditioned. Reading for helmsman Hikaru Sulu felt different.
“It was the first time that I was being asked to portray a character that was fully developed,” Takei, 89, said. “It was a human being, not a cartoon or a stereotype.”
He called Sulu “an identifiable, sharp, intelligent member of a Starfleet team” and said he “desperately wanted to be a part of that show.” Watching the premiere with family in Milwaukee, he noted it “wasn’t an overwhelming smash debut.” The series still ended after three seasons.
How has the franchise stayed alive for 60 years?
Takei credits viewers who kept finding the show after cancellation. “The fans who discovered it gave us this totally unexpected, undreamed-of longevity,” he said.
He calls Star Trek “a family show,” with grandpas and grandmas as steady viewers and spin-offs its “children and grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.” The anniversary wave also includes San Diego Comic-Con 2026 programming framed around Hall H panels, season screenings, and a 60th-anniversary celebration.
Shatner has kept working—acting, music, books, and a Blue Origin flight at 90—while Takei has written the graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy and expanded into stage and social media. After caring for his mother and later using a wheelchair himself, Takei said “‘Live long and prosper’ should include gratitude.”