According to William Shatner, to live in his world, “you must be a forgiving soul and a trained athlete.” Forgiving because in giving and receiving preposterous comments, you can’t take things too seriously. A trained athlete because you must have stamina to always look forward, go forward and keep moving forward. Genuinely talented, Shatner’s World — We Just Live In It, is a humanizing, poignant balance between real-life Shatner and make-believe Shatner.
On this latest trek throughout the central United States with his one-man show, 86-year-old Shatner continues to be bold with stories that go where only he has gone before. His self-awareness and sincerity for sharing his experiences — the good, the ugly, the highs and lows and the downright embarrassing — demonstrates his tenacity for trudging on and for just living life to its fullest.
[block pos=”right”] On this latest trek throughout the central United States with his one-man show, Shatner continues to be bold with stories that go where only he has gone before. [/block]
Shatner’s stories usually climax with a preposterous life lesson experienced throughout his colorful career. When inquiring how does he do it? How can he continue to act, write, sing, ride horses and advocate? He simply states, “it’s in the genes and a lot of luck.” Moving forward in thought, Shatner wasn’t speaking of jeans, like Levi’s or Wrangler, when he continued with, “A healthy lifestyle is only part of it; having a good genetic structure helps. I am lucky. And, I am surrounded by good people.” Authentic, Shatner is real.
Exhaling only on the downward trail to another gig, inhaling when the laughter and cheers from the audience engulfs him, Shatner expresses great love in speaking to audiences. His motivation is to know that you’ve gotten your money’s worth.
With roles like Captain James T. Kirk and Denny Crane, one might believe he tends to be a bit delusional. On the contrary, he is able to get to the core of you. All of his parts, all of his experiences, contribute to a whole — a whole lot of life lessons that make a whole lot of brilliant, meaningful and entertaining stories.
He is fully in charge of the joke. He takes control. He wants you to cry and laugh. He expects to hold your attention. If ever you’re in doubt, just ask him.
Shatner just returned from six weeks of filming in Europe for the second season of NBC’s Better Late Than Never TV series. He jumped from country to country with his co-stars Henry Winkler, George Foreman and Terry Bradshaw. Remember the trained athlete he said was needed to live in his world? Could you fly, act, travel, act again and fly home to be interviewed and then immediately shuttled from gig to gig?
For more than 50 years, Shatner has become a recognizable superstar as an award-winning actor, director, producer, writer, recording artist and horseman. He has won Emmys and his first Golden Globe for his portrayal of the eccentric lawyer Denny Crane in Boston Legal. Like him or not, Denny didn’t care. And, how can we forget his handsome swagger in T.J. Hooker?
Did you know his love of music inspired him to record the album “Has Been” and the Milwaukee Ballet performed a dance presentation to several of the songs? Shatner’s musical project, “Ponder The Mystery,” with lyrics by him and music by Billy Sherwood, was released in October 2013. This followed the well-received, space-inspired album “Seeking Major Tom,” which features songs by U2, Frank Sinatra, Queen and Pink Floyd.
Resistance is futile. He does not stop. He is driven to always do more. To relax (a term used very loosely) he trains and rides horses. He became a more prominent advocate for the environment after reading Rachel Carson’s book, “Silent Spring.” He sings, jogs on occasion, eats healthy and spends as much time as he can with his wife, children and grandchildren. He loves theatre, speaking to groups and declares that he is a work in progress, constantly working to make audiences smile, laugh and remember — “Life is over quickly, you better enjoy it today.”
Indulge with Shatner at Johnson County Community College Carlsen Center on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets available at jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter. For one evening, live in Shatner’s World. It’s worth your money, he will guarantee — no negotiation needed.
–Julie Neemeyer
