William Shatner shares the secrets to staying youthful ahead of his 93rd birthday
“Star Trek” actor William Shatner, who celebrated his 93rd birthday Friday, feels as young as ever.
Shatner’s secret to remaining youthful in his 90s is: “Just staying engaged in life, to stay curious. But the luck has a lot to do with it in your health.”
“Your life’s energy, the soul energy of your body is a product of health,” he told People. “If you’re sick, you can’t be energetic. You’re dying. So my luck has been, I’ve been healthy all my life.”
The actor, who starred in the original “Star Trek” show from 1966 to 1969, prides himself on still being “energetic.”
He told People at the premiere of his documentary, titled “You Can Call Me Bill,” Thursday that he largely credits that positive outlook to his “wife,” Elizabeth Martin.
Shatner was married to Martin from 2001 to 2020, when their divorce was finalized. Reconciliation rumors began to spread after the former couple attended the Living Legends of Aviation Awards together in January 2023.
He told the outlet that he doesn’t tend to take birthdays too seriously and prefers a laid-back celebration.
“Well, birthdays are purportedly a big day. I suppose there’s a reason for somebody outside to celebrate, ‘Oh my God, 93,’” he said, adding, “I’m not glorying in it.”
Prior to his big birthday, Shatner shared his biggest regret from his long Hollywood career.
Speaking candidly about his 1989 film, “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” Shatner implied that the project was doomed from the start. He reprised the role of Capt. James T. Kirk in the film, which he originally played in the TV series.
“I wish that I’d had the backing and the courage to do the things I felt I needed to do. My concept was, “‘Star Trek’ goes in search of God,” and management said, ‘Well, who’s God? We’ll alienate the nonbeliever, so, no, we can’t do God,’” he explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
“And then somebody said, ‘What about an alien who thinks they’re God?’ Then it was a series of my inabilities to deal with the management and the budget,” he said of the subsequent steps to making the film, in which he served as director. “I failed. In my mind, I failed horribly.”
“When I’m asked, ‘What do you regret the most?’ I regret not being equipped emotionally to deal with a large motion picture. So in the absence of my power, the power vacuum filled with people that didn’t make the decisions I would’ve made,” he lamented.
When it was released, the “Star Trek” film was criticized for its lack of execution and being an overall disappointment. Shatner noted that he takes all the blame, even if people question his budget or the support he had in hindsight.