What William Shatner's On-Set Behavior Is Really Like

Actor William Shatner is immortalized as Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek TV series, which was on the air for three seasons, from 1966 to 1969. He also reprised the role in a number of "Star Trek" movie adaptations, per IMDb. Central to any "Star Trek" storyline is the high-minded leadership of Captain Kirk, as well as themes of unity, cooperation, and the Democratic ideal as represented by the United Federation of Planets. As Shatner's on-set behavior illustrates, however, James T. Kirk and William Shatner couldn't be more different, at least as far as these values are concerned.

This was particularly true when it came to Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who originally played Spock in the franchise. The close camaraderie between the starship captain and his first officer was another important part of the show's success, per Time Magazine. The truth of the matter is, though, that Kirk's relationships with Spock and his other cast mates while filming the original series weren't at all what they seemed.

He was jealous of other actors

Per UPROXX, one primary example of how difficult William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy's relationship was on the set of "Star Trek" are the fan letters Nimoy frequently received from female viewers, making Shatner jealous. He also objected to Nimoy's character Spock having so many answers crucial to the resolution of numerous  storylines, when he felt that the captain should be the one to save the day instead. He was even known to steal some lines from Spock, according to the report.

These instances aren't just limited to Shatner's relationship with Nimoy, either. Several other original cast members from the series tell very similar tales, including actors like George Takei, who played Enterprise helmsman Hiraku Sulu, and Nichelle Nichols, who played communications officer Lieutenant Uhura, and almost quit the show because of Shatner's behavior. Almost every main character from the original "Star Trek" series has a very similar story to tell about Shatner, according to UPROXX. It's important to note that later in life, Shatner/Kirk and Nimoy/Spock did patch things up. Unfortunately, at the time of Nimoy's death in 2015, he was (again) no longer speaking to Shatner (via The Hollywood Reporter).