WilliamShatner.com

Fans
Posted by: LeopardHead on Thursday, April 25, 2002 - 10:38 PM

	Ever since I can remember, fans have been part of my father's life. One of my very first memories of how they played a role in his existence came at, of all places, Disneyland. I was enjoying the park with my sister, Leslie, my mother, and my father. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard screaming. I looked up and saw three or four women jumping up and down and excitedly pointing in my father's direction. He smiled, waved, and kept us all walking in a forward direction.
April 25, 2002 Fans Ever since I can remember, fans have been part of my father's life. One of my very first memories of how they played a role in his existence came at, of all places, Disneyland. I was enjoying the park with my sister, Leslie, my mother, and my father. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard screaming. I looked up and saw three or four women jumping up and down and excitedly pointing in my father's direction. He smiled, waved, and kept us all walking in a forward direction. The women followed us to our next destination, whereupon my Dad ushered us onto a ride (I think it was It's A Small World). The women followed us again. We tried several different rides, to no avail; they followed us everywhere, including on the Sky Tram, which traverses the park. My most vivid memory of the entire event was when I was dangling over the park in the tram, looking over my shoulder to the vehicle behind us. The women were waving and shouting at us. Finally, as we exited the Sky Tram, my Dad gave up. He allowed them to encircle us, hugging and kissing him, and he signed his autograph to whatever they wanted. For me, that instance defined my father's relationships with his fans for a long time. He appreciated them, was grateful to have them, but really wanted to keep his privacy sacred. As the years have passed, this goal has gotten progressively more difficult to achieve. My impression of the situation was that he felt ambivalent about his fans, wanting to remain active in the public eye, yet craving privacy and uninterrupted family time. I think this feeling resulted in the reputation of him "resenting" his fans. To me, any impression of this attitude came from a deep sense of frustration from an extremely private man about how to maintain some personal control over his life. The next obvious question is, "Well, then why did he choose to be an actor, someone who is destined to be in the public eye if he is successful?" I think the answer to this lies in the fact that my father genuinely loves what he does. I think the side effect of being so public really didn't occur to him while he was doing each job, especially when he was doing Star Trek, the series. He often talks about the grueling work schedule, and the fatigue that he was constantly battling just trying to keep up with the work demands. I don't think he honestly thought much about how his presence might or might not affect the public. Click Here to Order The biggest change in his attitude came when he really started examining the inner workings of the fans, especially when he was writing about them, as he did in his book, 'Get a Life." He really concentrated on being objective about the Star Trek phenomenon and why it has been so successful for so long. I think he began to appreciate how loyal these people were to each other and to the show. This sense of loyalty and commitment to the fans has only grown throughout the years. I have seen him really take his time with people, slow down and ask their name, shake their hand, say a kind word. This behavior is different from his early years, when I think he felt more overwhelmed by all the attention, and when he had three small children's safety to worry about. I also think some of this shift has occurred deep within himself, as he grows to appreciate what a phenomenal life he really has led. I remember when he appeared on Time (or Newsweek??) magazine cover with Patrick Stewart, and I swear I caught a gleam of pride in his eye when he was gazing at it. For someone who is so caught up in the everyday pressures of his life, it was a moment where he really slowed down and took an objective look at his life. It was a very moving moment for me, as I always wish he would gain some ease about himself and what he has accomplished. He obviously could not have gotten there without the support of all his fans. The reason why this website even exists is because he genuinely wants to give something back to them, to let them know he has always appreciated them and always will. His article, the posts, the appearances, and the chat rooms are designed for one thing and one thing only - to communicate with those fans that have made his life so special.