36. Oneal034 asks: Mr. Shatner, you mention that you don't watch your own films or television work. I notice other actos and actresses do the same. Is there a particular reason why?
Bill answers: Yes; some of us can't get past how we look. For example, I'm looking at the world through the eyes of a thirty year old. The object on the screen doesn't fit that image.
37. JamesPointer asks: You played the ?Big Giant Head.? But after so many years of being an international star, how do you keep your own head from getting or staying too big?
Bill answers: I'm married and I have children.
38. ScottBerry asks: Compare/contrast writing and production styles of Serling and Rodenberry.
Bill answers: Both were excellent writers and imaginative spirits. Both also worked with a coterie of other writers. They were both creative forces.
39. Raj asks: From your point of view, what would Star Trek have been like without you and what would you and your life have been without Star Trek?
Bill answers: Star Trek would have been just as successful without me because the concept works so well. I am pretty good at what I do so I might have had a different career but chances are I would have made a living at it.
40. InLoveWithJim asks: What other role [besides Kirk] have you played, either on stage or in film, about which you are the most proud?
Bill answers: I don't go around feeling proud of the things I've done. I approach everything, whether it's big or small, and try and capture the truth of what I'm doing and make it as uniquely mine as possible. If I can inject humor or depth I try to do it. Once I'm done, though, I don't really talk about it again.
41. DarthDavid asks: What is your favorite book of all the books you have written and why?
Bill answers: Maybe the first Star Trek book, ?Ashes of Eden,? because it was the first one.
42. WonderWoman asks: Why is Science Fiction still being treated like a mediocre genre in Hollywood ?
Bill answers: I don't really think it is. I think it's the premier genre mostly because the special effects are so engaging.
43. BerryAnn asks: Do you like tenderness?
Bill answers: I think a man is composed of many elements; one would like to see strength, aggression, boldness, as masculine qualities, for example. But the finest men, it seems to me, would have in addition to those qualities, the more feminine side of his nature which is kindness, gentleness, and tenderness.
44. Jonny_Turbo asks: Do you like baseball or football and do you have a favorite team-o? Like, do you follow the NFL or the CFL or do you like the LA Dodgers?
Bill answers: Of the two, I prefer football to baseball, although the drama of pitcher and batter is always exciting. I follow the NFL and I do like the Dodgers. I try to catch the CFL when I can.
45. Scottee asks: What do you think you have gained most from helping the riding for the disabled?
Bill answers: I don't feel that I've gained something by being charitable. It's is part of all of our obligation to our fellow man.
46. Star asks: Have you gone to the Star Trek experience yourself and doen the motion simulator ride?
Bill answers: No, I haven't. It would seem to me to be a bit embarrassing!
47. BMW asks: [Recently] you seem to be having a good time poking fun at the generally stereotypical image of yourself that [has] developed over the years. Is this an intentional move to help eliminate those egotistical questions or just a more relaxed personal view?
Bill answers: I suppose the ability to laugh at yourself is an enviable one. So perhaps it is a more relaxed view of myself.
48. Rust asks: Your sense of self-parody is unequalled, while maintaining your dignity. Have you considered a return to episodic television in a comedic vehicle?
Bill answers: I feel I've done this in ?Boston Legal? where I treat the character of Denny Crane seriously but he still has comedic elements.
49. Scorpius asks: What are your coping mechanisms in times of despair and what wisdom would you pass on to others who may have difficulty dealing with life's hardships?
Bill answers: It seems to me life is cyclical and everything changes. Bad turns to good and also good times to bad.
50. Leander asks: When there's nothing on the plate for you to do, what does William Shatner do to pass the time?
Bill answers: Get another plate!
51. Piranhad asks: What do you believe is the most important message to be derived from Star Trek?
Bill answers: One of the important messages of Star Trek was non-interference which infers that everybody is entitled to respect and their own place in the world.
52. Son_of_Khan asks: I was wondering about your methods for developing your books. Specifically, the use of outlines, story development and collaborations with other writers like Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.
Bill answers: The books stem from something personal in my life. That's the spine of the story. Then we go to a brief outline which is enlarged to a more massive outline and then finally to the manuscript.
53. Mahgscats asks: Do you think you will ever go on one of those Star Trek ship excursions?
Bill answers: Yes, for a funeral at sea. Only joking. I'd rather be caught dead. |
