NEW YORK – Leonard Nimoy was, and always shall be, William Shatner's friend.
Shatner got reflective about his friendship with his former "Star Trek" costar, who died in 2015, during a New York Comic Con
panel Oct. 10 celebrating the science-fiction franchise's 60th anniversary.
"I loved him. He was my brother," the Captain Kirk actor, 95, said after watching a clip of Spock's death from 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."
"We were very much the same. Born four days apart: He in Boston, me in Montreal. The cities are very similar. And the struggles we had as actors, and the divorces, and the deaths, and the children."
Shatner sat down with Ben Stiller for a conversation about the 60th anniversary of "Star Trek," during which they revisited classic scenes from the series. After looking at a clip from the original series episode "The Enemy Within," where Shatner played an evil version of Kirk, the actor recalled thinking it was such an "extreme acting moment" that he wondered if "they're going to laugh me off the stage."
But when Stiller suggested Shatner has a "unique" acting style, the star quipped, "What do you mean it's unique? You say the words, and that's it!" And after Stiller pressed him for details about shooting the scene, Shatner shot back, "Ben, that's like 65 years ago! … I have no recollection whatsoever! Are you kidding me? I'm looking at that thinking, 'I did that? I could do that so much better now! Let's shoot it again!'"
A clip of Kirk's famous confrontation with a Gorn from the Season 1 episode "Arena" was shown next, which Shatner mocked by calling the fight "so bad" and pointing out, "The guy's mouth doesn't move!" While filming it, Shatner remembered thinking, "What have I done? Why am I here?" Stiller wondered "how many days" it took to shoot the fight scene, and Shatner got a big laugh after telling him, "About an hour."
Stiller's own "Star Trek" fan bona fides became clear when the "Meet the Parents" star revealed he personally purchased the Gorn head from this scene at an auction years ago, and he brought it with him to the panel.
But even though the panel was built around watching old "Star Trek" scenes, Shatner made it clear that he doesn't enjoy doing that in his free time. When Stiller asked if Shatner will watch "Star Trek" episodes if they come on TV, he shot down the notion: "No! I can't stand to!" And after Stiller quoted a line from an episode, Shatner didn't recognize it, asking, "Is that what I said?"
The original "Star Trek" series premiered in 1966. The franchise previously marked its 60th anniversary at San Diego Comic Con in July with a panel featuring stars from throughout various "Star Trek" shows, including original series legend George Takei. During that panel, Takei described the longevity of "Star Trek" as an "extraordinary phenomenon" and joked, "It's always wonderful to have people come up to you and say, 'Congratulations,' or 'Happy 60th.' It makes me feel so young! I'm way older than 60."
Shatner took the stage after a panel for the Paramount+ series "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy," where producer Alex Kurtzman acknowledged that White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller slammed the show on X in January. When asked if there were any reactions to the first season that surprised him, Kurtzman quipped, "Well, when the White House tweets at you, it's weird."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: William Shatner reflects on friendship with 'my brother' Leonard Nimoy
