William Shatner has lived an incredible life and wants to give fans an intimate look into it with a new biographical documentary.
In a surprisingly candid interview with Variety, the Star Trek star revealed the reason for doing the upcoming documentary titled You Can Call Me Bill. He shared that musing about his mortality made him want to do the project.
“I’ve turned down a lot of offers to do documentaries before. But I don’t have long to live,” Shatner told Variety. “Whether I keel over as I’m speaking to you or 10 years from now, my time is limited, so that’s very much a factor. I’ve got grandchildren. This documentary is a way of reaching out after I die.”
The documentary recently premiered at SXSW, and it chronicles his seven-decades-long career, including his time on Star Trek, which made him a superstar. Shatner explained that the doc isn’t a straightforward retelling of his career, but instead, it allowed him to cover new ground.
“I’m trying to discover something I’ve never said before or to find a way to say something I’ve said before in a different way, so I can explore that truth further,” he said.
He pointed to his 91 years of life that have given him a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. The project is an opportunity for the actor to share.
“The sad thing is that the older a person gets, the wiser they become, and then they die with all that knowledge,” he explained to Variety. “And it’s gone. It’s not like I’m going to take my ideas or my clothing with me.”
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Shatner has received many accolades throughout his life, including two Emmy awards. Another project he celebrates is being a father to three children: Melanie, 58, Lisabeth, 61, and Leslie, 64. All of these come together in the doc as well as a not-so-distant experience. He traveled to space in October.
He characterized the trip to the stars as “the most profound experience.” When he left the planet, he became the oldest person ever to travel to space.
“I am overwhelmed. I had no idea,” he said after his 10-minute flight on a rocket and capsule created by Blue Origin.
“It was unbelievable. I’m so filled with emotion,” he said at the time.
While Shatner might be close to his final chapter in life, we are thrilled that he is telling his story on his terms for all of the world to see. We look forward to learning what lessons the actor has to share.
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