I was surprised to learn this sad bit about Star Trek legends William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy's friendship

After Star Trek: The Original Series premiered in 1966, the characters Captain James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock became household names. William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the roles respectively, went on to find global success. The characters on the series shared a camaraderie at times marred with conflict, a reflection of the friendship between the two actors off-screen. However, in later years, their friendship started falling apart, and the two legends were not on speaking terms for years before Nimoy’s death in 2015.

William Shatner spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his limited interaction with Nimoy in the years leading up to his death. Shatner said:

“…I just don’t know, and it is sad and it is permanent. I don’t know why he stopped talking to me.”

Two years before Star Trek aired, Shatner and Nimoy briefly appeared together on the television show The Man From U.N.C.L.E. in 1964. They went on to make their first appearance on screen as Kirk and Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series’ first aired pilot episode, ‘The Man Trap’, in 1966. Shatner’s bold and playful Kirk contrasted with Nimoy’s logical and emotionless Spock. They symbolized the perfect yin and yang.

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William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy’s friendship

Shatner and Nimoy appeared together as the celebrated characters Kirk and Spock in the 79 episodes of The Original Series (1966-1969) and six Star Trek movies (1979- 1991). They also attended many Star Trek fan conventions together, which kept their friendship going.

The two actors were famously known for their disagreements while filming. Shatner told The Hollywood Reporter:

“…I would think that any clashes that we had in the beginning … you know it was so long ago that I am forced to try and re-create what fireworks that might have been. I don’t remember any fireworks, I remember going to the producers and wondering whether they were going to change the thrust of the show as a result of the popularity of Spock. So my anxieties were never directed at Leonard per say, it was about “How was the show going to go?”

William Shatner wrote about his friendship with Nimoy in his book Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man (2016). In the book, he spoke about the astonishing path the two legendary actors, who were born just four days apart, took to create one of the more successful franchises in history. They developed a friendship that was built on the accomplishments they found through their careers. He said:

“The structure changed that dynamic in Star Trek in that it was canceled and nobody saw each other, but then slowly the movies began and then we did six movies together. And then there were the personal appearances … and suddenly we were back in each other’s worlds on and off for years and years, and that propelled the friendship between Leonard and I.”

Shatner wrote another book called Boldly Go: Reflections On A Life of Awe and Wonder (2022) along with Joshua Brandon. In the book, Shatner spoke about the relationship he shared with Nimoy towards the end. Shatner would recall the making of the Star Trek documentary called ‘The Captains’. The documentary team accidentally shot footage of both Shatner and Nimoy at a Comic-Con, which the latter did not consent to. As per Screenrant, Shatner said:

“Backstage Leonard was miffed...Anything with Leonard would have been incidental, and we weren’t going to use it… I had no intention of trying to sneak Leonard into the film.”

Shatner believed that this was probably the turning point in their friendship. He tried reaching out to Nimoy, but it was unreciprocated. Nimoy was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder and died in 2015 at the age of 83. Shatner did not attend Nimoy’s funeral as he had a charity obligation. In the book Boldly Go, Shatner shared his regrets about not getting a chance to reconcile with Nimoy before his death.

While speaking to ScreenRant, Brandon shared:

“It is sad because they were friends for 50 years, and they fell out over seemingly nothing... Leonard didn't want to be in his documentary. They were getting B-roll, and the cameras were rolling when Leonard walked on the stage. Leonard was upset about that. Was it something that small or was he pulling away from people as he was getting ill?”

He added:

“But one thing that did make it easier for Bill was that a couple of years later, Julie Nimoy (Leonard's daughter) reached out and said, ‘He loved you. I want you to know that he loved you.’ But it is very sad.”

Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock remain among the most celebrated characters on screen, even after almost 60 years. Their off-screen friendship was instrumental in bringing out the brotherhood that the two characters shared on screen. While the falling-out in real life cannot be reversed, for Trekkies, they will forever be the dynamic duo.

Gene Roddenberry created Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, which ran for three years. Star Trek became a worldwide phenomenon and expanded into comics, animated series, films, and spin-off television shows.

Star Trek is available on the streaming platform Paramount+

ALSO READ: Years later, this Captain Kirk storyline from Star Trek: The Original Series is still heartbreaking

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