William Shatner: The Wrath of Time

By Lauren Taylor Carr & Kevin Murphy Wilson • PHOTOS PROVIDED

More than four decades after “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” first hit theaters, William Shatner is still discovering something new in the tale—and in himself.

Widely regarded as one of the finest “Star Trek” projects, “The Wrath of Khan” found Captain James T. Kirk confronting an adversary from his past while wrestling with something considerably more universal: aging, regret, friendship, and mortality. 

Those themes inevitably carry different weight today, as Shatner, now 95, revisits the film with viewers around the country. And on Saturday, Oct. 31, Shatner brings that unique opportunity to the Louisville Palace. 

According to the star of this special event, the evening begins with a full screening of the 1982 fan favorite, followed by an unscripted conversation and audience Q&A with Shatner.

There is one catch: Shatner won’t actually watch the film that night.

“I can’t stand looking at myself,” he told VOICE-TRIBUNE. “Not only that, I can’t stand listening to myself.”

Instead, he’ll wait backstage until the credits roll, then emerge to share stories and take questions. “You’ll see a wonderful movie,” he joked, “and then you’ll see this actor attempting to be amusing.”

Needless to say, with this one, the specter of time looms large both on and off the screen. 

For his part, Kirk begins the film feeling that his best years may be behind him, only to discover that life still has surprises in store. Shatner’s own answer to aging seems remarkably similar.

By way of example, Shatner points to his latest unlikely pursuit: a collaborative album featuring dozens of high-profile musicians [including Brian May, Tony Iommi, Rob Halford, Zakk Wylde, and Ritchie Blackmore], titled “What the F is Heavy Metal?”

“What does the future hold for me?” Shatner mused. “It’s heavy metal!”

That restless curiosity has carried him through a career extending far beyond Captain Kirk, from T.J. Hooker and Emmy-winning turns as Denny Crane, over to the less familiar worlds of books, documentaries, Super Bowl commercials, comedy, and eventually real-life space travel.

In fact, his brief 2021 flight [aboard the Blue Origin space shuttle] profoundly altered Shatner’s perspective on everything.

“What I saw in space was this tiny mote of dust that is our planet,” he said. “But I also saw that the place is filled with such mystery and magic, and that we’re killing it.”

After landing, Shatner found himself unexpectedly weeping. “It was only later that I discovered that I was in grief for the planet.”

Considering all the meaningful endeavors he has been a part of over the years [Shatner emerged as a prominent actor in the mid-1950s], it is interesting that Shatner attributes much of his longevity and success to something less than grandiose.

“Life is a lot of luck,” he said. “There are some things you can perhaps make happen—very little. Most of it is simply that you don’t get hit by a bus.”

Yet if “The Wrath of Khan” is ultimately about accepting mortality without surrendering to it, Shatner appears to have taken the lesson to heart. Even at his age, there are more records to make, stories to tell, audiences to meet, and invigorating ideas that are still worth chasing. 

That is to say, there is always something left to explore.

For more information about William Shatner: Live On-Stage with “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” visit LouisvillePalace.com.