William Shatner famously portrayed Capt. James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series that ran from 1966 to 1969. It remains one of the most iconic roles in one of the most legendary television shows in history. However, when it comes to his compensation, it sounds like Shatner got a pretty raw deal.
During a recent interview, the legendary actor revealed that he actually hasn’t made a cent from Star Trek reruns due to the way his contract was written, and some unfortunate timing.
Shatner Doesn’t Get Paid for Reruns
While Star Trek has remained culturally relevant for decades and has become one of the most iconic television shows in history, that doesn’t mean Shatner has directly profited from the show’s continued success.
During a recent interview, the actor revealed that he actually does not get paid for any Star Trek reruns or syndications for one relatively simple reason: nobody had thought of the concept of reruns until after he had already played the role.
“Nobody knew about reruns,” he revealed in a new interview with The Telegraph. “The concept of syndication only came in after ‘Star Trek’ was canceled when someone from the unions said: ‘Wait a minute, you’re replaying all those films, those shows.’”
“There was a big strike. But in the end, the unions secured residual fees shortly after ‘Star Trek’ finished, so I didn’t benefit.”
Shatner Has Been Outspoken About This
This is not the first time that the actor has spoken up about this. In a response to a fan on social media, Schatner wrote that nothing before the year 1973 pays a cent in royalties. So just because a fan continues to watch the shows does not mean he owes them anything.
“Anything before 1973 (that includes Star Trek Original Series) doesn’t pay a cent in Royalties,” he wrote on X in 2020. “So please don’t think you own me or I owe you something for watching. It doesn’t work like that.”
Shatner Profits From His Role in Other Ways
While Shatner has not received royalties from his time on the original show, it’s worth noting that Shatner does continue to profit from his experience portraying Capt. Kirk.
Shatner reprised his role in seven different Star Trek films from 1979 to 1994, and he continues to receive royalties from those films. He has also authored various books related to Star Trek,which he profits from.
Still, he undoubtedly would have liked ot receive royalties from the continued reruns of the iconic series.
