Shatner at His Finest!

[@goldenboyproductions2740]

Say what you want about Shatner, but he performed Captain Kirk in a way that is still being talked about over 50 years later.

[@NashvilleTuneStream]

He is brilliant. The one and only!!

[@fluorosco]

And why is that😆. But I love him too 😆

[@timefortea1931]

@@NashvilleTuneStream Is right. Kirk had charisma in spades.

[@joelara3750]

No its not

[@RebeccaTurner-kf8gx]

And don’t forget when Spock died when he said the most human was like oh man then in undiscovered country end and Kirk’s death in generation was amazing but this man should have won for you killed my son in search for Spock . It was so heart breaking he finally was geting to know David and to loose him like that I just felt so sorry for him not to mention carol I just . No one deserves to loose there child my unlce and two aunts have lost a son and daughter they only have the children of there children and I just

[@ZacabebOTG]

I'm glad he got back command over his acting. That was a very close call.

[@GustavoSantosToltech99]

Nearly lost him :D

[@maryexstroughtonaire4244]

ZacabebOTG 🤣

[@kitcat7538]

Well, he was under control of an alien entity, wasn't he? The director -- who undoubtedly told him to play it that way.

[@PolkiSaMalutkie]

Astonishing talent. Credit, of course, to Nimoy for staying in character. Christ, how he stayed an emotionless Vulcan when he must have been absolutely dying to collapse on the floor in a heap, pissing himself laughing, is beyond me.

[@PolkiSaMalutkie]

***** Indeed, my good sir!

[@vmurt]

hahaha Nimoy was probably used to seeing Shatner chew scenery like this! All in a day's work!

[@andrewmanzi7512]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@edbrewer5123]

Polki Sa Zawsze Kieszonkowsze Truth

[@BigNoseDog]

He probably thought of other things to avoid noticing Shatner. Like laundry

[@Shipoopiism]

I love how all Spock has to say is "Jim" And Kirk's all better. Good going, Spock.

[@wastedproductions45]

And they want us convinced they aren't gay

[@LSDeadly]

He knows how to calm his boyfriend down

[@Aivottaja]

You people always have your mind in the gutter.

[@LSDeadly]

@@Aivottaja a loving relationship is from the gutter?

[@Aivottaja]

@@LSDeadly If it's cornholing.

[@vguyver2]

When William Shatner does an imitation of William Shatner.

[@comanchio1976]

You have to admit, he's pretty good

[@lesyayandfilksongs]

I'd love to see him play a Vulcan.

[@joegrimes9232]

Billception

[@roquey44]

He's okay. Pollack is better. LOL!

[@danbasta3677]

@@lesyayandfilksongs In a way, he did. The Romulans are an off shoot of the Vulcans, check out the third season episode, The Enterprise Incident.

[@atesgoksu9426]

there should be a movie starring only william shatner where he just acts in an empty stage for 10 hours.

[@porkwoofles3909]

+Ates Goksu He toured theatres with a one man show called 'Shatner's World, at the age of 81. I travelled from London to San Francisco to see it. It was everything you'd want, and more.

[@wakingup2010]

also he has few cds out, they are great!!

[@ksol1460tv]

He's been doing these shows since the late 1970s. People would show up expecting to hear his ideas on Star Trek but instead got lectures and dramatic readings on other subjects. It didn't help that the posters had "STAR TREK Show" all over them & promised he'd screen the original "The Cage" (very rare at the time) and then when the print wasn't available, he didn't have it corrected. People demanded (and got) their money back! (Thanks and a tip o'the hat to the Cazenovia Collection stores.ebay.com/Cazenovia-Collection?_trksid=p2047675.l2563)!

[@manco828]

What people don't understand is Bill Shatner is a performance artist.

[@Trev359]

He's the worst ham actor in history. There's nothing artistic about him and that isn't anything remotely resembling any type of performance.

[@angie4074h]

If you look deep into Kirk's eyes, you can see the change from panic to strength. Give Shatner credit for following the script given to him.

[@kitcat7538]

William Shatner is a superb actor. He can say anything with his face and his voice is always pitch-perfect. When the script calls for great subtlety and nuance, he provides it. If the script calls for him to scream, he screams.

[@permissiontodance1911]

I'm from the school of thought that prefers to believe that the Shat-Man was some sort of mad genius performance artist that knew EXACTLY what he was doing. Say what you want about the man, but he was fun to watch, and he was never boring...

[@ksol1460tv]

You might be interested fanlore.org/wiki/Shatner:_Where_No_Man...

[@Trev359]

I'm afraid I don't find him fun to watch. I find him embarrassing and annoying.

[@JamesBond-ml3zp]

Ygor Blasko I agree, he's was conveying "PANIC" not "CALM" over losing the capacity to Command Of The "Enterprise" as Captain!!!

[@feraflauna3238]

+Ygor Blasko-According to his book Get a Life, he claims it was intentional. That due to his experience in theater, he figured since the budget for the show was so minimal, it was important to stress the dialogue, and draw attention. Obviously. . .that worked. :*D. As for his dramatic pauses, he admitted that it was the unfortunate side effect of not being used to to working underneath the stressful demands of tv and that he often forgot things. . .So points to him for being nakedly honest about it. . .

[@kitcat7538]

@@Trev359 Then why watch him? We who love him to bits will soldier on without you.

[@boojwahz]

these guys were professional. sometimes they had to do some really dumb shit, but they always kept in character and made it as real as possible.

[@GustavoSantosToltech99]

I love how Spock makes Jim to get his shit togheter. Nimoy's underact vs Shatner's fricking awesomeness. They were a good couple.

[@amberjane9]

Ok, when Spock says "Jim" at 0:31, I die. Every time. Nimoy has the most wonderful voice. If he said my name in that tone of voice, I would spontaneously combust.

[@Fistwagon]

I'm just now watching Star Trek for the first time so I'm not seeing the show through a haze of nostalgia and yet I am NEVER bored when Kirk is in a scene. Shatner is one of those scene stealing, narcissistic lunatic actors and I mean that in the best possible way.

[@ariplatt8192]

Totally on point. You nailed it

[@johnnydollar107]

There's........someone on the wing. Some.....thing.....

[@shellshock638]

Alrighty then.

[@michaelbrady3885]

Chim chimminy Chim chim charoooo ruff lmao

[@bryantopeil7603]

Bill Shatner is a genius. No matter how over the top his acting is...he always manners to bring the scene together.

[@anthonycerulli5524]

He started off as a Shakespeare stage actor. You had to over act and annunciate so the people in the back could hear you. I think he carried that over into his tv and film career.

[@golden-63]

Shatner was trained as a stage actor. Some of the techniques used are, out of necessity, different from TV or film acting. Everything in the theater needs to be bigger, more exaggerated to be seen. In TV and film, even a tiny facial movement can be seen and convey much meaning; a lesson Nimoy already knew, but Shatner not so much.

[@golden-63]

***** Exactly.

[@slothfromthegoonies8201]

Stage actors are supposed to be better xD

[@glouconx983]

Do you really think the director of this scene wanted Shatner to be subtle and restrained? The context of this scene is that his mind was being taken over by an alien force! This was a sci-fi adventure series where viewers expected to see a lot of strange things, including from the actors.

[@comanchio1976]

+Gloucon X Strange is one thing, but this is ludicrous. When I first saw it, I honestly thought it was a joke, is the scene that spawned a thousand ​impressions of him, and cemented his reputation as king of the ham-actors. I bet this one scene restricted his career to about a quarter of what it could have been.

[@glouconx983]

I'm sorry to hear that one minute out of 79 hours from a 60s tv show has scarred you for life.

[@angelikussnape]

I love it when Spock said "Jim"! to calm him down. XD

[@jeff2all]

What a ocean of feeling, a mountain of meaning! Clearly Shatner has joined the ranks of legendary actors , I'll never, never, never, let this moment go!

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner doesn't overact here. Several of the characters are affected by an alien entity which can induce irrational behavior and panic attacks, and Kirk is one of them. This is a man having a complete panic attack and Shatner had the integrity to play it effectively without worrying that it would damage his image to appear weak, irrational, hysterical, out-of-control. It actually took a lot of guts for Shatner to be willing to perform this scene as it was written and as the director wanted it to be done. He could have insisted it would spoil his image, but he behaved like a dedicated actor and played the scene. Much respect is due to him for that.

[@movieapple]

We all need a friend like Spock.

[@glouconx983]

A powerful alien with the ability to place delusional thoughts into the minds of members of the crew has taken over the ship. This scene shows Kirk's mind being invaded by the alien. Frankly, I don't know how another actor could have portrayed such an occurrence any better.

[@manco828]

Picard would have done the 'must not fap' face.

[@Aroer]

I agree. It's easy to mock this scene when it's taken out of context.

[@williamanthony9090]

They could have always gone to a rip off of Spocks "Horta" performance: "Pain... Agony... DEVILS!"

[@williamanthony9090]

@@Aroer- It's even easier to mock it in context!

[@williamanthony9090]

All the alien did was make him think he was losing command. Quivering like a cowardly, simpering, jackass, was Shatner's take on how Kirk would behave. (Along with the writer, assuming he wrote it that way, and the director, assuming he approved of that behavior. Everyone involved should have had their honorary Star Fleet memberships suspended, and Shatner should have been reprimanded by the Screen Actors Guild!

[@Derek_Smallshorts]

If you've ever had to deal with a person who is genuinely loosing their mind, that's what it's like. The Shat had managed to capture, perfectly, the essence of mental illness. Albeit entirely by accident--I think.

[@P1votG33k]

"Kirk, what are you doing?" "Making chocolate pudding." "It's four o'clock in the morning. Why on Earth are you making chocolate pudding?" "Because I've lost control of my ship."

[@EthanJohn1986]

I don't care what people say, I LIKE IT!! Yes, there are humorous elments to it, but he still has great theatrical energy

[@kitcat7538]

He doesn't overact here. Several of the characters are affected by the alien entity which can induce irrational behavior and panic attacks, and Kirk is one of them. This is a man having a complete panic attack and Shatner had the integrity to play it effectively without worrying that it would damage his image to appear weak, irrational, hysterical, out-of-control.

[@Kitties_are_pretty]

I like the detail that when a Starfleet captain is suffering a paranoid episode, the thing they're most frightened about is losing command of their ship.

[@Skelly5962]

Shatner is the greatest actor ever. Guys like DeNiro can't even comprehend acting on Shatner's level.

[@erp2000]

Stop doing drugs

[@TheAweDude1]

Ah, the Shatnerian school of Acting which, like his cooking, only has one rule: The more ham, the better.

[@jordanfenose8554]

Dont forget a good dose of cheese

[@joshuakusuma5953]

+Freddy Joe and a bit of corn never hurt anyone.

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner gives a subtle and nuanced performance when the part calls for it. Here, his character is possessed by an alien entity, and what Shatner does is exactly what the script calls for.

[@ocsteved]

What makes his acting so great is the fact that it draws us back for a chuckle every time we notice its existence.

[@jnthnbush]

omg, thank you for posting this, it's a treasure.

[@rfairbairn]

This is like how I start EVERY SINGLE DAY.

[@Ace-lm5hi]

For everyone asking this is from the season three episode 'And The Children Shall Lead' Just kiss already! Someone give Kirk a hug! Please!

[@mckessa17]

Season 3 was not as good as the first 2.

[@patrickwilson1459]

No Season 3 was good. Even Seasons 1 and 2 had some not so good episodes. But I hated this episode. The worst episode aside from Spock’s Brain. If Gene Roddenberry hadn’t quit the show before production of Season 3 began he would’ve rejected it big time.

[@SailorJeffrey]

This is the first star trek clip i've ever seen. I think im a instant fan now.

[@stevefrasier8269]

Nimoy & Shatner were the Iconic Chemistry duo of TV-Sci-Fi.

[@ddburrows988]

It's easy to cherry pick odd scenes and yell, "Ham!." This was a live action cartoon-like adventure and Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley gave it their all. Once in a while, there were those humiliating moments, but their professionalism compelled these actors to throw themselves into it, trusting the writers and the directors. Shatner proves himself over and over with Kirk's noble command of the bridge, his depth of emotions and easy humor. Paraphrasing Nimoy's words, he said that working off Shatner's high energy made the character of Spock work better than with Jeffrey Hunter's somber Captain Pike. Arguably, one could say that Kelley's portrayal was consistently over the top, but it worked charmingly and the three of them wove a beautiful and loving balance which has delighted us fifty years and counting.

[@keeblergraham211]

Absolutely. If that combo of actors never came together Star Trek likely would've gone the way of Lost in Space. There would've been a fan base for it, but it wouldn't have been the cultural phenomenon it is today.

[@danbasta3677]

Agree with all that you have written. Wish others would see this as well to.

[@Trev359]

You don't need to cherry pick the scenes. He's like this all the fucking time.

[@williamanthony9090]

I love the people who feel they have to defend Shatner's ridiculous scene. And it is RIDICULOUS!

[@ddburrows988]

@@williamanthony9090 He did act ridiculously in some ridiculous scenes, but, usually, he did exceptionally well in all kinds of other scenes. But all this is just a matter of opinion and taste.

[@corsaircarl9582]

This is a delicious ham

[@ProNorden]

The man makes over-acting interesting. He's always been vivid, and now brings a great surreal satire when he wants to. And the Denny Crane character on Boston Legal is great.

[@finnmccool684]

I wish I had a friend like Spock.

[@GregofCanada]

It's weird, whenever I'm down or in self doubt I watch Kirk freak out, face his fear and then he takes charge, and then I feel better.

[@robertsamson4610]

0:37 Spock is on the verge of cracking up. Wonder how many times they had to shoot this scene. Bills facial expressions are second to none. Great job Bill! ^^

[@MillionthUsername]

Director: "Cut! Do it again, Bill. And put some feeling into it this time!"

[@DrNemmo]

Such a wide variety of emotions in just a minute ! I'm impressed. From terrified toscared, to homoerotic vibe, to "just chilling, man" in a couple of seconds.

[@kitcat7538]

The elevator had carried him out of range of the alien who was influencing his mind. That's why Spock dragged him into the elevator.

[@AlexColberg]

I've never known anyone in real life who behaves like William Shatner playing Captain Kirk, but then I've never known a Starship Captain.

[@VoxJoxx]

Bravo encore!!!! 10 Oscars from me. He's a hero. That is how you loose it and come back from a trippy joint!!!!

[@mrknowie]

Legend has it he's still picking the scenery out of his teeth today...

[@CrumCringle]

Great acting. 👍

[@DarkMatter2525]

Starfleet Regulation 619, Mr. Spock! Do it! Do it nao!

[@Tuna5908]

😂😂😂😂 Cool seeing you here

[@whitedesertheart]

Spock couldn’t get to him by calling him Captain. He had to say Jim to get him to realize he was his friend.

[@kitsunefire92]

These two caused the birth of slash fanfiction.... XD I'm eternally grateful.

[@marilyndee969]

Nimoy was also a huge part of why this series was so good. Both Shatner and Nimoy played their parts to perfection. The stories were excellent and thought provoking, and the acting was wonderful. It is all as good and as fresh now as it was decades ago. Outstanding series in every way, for that time, and for now.

[@Darrylizer1]

Apparently he's got command! Or does he?

[@DrNemmo]

Such a wide variety of emotions in just a minute ! I'm impressed.

[@georgedonaldson7220]

The world's greatest living actor.

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner as Captain Kirk produces a beautifully nuanced performance. He can do anything with his face, and you can follow Kirk's moods and thoughts without him speaking a word. And when he does speak, his voice is pitch-perfect. The Star Trek scenes Shatner-haters like to point out are always the ones where he is mentally deranged for some reason -- another person or an alien in control of him, a virus which affects his ability to control himself. In those cases, the "over-the-top" performance is what the script calls for and what the director wanted.

[@vaughnroachford1318]

His finest acting is when he had the doppelganger.

[@GustavoSantosToltech99]

This man is awesome :D

[@METAL1ON]

I was only 70's kid when I used to watch this and didnt realise he was over acting until I was much older but hey back in its day this was what made tv good and I wouldnt have it any other way.

[@TheDriller64]

There will only ever be one Shanter lol

[@Trev359]

Thank fuck for that.

[@professionalnerd4055]

@@Trev359 You know, we get it. You have opinions. However, that's no reason to reply to every comment just to criticize Shatner. It's obnoxious.

[@kitcat7538]

@@Trev359 You are telling the world that you are an obsessive with psychological problems.

[@scriptblender2660]

Oh hell we've all had days like that

[@SnivillusLupin]

I love how, once Kirk realizes where he is, Kirk holds onto Spock and slowly slides his hands down and out of view.... makes one wonder if he even let go at all until the turbolift opened. S-E-X-Y!

[@lpdog82]

he lost command, lost the enterprise, and nearly lost spock by choking him to death hahahahaha

[@TheChefSteph]

Wow, I hope he got an Emmy for this performance! This is natural talent...you can't learn this in an acting class.

[@kitcat7538]

Actually, Shatner has a couple of EMMYs and a Golden Globe. He was a member of the Canadian National Repertory Theatre in Ottawa. He acted in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario. He was Christopher Plummer's understudy in Henry V.

[@jamessullivan4391]

He nearly shat his pants!

[@infinightsky]

He's a national treasure.

[@professionalnerd4055]

Agreed! Absolutely ridiculous and fun to watch everytime.

[@kitcat7538]

In two countries! Shatner is a national treasure of Canada, which made him an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada's second highest order and the Canadian equivalent of a knighthood. He is an honorary national treasure of America.

[@Mr.Robert1]

MR.. TAMBOURINE MAN MR. TAMBOURINE MAN..IS ANYBODY OUT THERE ?? LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS , CAN YOU HEAR ME ?

[@ericrhodes5174]

You can see his toupee glue. lol

[@Psycho3418]

Just your typical elevator ride with Kirk and Spock ^^

[@Bidmartinlo]

What an... awkward elevator ride. O-o

[@christopherthorkon3997]

People forget that Shatner, in addition to doing these more dramatic moments, also did more subtle acting moments as well -- many of these on Star Trek. He is actually an excellent actor, which is why he is so good when giving simple commands on the bridge -- or speaking movingly with a dying Spock in Star Trek II.

[@Peter1999Videos]

Shatner is fun to watch and over the top

[@anthonygilgan8461]

I’m in love with his acting.

[@AndrewChapman]

0:11 Love it when Bill goes wide-eyed.

[@sleepydeery]

elevator freakouts are the best

[@bryanlucchesi453]

Good, job, shatner, you, inspire, me.

[@AidanSvensk]

Only slightly better than his singing.

[@kitcat7538]

@@AidanSvensk His singing - or rather, speaking the lines to music -- is remarkably effective.

[@jsharp1701]

Whenever something like this befalls the crew, everyone else needs a shot from McCoy or to get away from the source of the influence. Not Jim. He overcomes everything through sheer willpower! He's in command!!!

[@Zongooo]

Everything I know about acting I learned from watching Bill Shatner.

[@detubeme]

They have turbolifts set to "dramatic" speed. The computer sees and hears them having a moment, so it gives them time to finish. It was invented a few years after the Romulan War began. Captains felt they needed more private moments before getting to the bridge.

[@dloc0925]

When Shatner grabbed Nemoy's neck i seriously thought there was gonna be some alien action.....

[@Frankincensedjb123]

I loved watching this as a little kid. Kirk rules and lives FOREVER! FOREVER I TELL YOU!!!! that is if agree, of course.

[@ArwenPendragon]

Frankly, I think clutching at Leonard Nimoy's arm is a perfectly rational procedure in any crisis!

[@samrizzardi2213]

Reminds me of when I was a young teacher given a whole classroom rather than an individual student for the first time.

[@JimmmyJams]

How can someone be such a melodramatic over-actor and so amazingly perfect at the same time?

[@minichris11]

I was all primed for a big smooch! Spock was looking @ Captain Kirk like "Well, aren't you gonna kiss me!!

[@Aroer]

It is easy to mock this scene because it is taken out of context. There is a being on the Enterprise that exerts mind control over the Enterprise crew. He brings their inner fears to the surface. James Doohan and Walter Koenig both have a scene, in this episode, where they overly emote. Are they bad actors too?

[@williamanthony9090]

It's also a perfect example of went wrong with the third season. Kirk got weaker, and Spock got more human. As for taking it out of context... I've probably seen this episode over fifty times. I never get tired of mocking this silly scene!

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner has a couple of EMMYs and a Golden Globe. As Captain Kirk, he produces a beautifully nuanced performance. He can do anything with his face, and you can follow Kirk's moods and thoughts without him speaking a word. And when he does speak, his voice is pitch-perfect. The Star Trek scenes Shatner-haters like to point out are always the ones where he is mentally deranged for some reason -- another person or an alien in control of him, a virus which affects his ability to control himself. In those cases, the "over-the-top" performance is what the script calls for and what the director wanted.

[@kitcat7538]

@@williamanthony9090 Clearly something wrong with you if you watch something you don't like 50 times. What was it Shatner once said about getting a life?

[@williamanthony9090]

@@kitcat7538 As if I live or die on what Shatner says... Or you for that matter.

[@bbsal4031]

This old show was just nostalgic and entertaining in every which way. If it's on I watch it 🤣

[@tim_buktu66]

0:35 romance overload

[@borisvandruff7532]

Believe it or not, this is actually a pretty good representation of how intrusive thoughts happen in people with OCD.

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner is a superb actor and he knew what he was doing.

[@dtstrain]

Thing is, if you just thought the character was concerned about losing command this would be terrible acting, but the character was under a strange mind-altering psychosis, which is why he was behaving so strangely. But, as that happens frequently in Starfleet apparently, this is typical Kirk!

[@fjccommish]

Shatner never over acts. Most other actors under act.

[@lumenpraetorius4592]

For a second there I thought they were going to start making out.

[@MellowCorn-xs8bn]

The man, the myth, the legend.

[@kitcat7538]

Yes, and he is all three. As is Leonard Nimoy's Spock.

[@TobeyStarburst]

Shatner should win the Oscar for this performance.

[@daniellavaladez9538]

This was in the TV show, you know, that right??

[@padmeamidala4883]

Tobey Starburst So bad.

[@Trev359]

An oscar for the worst ham acting ever.

[@scotpens]

This was television. You mean an Emmy.

[@TobeyStarburst]

@@daniellavaladez9538 you ok?

[@craiglaw7578]

William Shatner brought Captain Kirk to life. Star Trek would’ve been long forgotten if 2 other actors had played Kirk and Spock. Somehow they really made it come to life.

[@manco828]

:30 is when K/S shippers wet themselves.

[@KreativeSpinnerin]

I wonder if you have wet yourself, when you wrote this seemingly extra ""clever"" comment. 🤣

[@mckessa17]

People say Shatner was arrogant and this and that, but holy crap he was an awesome actor.

[@BrownxPrid3]

PerHAPS...my dear SPOCK...we SHOULD get this...SHIP...back on COURSE.

[@onotoley12345]

LOOK AT THIS ACTING LOOK AT IT

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner doesn't overact here. Several of the characters are affected by an alien entity which can induce irrational behavior and panic attacks, and Kirk is one of them. This is a man having a complete panic attack and Shatner had the integrity to play it effectively without worrying that it would damage his image to appear weak, irrational, hysterical, out-of-control. It actually took a lot of guts for Shatner to be willing to perform this scene as it was written and as the director wanted it to be done. He could have insisted it would spoil his image, but he behaved like a dedicated actor and played the scene. Much respect is due to him for that.

[@phillipwattsjr.4714]

If William Shatner never existed, you'd have to invent him!

[@nancypotter6772]

It does kinda look like Spock hallucinated that.

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner's a national treasure in two countries!

[@xxlCortez]

Nimoy must be truly half-Vulcan, being able to endure Shatner's acting without cracking up.

[@kitcat7538]

Shatner is a superb actor. He is playing a man whom an alien entity has made demented, and he is doing it the way the script and the director called for it to be done.

[@metru2222]

It still disappoints me to this day that when we finally developed automatic doors, they were silent. I don't want to live in this world of silent doors

[@katie.loxo144]

OMG this comment 🤣🤣🤣💀 how does it not have 800 likes

[@skullduggery3377]

that's when spock told him there really WAS a gremlin hanging around the outside of the enterprise and hammering on the engines.

[@Lshannon90]

Shatner is one of the best Canadians. He's so fucking awesome. I love him

[@Koldeman]

The Shat is where it's at- MORE MORE!!!

[@davidabonyi4556]

Star Trek, Mass Effect, horror movies... What's with the elevators??