The room he was in was literally standing room only and he spoke for about an hour. I had (over the years) heard many things about him, some good...some not so good. But truthfully, I had no preconceived idea or perception of the guy. I knew I liked him as an actor, but didn't really know anything else about him as a person.
One of the first things I learned about William Shatner the man, is that he loves his charity with the March of Dimes. He is their spokesman, and he is proud of it. And that's very cool. People ADORE him. And not just him because he played Captain James Tiberious Kirk on Star Trek. But they LOVE him. People get truly excited about him being there. He came on that stage and you'd think the biggest rock star ever had just entered the room. It was mind blowing.
Another thing I learned about him is that he spins one HELL of a story. He's funny, articulate, quick witted, loves a good joke, self deprecating, and is larger than life but doesn't see himself that way - just like his iconic television character. He talked about his movie "The Captains" at the convention that day and how it was a movie/documentary about how he had gone all around the world to speak to the various captains of the Star Trek universe. Patrick Stewart (Jean Luc Picard - Star Trek: Next Generation), Avery Brooks (Benjamin Sisco - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Kate Mulgrew (Catherine Janeway - Star Trek: Voyager), Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer - Star Trek: Enterprise), Chris Pine (James T. Kirk - Star Trek (the latest movie)). And a few of their co-stars.
What a brilliant movie. My favourite interviews were those spent with Patrick Stewart I think followed closely of those with Scott Bakula. Patrick Stewart is just so beautiful to watch on the screen. He commands your attention even when he's not intending to do so, and it's wonderful to watch him be himself and speak of something and someone (the character) that he so clearly came to love dearly.
Avery Brooks I have to say...was my least favourite. He's very "beatnik" to the nth degree...to the point that I thought perhaps he was on the "Final Frontier" he was so out there. I found his segments distracting and occasionally painful to watch. Nothing that he said, made any sense to me, I really did not get it. He played his piano and sang in jazz similes (I guess?) but it really was a distraction that I didn't enjoy. Although I will say he plays the piano beautifully and has a lovely singing voice. Truthfully that was my only real complaint about the entire movie. The rest...was thrilling.
There are a few guest star moments in the film that really excited me to be honest. I won't speak of them here, but if you're a fan of Star Trek...and you are interested. I highly suggest getting your hands on a copy of The Captains. It was truly worth it.
One Last Glimpse,
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