George Takei is taking a couple of jabs at his “Star Trek” co-star William Shatner following his flight to space on the Blue Origin rocket.
In an interview with Page Six following Shatner’s trip, which made the Canadian actor the oldest person ever to go to space, Takei threw some shade.
“He’s boldly going where other people have gone before,” Takei said. “He’s a guinea pig, 90 years old and it’s important to find out what happens… So 90 years old is going to show a great deal more on the wear and tear on the human body, so he’ll be a good specimen to study.”
He added, “Although he’s not the fittest specimen of 90 years old, so he’ll be a specimen that’s unfit!”
Shatner responded on Twitter, writing, “Don’t hate George. The only time he gets press is when he talks bad about me. He claims 50+ years ago I took away a camera angle that denied him 30 more seconds of prime time TV. I’m giving it back to him now by letting him spew his hatred for the world to see!“
He signed off by referring to himself as a pig emoji.
Don’t hate George. The only time he gets press is when he talks bad about me. He claims 50+ years ago I took away a camera angle that denied him 30 more seconds of prime time TV. 🤷🏼♂️ I’m giving it back to him now by letting him spew his hatred for the world to see!🤣 Bill the 🐷
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) October 16, 2021
Shatner soared to an estimated 66 miles (106 kilometres) over the West Texas desert Wednesday in the ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company. He arrived back on the ground just 11 minutes after takeoff.
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“I was trying to think of something clever to say and then we get up and when I was there, everything I thought might be clever to say went out the window,” Shatner told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb on Thursday’s “Today” following the experience. “All of a sudden the blue is down below and the blackness of space — now space is interesting, the universe lies there — but in that moment, in that window, it was only black and ominous.”
He added, “I was overwhelmed with the experience, with the sensation of looking at death and looking at life and what’s become a cliché of how we need to take care of the planet… It’s so fragile. I was struck so profoundly by it.”
Takei and Shatner stared on “Star Trek: The Original Series” together for three seasons.
