Star Trek's New Kirk Actor Reveals Epic Encounter with William Shatner: An Unforgettable Tale!

Summary

Paul Wesley had a "bizarre" and funny encounter with William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk, soon after being cast in the role.

Wesley and Shatner have crossed paths on several occasions, attending events like San Diego Comic-Con and STLV: 57-Year Mission.

Shatner has expressed his backing for Wesley by sending him a supportive tweet and granting him his approval to portray the new James T. Kirk.

Paul Wesley, known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, had an amusing and peculiar encounter with William Shatner, the iconic original Captain Kirk. Shortly after being cast in the role, Wesley had the opportunity to meet Shatner, who played the older version of Kirk in the original Star Trek series. Wesley has portrayed various versions of Kirk in Strange New Worlds, but his primary character is Lt. James T. Kirk from the Prime Timeline, who serves as the youthful counterpart to Shatner's Captain Kirk. It appears that destiny played a role in bringing these two Kirks together soon after Wesley joined the Star Trek universe. Wesley shared this anecdote on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, recorded prior to the second season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Take a look at his quote and watch the clip from the podcast below.

I had an interesting encounter with William Shatner. It was quite bizarre. After filming my first episode of Star Trek, where my casting had not been announced yet, I took a flight from Chicago to LA. Coincidentally, I had just finished watching every episode of The Original Series. As I boarded the plane, I noticed someone who looked like William Shatner, but I couldn't believe it was actually him. He had recently returned from space with Jeff Bezos.

To my surprise, the seat next to William Shatner was empty, and upon checking my ticket, I realized it was assigned to me. I couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of orchestrated prank by Paramount. I was incredibly restless. We had actually met and talked on the phone before because we were neighbors. There was some sort of connection between us.

During the flight, I tried to hint at the fact that I was playing James T. Kirk without explicitly mentioning it. Unfortunately, I must have come across as a disturbed fan rather than a fellow actor. I was so nervous that I started to stutter, creating an awkward situation. Despite my embarrassment, I couldn't resist asking William Shatner for a selfie, and he graciously agreed. I felt guilty about imposing on him but wanted to capture that moment.

After I was announced as the one to play Kirk, he took to Twitter and sent me the most heartwarming message. He wrote, "Take care of my ship." It was a truly touching moment for me. I felt relieved because, for a while, I had this fear that he saw me as some kind of crazy Trekkie who couldn't express himself properly. So when he sent that tweet, it brought me so much joy.

Star Trek's Paul Wesley & William Shatner Have Now Met Multiple Times

Paul Wesley and William Shatner have had multiple encounters since their initial meeting on an airplane. During an interview on Inside of You, Wesley mentioned that Shatner sent him an encouraging message on Twitter, showing support for his portrayal of James T. Kirk. The two crossed paths again at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, where they engaged in conversation during a special ceremony honoring Shatner as a Star Trek legend. Another notable event was their joint appearance on stage at STLV: 57-Year Mission in August 2023, joined by Dan Jeannotte, who portrays James' brother, Lt. Sam Kirk, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Interestingly, Shatner portrayed both James and Sam Kirk in the original Star Trek series.

While Shatner hasn't reprised the role of Captain Kirk since Star Trek Generations in 1994, it remains uncertain if Chris Pine will return as the alternate Kelvin Timeline's Captain Kirk in a future Star Trek film produced by J.J. Abrams. As a result, Paul Wesley has now taken on the mantle of James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and he has received the blessing of William Shatner, the original Kirk.

All episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are streaming on Paramount+.

Source: Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum