William Shatner turns 90 today! Got me to thinking back to 2018 when he did an intimate concert of storytelling at Murat Theater in Indy. I had the pleasure of being the moderator that night and spent some time with Shatner backstage before he went on. Being a new father, I seized the moment to ask Captain Kirk the best way to rid my 3 year old of his ‘bah-bah’ a.k.a, pacifier. You can hear his answer and other fatherhood advice in the interview below. What a great evening! It was my first time meeting the legendary actor and he was very kind and laid back. I was suppose to introduce myself before we took the stage, spend 5 minutes with him and then leave him the hell alone. But we talked for nearly 45 minutes! He told me of how he and his former wife (from Lebanon, Indiana) got married at the town’s courthouse, and how the news spread fast when he was spotted exchanging his wedding vows. But what I also remember most of the evening is that Shatner is an incredible storyteller. You can sort of teach that skill, but often the best storytellers are just naturals, as in the case with “Bill”. When I sat down with him, I was nervous and asked him, what do you prefer to be called? He looked surprised and said, “Bill!”. In my career I’ve met some extremely snobbish celebrities who demanded that you only use a certain name when addressing them, so I though it best to ask first. What an incredible night. Wish he’d come back and do it again, but at 90, I would imagine Bill is very particular about which speaking engagements he chooses. Do you blame him? He’s Captain Kirk for crying out loud!
