William Shatner Reveals Sad Story About Star Trek Movie Co-Star Aging

Published Oct 8, 2026, 8:02 PM EDT

John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 5,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

William Shatner shares a sad story about Christopher Plummer when they reunited to film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Both Canadians, Shatner and Plummer got their start on the stage in Montreal in the 1950s. Bill was Christopher's understudy during a production of Henry V, and he took over for a performance when Plummer fell ill. Decades later, Plummer joined Star Trek VI as the Klingon General Chang, facing off with Shatner as one of Captain James T. Kirk's most memorable movie antagonists.

• 

• 

William Shatner joined Brent Spiner and Jonathan Frakes as a guest on their podcast, Dropping Names... And Other Things. In a fascinating and free-wheeling conversation about Shatner's legendary life and career, Spiner asked Bill about working with Christopher Plummer in Star Trek VI. Mr. Shatner revealed that they "went out to dinner several times" and related what it was like to see Plummer aging. Read Bill's quote below:

William Shatner: “We went out to dinner several times. As he got older, he faded a little. He got more… And I understand it. You know what I understand? Getting older and being more protective. You don’t know when you’re gonna have to go to the bathroom. You don’t know if you’re gonna fall. You’re surrounded by your own inadequacies, which grow larger and larger as you get older. Except me.”

Watch William Shatner on Dropping Names below:

Christopher Plummer, who was three years older than William Shatner, passed away in February 2021 at the age of 91. Speaking to Variety, Shatner told personal stories of working with Plummer, whom he called "a great acquaintance" with "a tremendous, very dry sense of humor." Regarding Star Trek VI, Shatner said of Plummer:

Chris was so wonderful in it. I felt like I was inviting him to my home. I felt an obligation to him because I’d been his understudy [years ago] and I’d gone on [for him] and I’d gotten some acclaim. He was a level above me for the longest time, and I would imagine you could see that in my face if we were being filmed. He was an extraordinary actor, and an extraordinary person.

Plummer and Shatner are undeniably electric together as General Chang and Captain Kirk in Star Trek VI. Plummer ravenously chewed the scenery as Chang, a ruthless Klingon mastermind who hated Kirk and was prone to spouting William Shakespeare quotes. Shatner astutely points out, "Some of that classic training was shown as he tackled a clever script."

At 95 years old, William Shatner shows none of the "fading" he saw in the aging Christopher Plummer. Mr. Shatner remains a tireless workaholic who continually pursues his myriad interests with an endless curiosity. Bill has a podcast with his daughter, Melanie, called No Time But Now, is promoting a new book, William Shatner... And You, and he even performs heavy metal music.

William Shatner will appear at New York Comic-Con to promote the new documentary, The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World. 35 years after he last worked with the late Christopher Plummer in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Shatner is still going strong.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is streaming on Paramount+