With a career and legacy tied up in the Star Trek universe, one might think that Shatner would be quite immersed in the final frontier. In stark contrast to his persona as an explorer of uncharted space, however, it would seem Shatner himself doesn’t care to dive into the Star Trek universe all the often, admitting in a recent interview that didn’t watch the original show, and indeed, hasn’t watched any Star Trek at all.

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If there’s one thing Shatner is also known for, it’s a tendency to overact in scenes, using dramatic movements and an unusual cadence that made him both iconic as Captain Kirk, and the butt of quite a few jokes. Surprisingly, Shatner admitted during an interview with People Magazine that he also has trouble watching himself act and that it’s the reason he has never gone back and watched any of the Trek movies or shows, despite starring in them: “There are many episodes I don’t know, there are some movies I don’t know.”

There is one exception, as Shatner did watch Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He didn’t really have a choice, however, as he directed the film, which made it rather important to watch it during production, though that didn’t make it any easier: “I directed one of the movies — No. 5 — I had to watch that one. But it’s all painful because I don’t like the way I look and what I do.”

It’s certainly not an unusual feeling; plenty of actors, and artists of all types, have expressed that they feel uncomfortable consuming their own art due to a tendency to self-critique. Still, it is rather a shame that it prevents Shatner from watching the original Star Trek shows/films, as they’re classics for a reason and a celebrated part of science-fiction history. Maybe someday Shatner will be able to enjoy them with less reservation, but until then it’s up to Trekkies everywhere to do the appreciation on his behalf.

In the meantime, Star Trek is poised to return to the big screen with a new feature film spearheaded by Kalinda Vazquez. The new project is reportedly based on an original concept by Vazquez, who served as a writer on Star Trek: Discovery.

Star Trek (1968) is now available on Netflix.

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Source: People