George Takei Jabs at William Shatner’s Space Flight, Calls ‘Star Trek’ Co-Star an ‘Unfit’ Guinea Pig
William Shatner became the oldest person in space with his successful Wednesday flight aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, but there’s one person who’s not impressed: Shatner’s “Star Trek” co-star George Takei.
Takei and Shatner have traded jabs in the press over the years, dating back to issues on the set of the original series and continuing up through “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.” Takei didn’t miss an opportunity to throw some shade at Shatner’s space travel.
“He’s boldly going where other people have gone before,” Takei told Page Six when asked his thoughts on Shatner’s flight. “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. Although he’s not the fittest specimen of 90 years old, so he’ll be a specimen that’s unfit!”
Shatner was visibly emotional after his trip to space, saying he was “so filled with emotion about what just happened, it’s extraordinary, extraordinary.” Shatner went so far as to say every human being should experience space travel once, as the actor was awe-struck by the vast emptiness of space and the contrast of the big blue Earth below.
Takei, meanwhile, exemplified how deep this feud goes by throwing shade at his co-star literally flying into space.
