Star Trek icon William Shatner looked sharp as ever during a rare outing in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The legendary actor, 94, showed no signs of slowing down while stopping by the Aroma Coffee & Tea in Tujunga Village with a friend. He later moved to browsing furniture and was seen holding a flyer for a unique designer chair. The Canadian star -- who recently discovered a new way to 'live forever' -- sported a striped blue button-up shirt with navy pants and a pair of comfortable sneakers.
His grey hair was neatly swept to the side, and he wore black sunglasses to shield his eyes. Shatner -- who opened up about a 'difficult' health condition last month -- is globally known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the original 1960s Star Trek TV series and subsequent films, such as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Last month it was reported that Shatner has used a groundbreaking program to immortalize both his experiences and personality for future generations.
StoryFile, an innovative AI company, has developed lifelike, interactive 3D avatars that allow people to 'live on' after death, sharing memories and answering questions in the same natural and conversational manner of a real person. Shatner as well as philanthropist Michael Staenberg, 71, have both used StoryFile to immortalize both their experiences and personalities. The technology captures video interviews, transforming them into hologram-style avatars that use generative AI, similar to ChatGPT, to respond dynamically to questions.
StoryFile's avatars have been employed in museums since 2021 to preserve the voices of historical figures like WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors, and by terminally ill individuals to connect with family after death. Until now, the company has offered a premium service costing tens of thousands of dollars, but a new, affordable app launching this summer will allow everyday people to record their own AI avatars for less than the cost of a monthly cellphone plan. It comes after Shatner revealed his secret to having youthful energy. Last year he said the key to staying young was to 'stay engaged in life, to stay curious,' as per People.
'Your life's energy, the soul energy of your body is a product of health. If you're sick, you can't be energetic. You're dying. So my luck has been, I've been healthy all my life,' he said.
He also credited his wife Elizabeth Shatner, 64, with keeping him young. They were married from 2001 to 2020, and then reconciled with each other in 2023. In a 2023 interview with The Mirror , the TJ Hooker alum heaped more praise on his wife. 'My wife ... she is the zest of life. She brings the flavor.'
In January 2023, Shatner told Variety he was making a documentary, You Can Call Me Bill, because he didn't have long to live and he wanted his grandchildren to know him after he's gone. 'Whether I keel over as I'm speaking to you or 10 years from now, my time is limited, so that's very much a factor. I've got grandchildren. This documentary is a way of reaching out after I die.' He also revealed he'd been asked many times to have a documentary about his life made.
'I've turned down a lot of offers to do documentaries before. But I don't have long to live,' he said.
You Can Call Me Bill was released in 2023 and is available on Prime Video. Meanwhile, the enduring legacy of Shatner's portrayal of Captain Kirk has continued to inspire new generations. However, actor Paul Wesley recently discussed making a conscious decision to create his own interpretation of Kirk, instead of just imitating Shatner's version, while starring in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
'I watched, I rewatched every episode of T.O.S. prior to getting onset. I made a conscious decision. I thought about should I imitate or try to emulate William Shatner in any way. I thought, god, he did such an amazing job. He was so iconic; why not do my own spin?'
In the Paramount Plus series, Wesley plays Lt. Kirk before his promotion to captain of the USS Enterprise.
'This is pre-captain so maybe he is still sort of figuring it out,' the actor explained.
And he had Shatner’s blessing for the role. Wesley shared that Shatner tweeted him, ‘Take care of my crew and my ship.’
‘It was such a beautiful moment for me,’ he recalled.
Season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is now streaming on Paramount+.