William Shatner talks Denver Fan Expo, Star Trek and Dobermans

William Shatner has seemingly never met a Star Trek fan-event, pop-culture convention or “Wrath of Khan” screening he didn’t like.

At 90, with thousands of public appearances under his belt, the original Captain James T. Kirk is as energetic and game as during the last 11 U.S. presidential administrations, when he’s consistently appeared on screen, in books and on albums.

“I have a talk show (‘I Don’t Understand,’ on the RT Network), the History Channel show (‘UnXplained’) and a new album (‘Bill’), which you’ve got to listen to. It’s gotten incredible reviews and it’s the best musical project I’ve done, by far,” he said over the phone Wednesday. “I’m always trying to see how I can do things better.”

The actor, who on Oct. 13 took a short space flight on the Blue Origin capsule, has come full circle in his showbiz career. He’ll be a literal space voyager when he visits the renamed Denver Fan Expo (former Denver Pop Culture Con) at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31, for a Q&A at Bellco Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center. At 2:30 p.m., he’ll be signing autographs and posing for pictures.

A veteran headliner of the Denver show, Shatner also continues to tour the world greeting fans on themed cruises, museum exhibits, award ceremonies, screenings and one-man shows (“Shatner’s World,” which visited Denver in 2018CQ). He’s adept at giving interviews, unsurprisingly, and this week took potshots at the Denver Broncos and praised Colorado’s natural beauty.

Here’s a condensed version of our chat.

Q: You’re usually the guest of honor everywhere you go. Is there anyone you get starstruck by?

A: Not so much in the entertainment industry, although I admired Marlon Brando and Laurence Olivier, who are both long dead. But I’m (starstruck) by the passionate intellectuals, on any subject, who I talk to. I have a show called “I Don’t Understand” about things I don’t understand, which is everything. I talk to people — scientists, psychiatrists, computer engineers — and there are things happening on the horizon that are so vivid and so quick and inexplicable, and they don’t have anything to do with (show business).

Q. I know you love doing it, but is there anything more to say about Star Trek that hasn’t already been said? It feels like the Beatles at this point, continuously combed over for decades.

A. Well, the Beatles wrote great songs and they disappeared and now we’re mulling over their legacy. But Star Trek just keeps on burgeoning. Every time you think you’ve nailed Star Trek, a new Star Trek pops up. So that franchise is alive and well.

Q. True. “Discovery,” “Picard,” “Lower Decks,” “Strange New Worlds.” … There’s always something on TV or being announced.

A. It’s at the point where I don’t know these people. The young lady playing the lead in (“Discovery,” Sonequa Martin-Green) and I were going to say thank you to a large audience. My speech was on the teleprompter and I was told she was going to speak first, so we both went out and stood there. The teleprompter came on and I saw some unfamiliar words and thought, ‘Well, we better just continue on,’ so I read them. Turns out I did her speech and mine at the same time. When we got backstage she and her manager weren’t too happy about it. If looks could kill!

Q. You’ve made thousands of appearances at these fan conventions and public events. How do you think your persona has evolved?

A. I talk about ecology more. I recall over 50 years ago reading Rachel Carson’s book “The Silent Spring,” which was a big best-seller, and it was outlining what’s basically happening now — although global warming far exceeds anything she had in mind. So I’m talking more stridently and passionately about that because terrible things are going to happen if we don’t do something about it.

(President Joe) Biden’s going off to an international climate conference tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 28), and that’s a great sign, but all the countries of the world have to get behind it. People have to understand how dire things are. There’s going to be no snow to close the Eisenhower Tunnel! I remember how slowly the snow melted when I had a condo there at a ski area. (Note: He did not name the ski area.) Now it’s more rapidly.

Q. On a brighter note: What’s good these days? What are you watching or reading?

A. I used to enjoy the Broncos! (laughs) I’m more of a news-aholic and a sports viewer, and a lot of movies. But I don’t really watch half-hour or hour television, and that puts me in a strange position because I don’t know any of these modern people. There’s just so much out there.

Q. What’s your favorite thing that has nothing to do with horses (a longtime passion) or the pop-culture and showbiz world?

A. I enjoy my family a lot. I’m in love with my dogs. I’ve had two Dobermans consistently for many, many years. I think it really is essential that people who are busy and have a dog should have two, so they can pack up and not be lonely. I’ve had two Dobies pretty much my entire adult life.

I’m so busy working that my spare time is spent with them. I’ve got a date with my daughter tonight, a date with my wife last night, and a date with another daughter tomorrow. I’ve got grandkids, one playing tennis, another at university and a third who’s an extremely bright young lady in high school. It sounds a little trite, but family and animals and nature and work are my life.

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