Years After Space-Travel Clash, Star Trek Actor Praises Prince William’s Environmental Mission
Prince William and a Hollywood legend share a commitment to fighting climate change.
Star Trek star William Shatner shares more in common with Prince William than just a first name. Both of them are deeply passionate about the environment. The Hollywood star has increasingly focused on protecting the planet, a cause that his namesake actively tries to champion through his Earthshot Prize.
Shatner recently praised the Prince of Wales for his environmental work and expressed hope that others would follow his lead. “I admire the work he's doing, and I just wish more people would do it," he told HELLO! Although the two men have never reached out to each other about their shared passion, Shatner revealed that he would consider doing so.
However, in 2021 the then-Duke of Cambridge publicly criticized Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space-travel project. William had said that the focus should be on “trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live." His comments came just a day after Shatner joined the controversial mission alongside several other high-profile figures.
While Shatner and the Prince may find common ground on their interest in environmentalism, their opinions on space travel differ completely. The former was the captain of the starship USS Enterprise, after all. The veteran actor reportedly believes that space exploration could ultimately help relocate pollution off Earth. At age 90, Shatner joined Blue Origin's spaceflight, becoming the oldest person to travel to space. He later described the journey as a "life-changing experience" that filled him with "the strongest feelings of grief" for the planet he had ever encountered.
In 1991, Shatner featured in the TV series Voice of the Planet, where he spent 13 weeks travelling around the world to visit places impacted by pollution, including Mount Everest. "In my opinion, saying that global warming doesn't exist is like saying, 'I'm not going to die.' Global warming is happening," he said. "There is no question that we are in an existential race."
It is left to be seen whether Shatner and the Prince of Wales join forces for the planet. But on an individual front, William will be travelling to Mumbai, India, later this year for the Earthshot Prize ceremony.
