William Shatner, the 95-year-old Star Trek legend best known for portraying Captain Kirk, made a rare public appearance this past weekend at the Calgary Expo in Alberta, Canada. The iconic actor took to the stage on Saturday at the BMO Centre for a panel discussion, engaging with a live audience and sharing memories from his illustrious career.
Casual and Cheerful
Shatner kept his look casual, wearing a tan jacket, a dark green button-up shirt, and blue trousers. He smiled warmly as the crowd greeted him, settling into a comfortable chair to field questions from fans. The actor touched on a variety of topics, including nostalgic recollections from the late 1960s when he filmed the original Star Trek series.
A Humorous Traffic Stop
During the panel, Shatner recalled a humorous incident while filming a scene at Vasquez Rocks in Los Angeles County. He explained that call time was early at 4 a.m., and he was speeding to the location in his Captain Kirk costume when a police officer pulled him over. Expecting to be arrested, Shatner was instead greeted by a fan. The officer raised his hand in a Vulcan salute and said, 'Live long and prosper,' as reported by the Calgary Herald.
Denying Brain Cancer Rumors
Shatner's appearance at the Calgary Expo comes shortly after he firmly denied rumors circulating on social media that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Earlier this month, he posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying his daughter had heard the false claim. He shared a photo of himself sitting upright in a backyard patio chair, grinning at the camera, to prove his health. 'She took this photo and sent it to me to upload to prove I'm not ill. The people who are ill are those that are spreading these ridiculous stories. I'm fit as a fiddle. You don't have to worry,' he assured his fans.
Fighting Fake News
Shatner also criticized a Facebook page called The Beanstalk Functions Group, which he claimed used AI to create fake news stories about him, including the brain cancer rumor and a fabricated spat with Erika Kirk. He wrote, 'All their stories are monetized. Most of the stories use an AI image of me. Facebook Support will not remove the page.' He contacted the CEO of Next.js, the web development framework used to create the page, in an effort to have the stories taken down. 'This is the downside of AI and yellow journalism. While [it] can be a wonderful tool in the right hands; it can be used as a weapon in the wrong hands,' he warned.
Previous Health Scares
Last September, Shatner denied reports that he had been hospitalized for a medical emergency involving his blood sugar. His agency, TalentWorks, released a statement insisting he was fine, and his agent Harry Gold said, 'I spoke to Bill earlier this evening, he is fine. He is not in the hospital. He is at home. He is 100 percent healthy.' Shatner responded wryly with a meme of himself playing Mark Twain on the Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries, along with the phrase: 'Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated!'
Shatner is a cancer survivor, having previously been diagnosed with stage four melanoma. He underwent surgery and immunotherapy to treat the condition. In 2016, he received a false prostate cancer diagnosis due to a spike in PSA levels caused by testosterone supplements, which he has since stopped using.
