William Shatner Calls Out Strange New Worlds' Poor Kirk Impression: "It Doesn't Sound Like Me"
William Shatner delivered a scathing assessment of Strange New Worlds' latest attempt to capture his iconic Captain Kirk, declaring the performance fundamentally flawed in a recent reaction video. The 93-year-old actor's blunt critique highlights ongoing problems with the show's casting and tone.
"It doesn't sound like me. It doesn't even look like me," Shatner stated while watching clips from the episode. His frustration was palpable as he continued: "I don't understand the twitch. Come on. What would you change about his impression to make it better?"
The episode in question featured Paul Wesley's Kirk in a holodeck-style adventure aboard the USS Adventure, where the crew encounters various parodies of classic Trek tropes. According to Trek Central's review, the installment presented itself as "A Space Adventure Hour," complete with deliberately cheesy dialogue and exaggerated performances meant to evoke 1960s television.
Wesley's portrayal drew particular ire from Shatner, who noted the actor's strange mannerisms. "Wait a minute. He's like he's got a strange twitch," Shatner observed. The original Kirk actor seemed puzzled by Wesley's interpretation, adding, "The impression is not bad, but the attitude is totally wrong. It's just not working, man. It's just not working."
Shatner's criticism extends beyond mere impersonation. "Maybe you could try delivering the line like an actual human being for once," he said. "This is a toddler doing an impression of me. At least I can deliver a line realistically. It's called acting."
The episode's premise of a holodeck adventure parodying classic Trek represents everything wrong with Strange New Worlds' approach to the franchise. It ignores continuity adding blatant disregard to such canon to ridiculous concepts that fall flat more often than not.
Wesley's casting as Kirk has been problematic since his introduction. The actor lacks Shatner's commanding presence and distinctive vocal patterns that made Kirk iconic. As Shatner also says, Wesley doesn’t even look like him. Where Shatner brought gravitas and emotion to the role, Wesley delivers a hollow imitation that captures none of the character's essential qualities.
"I don't talk like that," Shatner emphasized, highlighting how Wesley's performance misses the mark. The original actor's delivery style, often parodied but never successfully replicated, came from dramatic training and decades of stage experience.
Shatner's final assessment was damning: "I don't know what they're doing." His confusion reflects broader fan frustration with a show that seems more interested in deconstructing Star Trek than celebrating it.
The episode's boring, uninspired approach to what should have been a fun concept is another example of Strange New Worlds missing the mark on what made classic Trek special. They’re trying too hard, like most Alex Kurtzman productions, to not take Star Trek seriously.
What do you think of Shatner's critique of Strange New Worlds' Kirk portrayal?
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That Shatner reaction was edited in. The original is from 3 years ago and found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw-1C8DsufE
But, easily applies here, too.
Strange New Worlds had so much potential, but the entire concept is awful. It is political, trendy, woke, and an absolute waste of some decent actors and a franchise that could have been great. The entire show is an insult to the original, but what can one expect from people who have no loyalty or respect for the original?