William Shatner (Captain Kirk) believes Trek is coming to an end, which he believes would have caused "no end of grief" to Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

In an interview with Astrobiology Magazine, Shatner fielded a question about what Rodenberry would think of Trek now, and what could be done to improve it. "Unfortunately, the current product seems to have come to an end," he said. "I think perhaps the producers missed the essentials of Star Trek--that is, the colorful characters in conflict with each other and the outer world."

Shatner elaborated on what he believes the meaning of Star Trek is. "Don't interfere in other people's lives or think that yours is the shining example of the way things are supposed to be," he said.

When the discussion turned to Shatner's time playing Captain Kirk, he was asked to sum up the feeling that best decribed his experience acting in the role. "Gratitude," he answered. He commented that thousands of people have told him their lives have been changed by Star Trek. "It's a bit overwhelming," he said.

Shatner talked about the rigors of being an actor on a weekly television program, and about how much he learned from the experience. "[I learned h]ow to memorize ten pages in a day; how to stay alert for eighteen hours at a time; how to focus my forces when I needed them," he said.

He noted that his opinion of Star Trek: The Motion Picture hasn't changed all that much since the release of the director's edition. "I thought it a little long and it got longer," he said.

Shatner showed his humorous side in the interview several times. When asked which character in any other movie or book he would have liked to play, he answered, "A mutant from X-Men 2."

Shatner was also asked what his response would be if NASA called him up and offered him a place on a space shuttle. "No, thank you!" Shatner said. "I've developed claustrophobia and I have sleep apnea."

To read the full interview, in which Shatner also discusses his books and what he would have done if he wasn't an actor, visit Astrobiology Magazine online.

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