Additional Coverage:
- ‘Star Trek’ Star Recalls Bizarre Encounter With William Shatner: ‘I Think He Thought I Was Crazy’ (parade.com)
Paul Wesley Recounts Unexpected Encounter with William Shatner, Shares Approach to Playing Captain Kirk
Actor Paul Wesley, known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the hit Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, recently shared details of a surprising mid-flight meeting with William Shatner, the legendary actor who originated the iconic role. Shatner, 94, famously captained the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series from 1966 to 1969.
In a September 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, alongside his castmate Ethan Peck (who plays Spock), Wesley recounted the encounter, which occurred shortly after he filmed his first episode for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, which premiered in 2022. Wesley found himself on an airplane with Shatner and initially suspected he was the target of a prank.
“At first I was like, I don’t know. This is so bizarrely, like, am I hallucinating or is this a hidden camera show?
Did Paramount do this? But I quickly realized it wasn’t.
It was just a coincidence,” the Vampire Diaries star explained during the interview.
Wesley initiated a conversation by reminding Shatner that they had previously been neighbors. He then decided to reveal his new role.
“We’re mid-flight and I’m like, ‘I got to tell him. I got to tell him.
I got to.’ And I’m like, ‘Bill, listen,'” Wesley recalled, describing Shatner as engrossed in a book.
“He was like reading a book, and I was like, ‘I hate to interrupt you, but I got cast in a role that I think you know well. You might be familiar with.’
And he was just like, ‘Well, what’s the role?’ And I was like, ‘You know, Kirk.'”
Wesley theorized that Shatner initially doubted his claim. “I think he really thought that I was like kind of pulling a fast one.
He was just like ‘What is this guy going on about?’ And we chatted a little bit.
He’s like, ‘Well, good luck.’ Not much because I think he thought I was crazy,” Wesley stated.
However, once Wesley’s casting was officially announced, Shatner offered his support via social media. “Then it’s announced that I got the role and then he tweets me, ‘Take care of my crew and my ship.’
And ‘Congratulations Captain,'” Wesley confirmed.
In a separate August 2025 interview with CGMagazine, Wesley elaborated on his approach to playing Captain Kirk, emphasizing his decision not to mimic Shatner’s “brilliant” performance. “I realized quite quickly and with the advice of others that I will never be able to match his intrinsic qualities as a human being,” Wesley explained.
“So what I tried to look at some of the qualities that are non-negotiable for the character. And then instill my own version of James T.
Kirk that is unique to me.”
The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently in production.