Actor William Shatner is synonymous with the role of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series. Shatner was cast in the show’s second pilot after NBC asked creator Gene Roddenberry to film a new episode. However, the actor might have missed out on his most famous role had his first TV show as a lead not been canceled.
Before achieving icon status for his role as Captain Kirk, Shatner landed his first lead role in a continuing series when he appeared in a short-lived legal drama series. The show’s untimely cancellation ultimately paved the way for Shatner to join the crew of the Enterprise and the rest is history. Here is what Shatner had to say about his casting in Star Trek.
William Shatner’s 1st TV show For the People was canceled fairly quickly
Actor William Shatner rose to prominence with his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the sci-fi series Star Trek. However, the series wasn’t Shatner’s first lead role in a TV series. Instead, the actor first played the lead in the CBS legal drama For the People.
In the series, Shatner played the role of David Koster, an assistant district attorney who encountered conflicts with criminals and his superiors as he sought justice. By that point, Shatner was mostly known for his guest roles in shows such as The Defenders and The Outer Limits.
The series premiered in January 1965 and ran for thirteen episodes before it was untimely canceled. For the People was pulled off the air after just thirteen episodes likely because of poor ratings. However, executive producer Herbert Brodkin argued that the show’s poor ratings were a result of its timeslot.
William Shatner revealed how he landed the Star Trek role
Shatner’s first series in the lead role was canceled in May 1965, just weeks before Gene Roddenberry started casting for Star Trek‘s second pilot. For the first pilot, actor Jeffrey Hunter was cast as Captain Christopher Pike but refused to return for the second pilot.
As a result, Roddenberry was on the hunt for a new face to take the captain’s chair on the USS Enterprise. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shatner recalled how he landed the part of Captain Kirk in Star Trek.
I was in New York doing some work. They called me and said, ‘Would you come and see the pilot?’ With the idea of me being the captain.
Shatner made the above statement, referencing For the People, which was being filmed on location in New York City at the time.
However, the show’s untimely cancellation meant that Shatner was free to find a new job and we are forever grateful for how things panned out. Shatner eventually landed the role of Captain Kirk and appeared in all three seasons of Star Trek. The actor who will soon turn 94 recently expressed an interest in reprising the role in one of the more recent Star Trek shows.
Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming on Paramount+.
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