Why does William Shatner embarrass himself on these cereal adverts.?

Question

I'm sure he must have made a few bob out of "Star Trek". Even if he had a poor contract for the original T.V. series by the time the movies came along he surely must have been well paid.

Answer 1

He's got a serious foam habit. He needs 5 yards a day just to slur his lines. Foam kills, baby!

Answer 2

What cereal ads? He has a starring role on the show Boston Legal, he is hilarious as Denny Crane. Shatner won both a Golden Globe and an Emmy (Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series) in 2005 for his portrayal of Denny Crane.

Answer 3

I've seen William Shatner in interviews he's carefree and spirited. He likes to do what ever pleases him and makes him happy. He likes to have fun He's a kid at heart. Who says he has to lay low now. The man not hurting anyone having fun along the way making songs. And enjoying his wife. Who says he has to be so serious. Good for him he's young at heart and full of life still. Maybe not everyone's cup of tea. But he's living for him not us. GO Shatner go. And he stars in a tv show so money isn't hurting him but like all people in there fields. They still need an outlet to be who they are and do what they enjoy. and thats acting. If we were actors we too would need that to feed us. and keep us alive. Like any profession you keep doing what you enjoy. They are no different. and shouldn't have a time line when they have to stop.

Answer 4

William Shatner was first cast as Captain James Tiberius Kirk for the second pilot of Star Trek, entitled "Where No Man Has Gone Before". He subsequently was contracted to play Captain James T. Kirk for the Star Trek series and held the role from 1966 to 1969. In 1973, Shatner returned to the role of Captain Kirk, albeit only in voice, in the animated Star Trek series. He was slated to reprise the role of Kirk for Star Trek: Phase II, a follow-up series chronicling the second five-year mission of the Enterprise, but Star Trek: Phase II was cancelled in pre-production and expanded into Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk
Enlarge
William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk

Shatner is notable for having participated in the first US televised interracial kiss, with Nichelle Nichols, in the 1968 episode "Plato's Stepchildren". The scene provoked controversy and was seen as groundbreaking, even though the kiss was portrayed as having been forced by mind control. The episode was not telecast in some Southern cities for fear of protest in those states; nevertheless, the majority of the feedback of the incident was positive. Shatner has claimed in memoirs that no one on the set felt the kiss to be very important until a network executive raised fears of a Southern boycott, and the kiss was almost written out of the script. Gene Roddenberry supposedly made a deal, that the scene would be shot with the kiss, and with a cut-away shot which merely implied a kiss, and then a decision would be made on which to use. The footage of the actual kiss was eventually used. Some cast members have written that this was because Shatner deliberately ruined the take for the implied-kiss footage (by staring at the camera and crossing his eyes) to force the real kiss to be used.[1]

For years Shatner was accused of being difficult to work with by some of his Star Trek co-stars, most notably George Takei and James Doohan, both of whom openly professed that they despised Shatner for being an arrogant, egotistical, line-stealing showboater who tried to keep his co-stars in the background.[2] In the 2004 Star Trek DVD sets, Takei seemed to have buried the hatchet with Shatner, but the gulf between Shatner and Doohan was more difficult. In the 1990s, Shatner made numerous attempts to patch things up with Doohan, but was unsuccessful for some time; however, an Associated Press article published at the time of Doohan's final convention appearance in late August 2004 stated that Doohan had forgiven Shatner and they had mended their relationship.

Star Trek actor William Shatner has sold his kidney stone for $25,000 (£14,000) to an online casino, to raise money for a housing charity.

The 74-year-old actor agreed on Monday to sell the stone to GoldenPalace.com.

"This takes organ donors to a new height, to a new low, maybe. How much is a piece of me worth?" said Shatner.

The money will go to Habitat for Humanity. US TV show Boston Legal, in which Shatner stars, raised $20,000 (£11,317) for the charity last year.

Answer 5

Because he dropped the ego trip he was on when he was younger. Shatner used to have a reputation for being quite full of himself, but he's mellowed with age and now has absolutely no problem poking fun at himself. You should see him live onstage at Trek conventions -- he's hiliarious and always a crowd favorite!

And between the Trek franchise, personal appearance fees, royalties and advances from his various book series, his current Emmy Award-winning role on "Boston Legal" and various product endorsement deals (priceline.com, etc.), he's not hurting for money in the least. Shatner spends a lot of time raising money for his favorite charity, actually.

Answer 6

well..he probably thinks its o.k to do these adverts because they are probably only shown in The United Kingdom and he thinks no one in his home country of the USA will find out about them, yeah right, plus its a good little earner for him. But goodness hasn't he got FAT, he's really bloated out, compare him when he is in Star Trek, its shocking.

Answer 7

He's got to that wonderful stage in life where he doesn't mind taking the piss out of himself. It's called being comfortable in your skin!
Laughing at your own foibles is better than other people poking fun.
Same thing goes for Hoff - the ads he's doing are just good clean fun!

Answer 8

He was out of favor in Hollywood for many years, but now he's an icon [from Star Trek], a survivor, a "camp" symbol AND his career has re-started as a result of his role on Boston Legal ["Denny Crane!!!"], so I say "Take it while you can, Billy!!!"

Answer 9

i know. i find them embarrassing to watch too. i assume he'd chose to do it for the money and because it was another way for him to do so. as nowadays, many hollywood film directors wouldn't hire him to cast in their films and he was probably looking for work. he must be a nice guy though but yes, i'd ask myself that same question as well

Answer 10

Dont diss Shatner his comercials are funny he's got a self depricating sense of humor thats good to see

Answer 11

MONEY, AND THE SHEER RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT HE IS FAT OLD FADED FINISHED UGLY AND SWEATY. SO why do they have him on the bleeding cereal ad. Maybe it is a reverse reverse reverse message, in other words, "you too could look as bad as me if you do not eat your ...whatever the cereal is " I think the ad people have smoked too much bad dope and doubled up in their messed up perception of just how us public can react.