In my review of Fanboys earlier today, I mentioned a cameo appearance by William Shatner as himself. Based on this evidence, it would appear that the Shat Man is not philosophically opposed to the idea of cameos, but in a recent interview with AMC, new Star Trek director J.J. Abrams gave a different impression. “It was very tricky. We actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, it didn't quite feel right. The bigger thing was that he was very vocal that he didn't want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly, which, frankly, he deserves.”
Shatner claims he was never approached for a cameo. In fact, he claims this in a YouTube clip you can view after the jump. He also supplies a simple solution to the big problem Abrams cites, namely that Captain Kirk already died onscreen. Hint: it involves the “hovering machine,” and you have to throw the switch on the right.
Related:
Star Trek Teaser Follow-up: The Real Deal
In Search of Spock's Insurance Form
