Quotes from William Shatner

You need to be silly to be funny.

My dad died of a stroke.

When I did the film Generations, in which the character died, I felt like a guest for the first time. That made me very sad.

There's a joy and a pain about directing where the dreams you have are becoming concrete but the attention to detail, the need for time is such that it's overwhelming at times, and the stream of responsibility.

I don't know how I got to this point but it must be as a result of everything that has come before so if I were to change something, I might not be at this point now.

You and I and everybody in show business and the entertainment industry fly by the seat of our pants. We don't know quite what is going to happen.

When I was in fifth grade, the class celebrated Valentines's Day by sending valentines to as many people as we wanted. If you were sweet on a girl, you would send one to her. You might send one to a friend on the football team telling him it was nice to be on the same team. I sent six valentines to myself so I would not be humiliated by receiving no valentines. Those were the only six valentines I received.

don't understand the concept of retirement.

I'm a performer, comedian, entertainer, writer and director.

Any success I have had began by my showing up on time, being prepared, and doing the best possible job. There is a lot to be said for that. That isn't wisdom; that's common sense.

I rarely ask people about their health, because at my age people will be happy to tell you.

The fact of the matter is, I've been lucky enough to have life say "yes" to me, time and time again. Perhaps there's no way to control anything. Perhaps the best thing to do is work hard, hold on, and enjoy the view.

So I had to learn that a lopsided relationship doesn't work. The exercise of power is inevitably self-defeating. What happens is that the person without power loses their self-respect, their whole entity becomes less, and the reasons their partner fell in love with them disappear.

She's still your mother." Meaning no matter what she's done, how much you don't understand her, you will treat her with respect. She's still your mother.

the most important element in the entire process was story, story, story. "It's always the good story," he said. "It doesn't matter how many ships you blow up, how many missiles you fire, how many fights or disasters or stunts you show. Is it a good story? Is it something you can take home with

The strongest memory I have of that night is being chased around the bed.

What made the show work, in addition to the relationships between the members of the crew, were the stories we told each week. Star Trek wasa tribute to the great tradition of science fiction, in which future civilizations were used to tell contemporary morality tales, tales about subjects that couldn't be addressed for various reasons at the time.

And the main fight will be over water, not oil.

Take it easy, nothing matters in the end, what goes up must come down. If I'd known that at 20, I wouldn't have done anything!

In this, the eightieth year of my life, I should be settling down, taking it easy, resting on laurels. Forget it.

The only people who stay the same are minuscule talents who earn their livings writing about other people who are busy living real lives

There are no facts anymore, kiddo. only good or bad fiction.

There are many lives in a lifetime.

What part of me was born with the courage to stand in front of strangers and risk rejection?