William Shatner Wants to Play a Red Shirt on ‘Star Trek’

Star Trek icon William Shatner has a surprising role on the top of his list of Star Trek characters he’d like to play who are not James T. Kirk.

Shatner is out promoting his new film Aliens Ate My Homework and in speaking to Cinema Blend he revealed that if he were to play someone else in Star Trek, it would be a simple red shirt.

“The guys in the red shirts,” Shatner said. “They die quickly. They’re in and out, and you’re into another show.”

Shatner has previously said that he’d be open to returning to Star Trek for Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming movie. Perhaps a cameo appearance as a redshirt would be the perfect opportunity.

Alternatively, Shatner has also said that he wouldn’t mind coming back as Kirk for Tarantino if the script was right.

“Oh, lord yes. What an interesting role that was, and what it could be 50 years later,” Shatner says. “Captain Kirk is caught somewhere in the byways of the universe. Tarantino is a great director and I would love to work with him. [To appear] would be a wonderful thing. The fans have been so supportive.”

Shatner also explained that, while Star Trek reboot director JJ Abrams never approached him about a role in the 2009 film or its sequels, he has an idea about how Kirk could make a comeback.

“JJ [Abrams] has never indicated bringing Captain Kirk back and I don’t know how you would do that fifty years later,” Shatner said. “How do you rationalize my present appearance with what I was like fifty years ago? On the other hand, I have recently connected with a virtual reality company – Ziva – and they virtual realized me [with] 240 cameras all around shooting me. So, they now can produce my body and my face in any way, shape or form, including what I was like 50 years ago.”

Shatner last appeared in Star Trek in the 1994 film Star Trek: Generations, which showed Kirk’s death and served as a passing of the torch to the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew for a new series of films. Next Generation star Patrick Stewart has also expressed an interest in appearing in Tarantino’s Star Trek, so perhaps two conspicuous red shirts could cameo for Tarantino.