William Shatner is taking the famous “Star Trek” motto “Live Long and Prosper” to new heights.
The actor, who turned 93 on Friday, March 22, remains energetic and galacticly busy nearly 60 years after finding fame as Captain James T. Kirk on the classic sci-fi series. is maintained.
Shatner stars in a new documentary titled “You Can Call Me Bill.” Prior to the total solar eclipse, he is scheduled to speak in front of 60,000 people at Indiana University Memorial Stadium on April 8th. In December, he plans to take a cruise to Antarctica.
He does all this on top of his already full schedule of appearances at “Star Trek” fan events across the country.
What is the secret to his longevity? When TODAY's Craig Melvin asked him, Shatner suggested not telling people his real age.
“Please don't tell anyone,” he said during a March 18 appearance on the show as his co-hosts celebrated his birthday. “My birthday is always coming up,” he added with playful frustration.
“It's like you never stop working, you never stop staying current, you never stop reinventing yourself,” Al Roker noted.
How did William Shatner get so old?
The actor believes that longevity has a lot to do with luck.
“I've been very fortunate in my life. I've been very fortunate in terms of my health. Health is really the foundation of everything,” he told NBC News in 2018. It's genetic and it's coincidental. ”
In his memoir, “Live Long…: Things I Learned Along the Way,” he tells people to remember the basics: don't smoke, stay active, eat wisely, and get as much sleep as you need. I advised him to do so.
His number one secret to ultimate longevity was “not to die.” That's it; that's the secret. Just keep living and try not to slow down,” the actor wrote.
In addition to being busy, he attributes this to his enthusiasm for life. When the phone rings, he answers “yes” and advises others.
“You should seek joy everywhere, whether it's in a hot bath, in your best friend, or in cheese. There is joy everywhere,” he told Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Shatner takes joy in horses, dogs, family, adventure and food, he said at the documentary's red carpet premiere, which was released on his birthday.
“I'm interested in everything,” he said. “You have to make the most of each day.”
He flew aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket and capsule in 2021, becoming the oldest person to fly into space at age 90.
The actor advises people to keep their inner child alive no matter their age and have no regrets.
“Recently, when my granddaughter was worried about going to culinary school in Italy, I told her, 'Think of your journey as a movie. You're the main character, have fun and watch a great movie. Let’s make it,” Shatner told the Times.
William Shatner's health
According to industry publication Managed Healthcare Executive, the actor recently revealed that he is a skin cancer survivor after feeling a lump near his right ear and being diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma.
He said at the American Academy of Dermatology's annual meeting on March 10 that the spots were removed and Shatner was treated with immunotherapy. Shatner did not reveal when he developed the disease.
In 2016, Shatner was diagnosed with prostate cancer after his PSA level, a marker for prostate cancer, suddenly rose, but he later learned it was a false alarm.
“It was really scary,” the actor told NBC News. He said he had been taking testosterone supplements, but when he stopped taking them his PSA levels returned to normal.
Shatner suffers from tinnitus after being exposed to loud noises while filming “Star Trek.” According to the American Tinnitus Association, he “was able to find effective management tools and now believes he has become accustomed to the sounds.”
As the actor grows older, he continues to think about his own mortality.
“I don't have much time left to live,” he told Variety in 2023. “Even if I bend over when I'm talking to you, even 10 years from now, my time is limited, so that's a big factor.”
