Shatner doesn’t care about his critics

"I must admit, I am the world’s biggest Star Trek fan," comedian Jeffrey Ross said back in 2005 at a Comedy Central Roast for William Shatner. "I’ve seen every episode a million times.

"And I always wished, just once, that spaceship of yours would land on a planet with an acting school."

From the perspective of many, Ross nailed it with that crack.

For the bulk of his career, 80-year-old Shatner, who will be appearing at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this weekend, has straddled that rare line between an icon and a punchline in Hollywood.

This goes back to his role as Captain Kirk in the sci-fi TV series Star Trek, which blossomed from cult hit to pop-culture juggernaut since its cancellation back in 1969.

As heroic space stud Kirk, Shatner became known for his uniquely stilted delivery, full of heavy melodrama and odd, unlikely pauses.

Ever since, his detractors have routinely dismissed him as the ultimate ham, a showbiz hack of the first order. Successive roles in TV cop-shlock series T.J. Hooker, and in B-movies like Big Bad Mama and Kingdom of the Spiders, did little to improve that reputation.

Nor did Shatner’s much-parodied musical career, which included eccentric performance-art readings of pop hits like Elton John’s "Rocket Man" and the Beatles’ "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

Over the years, Shatner has laughed along with the jokes, and, occasionally, has fired back at his critics, too.

But these days, as in-demand as ever, 60 years into his career, Shatner doesn’t care what anyone has to say about him.

"I don’t read the critics," he says. "I don’t read what they write, for or against me. … They don’t know much."

He adds: "Who knows what is right or wrong? … If they don’t like what I put out, I feel badly that I haven’t gotten to them, but there’s not much I can do about it."

In recent years, Shatner — a trained Shakespearean actor who got his start in Ontario’s renowned Stratford Festival — has felt a measure of vindication. His role as offbeat attorney Denny Crane in TV dramas Boston Legal and The Practice won him acclaim and the hardware to back it up, including two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

In recent weeks, he received a Governor General’s Award for his contribution to the arts, as well as an honourary doctorate from his alma mater, McGill University.

Such kudos from the homeland are special to Shatner.

"I brought my two sisters to (the Governor General’s ceremony) … and we wished my father had been alive, because he was so proud to be Canadian."

So, for that matter, is Shatner. Even though he has worked in the U.S. for the bulk of his adult life, he stresses: "I’ve never thought about changing my passport. … Canada is my country."

Despite all his successes, the actor still has the odd setback. His much-hyped CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says was cancelled after one season. But Shatner takes the loss in stride.

"I’m really disappointed," he says of the show’s demise, "but, on the other hand, I’m looking forward to the next hill to climb. It’s giving me time to come to Calgary, you see."

He’s been to the city on several occasions.

He even shot a movie in Alberta, he recalls, though he can’t remember which one. (He’s probably thinking about the made-for-TV movie Pioneer Woman, shot in Waterton Lakes National Park and Twin Butte back in 1973. Perhaps he prefers to forget. The ’70s were lean years for Shatner.)

Shatner is returning now, thanks to the recommendation of his former Star Trek co-star, Leonard Nimoy.

Mr. Spock generated much excitement when he visited the Calgary Comic Expo last year, stopping in the town of Vulcan along the way.

Vulcan has made the most of its name being the same as Spock’s home planet. While Shatner will not be visiting the self-proclaimed "Star Trek capital of Canada" — "I just want to be different," he quips. "Vulcan can manage without me" — he is looking forward to the Expo. "(Leonard) told me it was really wonderful. He had a great time there."

Shatner is also excited about two new projects soon to see the light of day. One is a concept album of space-themed cover songs, Seeking Major Tom, which includes such high-profile musical guests as Brad Paisley and former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde.

Then there’s his upcoming book, Shatner Rules, which offers a "key to understanding the Shatnerverse."

Indeed, one could hardly blame Shatner for feeling like the ruler of his own universe, worshipped as he is by millions of hard-core Trekkies the world over.

What must it feel like to experience that sort of mass reverence?

"I preach to it," he says, before adding hastily, "That’s a joke."

"Whatever it is, I’m grateful for it," says Shatner, who admits he’s still puzzled at times by the adulation.

"The truth of the matter is, I’m stumbling along, hoping it’s all working."