Since the debut of Star Trek: The Original Series in 1966, Star Trek has grown into one of the biggest franchises in the entire world. The Original Series has been followed by dozens of movies and shows which have expanded the franchise and brought in new fans over the years, but none of those shows and movies would have been possible without the show that started it all.
Among the individuals who were instrumental in establishing the franchise is William Shatner, who originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in The Original Series and several of the first films in the franchise. Shatner helped audiences fall in love with the franchise and has remained one of the brand’s most successful ambassadors in the decades since. He’s arguably one of the most iconic members of the entire franchise, and there is no doubt that he would easily secure a place on the Mount Rushmore of Star Trek Legends.
Perhaps it's for that reason it might surprise fans to know Shatner didn’t exactly make bank on The Original Series back in the ‘60s when the show was first airing. In fact, it seems that while the show paid well, it wasn’t really up to the standards of Hollywood at the time.
"Yes, it paid very well for me in my experience up to that time. But by the standards of Hollywood, not very well - and with a dissolving marriage, with three children, I was broke at that point," Shatner revealed in an interview with The Telegraph.
It’s honestly hard to believe that the show didn’t lead to instant financial success for Shatner, but it’s also a sad reality of the time as TV stars didn’t quite make the salaries stars of hit shows see in today’s industry. In fact, Shatner revealed that he didn’t even benefit from the success the franchise saw during the ‘70s when the show ran in syndication.
While Star Trek’s popularity grew immensely following the end of The Original Series, reaching a larger audience in syndication, Shatner and the cast didn’t see any return for their work at the time, as actor unions at the time hadn’t secured any deals that ensured actors were paid residuals for their work.
"Nobody knew about re-runs. The concept of syndication only came in after Star Trek was cancelled when someone from the unions said: 'Wait a minute, you're replaying all those films, those shows.' There was a big strike. But in the end, the unions secured residual fees shortly after Star Trek finished, so I didn't benefit," Shatner commented on the lack of residuals in the early days of the franchise.
Thankfully, actors now see a return on their work in shows that go into syndication, but it’s wild to think that actors in the early years of TV, such as Shatner, didn’t receive a penny for their work when shows were run in syndication. Of course, his role as Kirk has paid off immensely as the years have gone by, but it’s wild to know that Shatner didn’t see much of a return during the early days of Star Trek.