William Shatner said he received no residual payments from decades of reruns of the original Star Trek television series, blaming the timing of syndication rules that were adopted after the show was canceled.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the 94-year-old actor who played Captain James T. Kirk on the 1966–1969 series said "nobody knew about reruns" when the program first aired and that "the concept of syndication only came in after ‘Star Trek’ was canceled." He added that unions later won residuals, but that change came too late for him to benefit.

Shatner has discussed the matter before. In a 2020 post on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote that "anything before 1973 (that includes Star Trek Original Series) doesn’t pay a cent in Royalties," and asked fans not to assume he continued to earn money from viewers watching the show. The original Star Trek ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969 and starred Shatner alongside Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley and George Takei.

The actor told Entertainment Tonight that he has watched only "as few as possible" of the episodes in which he appeared and has never watched any of the spin-offs. "I don't like to look at myself," he said, adding that he tends to view documentaries, news and sports rather than scripted television.

Shatner has reprised Kirk in films and special appearances over the years, and he has occasionally signaled openness to returning under the right circumstances. In May 2024 he told The Canadian Press that while a full return would be "almost impossible," he might consider appearing if there were a "genuine reason for the character appearing," beyond a mere cameo.

Residuals and syndication became a significant part of television industry compensation as reruns and later streaming created ongoing revenue streams. Unions negotiated for residual payments after early television contracts proved inadequate to address continuing exploitation of programs over time. Shatner’s statements reflect a wider pattern affecting performers whose work predates standard residual frameworks.

While Shatner says he did not personally benefit, subsequent generations of performers and many cast members in later productions have received ongoing pay when their work is rebroadcast or licensed. The conversation about fair compensation for creators and performers has continued into the streaming era, prompting industry-wide discussions and union actions.

![Star Trek cast] (https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/09/1200/675/william-shatner-star-trek-scene.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 "Original Star Trek cast and scene")

Shatner’s remarks come as the Star Trek franchise—through new series, films and licensed media—remains a significant cultural and commercial property. His comments underline how industry practices evolved after the fact for many early television shows and the performers who appeared in them.