William Shatner is terrified of going up into space.
William Shatner
The 90-year-old 'Star Trek' actor will become the oldest person to venture up into the stratosphere, but he's not taken much comfort from being told everything would be "fine."
Speaking at New York Comic-Con on Thursday (08.10.2021), he said: "I’m thinking, ‘I’m going up in a rocket and our best guess is it should be fine?” I’m terrified. I’m Captain Kirk, and I’m terrified.
"I’m not really terrified — yes I am. It comes and goes like a summer cold. I’m planning on putting my nose against the window [once I’m in space], and my only hope is I won’t see someone else looking back.”
The star is set to be blasted up into space on Jeff Bezos's New Shepard NS-18 rocket along with Audrey Powers, Blue Origin's Vice President of Mission and Flight Operation, and crew members Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries.
William quipped: "I don’t want to be the oldest guy to go into space."
Shatner also went on to tell all about a phone call he had with a friend over a year ago, who suggested Captain Kirk should go up into space for real.
He added: "My friend Jason Erhlick came to me about a year and a half ago and he said he was seeing these rockets with people going into space. And, [he said] 'Wouldn’t it be something if Captain Kirk went up there?'
"And I said, ‘Jason, for God’s sake, man. Nobody cares if Captain Kirk goes to space. It was 55 years ago, man. But I’m doing well, maybe I should go up to space?' ”
Over a year passed before the plans were put in motion, but as it stands the actor is set to be sent up into space courtesy of the Amazon founder on an as yet unannounced date.
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