HBO
Bill Maher tackled one of the vital burning questions within the historical past of “Star Trek” Friday … and due to William Shatner, we now have our reply!
The ‘Actual Time’ host interviewed Shatner on his HBO present – and, at one level throughout their convo, Invoice requested in regards to the well-known interracial kiss between Admiral James T. Kirk (white) and Lt. Nyota Uhura (Black).
Shatner, as Kirk, planted the lip smacker on Nichelle Nichols, as Uhura, within the 1968 Star Trek episode titled, “Plato’s Stepchildren.” The second was very controversial as a result of NBC – which aired “Star Trek” – was afraid of turning off their conservative Southern viewers.
Community execs demanded the 2 actors by no means lock lips whereas they shot the scene, utilizing as an alternative a method to counsel they had been kissing by turning their heads away from the digital camera. However that is not the way it went down ultimately.
Invoice dove into all of the drama, first commending Shatner for being “brave about it” as a result of Southern TV stations canceled packages that tried to advertise interracial relationships.
At first, Shatner made gentle of the state of affairs, saying he puckered his lips earlier than shaping his mouth right into a fish for the laughing crowd.
Then he received a bit extra severe, explaining that Nichelle – who died in 2022 – was an exquisite girl “in her lifetime.”
Invoice then turned to the massive query … Would the kiss have appeared within the scene if Shatner had not insisted on doing it?
Shatner did not miss a beat, replying, “It would have not got done.”
Invoice heartily applauded together with the viewers, acknowledging Shatner’s boldness in breaking boundaries throughout that interval.
Thriller solved!
