George Takei brands William Shatner a 'cantankerous old man'
George Takei has branded William Shatner a "cantankerous old man" and vowed never to speak about him again.
The 'Star Trek' co-stars have been locked in a bitter feud for many years which seems to have reheated in recent weeks after 91-year-old Shatner hit out at his "bitter" former colleagues in an interview - and now Takei has given his final words on the fall out.
During an appearance on 'The Graham Norton Show', Takei was asked about the rift and said: "You are the last chat show host to be allowed to ask that question as it has become so tiresome to talk about. When Bill has a book to sell he needs publicity and accuses us of using him.
"My subject is more substantial and important. He is a cantankerous old man and I will not talk about him anymore. I vow that this is the very last time I talk about him."
Shatner recently slammed Takei in an interview with UK newspaper The Times, claiming he was only criticising him to boost his own profile.
The actor said: "I began to understand that they were doing it [criticising me] for publicity. Sixty years after some incident, they are still on that track. Don’t you think that’s a little weird? It’s like a sickness. George has never stopped blackening my name. These people are bitter and embittered. I have run out of patience with them. Why give credence to people consumed by envy and hate?”
Both men have previously taken shots at each other in books, with Takei calling his former co-star “very self-centered" in his 1994 biography 'To the Stars', while Shatner put the rift down to jealously in his memoir 'Shatner Rules'.
'The Graham Norton Show' airs on BBC One, Friday December 2 and 10.40pm. It is also available on BBC iPlayer.
