Who are William Shatner's kids? Daughters call 'Captain Kirk' a 'hands-on dad'
New Shepard, the centerpiece rocket of Blue Origin’s space tourism business, will take off from Blue Origin’s Launch Site One, a launchpad in rural West Texas about 100 miles from El Paso. And among the four-person crew that Blue Origin will launch to the edge of space on October 13, is William Shatner.
The 90-year-old Canadian actor, best known for his portrayal of Captain James T Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the ‘Star Trek’ franchise, said in an interview with CNN last week, said he’s bringing along on his jaunt to space a “little blue satchel” of mementos that includes “three or four little trinkets” from family and friends.
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But during the flight, Shatner intends to stay focused on looking back at planet Earth. “I plan to be looking out the window with my nose pressed against the window,” he said during a chat last week with Blue Origin employees. Shatner then added, “The only thing I don’t want to see is a little gremlin looking back at me. Are you sure that’s not going to happen?”
In an interview last week, Shatner spoke about his anticipation for the upcoming flight. “I’m going to see the vastness of space and the extraordinary miracle of our Earth and how fragile it is compared to the forces at work in the universe — that’s really what I’m looking for," he said.
Who are William Shatner’s children?
Shatner has been married four times, first to Canadian actress Gloria Rand. Their marriage produced three daughters: Leslie, Lisabeth and Melanie. Shatner's second marriage was to Marcy Lafferty. His third marriage was to Nerine Kidd. In 2001, Shatner married Elizabeth Anderson Martin. Shatner filed for divorce from Elizabeth in 2019, which was finalized in January 2020.
Leslie was born in 1958. Lisabeth arrived in 1961. And she was followed by Melanie in 1964. As per reports, while Shatner focused on his Hollywood career, his dedication to his kids never wavered. The actor said in an old interview that his daughters tell him that he’s a very “hands-on dad” despite spending “a lot of the time in an effort to make a living.”
In a 2014 Guardian interview, Shatner said, “I must have been a hands-on dad because that's what my children tell me. In my mind, I was gone a lot of the time in an effort to make a living, so I am gratified that my kids think that they are who they are today because of my influence on them and my sense of being there for them — although it was only at weekends.”
He added, “But the fact that I was there for them they tell me was important — and they have turned out to be three of the greatest mothers. But I'm always worried about whether I've done a good job as a parent. They have brought their family up in the way I wish I'd brought them up. So something good must have happened!”
He further spoke about his five grandchildren — three girls and two boys — and said, “At a family meeting with my three daughters, there are 13 of us. Being a grandparent is the greatest joy for me. I have the time now to grab a grandchild and talk, and hug and kiss them and make sure that I'm taking time to be with them and to give them some aspect of the things I've learned. Family life is totally encompassing.”
He said, “I see my daughters every weekend. And we go off on holidays together — everything from skiing to snorkeling. I loved going with my three young grandchildren to Escape From Planet Earth, a wonderful family film.”
Both Leslie and Lisbeth appeared in ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’. Shatner’s youngest daughter made her debut in ‘Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home’ in 1986. Since then, she’s appeared in a plethora of TV shows and films, including ‘Knots Landing’, ‘Camp Cucamonga’, ‘Dark Justice’, and more.