At 95, William Shatner is pushing into another unfamiliar corner of his long recording career. The “Star Trek” legend told Page Six that he has embraced [1] heavy metal, even though he knew almost nothing about the genre when the project was first proposed.
Shatner discussed the unexpected musical move Thursday night at the New York premiere of “The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World.” He attended the event to celebrate the documentary, which he executive produced, about the enduring legacy of “Star Trek.”
His initial response to the album idea was blunt and ultimately became central to the project. “When they said, ‘How’d you like to do a heavy metal album?’ I said, ‘What the F is heavy metal?’” Shatner recalled.
According to Shatner, that startling question did not disappear after the conversation. “And that’s the title of the album,” he revealed, turning his original confusion about the genre into the name attached to his new musical effort.
The actor’s opinion of heavy metal has changed considerably since then. “I’ve come to love it,” Shatner said, praising the energy and vitality that he discovered in the music.
The project has already moved beyond the recording stage. Earlier this year, Shatner debuted his heavy metal band, The *uckers, at Riot Fest 2026 in Chicago, and the group has plans to tour in Australia and Florida.
Although the style initially caught him by surprise, making music is hardly a new pursuit for Shatner. His varied recording career stretches back to 1968, when he released his debut album, “The Transformed Man.”
That record featured dramatic spoken-word renditions of several songs. The selections included “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” establishing his early approach to interpreting familiar material through his own performance style.
Shatner continued recording decades later and joined forces with Ben Folds for his 2004 album, “Has Been.” The collaboration became another entry in a catalog that has repeatedly taken the actor into different musical settings.
He later released “Seeking Major Tom,” which featured covers of songs connected to space. Among the selections was Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” continuing the space theme that has appeared in parts of Shatner’s musical work.
More recently, Shatner released “So Fragile, So Blue” in 2024. The album was inspired by his journey into space aboard a Blue Origin spacecraft and was recorded with the National Symphony Orchestra.
Heavy metal is not the only music currently keeping the Hollywood veteran occupied. Shatner is also releasing another album, “Love & Other Mysteries,” which he created with country music icon Brad Paisley.
The two projects place Shatner in dramatically different musical surroundings. One emerged from his initial lack of familiarity with heavy metal, while the other brought him together with one of country music’s prominent performers.
His appearance Thursday also focused attention on “The Sixty-Year Mission,” the documentary he executive produced. The film examines how “Star Trek” changed television and the world, as stated in its title, while exploring the franchise’s enduring legacy.
The documentary features interviews with several stars from the franchise. Its lineup includes Jonathan Frakes, Simon Pegg, Robert Picardo, Brent Spiner, and Ethan Peck.
For Shatner, the New York premiere brought his latest projects together in one evening. He celebrated a documentary about “Star Trek” while revealing that the heavy metal music he once did not understand has become a genre he now loves.