William Shatner rejected guest role on 'The Big Bang Theory': 'Find something that's better'
"The Big Bang Theory" tried to get "Star Trek" icon William Shatner to appear in a guest role on the show, but the actor who played Captain James T. Kirk said he turned the series down.
"I've had several conversations with the creators, and what they wanted me to do didn't seem to be exactly right, so I said 'find something that's better,'" Shatner, 85, recently told Digital Spy. "They may have taken umbrage at that, I'm not sure."
The massively popular CBS comedy has been able to snag many of the stars from the "Star Trek" franchise over its 10 seasons on-air for guest-starring roles, including Leonard Nimoy, Brent Spiner, Levar Burton, George Takei, and Wil Wheaton.
But Shatner wasn't pleased with the writing around his prospective guest turn on the show.
"They wanted me to play myself a little obliquely," the 85-year-old actor said. "And they said it would work out, but I needed more assurance on that."
But hope is not all gone. Shatner told the website he's still open to appearing on "The Big Bang Theory" if the script meets his standards.
CBS did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.