William Shatner, 95, Jokes About Mortality After Losing Two Star Trek Legends Days Apart
William Shatner, 95, told fans he keeps looking over his shoulder for the guy with the scythe, after losing two Star Trek legends within days of each other. Speaking at his William Shatner: Live on Stage event in Northfield, Ohio, on Sunday, November 1, the original Captain Kirk addressed the deaths of Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov and died on October 25 at age 90, and Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard and died on October 28 at age 86. Shatner then joked about his fellow surviving original cast member, George Takei: I am not going to go first.
The remarks, reported by Parade on November 4 from CinemaBlend and Cleveland.com coverage of the Ohio event, were dark, funny and deeply human at the same time. Here is what Shatner said, what he had already written about both men, and why his joke landed with Star Trek fans.
| Quick Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Speaker | William Shatner, age 95, Captain James T. Kirk |
| Event | William Shatner: Live on Stage, Northfield, Ohio, November 1, 2026 |
| Koenig | Walter Koenig, Pavel Chekov, died October 25, age 90 |
| Stewart | Patrick Stewart, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, died October 28, age 86 |
| Key quote | I keep looking over my shoulder for the guy with the scythe |
| Second joke | I am not going to go first, about George Takei |
| Survivors | Shatner and Takei, 89, are the last original series main cast members |
| Stewart cause | Brief journey with Alzheimer disease and Lewy body dementia, per family |
What Shatner Said in Ohio
According to Parade account, Shatner spoke to fans about both deaths before delivering the grim one liner. I keep looking over my shoulder for the guy with the scythe, he told the audience. The line drew on a lifetime of playing a starship captain who cheated death on screen, now facing, at 95, the reality that his generation of Star Trek actors is nearly gone. It was a joke, but it was not a throwaway. It acknowledged fear without surrendering to it.
He then brought up George Takei, who played helmsman Hikaru Sulu in the original series. Shatner and Takei, whose relationship has been prickly at times across the decades, are now the only two surviving members of the original series main cast. I am not going to go first, Shatner joked, turning a painful fact into a piece of competitive banter. EntertainmentNow account adds another line from the same appearance: The universe has taken care of me. Together, the three lines paint a portrait of a man who is grieving, joking, and grateful all at once.
The timing matters. Shatner spoke on November 1, just four days after Stewart death was announced and a week after Koenig death. Fans in Northfield had come to celebrate his career, and instead found themselves sharing a moment of mourning with him. That shared grief is part of why the remarks travelled so widely on November 4, when Parade and other outlets picked up the Ohio coverage.
Two Losses in Three Days
October 2026 was a brutal month for Star Trek fans. Walter Koenig, who joined the original Star Trek series as the Enterprise Russian navigator Pavel Chekov, died on Sunday, October 25, at age 90. According to his agent Facebook statement, Koenig died of old age. He had been a beloved presence at conventions for decades, known for his genuine connection with the Star Trek community, a quality Shatner himself praised in his tribute.
Patrick Stewart died on Wednesday, October 28, at age 86, at his home in California. His longtime spokeswoman, Kelly Bush Novak, said in a family statement that Stewart died after a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer disease and Lewy body dementia. Stewart, a Shakespearean actor, began playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, and went on to anchor the role across films and the streaming series Star Trek: Picard. For many fans, Picard was not just a character. He was a moral compass, and Stewart death felt personal even to people who never met him.
The two deaths, three days apart, left the franchise reeling. Forums and social media filled with tributes, and one widely shared post summed up the mood: Bubble wrap George Takei and William Shatner as soon as possible. Fans were not just mourning Koenig and Stewart. They were suddenly aware of how few original cast members remain, and how fragile that living link to the 1960s series has become.
What Shatner Wrote When the News Broke
Shatner public tributes, posted on social media as each death was announced, were more formal than his Ohio jokes, and they show the other side of his grief. After Koenig death, he wrote that he was deeply saddened, recalling their years working together and praising Koenig genuine love for the Star Trek community, as reported by TheWrap. Despite admitted differences between the two men during Koenig lifetime, Shatner tribute was warm and unqualified.
After Stewart death, Shatner statement was longer and more personal. What a heartbreaking week it has been, he wrote. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. He added that he was filled with affection and admiration for Stewart and his work, and sent his condolences to Stewart wife, Sunny Ozell, and the family. He will be deeply missed, he concluded.
Those words matter because Shatner and Stewart relationship was complex. There had been reports over the years that Stewart and his Next Generation co-stars felt uncomfortable about comments Shatner had made about their series, and Shatner 2011 documentary The Captains explored the bonds and tensions between Star Trek captains. But when Stewart died, Shatner put all of that aside. Friend came first in his tribute, before colleague and actor, and fans noticed the order.
Why Only Two Original Cast Members Remain
The original Star Trek series ran from 1966 to 1969, and its main cast became cultural icons: Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Dr McCoy, James Doohan as Scotty, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, George Takei as Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Chekov. Nimoy, Shatner best friend on screen and off and on in real life, died in 2015. Kelley, Doohan and Nichols have also died in previous years. With Koenig death, only Shatner, 95, and Takei, 89, remain.
Takei own reaction to Koenig death was brief and moving. On Monday after the news, he said his heart was heavy, calling Koenig a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man, and a loyal friend, and adding: Rest well, my dear friend. Keep navigating a steady course. The nautical farewell, a nod to Chekov navigation post on the Enterprise, was exactly the kind of tribute fans hoped for, and it underscored how close the surviving cast members remain despite their differences.
For more entertainment news, read Johnny Depp on a possible Pirates of the Caribbean return, Pierce Brosnan backing Callum Turner as James Bond, and Jason Statham reuniting with Guy Ritchie for Dogfight.
Why the Scythe Joke Resonated
Shatner joke works because it is honest. At 95, he is not pretending mortality is abstract. He is looking over his shoulder, and he knows his audience, many of whom are themselves ageing alongside him, understands exactly what that feels like. The humour does not deny the grief. It gives grief a shape that can be shared in a theatre, with laughter, rather than only in silence.
It also works because Shatner has always used humour to handle big subjects. As Kirk, he faced death, loss and impossible choices with a quip as often as with a phaser. Fans who grew up watching him have seen that pattern for sixty years, so hearing him joke about the scythe feels continuous with the character they love, not like a break from it. The man and the captain, in this moment, sound alike.
There is a deeper resonance too. Star Trek has always been about a future in which humanity survives and thrives, and its actors have become symbols of that optimism. Watching those symbols die, one by one, forces fans to confront the gap between the fictional future and real time. Shatner joke bridges that gap: the universe has taken care of me, he said, as if to reassure fans that the optimism was not misplaced, even as the losses mount.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did William Shatner say about the Star Trek deaths?
At his November 1 event in Northfield, Ohio, Shatner said he keeps looking over his shoulder for the guy with the scythe, and joked about George Takei: I am not going to go first. He also said the universe has taken care of me.
Who died in October 2026?
Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov, died on October 25 at age 90. Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard, died on October 28 at age 86.
How did Patrick Stewart die?
His family said he died after a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer disease and Lewy body dementia, at his home in California.
Who are the last surviving original Star Trek cast members?
William Shatner, 95, and George Takei, 89, are the last surviving members of the original series main cast.
Sources
Reporting for this article drew on Parade on Shatner Ohio remarks, EntertainmentNow on Shatner staying vigilant after the losses, and SlashFilm on Shatner tribute to Stewart.
Final Thoughts
William Shatner has spent sixty years teaching audiences how to face the unknown with courage and a joke. In Northfield, facing the loss of two friends in three days, he did exactly that. I keep looking over my shoulder for the guy with the scythe is a funny line and a sad one, and that is why it travelled. It tells fans what they already know: the original Enterprise crew is almost gone, the two who remain know it, and they are still, somehow, joking about it. That is a very Star Trek way to grieve.
