The Star Trek Accident That Permanently Damaged William Shatner's Body
The role of Starfleet figurehead Captain James T. Kirk changed the life of actor William Shatner in more ways than one. He's made plenty of money off of it, become a pop culture and "Star Trek" fandom icon, and even had the opportunity to venture into space. Of course, that's not to say that there haven't been some bumps in the road. For instance, in addition to low points like supposedly ruining "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, according to a producer, Shatner endured a severe injury during the making of one of the "Star Trek" films, leaving his body permanently damaged.
Back in 1997, Shatner revealed to the Baltimore Sun that an on-set accident resulted in him and co-star Leonard Nimoy — the actor known for the fan-favorite Mr. Spock character – enduring lasting hearing damage. "Some years ago, we had an explosion on the set of one of our 'Star Trek' movies. We both got this ringing in our ears, and it never really went away," he shared. Shatner explained that he went to doctors all over the United States in hopes of getting treatment for his tinnitus. This journey eventually brought him to Dr. Mattox and Dr. Pawel Jastreboff of the University of Maryland's Tinnitus Center, where he found the help he'd been seeking for so long.
Shatner has continued to speak on tinnitus and its treatment, letting those diagnosed know that it's not impossible to overcome.
Shatner continues to discuss his experience with tinnitus
As William Shatner attempted to figure out what had happened to his hearing following the "Star Trek" set incident, he made no bones about the fact that life with perpetually ringing ears wasn't easy. He told the Baltimore Sun that he feared he'd lose his hearing in time and soon struggle to get ample sleep, so he had no choice but to break "the cycle of fear that it won't go away and it will drive you crazy — or worse." Thankfully, his eventual treatment went a long way in getting his life back on track, and he wants others to know that they can do the same.
During a 2012 appearance on NPR's "Morning Edition," Shatner assured those with tinnitus that they too can improve their situation. "If one person is listening to this can be helped by [me] saying, don't despair. I promise you, eventually you won't hear it; it won't go away, but you won't hear it," he said (via The Hearing Review). The "Star Trek" legend also recalled being overwhelmed with emotion when an audiometer test successfully identified his tinnitus tone, proving to him that improvement was possible. "I broke into tears. Somebody had hacked their way through this jungle of sound where I was totally alone in my agony, and somebody had reached me and it just moved me to tears."
Thankfully, it appears that William Shatner's life hasn't been completely derailed by "Star Trek"-induced tinnitus. With proper treatment under the supervision of medical professionals, he has been able to return to a life of relative normalcy. Perhaps someday he'll even feel up to returning to "Star Trek" — assuming his one condition to do so is met.