William Shatner says a recent fall from one of his horses left him with a serious shoulder injury — and now the legendary actor is preparing for surgery.
According to Page Six, the “Star Trek” icon revealed that he shattered his right shoulder after being thrown from a horse late last year. The injury will require an operation scheduled for March 11.
Shatner, who turns 95 later this month, spoke about the accident while attending the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films’ 53rd annual Saturn Awards in Burbank, California, on Sunday.
After accepting a Hall of Fame award on behalf of the “Star Trek” franchise, the actor asked for a chair while speaking to reporters and explained that he wasn’t feeling his best.
“I’m feeling old, tired and kind of hurt,” Shatner said.
The longtime performer described the moment the accident happened while riding a horse trained for competitive equine skills.
“I ride the horses that can compete in equine skills, which is fast down and ends on a sliding stop,” he said.
But during the ride, the horse made a sudden move that caused him to lose control.
“And the horse that I owned, I came off,” Shatner explained.
He said the horse had a tendency to drift slightly while stopping.
“And she had a habit of going too far, like six inches to the side. And I’m riding it. And I’m ready. And she goes [too fast and sent him flying].”
Despite having years of experience performing stunts during his acting career, the fall still left him badly hurt.
“I’m not a young stuntman anymore. I started to roll, but hit the dirt with my shoulder. So I wrecked my shoulder,” he said.
Shatner said doctors plan to perform what he described as a newer type of procedure to repair the damage.
“I’m scheduled to have a new type of shoulder operation called a reverse something or other,” he said.
He attempted to explain how the procedure works.
“You put the ball in the socket and the socket in the thing, and you come out 10 hours later, and you’re pain-free,” Shatner said. “So that’s what I am meandering towards.”
The injury is not the first recent health scare for the actor.
In September, Shatner experienced a medical emergency at his home in Los Angeles. TMZ later reported the incident was related to his blood sugar.
At the time, Shatner reassured fans that he was doing well.
“I over indulged. I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine,” he wrote on social media, adding a meme referencing reports of his “greatly exaggerated … demise.”
Despite the injury, Shatner received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Saturn Awards ceremony.
During his speech, the actor reflected on why the original “Star Trek” series connected with audiences.
“Good or great science fiction is about human beings,” he said.
Shatner explained that even when actors portray alien characters, audiences still respond most to human qualities.
“You know what everyone tried to do, including myself, was to make the character human with all frailties and ambitions and fears,” he told the audience.
He added that portraying a leader like Captain Kirk meant balancing vulnerability with strength.
“At the same time, in a leadership role, you can’t show that, or if you show it, it has to be done in a particular way,” Shatner said. “So that you’re a leader trying to lead people into battle or into danger, and you have to motivate people in some way.”
Even after decades of fame tied to the franchise, Shatner admitted there are still episodes of the series he hasn’t watched.
“I haven’t seen all my 79 episodes. I just don’t have the time,” he said. “I’d like to see it, but I don’t have the time.”
