More from Captain Quirk.

Below is a complete list of quotes from Captain Quirk- the 1995 biography of William Shatner written by paranormal investigator Dennis William Hauck - that relate to the subject of Shatner's toupee. A disclaimer is crucial here: please do not take the author's words at face value. Despite basically being a fairly decent biography, the book is also full of tabloid-style and unfounded speculation (for example about Shatner having plastic surgery), sensationalistic insinuation and even a few basic errors. If you believed everything in this book, then Shatner would have to be a UFO-obsessed crazed tyrant. Still, there are some interesting stories here, especially the one about the flying toupee:

(p38-39):

"Unfortunately, the bright sunlight made Shatner's long-haired toupee all the more obvious. The black hairpiece clashed against his blonde eyebrows and yellow jacket, giving him the appearance of a Beatle doll. His natural light-brown hair had steadily receded over the last decade leaving a bald spot at the crown of his head. His efforts to cover it up were betrayed by his inability to decide on one style or color. This was the longest hairpiece he had ever worn, and the unkempt look and dark color were dead giveaways." (See here for more on this incident).

(p96):

“As for Joan Collins, she says their relationship soured the day she walked into [Shatner's] dressing room and caught him without his wig on.” (This story relates to the pair working together in the first season Star Trek episode "The City on the Edge of Forever").

(p160-161):

“Unfortunately, the decade since he’d last played Captain Kirk had taken its toll. He had gained twenty-five pounds, most of it in a spare tyre that hugged his waist. The crown of his head was completely bald, and other assets that had made him the heartthrob of millions were now noticeably sagging…some suggested that Shatner resorted to some less than natural means of regaining his youth, such as liposuction, a facelift and a new hair weave. Looking back over the first few Trek films, Newsweek commented that while the rest of the actors were getting ‘jowly and gray,’ Shatner appeared to be growing ‘curiously smooth-skinned and hairy.’”

(p177):

“Actress Molly Cheek, who was a regular on It’s Gary Sandling’s Show…guest starred in a T.J. Hooker episode…[and] recalled…‘he wears a girdle and a terrible hairpiece and is the male counterpart to a grande dame.’”


(p183):

“This time [for Star Trek III] Shatner also opted for a much younger hairstyle. The thick locks he suddenly sprouted prompted many a snide remark. One reviewer suggested retitling the movie Star Trek III: The Search for a Good Toupee.” (See here for more on this).


(p197):

“Once while directing a scene [for Star Trek V], he got so worked up, he stumbled over a large rock and fell to the ground. The force of the fall flung his hairpiece across the set, and as the mortified director got back to his feet, a group of extras in the scene started laughing out loud. Shatner fired them all on the spot, with no further discussion.”

(p218):

“Susan Rosini noted in USA Today : ‘You don’t have to be a Trekkie to savor this timely plot [of Star Trek VI]. Even though Scotty looks like he’s hiding a meteor under his shirt, Kirk looks like a squirrel is napping on his head, and Spock’s ears aren’t quite as perky, this is quite a suitable send-off.’”

(p247):

“[Shatner’s mistress Vera Montez] said that despite his toupee and corset, Shatner was very romantic and a wonderful lover.”

(p273)

“'The most outrageously enjoyable turn [in the 1993 movie National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1] is William Shatner's' wrote the San Fransisco Examiner, 'as the ludicrously toupeed, Banana-Republic-outfitted villain who gobbles piranhas with glee.'”

(p276):

“Always concerned about his appearance, [Shatner] has undertaken a variety of cosmetic and health routines to ensure he looks his best. At one point, he was spending $2000 a month to keep his hairweave looking fresh. In one Hollywood poll, Shatner tied with Sean Connery at the top of a list of actors who do the best job of hiding their ‘chrome domes.’ Shatner did such a good job that he started receiving requests for ‘hair grants.’ Dozens of financially strapped bald men have asked him for anywhere between $500 and $10,000 to buy wigs or start expensive hair treatments. Yet despite Shatner’s active participation in a number of charities, the requests have all been denied.

“Along with Sean Connery, Burt Reynolds, Tony Bennet, Rob Reiner and Rip Taylor, Shatner shares one of Hollywood’s best known ‘secrets.’ They are all bald. But Shatner would be the last to admit it.

“In November 1994, while promoting Star Trek: Generations, Shatner agreed to a telephone interview on Florida’s ‘Power Pig’ radio station, WFLA in Tampa. Toward the middle of the interview, deejay M.J. Kelley brought up the forbidden subject: ‘I hope this is not a sensitive question – the hairpiece. It’s the best I’ve ever seen.’ ‘I don’t wear a hairpiece,’ said Shatner tersely. ‘That’s the stupidest question I’ve ever heard. “M.J.” must stand for “Most Jerk.” That’s a stupid question by a stupid person.’ Thereupon, Shatner hung up the phone, abruptly terminating the interview.” (See here for more on this incident).

(p280):

“Death and growing old were always touchy subjects for Shatner. Corsets, hairpieces, health fads and working out were all part of his strategy to keep looking young. Amazingly, he never kept any personal photographs because he did not want to see 'the harsh reality of the passage of time etched in the unforgiving stills.'”