Rumors have been circulating for many years that the only way William Shatner could maintain the physique of Captain James T. Kirk was to wear a corset under his uniform. Well, that's not true, claims Shatner. The actor claims the seed of this particular rumor actually began when he was working on TJ Hooker. During a break in filming he went horseback riding and wound up with a broken rib. An assistant was sent to fetch a bandage for the injured Shatner, and somehow the rumor mill eventually turned "bandage" into "girdle."
Okay, I don't believe Shatner ever wore a corset/girdle on Star Trek, but his explanation seems a little suspicious. Is he claiming this rumor didn't exist until long after Star Trek went off the air? Do any of you older readers remember hearing this rumor pre-TJ Hooker?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-25-2006 @ 9:03PM
Batmanuel said...
it is unlikely he was wearing anything during the TV show in the 60s...he was frequently shirtless and was clear he fit into his space tunic
...but what about the 7 Trek films he appeared in through the next 25 years after the TV show???
and speaking of appliances...has he anything to say about his 'hair'?
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5-25-2006 @ 10:05PM
Victor Agreda, Jr. said...
I've seen the costume from the original series. NO way to hide a girdle in that, seriously.
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5-25-2006 @ 10:19PM
Jaymez said...
Put Denny Crane next to James T Kirk. Then, answer me this. How the HELL did that happen?
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5-25-2006 @ 10:20PM
LC said...
LOL yeah, Bats has it right. They are focused on the wrong appliance, though I have to say that his hairpiece is much better looking today than it was in his TJ Hooker days. Most mens hair recede as they get older. Shatners actually advanced.
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5-25-2006 @ 10:58PM
Will Teullive said...
Sure he denies the girdle allegation but did anybody ask about the ‘Manssiere’?
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5-26-2006 @ 3:52PM
niccomm said...
Physique? What physique did Captain Kirk have that had to be maintained? He certainly wasn't buff by any stretch of the imagination. He looked like any Joe Schmoe in that series.
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5-30-2006 @ 5:32PM
JPColter said...
Kirk was clearly very fit in the original series. He wa shirtless in many scenes. I can't imaging what niccomm has even seen the original series. He was totally buff especially for the 1960's
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5-30-2006 @ 6:41PM
A McGill said...
I remember hearing this one long before TJ Hooker was on the air. I believe that the girdle rumor was regarding the change in uniforms. In the first season he had the normal top, but later they changed it to a top with a wrap-around feature. That is the uniform that I believe started the rumors. Often times a person will wear a top or a dress that looks like it wraps around the middle. This has a slimming effect.
I realize he did have his shirt off in a lot of the scenes, but I believe he was probably wearing a "girdle" of some type. They make some that just go around your middle and attach with velcro. Afterall, it doesn't have to mean that his support was from something that was bigger than a large belt. They also make back braces that could also be used for support and it makes you look thinner.
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