Gene Roddenberry captured the imagination of millions with Star Trek: The Original Series, which premiered in 1966. The series starred William Shatner in the role of Captain James T. Kirk, who led the USS Enterprise on missions across different pockets of space. It gained immense popularity for its ingenuity and social commentary.
Despite Roddenberry incorporating certain progressive themes in the series, the creator remained adamant about one rule he had imposed on the writers. According to Shatner, Roddenberry had prevented any sort of a romantic relationship between the crew of the USS Enterprise. Thus, Roddenberry’s rule allegedly prevented Shatner from dating one of his co-stars.
William Shatner Revealed the Military Rule Gene Roddenberry Imposed on Star Trek Writers
William Shatner gained prominence for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, which aired from 1966 to 1969. The series was the brainchild of Gene Roddenberry, a former World War II-era military officer and later policeman turned screenwriter.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shatner revealed how Roddenberry’s military background shaped some aspects of the sci-fi series, particularly when it came to the interpersonal relationships between the USS Enterprise crew.
So there was this militaristic vision of “You don’t make out with a fellow soldier.” There are strict rules and you abide by the rules.
Shatner made the above statement, confirming that the show’s writers could not depict an explicit romance between members of the crew because of Roddenberry’s rule. However, the actor noted that this rule was neglected more and more by the later installments in the franchise.
I sometimes laugh and talk about the fact that I think Gene is twirling in his grave. “No, no, you can’t make out with the lady soldier!”
Shatner stated the above, implying that Roddenberry would have disapproved of the kissing scenes that had become more prominent in the recent entries of the sci-fi franchise.
However, Shatner’s words strongly suggest Roddenberry insisted the writers construct drama and conflict in the series without exploring the romance angle between co-workers. As a result, there is a lack of any major romantic relationship between the Enterprise crew in the earlier seasons.
Gene Roddenberry Likely Prevented William Shatner From Dating Star Trek Co-star Grace Lee Whitney
Actress Grace Lee Whitney played the role of Janice Rand in the original Star Trek series. Despite making only a handful of appearances, Whitney established herself as one of the hottest actresses in the series, primarily because of her character’s appearance.
Whitney’s character was meant to be a love interest for Shatner’s Captain Kirk. However, the chemistry between the two was so good that there were rumors of a romantic interest between them in real life.
During an interview, Whitney admitted that the show’s producers had to curtail her on-screen romance with Kirk because things were getting too heated. She said:
We have to remove her because he’s going to look like he’s cheating when he falls in love with other women on other planets.
Whitney’s statement reaffirms that Roddenberry’s rule prevented her character from having a full-blown romantic relationship with Kirk in the original series, primarily because the makers wanted the latter to be a ladies’ man.
However, given how serious Roddenberry was about the role of no inter-officer fraternization, it is safe to assume that the showrunner also applied it to the main cast. Therefore, it is likely that Shatner could not date Whitney on and off the screen for reasons only Roddenberry could justify.
Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming on Paramount+.
