Star Trek legend William Shatner has opened up about a lifelong battle with a ‘difficult’ health condition caused by an on-set explosion more than three decades ago. The 94-year-old actor, best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the iconic sci-fi franchise, revealed he’s been living with tinnitus since filming a dramatic scene for Star Trek back in the day.
“My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called Arena, and I was too close to the special effects explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus,” he said in a new video for nonprofit Tinnitus Quest. According to the American Tinnitus Association, tinnitus is “the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present.’ The organisation said the condition is ‘commonly referred to as ringing in the ears’ and can also be experienced as ‘buzzing, hissing, whistling, swooshing, or clicking.”
The father-of-three, who was officially diagnosed in the 1990s, continued: “And over the years, I’ve had many ups and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get.”
The veteran star admitted that “there are no effective treatments” to cure the condition, which he has battled privately for decades.
William added: “About one to two per cent of the population suffer from a chronic, debilitating form of tinnitus.
“The more money we can raise for Tinnitus Quest, the quicker we can find a solution to help the millions of people suffering,” he said. “Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you will consider donating to Tinnitus Quest.”
He previously told E! News in 2023 how he first realised something was wrong, stating: “I was on the beach, and it’s a vivid moment, and you know how the waves go out — the wave comes in [roars], and then it goes ‘is’ [as it] goes out.
“All of a sudden, I kept hearing a ‘ssss’ even though there was another wave coming. And that’s how I discovered I had tinnitus,” he recalled.
Worried about how it might progress, he saw a doctor who said “It might not. But of course it does as you age, it gets worse,”‘ the actor added.
After years of coping, he shared that his brain began to “assimilate the sound, like it would if you were living beside an airport.” Still, it remains a daily struggle. “Sometimes it’s really bad, but I know it’s not going to kill me,” he insisted.
Despite the health challenge, William credited staying curious and engaged as his secret to longevity.
“Just staying engaged in life, to stay curious. But the luck has a lot to do with it in your health,” he told People.
“If you’re sick, you can’t be energetic. You’re dying. So my luck has been, I’ve been healthy all my life.”