(NewsNation) — William Shatner, who played the iconic Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek” in the 1960s, didn’t benefit financially from the show’s many seasons in reruns.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Shatner said that he didn’t make any money when reruns of the show aired during the 1970s.
“Nobody knew about re-runs,” he told The Telegraph in an interview. “The concept of syndication only came in after “Star Trek” was cancelled when someone from the unions said: ‘Wait a minute, you’re replaying all those films, those shows.'”
He said that following a strike, the unions “secured residual fees” not long after the show ended.
William Shatner: ‘Star Trek’ paid well
“Star Trek” aired for three seasons, with a total of 79 episodes, from 1966 to 1969.
The “Boston Legal” star did tell The Telegraph that while he didn’t make any money from the reruns, he was “paid very well” during the show’s original run, even though it wasn’t a lot of money by today’s standards.
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 16: William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk on the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Space Seed.” Original air date February 16, 1967. Image is a frame grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) 
VAN HORN, TEXAS – OCTOBER 13: Blue Origin vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers (L) walks with Star Trek actor William Shatner to a media availability on the landing pad of Blue Origin’s New Shepard after they flew into space on October 13, 2021 near Van Horn, Texas. Shatner became the oldest person to fly into space on the ten minute flight. They flew aboard mission NS-18, the second human spaceflight for the company which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) 
American actor Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock and Canadian actor William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk appear in a scene from ‘The Man Trap,’ the premiere episode of ‘Star Trek,’ which aired on September 8, 1966. (Photo by CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)
“But by the standards of Hollywood, not very well — and with a dissolving marriage, with three children, I was broke at that point,” Shatner said, adding that he began to feel safe financially “from the 1970s onward.”
William Shatner: I’m not retiring
Despite being in multiple movies, TV shows, on stage and on a real-life space flight, the 94-year-old said he has no plans on retiring.
“No, I don’t recognize the concept,” he said. “I’m working on a new album with Brad Paisley, tentatively called ‘What I Have Loved.’ I’ve got a book in production and my one-man show on Broadway is now available electronically.”