William Shatner was feeling pretty good about being on “The Masked Singer.” And then he stepped into his knight in shining armor costume and sang Fred Astaire’s “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
What William Shatner said about being on ‘The Masked Singer’ 2022
“It seemed like a good idea,” he told People magazine about picking a knight costume for the show. “Everything seemed like a good idea at the time, until you do it. It’s like declaring war. You declare war, and then the moment you declare war, everything is different, and nothing is what you planned.
“I couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear, couldn’t breathe,” the 91-year-old legendary “Star Trek” actor continued. “Like everybody else that I know who has done the show, the performance is a lot less than what you had hoped for because of the awkwardness of the wardrobe. But, at the same time, that’s part of the fun of the show.”
Shatner — along with Monty Python’s Eric Idle — was voted off “The Masked Singer” during the Season 8 premiere Wednesday night. If Shatner had a do-over, he said he’d keep the song but lose the armor.
“I would choose a different wardrobe, a ballet costume,” he told Variety. “Just tights and ballet slippers are all I need.”
The actor said he opted to appear on “The Masked Singer” because he has a lot of projects in the works: His book “Boldly Go” hits shelves next month; the fifth season of his show “The UnXplained” premieres Oct. 7; he’s got a new space-themed watch on the horizon; and William Shatner NFTs are coming out soon.
“I’m busy and I want you to know that,” Shatner told Variety.
Shatner keeps a full schedule. Just last year, he became the oldest person to travel to space, the Deseret News reported. When asked by Entertainment Weekly which experience was wilder — his recent space adventure or donning a cumbersome costume on “The Masked Singer” — Shatner didn’t hesitate.
“‘The Masked Singer’ is the most extraordinary experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “I had a panic thinking, ‘Wait a minute, I can’t breathe. And I’m supposed to sing.’ You know how you sing? You take a breath and air comes out. That’s how you sing, and I couldn’t get a breath. It was incredible.”
Although the actor seems to be open to all sorts of adventures, he likely won’t return to “The Masked Singer.” When People magazine asked him what else he wants to accomplish in his extensive career, the actor responded: “Well, I’d like to keep breathing. That would be really wonderful.”
Shatner is currently in Salt Lake City for FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention, the Deseret News reported. A photo-op with the actor is $130.
How to watch ‘The Masked Singer’ 2022
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays on Fox at 7 p.m. MT. Episodes are available to stream the following day on Hulu.