Red Cross ball raises more than $1.2 million...Bit about Shatner..

[Lurks Often]

3. I'm certainly not going to criticize Shatner for his choice

at least without a lot more information we'll probably never see.

I'm fairly certain having a celebrity at a function often involves agents, money being spent (R&B and transportation costs at a minimum), signed documents with penalties for not appearing and guests who plan on coming and donating because a specific celebrity will be there.



As an aside, I read the book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story by Herb Solow and Robert Justman (who were both producers on the show) and both spoke fairly well of Shatner. IIRC they said he was a professional who showed up on time, prepared and ready to work. Certainly Shatner as lead was concerned about his role on the show and his future after the show, but that is hardly uncommon among actors, especially when it impacts how much one is making and how it will affect their career.