In a recent interview, William Shatner recalled how he unintentionally offended Spencer Tracy: “He never spoke to me again.”
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William Shatner reflected on the filming of “Judgment at Nuremberg”, in which he starred alongside Spencer Tracy, and how he unintentionally offended the veteran actor.
In the 1961 classic, Captain Harrison Byers, Shatner’s character, is the liaison officer and military aide to Judge Dan Haywood, played by Tracy.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Shatner revealed that a compliment he gave to the legendary actor was misunderstood by Tracy, who was deeply offended by what he heard.
“I idolized Spencer Tracy,” said the Star Trek actor. “And he was very reserved.”
According to the 94-year-old actor, Tracy left him completely impressed during a scene in which he delivered a long monologue. When Shatner tried to congratulate his co-star on the performance, he said something the veteran did not find flattering at all.
“One day, he gave a speech and knew it by heart, and I was impressed that a film actor didn’t need multiple takes or have the lines written for him,” Shatner told the publication.
“So I went up to him and said, ‘Mr. Tracy, I just wanted to express my admiration that you memorized your lines!’”
According to Shatner, Tracy did not take the comment as a compliment: “He looked at me and said, ‘I was on stage before you were born, son,’” he recalled. “And he walked away. He never spoke to me again.”
“I pushed him away by trying to praise him for memorizing his lines. Terrible. Once again, I messed it up.”
Images: The History Channel, IMDB. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
