Complaining once again about not being cast in JJ AbramsStar Trek remake, William Shatner has said “how could you not put one of the founding figures into a movie that’s being resurrected?”

Once again, the answer: In Rob Burnett‘s Free Enterprise (’98), Shatner traded in the legend of the stalwart Cpt. Kirk for the persona of an amusingly deranged septugenarian actor. That was nine years ago, and the wackjob routine — a career rejuvenator — has fed into Shatner’s acting (it’s obviously in his Boston Legal character) and pretty much taken over. His cameo time in Abrams’ Star Trek would be primarily regarded as a hoot.