Entertainment
Tom Hanks was offered William Shatner’s space flight first but he didn’t want to pay $28,000,000
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Tom Hanks has revealed that he was offered William Shatner’s flight into space but turned it down because he wasn’t interested in paying $28,000,000 (£20.5million).
For those who missed it, the 90-year-old Star Trek icon became the oldest person to launch into space as part of a scheme masterminded by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
However, Hanks made it clear that he’s not eager to get into one of the Blue Origin rockets anytime soon if the price remains so high.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host asked: ‘Is it true that you were asked to go to space by Jeff Bezos before William Shatner?’
‘Well, yeah, provided I pay,’ the 65-year-old laughed. ‘And, you know, it cost 28 million bucks, or something like that.’
He continued: ‘I’m doing good, Jimmy, I’m doing good. But I ain’t paying 28 [million] bucks.’
Star Trek actor William Shatner became the oldest person to launch into space last month (Picture: Blue Origin/Handout via Reuters)
The Forrest Gump star then went on to joke that he could easily recreate the experience for free and proceeded to act out a space flight in his seat.
Shatner and three other passengers lifted off in the fully automated, 60ft-tall New Shepard rocket from Van Horn, west Texas, and reached an altitude of roughly 350,000ft and a velocity of about 2,000mph.
The actor recently defended the trip from critics, including Prince William.
Tom Hanks says he can just recreate the experience for free (Picture: YouTube/Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
Speaking to Entertainment Today, he said: ‘He’s a lovely Englishman. He’s going to be king of England one day. He’s a lovely, gentle, educated man, but he’s got the wrong idea.
‘The idea here is not to go, “Yeah, look at me. I’m in space”. No, I would tell the prince, and I hope the prince gets this message, this is a baby step of getting industry, all those polluting industries…off of Earth.’
More: US TV news
Shatner and Hanks aren’t the only Hollywood stars to have been offered a trip into the great beyond.
Last year, it was announced that Tom Cruise will be heading into space to film a new movie, and will be working in conjunction with Nasa and Elon Musk’s SpaceX program.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : ‘You are my hero’: Tom Hanks hails Scottish bookshop owner for keeping typewriters alive
