Why William Shatner Told Patrick Stewart to Wear Women’s Silk Stockings On-Set

One of the best parts of being a Star Trek fan is learning about all the shenanigans that took place on-set while the shows and films were being made. Considering this franchise has been around since the 1960s, there are plenty of stories to tell. Sometimes, those stories are about feuds. Other times, they’re about hilarious miscommunications between two actors. One of the most amusing anecdotes came to light only recently, thanks to an iconic actor’s 80th birthday. If you’ve heard the rumor about William Shatner telling Patrick Stewart to wear something…unexpected to set on day, read on to get the full story.

Shatner Recommended Stockings for ‘Star Trek: Generations’

Patrick Stewart on the set of STAR TREK: GENERATIONS, as William Shatner stands by on horseback. #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/AKyF2JPvlr

— TrekCore.com 🖖 (@TrekCore) September 23, 2018

On the occasion of Patrick Stewart’s 80th birthday, the Irish Times published a collection of birthday well-wishes from some of Stewart’s celebrity friends. That list included a note from William Shatner, who recalled a funny incident from when the two actors shared the screen in Star Trek: Generations.

“We had a long horse scene to do together once,” Shatner recounted for the publication. “I recommended him wearing women’s silk stockings to avoid chafing and he nodded his head as a thank you.”

Why stockings? Apparently, they help prevent chafing, which must have been a consideration during long shooting days on horseback. Equestrians know that both horse and rider alike can develop saddle sores over long rides. In fact, the commercial product Body Glide officially recommends their product to treat saddle sores in humans. Saddle sores can also be caused by bicycle rides.

Sir Patrick Misunderstood the Advice

Apparently, Shatner’s directions weren’t explicit enough. Stewart did don a pair of stockings, but he emerged from his dressing room with the stockings on top of his costume.

Shatner’s anecdote from the Times recounts Shatner’s response upon seeing this unexpected image:

“No, no, Patrick, underneath your costume!”

Shatner says the two men laughed about the misunderstanding. It’s unclear from the story whether wearing stockings on the outside of his clothes also meant that Stewart was wearing garters to keep them up. It’s possible that while Shatner recalled recommending silk stockings to his co-star, what was worn may well have been women’s pantyhose, which does seem like a better anti-chafing solution. After all, pantyhose or tights would appear to provide greater protection against chafing than a stocking. Traditional stockings generally cover less surface area than pantyhose.

Horseback Riding and Star Trek Have Long Been Intertwined

Mark Mainz/Getty ImagesWilliam Shatner hosts the “Hollywood Charity Horse Show” at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center Equidome on April 30, 2005 in Los Angeles, California.

Shatner’s love of horses is well-documented. In addition to owning horses himself, he has also been involved with the Hollywood Charity Horse Show for decades.

In addition to the horseback scenes in Star Trek: Generations, the original Star Trek series also featured horses in the episode Shore Leave.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier also has a humorous moment involving horses, with Captain Kirk famously telling Mr. Spock to “be one with the horse“.

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