Actor William Shatner is opening up about his recent cancer battle, sharing that he and his daughter both had stage 4 cancer diagnoses at the same time.
Shatner, 95, and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, 61, are now both cancer-free, People reported. The actor, who played Capt. James Kirk on the 1960s television series “Star Trek” and became the oldest person to travel into space in 2021, spoke about his new outlook on life.
“I’m thinking of the miracle of a hummingbird, and of my dog taking a ball, and my children,” Shatner told the magazine. “I’m aware of the magic of it all.”
Gretsch was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2022. A year later, Shatner learned he had a lump on his cheek. Doctors diagnosed a stage 4 melanoma that had spread to his lungs and brain.
Gretsch said she underwent several rounds of chemotherapy, had a double mastectomy and 30 radiation therapy treatments for 18 months after her diagnosis. But she told People that her father’s condition was especially concerning.
“I remember vividly thinking, ‘I don’t have the strength to take care of myself and lose my father at the same time,” she told the magazine.
After both surviving stage 4 cancer diagnoses, my daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch and I are embracing every moment together. In this week's @PEOPLE cover story, we open up about our remarkable recoveries, renewed perspective and our new podcast, 'No Time but Now.' pic.twitter.com/sbAHkYWRBL
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) July 22, 2026