William Shatner, 94, Is ‘Excited to Show People What He Can Do Musically’ With New Heavy Metal Album

William Shatner is preparing to release a heavy metal album, and a source tells Closer the longtime actor is eager to showcase his musical side as he approaches his 95th birthday.

“William is so excited to show people what he can do musically,” the source says. “Ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to play the guitar, but only in his later years did he actually make the time to really take lessons and properly learn.”

The source adds that playing the guitar has now become “one of his biggest passions” and he’s “finally ready to get in the studio.”

“His album will mostly be covers, and as of now he hasn’t announced any special guest stars, but he’s William Shatner,” the source continues. “Everyone in the industry loves and respects him, so it’s hard to imagine he’s not going to have people calling him up now that he’s announced his plans publicly.”

According to the source, lots of people in the Star Trek icon’s life are “applauding him for taking this on” because at his age “a lot of people just give up, but not him.”

“He’s as full of energy as ever and ready to take on as much life as he can,” the source concludes. “Whether this album turns out to be any good or not, it’s still very inspiring.”