William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson brought their cosmic conversation to the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills for a two-night unscripted event titled "The Universe Is Absurd!"
on May 19 and 20, 2026.
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The near-sold-out performances at the 2,000-seat venue featured spontaneous discussions on quantum physics, black holes, space exploration, philosophy, and climate change.
The duo drew inspiration from their previous joint expedition to Antarctica and their work together on StarTalk Radio and the audiobook "Cosmos Confidential: Bill & Neil's Excellent Bromance."
A Meeting of Experience and Expertise
Shatner, who became the oldest person in space during a 2021 Blue Origin flight, highlighted his firsthand perspective.
"I've actually been to space. Neil deGrasse Tyson has read about it extensively," he said.
Tyson, the 66-year-old director of the Hayden Planetarium, praised Shatner's enduring curiosity.
"William Shatner has the curiosity of a middle school kid who's just discovering the world," Tyson said. "Except this curiosity, he's retained his entire fricking life."
The 94-year-old actor also performed a song titled "Rage" from his new heavy metal album during the Wednesday show.
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Shatner expressed deep affection for his co-host, saying, "We were required to spend some 20 hours talking to each other to make this book and in that discovery, I fell in love with Neil deGrasse Tyson."
He added, "He's the most remarkable man and some peccadilloes are worth examining for a more lengthy time."
On environmental issues, Shatner shared optimism about nature's resilience. "How quickly nature heals itself from the defamation of human beings," he said.
"I say, get out of the way, let nature take over and human beings sit back for a moment."
Tyson described himself as an optimistic realist and advocated for paying kindness forward.
"When you pay it back, it closes off that good deed from the universe," he explained.
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"Whereas if we pay it forward, they become tributaries of good deeds that move through society."
