Why Is William Shatner Stepping Down From Priceline Commercials?

The end of an era! William Shatner will no longer appear in commercials for Priceline after more than 20 years. He praised his replacement. Find out who it is and why Shatner is no longer doing them.

Shatner, who has played the company’s negotiator for 20 years, shared with People, “The expectations were it would go for one or two commercials, and, like everything else, they would go on to something else. What obviously made them continue with me was the success, the notoriety we got, and it helped build the company.”

Priceline, established in 1998, is a company that helps consumers find the best deals on hotels, flights, rental cars, and more. Shatner has been the spokesperson for the brand since its inception. He took on many guises, including a martial arts expert, a cowboy, a mariachi musician, and more.

“I have a gift somewhere, and so I was able to perhaps enhance what they had written to be amusing,” he said. “That fun of advertising was new to this company, new to people who were responsible for inventing Priceline.”

Shatner, 95, came to the realization that “everything ends.” With his end comes a new beginning for the company. Fresh Off the Boat‘s Randall Park will take over as the negotiator, starting on May 12.

@priceline Vacation inflation is out of control. There’s only one man who can stop it: the NEW Priceline Negotiator.♬ original sound – priceline

In Park’s first commercial, Shatner lounged on a beach chair, sharing that it was “time to retire.” When he got a fax that travel prices were out of control, he called in his replacement. “Time to save the world,” Shatner told Park.

The Star Trek star watched Park from a laptop on the beach. The new negotiator sword fought, threw smoke bombs, popped out of trees and bushes, and was harnessed in the air. Shatner then handed over the keys to Park before officially retiring.

“It was very loose and collaborative, and there was a lot of spontaneity as well. So it was just a great time,” Park said.

“For a good part of my life, I’ve seen this campaign, and it’s stuck with me, and I’ve always thought they were so funny and so irreverent and silly,” Park told People. “Also, the fact that it was William Shatner, to have him pass the baton to me was wild.”

Park shared that he had never met Shatner before they had their virtual meeting to pass the baton. “It was very surreal. I was just kind of blown away,” he said.

The new negotiator hopes to keep Shatner’s humor and zaniness, but also add a bit of vulnerability and edge. The new campaign, Unbummer Your Summer, runs from May 12 to 25. It offers discounts of up to 60 percent off travel.

About Park taking over, Shatner told the outlet, “He’s going to be wonderful. We’ve all got our fingers crossed that he has success. He’s young and handsome and vital, I’m sure they want to play into that.”