In 1991, when he was 17 years old, his father died, after which he began to examine Star Trek and discover "what made the series special" to its fans.

However, as he heard many moving stories about his father's flaws and follies, he observed, "That allowed me, as a son, not just to connect with him, but actually love him.

"[2] In 2001, Rod Roddenberry became chief executive officer of Roddenberry Entertainment, which builds upon his father's work, and develops multimedia science fiction properties including comics, television and film projects.

[5] In mid-2009, the Los Angeles Times reported that Roddenberry approved of the 2009 Star Trek film by J.J Abrams.

He has a Divemaster certification, has led or participated in more than 1,000 dives from exotic locations around the world.