Award-winning Canadian actor and musician William Shatner was born on March 22, 1933 in Montreal, Quebec. After graduating with a commerce degree from McGill’s University in 1952, the classically trained Shakespearean actor played in several Shakespeare plays in Canada, and later moved on to Broadway. He then took different roles in television and film, working up from minor roles until appearing in his own series, the short-lived but acclaimed drama For the People with Jessica Walter.
It was in 1966, however, when Shatner became known to many viewers. He was chosen to play Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series, a role which he would play until the program’s conclusion in 1969. However, he reprised the role, albeit only through his voice, in Star Trek: The Animated Series, and also appeared as the character in the first seven Star Trek films; he also directed the fifth. In fact, he solely played Kirk’s character for 40 years, until Chris Pine was chosen to play him in the modern film take on the series.
The success Star Trek brought wasn’t smooth sailing for Shatner, however. In the decade between the end of the original series and the first Star Trek film, he barely received acting projects, believed to be because of him being typecast as Captain Kirk. He took several bit roles to support his family, with the exception of the lead in short-lived series Barbary Coastm and slowly he returned to prominence. After the success of the first Star Trek film, which established him as a cultural icon, he made his return to television, playing the title character in the police drama T.J. Hooker, and became the host of the reality-based series Rescue 911.
Shatner finally went full circle in 2004, when he appeared as a guest on legal drama The Practice. His role as eccentric but highly capable lawyer Denny Crane earned him an Emmy in 2004. He reprised the role in its spin-off series, Boston Legal; he won a Golden Globe and another Emmy.
Shatner’s also had some success with his musical career, starting with the 1968 spoken word album The Transformed Man. His later friendship with singer-songwriter Ben Folds led to them collaborating in the former’s well-received sophomore release, Has Been, which came out in 2004.
In 2010, Shatner was cast on $#*! My Dad Says, a CBS sitcom based on the Twitter feed created by Justin Halpern.
- He had three wives before marrying Elizabeth Anderson Martin on February 13, 2001. His first was Gloria Rand (divorced), then Marcy Lafferty (divorced), and Nerine Kidd, who died in 1999.
- He has three daughters with his first wife. They are Leslie Carol, Lisabeth Shatner, and Melanie Shatner.
- He was educated at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Later on, they named their Students University Centre after him.
- He is fluent in French and Esperanto.
- Because of his Star Trek background, he was able to pen science fiction novels for the series. These include "The Ashes of Eden", "The Return", and "Avenger".
- He was able to write and direct a college musical called "The Red, White and Blue Revue".
- He has appeared in productions for the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
- As a teenager he worked as camp counselor for Camp B'nai Brith in the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec.
- He is an expert equestrian. He also plays tennis.
In 2004, Shatner won his first Emmy Award for his role as “Denny Crane” on The Practice. In 2005, he won his first Golden Globe award and a second Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Boston Legal.
2011: Horrorween - Cameo
2010-2011: $#*! My Dad Says (TV series) - Dr. Edison Milford Goodson III/Ed
2010: Making a Scene (TV movie) - Host
2010: Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey - Core (voice)
2008: Gotta Catch Santa Claus (TV movie) - Santa Claus (voice)
2004-2008: Boston Legal (TV series) - Denny Crane
2007: Everest (TV mini-series) - Norman Kelly
2007: The Tuttles: Madcap Misadventures (Video Game) - Vance
2007: Live Life (short) - Narrator
2006: Star Trek: Tactical Assault (Video Game) - James Tiberius Kirk (voice)
2006: Star Trek: Legacy (Video Game) - Captain James T. Kirk (voice)
2006: Star Trek: Encounters (Video Game) - Narrator (voice)
2006: Over the Hedge - Ozzie (voice)
2006: The Wild - Kazar (voice)
2005: Atomic Betty (TV series) - Betty's Grandfather/Jim
2005: Last Laugh '05 (TV movie) - Lucifer
2005: Invasion Iowa (TV series) - Col. Shane Yeager/Himself
2005: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous - Stan Fields
2005: Lil' Pimp (video) - Tony Gold (voice)
2004: Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story - Dodgeball Chancello
r
2004: Chilly Beach (TV series) - The President
2004: The Practice (TV series) - Denny Crane
2003: A Carol Christmas (TV movie) - Dr. Bob
2002: Groom Lake - John Gossner
2002: American Psycho II: All American Girl (video) - Starkman
2002: Shoot or Be Shot - Harvey Wilkes
2001: The Kid (TV movie) - Professor (voice)
2001: Bob Patterson (TV series) - Warren Wellman
2001: Osmosis Jones - Mayor Phlegmming (voice)
2000: Miss Congeniality - Stan Fields
1999-2000: 3rd Rock from the Sun (TV series) - Stone Phillips/The Big Giant Head
2000: Falcon Down - Major Robert Carson
1999: A Twist in the Tale (TV series) - The Storyteller/Narrator
1998: Land of the Free - Aiden Cardell
1998: Hercules (TV series) - Jason of the Argonauts
1998: Free Enterprise - Bill
1997: Cosby (TV series) - Jack
1997: The First Men in the Moon (video) - The Grand Lunar, King of the Moon
1997: Perversions of Science (TV series) - Admiral Kornfeld
1997: Star Trek: Generations (Video Game) - Capt. James T. Kirk (voice)
1997: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Video Game) - Captain James T. Kirk (voice)
1996: Dead Man's Island (TV movie) - Chase Prescott
1994-1996: TekWar (TV series) - Walter H. Bascom
1996: Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. (TV movie) - Michael Gatewick
1993-1995: Eek! the Cat (TV series) - Santa Claus/Star Commander Berzerk
1994: Janek: The Silent Betrayal (TV movie) - Bodosh
1994: Star Trek: Generations - Captain James T. Kirk, retired
1994: TekWar: TekJustice (TV movie) - Walter H. Bascom
1994: TekWar: TekLab (TV movie) - Walter H. Bascom
1994: SeaQuest DSV (TV series) - Milos Tezlof
1994: TekWar: TekLords (TV movie) - Walter H. Bascom
1994: TekWar (TV movie) - Walter H. Bascom
1976-1993: Columbo (TV series) - Detective Lucerne/Fielding Chase/Ward Fowler
1993: Family of Strangers (TV movie) - Earl
1993: Loaded Weapon 1 - General Mortars
1993: Star Trek: Judgment Rites (Video Game) - Capt. James T. Kirk (voice)
1992: Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Enhanced (Video Game) - Capt. James T. Kirk (voice)
1991: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country - Captain James T. Kirk
1991: Voice of the Planet (TV mini-series) - William Hope Planter
1989: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - Captain James T. Kirk
1988: Broken Angel (TV movie) - Chuck Coburn
1988: The Trial of Standing Bear (TV movie) - Narrator
1986: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - Admiral/Captain James T. Kirk
1982-1986: T.J. Hooker (TV series) - Sgt. T.J. Hooker
1985: North Beach and Rawhide (TV movie) - Rawhide MacGregor
1985: The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV series) - Charles Underhill
1984: Secrets of a Married Man (TV movie) - Chris Jordan
1984: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Admiral James T. Kirk
1982: Airplane II: The Sequel - Cdr. Buck Murdock
1982: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Admiral James T. Kirk
1982: Visiting Hours - Gary Baylor
1982: Police Squad! (TV series) - Poisoned Man
1980: The Babysitter (TV movie) - Dr. Jeff Benedict
1980: The Kidnapping of the President - Jerry O'Connor
1979: Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Admiral James T. Kirk
1979: Disaster on the Coastliner (TV movie) - Stuart Peters
1979: Riel (TV movie) - The Barker
1978: Crash (TV movie) - Carl Tobias
1978: Little Women (TV series) - Prof. Friedrich Bhaer
1978: The Third Walker - Munro Maclean
1978: Land of No Return - Curt Benell
1978: The Bastard (TV movie) - Paul Revere
1978: How the West Was Won (TV mini-series) - Capt. Harrison
1977: The Oregon Trail (TV series)
1977: Kingdom of the Spiders - Dr. Robert 'Rack' Hansen
1977: Testimony of Two Men (TV mini-series) - Adrian Ferrier
1977: A Whale of a Tale - Dr. Jack Fredericks
1976: The Tenth Level (TV movie) - Prof. Stephen Turner
1976: Perilous Voyage (TV movie) - Steve Monroe
1975-1976: Barbary Coast (TV series) - Jeff Cable
1975: The Rookies (TV series) - Luke Harris
1974: Police Woman (TV series) - Mark Ciprio
1974: Amy Prentiss (TV series) - Bill Parkins
1974: Police Story (TV series) - Sergeant Bill Keitlinger
1974: Kung Fu (TV series) - Capt. Brandywine Gage
1973-1974: Star Trek (TV series) - Captain James T. Kirk/Capt. Kirk/Capt. James T. Kirk
1974: Kodiak (TV series)
1974: Petrocelli (TV series) - Adam North
1974: Big Bad Mama - William J. Baxter
1970-1974: Ironside (TV series) - Bill Parkins/Don Brand/Marty Jessup
1974: The Six Million Dollar Man (TV series) - Josh Lang
1974: The Magician (TV series) - Ed Cassidy
1974: Impulse - Matt Stone
1974: Pray for the Wildcats (TV movie) - Warren Summerfield
1974: Indict and Convict (TV movie) - Sam Belden
1973: Pioneer Woman (TV movie) - John Sergeant
1973: Dr. Simon Locke (TV series) - Joe Flatt
1973: Mannix (TV series) - Adam Langer
1973: The Horror at 37,000 Feet (TV movie) - Paul Kovalik
1973: Barnaby Jones (TV series) - Fred Williams/Phil Carlyle
1973: Go Ask Alice (TV movie) - Sam
1973: Incident on a Dark Street (TV movie) - Deaver G. Wallace
1973: The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (TV series) - Richard Burrell
1972: Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV series) - Dr. Bellings
1971-1972: Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law (TV series) - District Attorney Dave Blankenship/Gary
1971-1972: Mission: Impossible (TV series) - Joseph Conrad/Thomas Kroll
1972: Hawaii Five-O (TV series) - Sam Tolliver
1972: The Sixth Sense (TV series) - Edwin Danbury
1972: The Hound of the Baskervilles (TV movie) - George Stapleton
1972: The People (TV movie) - Dr. Curtis
1972: Norman Corwin Presents (TV series)
1971: Cade's County (TV series) - Jack Pilgrim
1971: Storefront Lawyers (TV series)
1971: Vanished (TV movie) - Dave Paulick
1970: The Name of the Game (TV series) - Peter/Ronald Payden
1970: Swing Out, Sweet Land (TV movie) - John Adams
1970: The F.B.I. (TV series) - Arthur Majors
1970: The Andersonville Trial (TV movie) - Lt. Col. N.P. Chipman
1970: Medical Center (TV series) - Dr. Eli Neily
1970: Paris 7000 (TV series)
1970: Sole Survivor (TV movie) - Lt. Col. Josef Gronke
1965-1969: The Virginian (TV series) - Henry Swann/Luke Milford
1966-1969: Star Trek (TV series) - Captain James T. Kirk
1969: CBS Playhouse (TV series) - Peter Hoyt
1968: Comanche blanco - Johnny Moon/Notah
1968: Alexander the Great (TV movie) - Alexander
1968: Off to See the Wizard (TV series) - Alexander the Great
1966: Gunsmoke (TV series) - Fred Bateman
1966: Incubus - Marc
1961-1966: Dr. Kildare (TV series) - Dr. Carl Noyes/Toby Cunningham, M.D.
1964-1966: Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (TV series) - David Vincent/Dr. Ely Harris
1966: The Big Valley (TV series) - Brett Skyler
1965: The Fugitive (TV series) - Tony Burrell
1965: 12 O'Clock High (TV series) - Maj. Kurt Brown
1965: For the People (TV series) - David Koster
1961-1965: The Defenders (TV series) - Assistant District Attorney Earl Rhode /Charles Terranova/Cliff Sellers/…
1965: Insight (TV series) - Mike Burnett
1964: The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV series) - Michael Donfield
1964: The Reporter (TV series) - Horner
1964: The Outrage - Preacher
1964: The Outer Limits (TV series) - Brig. Gen. Jeff Barton/Col.
1964: Burke's Law (TV series) - Arthur Reynolds
1964: Arrest and Trial (TV series) - Larry Tavener
1963: Route 66 (TV series) - Manomsha Faxon
1963: Channing (TV series) - Tom
1963: 77 Sunset Strip (TV series) - Paul De Vinger
1960-1963: The Twilight Zone (TV series) - Bob Wilson/Don Carter
1963: Alcoa Premiere (TV series) - Dr. William Grant
1963: Operation Bikini - Narrator
1963: The Nurses (TV series) - Dr. Adam Courtland/Dr.Ken Houck
1963: The Dick Powell Show (TV series) - Eric Tegman
1962: The Soldier (short) - The soldier
1962: The Intruder - Adam Cramer
1962: Naked City (TV series) - Maung Tun/Roger Barmer
1961: Judgment at Nuremberg - Captain Harrison Byers
1961: The Explosive Generation - Peter Gifford
1961: Thriller (TV series) - Gil Thrasher/Paul Graves
1960-1961: Play of the Week (TV series) - Lewis Rohnen
1960: Festival (TV series) - Marc Antony
1960: The DuPont Show of the Month (TV series)
1960: Outlaws (TV series)
1960: Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (TV series) - Carl Bremmer
1960: Adventures in Paradise (TV series)
1960: The Robert Herridge Theater (TV series)
1960: The Night of the Auk (TV movie) - Lewis Rohnen
1957-1960: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (TV series) - Jim Whitely/John Crane
1960: Julius Caesar (TV movie) - Marc Antony
1959: Sunday Showcase (TV series) - Thomas Gore
1959: Tactic (TV series)
1958: Hallmark Hall of Fame (TV series) - Philo
1958: The United States Steel Hour (TV series) - Con Purvis/Fred Corry
1957-1958: Kraft Television Theatre (TV series) - Fred Bell
1958: Playhouse 90 (TV series) - Jerry Paul
1958: Climax! (TV series) - Ben tate
1958: Suspicion (TV series) - Eli
1958: The Brothers Karamazov - Alexi Karamazov
1957: Studio One (TV series) - Dr. David Coleman/Kenneth Preston/Dr. Franck
1956-1957: The Kaiser Aluminum Hour (TV series) - John Sandor/Owen Howell/Peterson
1957: Oedipus Rex - Chorus
1957: Omnibus (TV series) - Palace Messenger
1956: Goodyear Television Playhouse (TV series)
1956: On Camera (TV series)
1955: General Motors Presents (TV series) - Billy Budd/Lucky
1954: Howdy Doody (TV series) - Ranger Bob
1951: The Butler's Night Off - A crook
-Kirk: Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.
-Lt. Bailey: We have phasers, I vote we blast 'em!
-Kirk: Thank you, Mr. Bailey, I'll consider that when this becomes a democracy.
-Kirk: The more complex the mind, the greater the need for the simplicity of play.
-Kirk: Without freedom of choice there is no creativity.
-Kirk: I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. I can only tell the truth.
-Kirk: My friend is obviously Chinese. I see you've noticed the ears. They're actually easy to explain.
-Spock: Perhaps the unfortunate accident I had as a child.
-Kirk: ...The unfortunate accident he had as a child. He caught his head in a mechanical... rice picker.
-Kirk: Conquest is easy. Control is not.
- Kirk: Mr. Spock, the women on your planet are logical. That's the only planet in this galaxy that can make that claim.
-Sulu: Once in Siberia, there was a meteor so great that it flattened whole forests and was felt as...
-Kirk: Mr. Sulu, If I'd wanted a Russian history lesson, I'd have brought along Mr. Chekov.