Rise to Success: Career Highlights of William Shatner
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how William Shatner made an impact.
William Shatner is a Canadian actor renowned for his iconic portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. Beginning in 1966, Shatner captained the starship Enterprise through the original television series and reprised the role in seven Star Trek feature films, culminating in Star Trek Generations (1994). His career spans seven decades, securing his place as a prominent figure in television and film history.
1951: Small Role in 'The Butler's Night Off'
In 1951, while still in college, William Shatner had a small role as "a crook" in the Canadian comedy drama The Butler's Night Off.
1954: First Appearance on American Television
In 1954, William Shatner made his first appearance on American television in The Howdy Doody Show, creating the role of Ranger Bob.
1956: Broadway Debut in Tamburlaine
In 1956, William Shatner made his Broadway debut in Marlowe's Tamburlaine as part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
1957: Acted in Alfred Hitchcock Presents
In the 1957-58 season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, William Shatner had a leading role in "The Glass Eye" episode, further heightening his American television profile.
December 1958: Acted in 'The Christmas Tree'
In December 1958, William Shatner appeared in the Hallmark Hall of Fame live television production entitled The Christmas Tree, playing a Roman tax collector.
1959: Starred in 'The World of Suzie Wong' and Played Archie Goodwin
In 1959, William Shatner received good reviews for his role in The World of Suzie Wong on Broadway and played detective Archie Goodwin in a Nero Wolfe series pilot that was ultimately aborted by CBS.
1960: Appeared in 'The Twilight Zone' and 'Outlaws'
In 1960, William Shatner appeared in "Nick of Time", an episode of The Twilight Zone, and also appeared twice in NBC's Outlaws.
1961: Broadway Appearance in 'A Shot in the Dark'
In 1961, William Shatner appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark, co-starring with Julie Harris and directed by Harold Clurman. He also featured in the film The Explosive Generation that year.
1962: Lead Role in 'The Intruder'
In 1962, William Shatner took the lead role in Roger Corman's movie The Intruder.
1963: Appeared in 'The Twilight Zone'
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", an episode of The Twilight Zone.
1963: Acted in 'Family Theater Production'
In 1963, William Shatner starred in the Family Theater production called "The Soldier" and received credits in other programs of The Psalms series.
1964: Guest Starred in The Outer Limits and Other Shows
In 1964, William Shatner guest-starred in The Outer Limits, The Reporter, and played a supporting role in the film The Outrage. He was also cast in the pilot for a proposed series called Alexander the Great.
1964: First on-screen appearance with Leonard Nimoy
In 1964, William Shatner made his first on-screen appearance with Leonard Nimoy, guest-starring in "The Project Strigas Affair" episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1965: Guest Starred in 12 O'Clock High and For The People
In 1965, William Shatner guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High and had the lead role in the legal drama For the People.
1966: Debut as Captain Kirk in Star Trek
In 1966, William Shatner debuted as Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series, marking a significant moment in his career.
1966: Starred in Incubus and Gunsmoke
In 1966, William Shatner starred in the gothic horror film Incubus (spoken in Esperanto) and in an episode of Gunsmoke.
1966: Cast as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek
In 1966, William Shatner was cast as Captain James T. Kirk for the second pilot of Star Trek, and subsequently contracted to play the role from 1966 to 1969.
November 22, 1968: Aired 'Plato's Stepchildren'
On November 22, 1968, the Star Trek episode 'Plato's Stepchildren' aired, featuring a kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, noted as one of the first instances of a white man kissing a black woman on scripted television in the United States.
1968: Release of 'The Transformed Man' Album
In 1968, William Shatner released his debut album, The Transformed Man, marking the beginning of his career as a recording artist.
1968: Starred in White Comanche
In 1968, William Shatner starred in the Spaghetti Western White Comanche, playing a dual role as both a virtuous gunslinger and a bloodthirsty warlord.
1968: Alexander the Great Pilot Aired as TV Movie
In 1968, the unaired pilot for the series Alexander the Great, in which William Shatner played the titular role, was repackaged as a TV movie after he and Adam West gained fame.
1969: Star Trek cancellation
In 1969, Star Trek was cancelled. After the cancellation, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy reunited in Star Trek: The Animated Series, and they also worked together on both The $20,000 Pyramid and T. J. Hooker.
1971: The Andersonville Trial
In 1971, William Shatner made a critically praised appearance as a prosecutor in a PBS adaptation of Saul Levitt's play, "The Andersonville Trial".
1972: The People
In 1972, William Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie "The People".
1973: Returned to Star Trek in Animated Series
In 1973, William Shatner returned to the role of Captain Kirk, providing his voice for the animated Star Trek series.
1973: The Horror at 37,000 Feet
In 1973, William Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie "The Horror at 37,000 Feet".
1974: Big Bad Mama
In 1974, William Shatner's film work included B-movies such as Roger Corman's "Big Bad Mama".
1975: The Devil's Rain
In 1975, William Shatner appeared in the horror film "The Devil's Rain" and the western-themed secret agent series Barbary Coast.
1976: Barbary Coast
During 1975 and 1976, William Shatner had a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series "Barbary Coast".
1976: Family Feud Pilot
In 1976, Mark Goodson considered William Shatner for the host of the pilot of "Family Feud", but Richard Dawson's agent intimidated him into choosing Dawson instead.
1977: Kingdom of the Spiders
In 1977, William Shatner's film work included the B-movie "Kingdom of the Spiders".
1977: The $10,000 Pyramid Blunder
In 1977, William Shatner, while participating in "The $10,000 Pyramid", blurted out the word "blessed" instead of providing a hint, costing his partner a $20,000 prize. Frustrated, Shatner threw his chair out of the Winner's Circle.
1978: Saturn Awards performance
In 1978, while hosting the fifth Saturn Awards, William Shatner performed a comedic parody version of Elton John's "Rocket Man".
1979: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
In 1979, William Shatner reprised his role as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", marking the return of the original cast to the Star Trek franchise.
1982: Co-starring with Heather Locklear on T. J. Hooker
In 1982, William Shatner began co-starring with Heather Locklear on T. J. Hooker. Locklear also had a semi-regular role in Dynasty, and mentioned that working with Shatner and her experienced colleagues could be daunting.
1982: Starred in T.J. Hooker
In 1982, William Shatner began starring as the eponymous veteran police sergeant in the television series T.J. Hooker.
1982: Airplane II: The Sequel
In 1982, William Shatner mocked the cavalier persona of Captain Kirk in the film "Airplane II: The Sequel".
1982: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
In 1982, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
1982: T.J. Hooker Casting
In 1982, William Shatner was cast as a veteran Los Angeles police sergeant in "T. J. Hooker".
1984: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
In 1984, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock".
1986: Saturday Night Live Appearance
In 1986, William Shatner appeared in a "Saturday Night Live" sketch about a Star Trek convention, where he told Trekkies to "get a life".
1986: End of T.J. Hooker
In 1986, William Shatner finished his role as the lead in the television show T.J. Hooker.
1986: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
In 1986, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home".
December 1989: This Is Your Life Appearance
In December 1989, William Shatner participated in the British television series "This Is Your Life", where he was surprised on the set of the Starship Enterprise.
1989: Rescue 911 Hosting
From 1989 to 1996, William Shatner hosted the popular dramatic re-enactment series "Rescue 911".
1989: Hosted Rescue 911
In 1989, William Shatner began hosting the reality-based television series Rescue 911.
1989: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
In 1989, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
1989: TekWar Novel Publication
In 1989, William Shatner's novel, "TekWar", was published, launching a sequence of books.
1991: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
In 1991, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
1992: MTV Movie Awards performance
In 1992, William Shatner performed versions of the five nominees in the Best Song from a Movie category at the MTV Movie Awards.
1993: Star Trek Memories Memoir
In 1993, James Doohan declined to be interviewed by William Shatner for his first memoir, Star Trek Memories.
1993: National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
In 1993, William Shatner mocked the cavalier persona of Captain Kirk in the film "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1".
1993: Disappointment at 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' premiere
In his 1993 book, 'Star Trek Memories', William Shatner recalled his disappointment when attending the premiere of 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture'.
1994: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
From 1994 to 2010, William Shatner was the chief executive officer of the Toronto, Ontario-based C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a special effects studio.
1994: Final Appearance as Captain Kirk
In 1994, William Shatner made his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations.
1994: Star Trek Generations
In 1994, William Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek Generations", which featured the death of Captain Kirk.
1994: Columbo Episode
In 1994, William Shatner revisited "Columbo" to play the murderer-of-the-week in the episode "Butterfly in Shades of Grey".
1995: Trinity and Beyond Narration
In 1995, William Shatner narrated Peter Kuran's documentary film "Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie", and his TekWar franchise expanded into the world of computer games with a first-person shooter release, "William Shatner's TekWar".
1996: Rescue 911 Hosting End
From 1989 to 1996, William Shatner hosted the popular dramatic re-enactment series "Rescue 911".
1996: End of Hosting Rescue 911
In 1996, William Shatner concluded his hosting role on the television series Rescue 911.
1996: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Guest Star
In 1996, William Shatner guest-starred in Will Smith's television show, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", in an episode entitled "Eye, Tooth".
1997: Starfleet Academy Video Game
In 1997, William Shatner's appearances as James Tiberius Kirk were in the movie sequences of the video game Starfleet Academy.
1998: Collaboration with Ben Folds
In 1998, Ben Folds' album 'Fear of Pop: Volume 1' featured William Shatner on two tracks, "In Love" and "Still in Love".
1998: Free Enterprise Movie
In 1998, William Shatner contributed a caricature of himself to the romantic comedy movie "Free Enterprise", which satirized Trekkies' Kirk idolatry.
1998: A Twist in the Tale
In 1998, William Shatner narrated a television miniseries shot in New Zealand called "A Twist in the Tale".
May 1999: Get a Life! Publication
In May 1999, Simon & Schuster published William Shatner's book "Get a Life!", a memoir of his experiences with Trekkies.
1999: 3rd Rock from the Sun
From 1999 to 2000, William Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head", earning an Emmy Award nomination.
1999: Book About Trekkies
In 1999, William Shatner wrote a book about Trekkies after his Saturday Night Live appearance.
2000: 3rd Rock from the Sun
From 1999 to 2000, William Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head", earning an Emmy Award nomination.
2000: Acted in Miss Congeniality
In 2000, William Shatner acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality.
2000: Voice of Buzz Lightyear
In 2000, William Shatner contributed the voice of Buzz Lightyear to the Star Command anthem "To Infinity And Beyond" in the film Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins.
2000: Plans for 'The Shiva Club'
In 2000, a Reuters story reported that William Shatner was planning to write and direct 'The Shiva Club', a dark comedy about the grieving process inspired by the death of his wife.
2001: Miss USA Pageant Hosting & Osmosis Jones
In 2001, William Shatner hosted the Miss USA Pageant in Gary, Indiana. Also, in 2001, he voiced Mayor Phlegmming in "Osmosis Jones".
June 28, 2002: Performance with Brian Evans
On June 28, 2002, William Shatner appeared with Brian Evans at the San Carlos Institute Theatre in Key West, Florida, and performed duets of "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "The Lady Is a Tramp". The concert was later released as an album.
2003: Brad Paisley Music Videos
In 2003, William Shatner appeared in Brad Paisley's Celebrity and Online music videos.
October 2004: Star Trek: Enterprise Story Arc
In October 2004, Manny Coto planned a three-episode story arc guest-starring William Shatner for "Star Trek: Enterprise", but it was canceled.
October 2004: Release of "Has Been" Album
In October 2004, William Shatner released his second studio album, Has Been, produced by Ben Folds.
2004: Co-writing "Together"
In 2004, Elizabeth Anderson Martin co-wrote the song "Together" on William Shatner's album 'Has Been'.
2004: Starred in The Practice and Boston Legal
In 2004, William Shatner began starring as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of The Practice and the entire run of its spinoff, Boston Legal.
2004: Release of "What Have You Done"
William Shatner's 2004 album Has Been included a spoken word piece, "What Have You Done", that describes his anguish upon discovering Nerine's body.
June 9, 2005: AFI Life Achievement Award performance
On June 9, 2005, William Shatner performed his version of "My Way" at George Lucas's AFI Life Achievement Award presentation, backed by dancers in Imperial Stormtrooper costumes.
December 11, 2005: Comedy Central's Last Laugh appearance
On December 11, 2005, William Shatner launched Comedy Central's Last Laugh 2005 with a skit as Lucifer, celebrating the year from Hell's perspective.
2005: Reunion with Heather Locklear on Boston Legal
In 2005, Heather Locklear appeared in two episodes of Boston Legal, with William Shatner. Locklear played Kelly Nolan, and Shatner's character becomes attracted to her and tries to help her defense.
2005: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
In 2005, William Shatner appeared in "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous", where Stan Fields is kidnapped in Las Vegas.
2005: Featured on Lemon Jelly album
In 2005, William Shatner was featured in the track "'64 – Go" on the Lemon Jelly album '64–'95.
2005: Emmy and Golden Globe Win
In 2005, William Shatner won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal".
March 29, 2006: TV Land's "William Shatner in Concert" episode
On March 29, 2006, TV Land aired a Shatner-centered episode of 'Living in TV Land' titled "William Shatner in Concert", featuring footage of him working with Ben Folds and performing with Folds's band and Joe Jackson.
May 16, 2006: Shatner donates kidney stone sale proceeds to charity
On May 16, 2006, William Shatner appeared on The View and announced that the $25,000 proceeds from the sale of his kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com, along with an additional $20,000, were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
2006: Emmy Nomination
In 2006, William Shatner received another Emmy nomination for his role as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal".
2006: Animated Movie Roles
In 2006, William Shatner voiced Ozzie in DreamWorks' Over the Hedge and Kazar in Walt Disney's The Wild.
2006: DirecTV advertisement
In 2006, William Shatner's appearances as James Tiberius Kirk were in a DirecTV advertisement that used footage from "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
January 2007: ShatnerVision Vlog
In January 2007, William Shatner started posting daily autobiographical vlogs on the LiveVideo platform, naming the project ShatnerVision.
July 2007: Star Trek Film Role Discussion
In July 2007, J. J. Abrams stated that the production of the 2009 film Star Trek was "desperately trying to figure out a way" to include William Shatner, but including him without a good reason "would be a disaster."
2007: Dance project 'Common People' created
In 2007, Margo Sappington created the dance project 'Common People' for the Milwaukee Ballet, based on William Shatner's album 'Has Been'.
2007: Emmy Nomination
In 2007, William Shatner received another Emmy nomination for his role as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal".
December 2008: Shatner's Raw Nerve
In December 2008, William Shatner experimented with the chat show genre with Shatner's Raw Nerve.
2008: End of Boston Legal
In 2008, William Shatner ended his run on the show Boston Legal, where he played attorney Denny Crane.
2008: Up Till Now Memoir
In 2008, William Shatner's memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher, was published.
April 17, 2009: Premiere of 'William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet'
On April 17, 2009, the feature documentary 'William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet', which documented Margo Sappington's dance project based on Shatner's album 'Has Been', premiered at the Nashville Film Festival.
July 27, 2009: Poetry Slam of Sarah Palin's Resignation Speech
On July 27, 2009, William Shatner performed a poetry slam recitation of Sarah Palin's resignation speech on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
December 11, 2009: Reading Excerpts on The Tonight Show
On December 11, 2009, William Shatner returned to The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien to read excerpts from Sarah Palin's autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life. Palin responded by reciting extracts from Shatner's 2008 memoir, Up Till Now.
2009: The Gavones
In 2009, William Shatner expanded his YouTube work, supplying the voice of Don Salmonella to the animated series The Gavones.
2009: Emmy Nomination
In 2009, William Shatner received another Emmy nomination for his role as Denny Crane on "Boston Legal".
2009: Star Trek Film Release
In 2009, the film Star Trek was released, in which William Shatner was not offered a role.
February 1, 2010: WWE Raw Guest Hosting
On February 1, 2010, to promote his Biography Channel talk show Shatner's Raw Nerve, William Shatner guest-hosted WWE Raw, performing wrestlers' entrance theme songs.
April 2010: Weird or What? Hosting
In April 2010, William Shatner began hosting the Discovery Channel show Weird or What?
2010: Shatner Describes Star Trek Film
At a convention held in 2010, William Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful".
2010: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
From 1994 to 2010, William Shatner was the chief executive officer of the Toronto, Ontario-based C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a special effects studio.
March 2011: End of Shatner's Raw Nerve
In March 2011, William Shatner's humorous chat show Shatner's Raw Nerve ended.
May 2011: $#*! My Dad Says Cancellation
In May 2011, the CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says, starring William Shatner, was cancelled three months after the first broadcast of its final episode.
October 2011: Searching for Major Tom Album Release
In October 2011, William Shatner released his album Searching for Major Tom, featuring collaborations with numerous musicians.
2011: Walter Koenig appears on Shatner's Raw Nerve
In 2011, Walter Koenig appeared on William Shatner's interview series Shatner's Raw Nerve, indicating that the animosity he had once felt towards Shatner had dissipated.
2011: Release of 'Seeking Major Tom' Album
In 2011, William Shatner released his most successful album, Seeking Major Tom, featuring covers of songs like "Learning to Fly", "Space Oddity", and "Bohemian Rhapsody".
2012: Shatner's World: We Just Live in It
In 2012, William Shatner returned to his roots in theatre with Shatner's World: We Just Live in It on Broadway, followed by a tour throughout the United States.
October 2013: Release of 'Ponder the Mystery' album
In October 2013, William Shatner's fifteen-track album 'Ponder the Mystery,' produced by Billy Sherwood, was released, featuring contributions from various musicians.
2013: Academy Awards Appearance
In 2013, William Shatner reprised his role as Captain Kirk for a comedic interlude with the show's host, Seth MacFarlane, at the Academy Awards.
April 24, 2014: Autobiographical One-Man Show on Broadway
On April 24, 2014, William Shatner performed an autobiographical one-man show on Broadway, which was filmed for screening in theaters and raised money for charity.
2015: Murdoch Mysteries and Haven Roles
In 2015, William Shatner played Mark Twain in an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and Croatoan in Haven.
March 2016: Release of 'Spy In The Sky Part 3'
In March 2016, William Shatner provided the lead vocals on the progressive rock artist Ben Craven's track "Spy In The Sky Part 3" on Craven's album Last Chance To Hear.
August 23, 2016: Better Late Than Never Premiere
Premiering on August 23, 2016, the NBC reality miniseries Better Late Than Never followed William Shatner and other celebrities on a tour around Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
2016: Starred in Better Late Than Never
In 2016, William Shatner starred in the first season of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
December 11, 2017: Better Late Than Never Preview Episode
On December 11, 2017, a preview episode of the second season of William Shatner's Better Late Than Never was released.
2017: Starred in Better Late Than Never
In 2017, William Shatner continued to star in the NBC comical travel series, Better Late Than Never.
August 2018: Release of 'Why Not Me' album
In August 2018, William Shatner's first venture into the country music genre, 'Why Not Me', was released on the Heartland Records Nashville label, featuring Jeff Cook and guest vocals by Neal McCoy, Home Free and Cash Creek.
October 2018: Release of 'Shatner Claus' album
In October 2018, William Shatner's holiday collection, 'Shatner Claus', was released, featuring collaborations with Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Todd Rundgren, Billy Gibbons, and others.
2018: Starred in Better Late Than Never
In 2018, William Shatner concluded his role in the second season of NBC's Better Late Than Never.
2018: Better Late Than Never Season Premiere
On New Year's Day of 2018, the official season of William Shatner's Better Late Than Never premiered.
October 2, 2020: Release of 'The Blues' album
On October 2, 2020, William Shatner's ninth album, titled 'The Blues,' was released.
August 26, 2021: Announcement of 'Bill' album
On August 26, 2021, William Shatner announced his tenth album, titled 'Bill'.
October 13, 2021: Blue Origin Spaceflight
On October 13, 2021, William Shatner participated in Blue Origin's second sub-orbital human spaceflight, Blue Origin NS-18, travelling on the RSS First Step and becoming the oldest person to fly into space at age 90.
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