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 James T. Kirk, the captain of the starship Enterprise, in the Star Trek franchise. His career spans seven decades, beginning with the original Star Trek television series in 1966 and culminating with his appearance in the film *Star Trek Generations* (1994). Shatner's role as Captain Kirk has cemented his place in popular culture.
1951: Small Role in The Butler's Night Off
In 1951, while attending college, William Shatner had a small role as "a crook" in the Canadian comedy drama The Butler's Night Off, marking the beginning of his movie career.
1956: Broadway Debut in Tamburlaine
In 1956, William Shatner made his Broadway debut in Marlowe's Tamburlaine, marking a significant step in his acting career.
1957: Acted in Alfred Hitchcock Presents
In the 1957-58 season, William Shatner had a leading role in an episode in the third season of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, entitled "The Glass Eye".
December 1958: Acted in The Christmas Tree
In December 1958, William Shatner appeared in a Hallmark Hall of Fame live television production entitled The Christmas Tree.
1959: Role in The World of Suzie Wong and Nero Wolfe Pilot
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 pilot that was 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 in two episodes of NBC's Outlaws.
1961: Appeared in A Shot in the Dark and Judgment at Nuremberg
In 1961, William Shatner appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark and had a supporting role in the Stanley Kramer film Judgment at Nuremberg.
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: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", an episode of The Twilight Zone.
1963: Appeared in Family Theater's "The Soldier"
In 1963, William Shatner starred in the Family Theater production called "The Soldier".
1964: First Appearance with Leonard Nimoy
In 1964, William Shatner first appeared on screen with Leonard Nimoy in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., "The Project Strigas Affair".
1964: Guest Starred in The Outer Limits
In 1964, William Shatner guest-starred in the second episode of the second season of The Outer Limits, entitled "Cold Hands, Warm Heart."
1965: Guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High and For the People
In 1965, William Shatner guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High as Major Curt Brown and had the lead role in a legal drama called For the People.
1966: Debut as Captain Kirk
In 1966, William Shatner debuted as Captain James T. Kirk in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series, marking a significant milestone in his career.
1966: Starred in Incubus and Gunsmoke
In 1966, William Shatner starred in the gothic horror film Incubus, and also starred in an episode of Gunsmoke as the character Fred Bateman.
November 22, 1968: Kirk-Uhura Kiss in Star Trek
On November 22, 1968, the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" aired, featuring a kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, considered a milestone in American race relations.
1968: Release of "The Transformed Man"
In 1968, William Shatner made his recording debut with the album "The Transformed Man", featuring readings from plays and dramatic recitations of popular songs.
1968: Starred in White Comanche
In 1968, William Shatner starred in the Spaghetti Western White Comanche, playing both a white-hat character and his black-hat evil twin.
1968: Alexander the Great Pilot Aired
In 1968, the pilot for Alexander the Great, in which William Shatner played the titular role, was repackaged as a TV movie, capitalizing on his and Adam West's fame.
1969: Star Trek Cancellation
In 1969, after the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series, William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy reunited in Star Trek: The Animated Series.
1971: The Andersonville Trial
In 1971, 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, Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie "The People".
1973: The Horror at 37,000 Feet
In 1973, Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie "The Horror at 37,000 Feet".
1973: Returned as Kirk in Animated Star Trek
In 1973, William Shatner returned to the role of Captain Kirk, providing voice work for the animated Star Trek series.
1974: Big Bad Mama release
In 1974, Shatner's film work included B-movies such as Roger Corman's "Big Bad Mama".
1975: The Devil's Rain and Barbary Coast
In 1975, Shatner appeared in the horror film "The Devil's Rain" and had a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series "Barbary Coast".
1976: Barbary Coast
During 1975 and 1976, Shatner had a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series "Barbary Coast".
1976: Family Feud Host Consideration
In 1976, Mark Goodson considered Shatner as the host for the pilot of Family Feud, but ultimately chose Richard Dawson.
1977: The $10,000 Pyramid blunder
In 1977, Shatner made a mistake on "The $10,000 Pyramid" by blurting out the word "blessed," costing his partner a $20,000 prize.
1977: Kingdom of the Spiders release
In 1977, Shatner's film work included B-movies such as the horror film "Kingdom of the Spiders".
1977: Release of "William Shatner Live"
In 1977, William Shatner's 1971 performance was released as the double album "William Shatner Live", featuring reminisces about Star Trek and readings from various works.
1978: Saturn Awards Performance
In 1978, William Shatner hosted the fifth Saturn Awards and performed a comedic rendition of Elton John's "Rocket Man", which became a parody staple.
1979: Star Trek: The Motion Picture release
In 1979, 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: Heather Locklear Co-Stars on T. J. Hooker
In 1982, Heather Locklear began co-starring with William Shatner on T. J. Hooker.
1982: Airplane II: The Sequel Release
In 1982, Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film "Airplane II: The Sequel".
1982: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan release
In 1982, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
1982: T. J. Hooker premiere
In 1982, Shatner starred as a veteran Los Angeles police sergeant in the high-profile television show "T. J. Hooker".
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.
1984: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock release
In 1984, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock".
1986: T. J. Hooker ends
In 1986, "T. J. Hooker", starring Shatner, concluded after five seasons and ninety-one episodes.
1986: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home release
In 1986, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home".
1986: "Get a Life" Saturday Night Live Sketch
In 1986, Shatner's "get a life" comment to Trekkies on Saturday Night Live became a much-discussed summary of his views on fan adoration.
1986: End of T.J. Hooker
In 1986, William Shatner's role as the eponymous veteran police sergeant in the television series T.J. Hooker concluded.
December 1989: This Is Your Life appearance
In December 1989, Shatner appeared on the British television series "This Is Your Life", where he was surprised by Michael Aspel on the set of Starship Enterprise.
1989: Rescue 911 Hosting
In 1989, Shatner began hosting the popular dramatic re-enactment series "Rescue 911".
1989: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier release
In 1989, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
1989: TekWar Novel Release
In 1989, Shatner's novel "TekWar", co-written with Ron Goulart, was published, launching a sequence of books.
1989: Hosted Rescue 911
In 1989, William Shatner began hosting the reality-based television series Rescue 911.
1990: Supporting the Hollywood Charity Horse Show
Since 1990, William Shatner has been a key supporter of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, raising money for organizations serving children.
1991: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country release
In 1991, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
1992: MTV Movie Awards Performance
In 1992, William Shatner offered a performance of the five nominees in the Best Song from a Movie category at the MTV Movie Awards.
1993: National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 Release
In 1993, Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1".
1993: Star Trek Memories Publication
In his 1993 book, Star Trek Memories, William Shatner expressed his disappointment at the premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
1994: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures
In 1994, Shatner became the chief executive officer of the Toronto, Ontario-based C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures.
1994: Star Trek Generations release
In 1994, Shatner played Kirk in "Star Trek Generations", culminating in the character's death.
1994: Columbo return
In 1994, Shatner revisited Columbo to play the murderer-of-the-week in the episode "Butterfly in Shades of Grey".
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, concluding his portrayal of the iconic character in the film series.
1994: Filming Star Trek Generations
In 1994, while filming Star Trek Generations, William Shatner recalled having to work with Walter Koenig and James Doohan again, acknowledging the resentment they felt towards him.
1995: Trinity and Beyond Narration
In 1995, 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.
1996: End of Rescue 911
In 1996, Shatner finished hosting the popular dramatic re-enactment series "Rescue 911".
1996: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
In 1996, 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, Shatner made appearances as James Tiberius Kirk in the movie sequences of the video game "Starfleet Academy".
1998: Free Enterprise satire
In 1998, Shatner contributed a caricature of himself to the romantic comedy movie "Free Enterprise", which satirized Trekkies' Kirk idolatry.
1998: A Twist in the Tale Narration
In 1998, Shatner narrated a television miniseries shot in New Zealand "A Twist in the Tale".
1998: Featured on Ben Folds's Album
In 1998, William Shatner was featured on two tracks, "In Love" and "Still in Love," on Ben Folds's album Fear of Pop: Volume 1.
May 1999: Get a Life! Book Release
In May 1999, Simon & Schuster published Shatner's book "Get a Life!", a memoir of his experiences with Trekkies.
1999: 3rd Rock from the Sun
From 1999 to 2000, Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head".
2000: 3rd Rock from the Sun
From 1999 to 2000, Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head".
2000: Planned Shiva Club Movie
In 2000, Reuters reported that William Shatner was planning to write and direct The Shiva Club, a dark comedy about grieving inspired by his wife Nerine's death.
2000: Miss Congeniality
In 2000, Shatner played Stan Fields, the co-host of the Miss United States Pageant, in the Sandra Bullock comedy movie "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.
2001: Miss USA Pageant and Osmosis Jones
In 2001, Shatner hosted the Miss USA Pageant and voiced Mayor Phlegmming in the movie "Osmosis Jones".
June 28, 2002: Duet Performance with Brian Evans
On June 28, 2002, William Shatner performed with Brian Evans at the San Carlos Institute Theatre in Key West, Florida, singing "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "The Lady Is a Tramp". The performance was later released as an album.
2003: Brad Paisley Music Videos
In 2003, Shatner appeared in Brad Paisley's "Celebrity" and "Online" music videos.
October 2004: Release of "Has Been"
In October 2004, William Shatner's second studio album, "Has Been", produced by Ben Folds, was released. It featured original songs and a cover of Pulp's "Common People."
October 2004: Star Trek: Enterprise Guest Appearance Plans
In October 2004, plans for Shatner to guest star in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise were revealed, but the show's cancellation prevented it from happening.
2004: Co-wrote "Together" on Shatner's Album
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 its spinoff, Boston Legal.
2004: Release of Has Been Album
In 2004, William Shatner's album Has Been included "What Have You Done," a spoken word piece describing his anguish at finding Nerine's body.
June 9, 2005: AFI Life Achievement Award Performance
On June 9, 2005, William Shatner performed "My Way" at George Lucas's AFI Life Achievement Award presentation, backed by Imperial Stormtrooper dancers.
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 portraying Lucifer, celebrating the year from Hell's perspective.
2005: Locklear Appears on Boston Legal
In 2005, Heather Locklear appeared in two episodes of Boston Legal as Kelly Nolan, a woman being tried for killing her wealthy husband. Shatner's character is attracted to her and tries to insert himself into her defense.
2005: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
In 2005, Shatner appeared in "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous", reprising his role as Stan Fields.
2005: Golden Globe and Emmy Award
In 2005, Shatner won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
2005: Featured on Lemon Jelly album
In 2005, William Shatner was featured on the track "'64 - Go" on the Lemon Jelly album '64 - '95.
March 29, 2006: TV Land Concert Special
On March 29, 2006, TV Land aired a Shatner-focused episode of "Living in TV Land" called "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 Proceeds to Charity
On May 16, 2006, William Shatner appeared on The View and announced that the proceeds from selling his kidney stone, along with additional funds, were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
2006: DirecTV advertisement
In 2006, Shatner appeared in a DirecTV advertisement that used footage from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
2006: Animated Films
In 2006, Shatner voiced Ozzie in DreamWorks' "Over the Hedge" and Kazar in Walt Disney's "The Wild".
2006: Emmy Nomination
In 2006, Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
January 2007: ShatnerVision launch
In January 2007, Shatner began posting daily autobiographical vlogs on LiveVideo in a project he named ShatnerVision.
July 2007: Discussion of potential role in Star Trek film
In July 2007, J.J. Abrams discussed the difficulty of including William Shatner in the 2009 Star Trek film, mentioning they were trying to find a way but didn't want to "shove him in".
2007: Has Been Album Inspired Dance Project
In 2007, Margo Sappington created a dance project, Common People, for the Milwaukee Ballet, based on William Shatner's album Has Been.
2007: Emmy Nomination
In 2007, Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
December 2008: Shatner's Raw Nerve premiere
In December 2008, Shatner experimented with the chat show genre in the humorous "Shatner's Raw Nerve".
2008: Boston Legal ends
In 2008, Boston Legal ended after five seasons and one hundred and one episodes. Shatner was also Emmy nominated.
April 17, 2009: William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet Unveiling
On April 17, 2009, the feature documentary William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet, which documented the dance project Common People based on Shatner's album Has Been, was unveiled at the Nashville Film Festival.
July 27, 2009: Poetry Slam of Sarah Palin's Speech
On July 27, 2009, William Shatner appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, where he performed a poetry slam-inspired recitation of Sarah Palin's resignation speech, satirizing the Republican politician.
December 11, 2009: Reading Excerpts from Palin's Autobiography
On December 11, 2009, Shatner again appeared on The Tonight Show to read excerpts from Sarah Palin's autobiography, "Going Rogue: An American Life". Palin responded in kind by reciting extracts from Shatner's memoir.
2009: The Gavones
In 2009, Shatner supplied the voice of Don Salmonella to the animated series "The Gavones".
2009: Emmy Nomination
In 2009, Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
February 1, 2010: WWE Raw Guest Host
On February 1, 2010, William Shatner guest-hosted WWE Raw to promote his Biography Channel talk show, Shatner's Raw Nerve, and performed wrestler's entrance themes.
April 2010: Hosting "Weird or What"
In April 2010, William Shatner started hosting the Discovery Channel show "Weird or What," which explored unusual news stories.
2010: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Shutdown
In 2010, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, where Shatner was CEO, ceased operations.
2010: Shatner describes Star Trek film as "wonderful"
In 2010, Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful" at a convention.
March 2011: Shatner's Raw Nerve ends
In March 2011, Shatner's humorous chat show "Shatner's Raw Nerve" aired its last show.
May 2011: "$#*! My Dad Says" Cancellation
In May 2011, the CBS sitcom "$#*! My Dad Says", in which Shatner had a leading role, was cancelled three months after the broadcast of its final episode.
October 2011: Release of "Seeking Major Tom"
In October 2011, William Shatner released the album "Seeking Major Tom", featuring collaborations with musicians like Brad Paisley and Brian May, and covers of space-themed songs.
2011: Released Seeking Major Tom
In 2011, William Shatner released his most successful album, Seeking Major Tom, featuring covers of popular songs.
2012: Broadway Show and TV Appearances
In 2012, Shatner returned to theater with "Shatner's World: We Just Live in It" on Broadway. In May 2012, he also appeared on the British show "Have I Got News for You".
October 2013: Release of "Ponder the Mystery"
In October 2013, William Shatner released "Ponder the Mystery", produced by Billy Sherwood, featuring contributions from numerous musicians.
2013: Academy Awards appearance
In 2013, Shatner reprised his role as Captain Kirk for a comedic interlude with Seth MacFarlane at the Academy Awards.
April 24, 2014: Autobiographical One-Man Show on Broadway
On April 24, 2014, Shatner performed an autobiographical one-man show on Broadway, which was filmed and screened in theaters, with a portion of the revenue donated to charity.
2015: Roles in Murdoch Mysteries and Haven
In 2015, William Shatner played Mark Twain in "Murdoch Mysteries" and Croatoan in "Haven."
March 2016: Featured on Ben Craven's album
In March 2016, William Shatner provided the lead vocals on Ben Craven's track "Spy In The Sky Part 3", which featured on Craven's album Last Chance To Hear.
August 23, 2016: Premiere of "Better Late Than Never"
On August 23, 2016, the reality miniseries "Better Late Than Never," featuring William Shatner and other celebrities traveling through Asia, premiered on NBC.
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 "Better Late Than Never" aired.
2017: Starred in Better Late Than Never
In 2017, William Shatner starred in the second season of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
August 2018: Release of "Why Not Me"
In August 2018, William Shatner released "Why Not Me", his first country music album in collaboration with Jeff Cook of Alabama.
October 2018: Release of "Shatner Claus"
In October 2018, William Shatner released "Shatner Claus", a holiday collection featuring collaborations with Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, and others.
2018: Starred in Better Late Than Never
In 2018, William Shatner starred in the both seasons of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
2018: Better Late Than Never season premiere
In 2018, the official season premiere of "Better Late Than Never" aired on New Year's Day.
October 2, 2020: Release of "The Blues"
On October 2, 2020, William Shatner's album "The Blues" was released. It reached number one on the Billboard Blues Chart fifteen days later.
March 2021: "Senior Moment" Release
In March 2021, William Shatner's film "Senior Moment," co-starring Jean Smart and Christopher Lloyd, was released, coinciding with his 90th birthday.
August 26, 2021: Announcement of "Bill" Album
On August 26, 2021, William Shatner announced the release of his tenth album, "Bill", which was subsequently released on September 24, 2021.
October 13, 2021: Blue Origin Spaceflight
On October 13, 2021, William Shatner flew on Blue Origin's NS-18 sub-orbital flight, becoming the oldest person to fly into space at age 90. He traveled with Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries, and Audrey Powers.
2021: Controversy over RT Show
In 2021, William Shatner became embroiled in political controversy due to his hosting a science documentary on RT, formerly known as Russia Today.
2022: Appearance on "The Masked Singer"
In 2022, William Shatner competed in season eight of "The Masked Singer" as "Knight", being eliminated in the first episode.
2023: The UnXplained series ended
In 2023, The UnXplained series hosted and executive-produced by William Shatner ended after receiving negative reviews from critics.
