From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how William Shatner made an impact.
William Shatner is a Canadian actor renowned for his iconic role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. His career spans seven decades, beginning with the original Star Trek television series in 1966. He played Kirk until his character's final appearance in 'Star Trek Generations' (1994).
In 1951, William Shatner had a small role as "a crook" in the Canadian comedy drama, The Butler's Night Off.
In 1954, William Shatner made his first appearance on American television in The Howdy Doody Show, playing the role of Ranger Bob.
In 1956, William Shatner made his Broadway debut in Marlowe's Tamburlaine as part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
In the 1957-58 season, William Shatner had a leading role in "The Glass Eye" episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
In December 1958, William Shatner appeared in The Christmas Tree, a Hallmark Hall of Fame live television production.
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.
In 1960, William Shatner appeared in "Nick of Time", an episode of The Twilight Zone and in NBC's Outlaws.
In 1961, William Shatner appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark and had roles in the television series Thriller and the film The Explosive Generation.
In 1962, William Shatner took the lead role in Roger Corman's movie The Intruder.
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", an episode of The Twilight Zone.
In 1963, William Shatner starred in the Family Theater production called "The Soldier" and guest-starred in Route 66.
In 1964, William Shatner first appeared on screen with Leonard Nimoy in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. titled "The Project Strigas Affair".
In 1964, William Shatner guest-starred in The Outer Limits and The Reporter, and appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. with Leonard Nimoy.
In 1965, William Shatner guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High and had the lead role in For the People.
In 1966, William Shatner debuted as Captain James T. Kirk in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series, marking a significant point in his career.
In 1966, William Shatner starred in the gothic horror film Incubus and appeared in episodes of Gunsmoke and The Big Valley.
In 1966, William Shatner was cast as Captain James T. Kirk for the second pilot of Star Trek, marking the beginning of his iconic role.
On November 22, 1968, the Star Trek episode Plato's Stepchildren aired, featuring a kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura, noted as an early example of interracial kissing on scripted television.
In 1968, William Shatner made his recording debut with the release of the album titled The Transformed Man.
In 1968, William Shatner released his debut album, The Transformed Man, marking the start of his career as a recording artist.
In 1968, William Shatner starred in the Spaghetti Western White Comanche, playing dual roles.
In 1968, the pilot for a proposed series called Alexander the Great, which was not picked up earlier, was repackaged as a TV movie after Shatner gained fame.
After Star Trek's cancellation in 1969, Shatner reunited with Nimoy in Star Trek: The Animated Series, and they subsequently worked together on both The $20,000 Pyramid and T. J. Hooker.
In 1969, following the cancellation of Star Trek, William Shatner faced challenges in finding employment and experienced financial difficulties, including a period of living in a truck-bed camper.
In 1971, Shatner made a critically praised appearance as a prosecutor in a PBS adaptation of Saul Levitt's play The Andersonville Trial.
In 1971, William Shatner gave a performance that was later released in 1977 on the Lemli Records double album, William Shatner Live.
In 1972, Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie The People.
In 1973, Shatner was seen in a major part in the movie The Horror at 37,000 Feet.
In 1973, William Shatner returned to the role of Captain Kirk in the animated Star Trek series.
In 1974, William Shatner's film work included B-movies such as Roger Corman's Big Bad Mama.
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.
During 1975 and 1976, Shatner had a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series Barbary Coast.
In 1976, Mark Goodson considered Shatner as the host for the pilot of Family Feud but was intimidated into choosing Richard Dawson instead.
In 1977, William Shatner's film work included the horror film Kingdom of the Spiders.
In 1977, a performance that William Shatner had given during a tour in 1971 was released on a Lemli Records double album, William Shatner Live.
In 1977, the enormous success of George Lucas's film Star Wars led Paramount to decide that the next Star Trek adventure should be in theaters instead of television.
In 1978, William Shatner hosted the fifth Saturn Awards and performed a comedic version of Elton John's "Rocket Man".
In 1979, Shatner and the original Star Trek cast returned for Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
In 1982, Heather Locklear began co-starring with William Shatner on T. J. Hooker. Her role on Hooker, combined with Dynasty, made her nervous but motivated her to prepare well for set.
In 1982, Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film Airplane II: The Sequel.
In 1982, Shatner played Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
In 1982, Shatner was cast as the lead in T. J. Hooker, a high-profile television show.
In 1982, William Shatner began playing the eponymous veteran police sergeant in the television series T. J. Hooker.
In 1984, Shatner played Kirk in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
In 1986, Shatner advised Trekkies to "get a life" in a Saturday Night Live sketch.
In 1986, T. J. Hooker ended after five seasons and ninety-one episodes.
In 1989, Shatner began hosting the dramatic re-enactment series Rescue 911.
In 1989, Shatner played Kirk in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.
In 1989, Shatner's novel TekWar, co-written with Ron Goulart, was published, launching a successful book series.
In 1989, William Shatner began hosting the reality-based television series Rescue 911.
Since 1990, William Shatner has been one of the most important supporters of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which raises money for organizations serving children.
In 1991, Shatner played Kirk in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
In 1992, William Shatner performed versions of the five nominees in the Best Song from a Movie category at the MTV Movie Awards.
In 1993, James Doohan declined to be interviewed by Shatner for his first memoir, Star Trek Memories.
In 1993, Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1.
In 1994, Shatner became the chief executive officer of C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a special effects studio based in Toronto, Ontario.
In 1994, Shatner played Kirk in Star Trek Generations, which culminated in the captain's self-sacrificial death.
In 1994, Shatner played the murderer-of-the-week in the Columbo episode "Butterfly in Shades of Grey".
In 1994, William Shatner made his final appearance as Captain James T. Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations.
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 with a first-person shooter release, William Shatner's TekWar.
In 1996, Shatner concluded his hosting duties on Rescue 911.
In 1996, Shatner guest-starred in Will Smith's television show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in an episode entitled Eye, Tooth.
In 1997, Shatner's appearances as James Tiberius Kirk were in the movie sequences of the video game Starfleet Academy.
In 1998, Shatner contributed a caricature of himself to the romantic comedy movie Free Enterprise, which satirized some Trekkies' Kirk idolatry.
In 1998, Shatner narrated a television miniseries shot in New Zealand, A Twist in the Tale.
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".
In May 1999, Simon & Schuster published Shatner's book Get a Life!, a memoir of his experiences with Trekkies.
From 1999, Shatner appeared in several episodes of 3rd Rock from the Sun as the "Big Giant Head".
In 1999, William Shatner wrote a book about Trekkies after his Saturday Night Live rebuke to them.
In 2000, Shatner played Stan Fields, the co-host of the Miss United States Pageant, in the Sandra Bullock comedy movie Miss Congeniality.
In 2000, Shatner's role as the "Big Giant Head" on 3rd Rock from the Sun earned him an Emmy Award nomination.
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.
In 2000, it was reported that William Shatner was planning to write and direct "The Shiva Club", a dark comedy about the grieving process inspired by his wife's death.
In 2001, Shatner hosted the Miss USA Pageant in Gary, Indiana. He also voiced Mayor Phlegmming in the movie Osmosis Jones.
On June 28, 2002, William Shatner appeared with Brian Evans at the San Carlos Institute Theatre in Key West, Florida and duetted on the songs "What Kind of Fool Am I" and "The Lady Is a Tramp".
In 2003, Shatner appeared in Brad Paisley's Celebrity and Online music videos.
In October 2004, Manny Coto revealed plans for Shatner to guest-star in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise, but the series was canceled, preventing his participation.
In October 2004, William Shatner's second studio album, Has Been, produced by Ben Folds, was released.
In 2004, Elizabeth Anderson Martin co-wrote the song "Together" on William Shatner's album, "Has Been".
In 2004, William Shatner began starring as attorney Denny Crane in The Practice and Boston Legal.
In 2004, William Shatner's album "Has Been" included a spoken word piece, "What Have You Done", which described his anguish upon discovering Nerine's body.
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.
On December 11, 2005, William Shatner launched Comedy Central's Last Laugh 2005 with a skit as Lucifer.
In 2005, Heather Locklear appeared in two episodes of Boston Legal, playing Kelly Nolan. The episodes featured Shatner's character becoming attracted to Nolan and becoming involved in her defense.
In 2005, Shatner appeared in Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, reprising his role as Stan Fields.
In 2005, Shatner won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal, after originating the role on The Practice.
In 2005, William Shatner was featured on the track "'64 - Go" on the Lemon Jelly album "'64 - '95".
On March 29, 2006, TV Land aired an episode of "Living in TV Land" featuring William Shatner, including footage with Ben Folds and a performance of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".
On May 16, 2006, during an appearance on The View, William Shatner announced that the proceeds from the kidney stone sale, along with $20,000 from the Boston Legal cast and crew, were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
In 2006, Shatner was Emmy nominated again for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
In 2006, Shatner's final appearances as James Tiberius Kirk were in a DirecTV advertisement that used footage from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
In 2006, William Shatner was featured in two high-profile animated pictures. He voiced Ozzie in DreamWorks' Over the Hedge and Kazar in Walt Disney's The Wild.
In January 2007, William Shatner began posting daily autobiographical vlogs on the LiveVideo platform. This project was named ShatnerVision.
In July 2007, Director J. J. Abrams mentioned that the production of the 2009 film Star Trek was "desperately trying to figure out a way to put him in" but that to "shove him in ... would be a disaster".
In 2007, Margo Sappington adapted William Shatner's album "Has Been" into a dance project called "Common People" for the Milwaukee Ballet.
In 2007, Shatner was Emmy nominated again for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
In December 2008, William Shatner experimented with the chat show genre in the humorous Shatner's Raw Nerve.
In 2008, Boston Legal ended after five seasons and one hundred and one episodes, marking the end of Shatner's role as Denny Crane on the show.
In 2008, William Shatner's memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher, was published. This book predated their later collaboration on a book about Leonard Nimoy and Shatner's relationship with him.
In 2008, William Shatner's role as attorney Denny Crane in The Practice and Boston Legal came to an end.
On April 17, 2009, the documentary "William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet", which featured William Shatner and Margo Sappington's dance project, premiered at the Nashville Film Festival.
On July 27, 2009, William Shatner initiated mock-hostilities with a poetry slam inspired recitation of Sarah Palin's resignation speech on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.
On December 11, 2009, William Shatner returned to The Tonight Show to read excerpts from Sarah Palin's autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life, and she responded by reciting excerpts from his memoir, Up Till Now.
In 2009, Shatner was Emmy nominated again for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
In 2009, Shatner was not offered or suggested a role in the film Star Trek.
In 2009, William Shatner expanded his work on YouTube by supplying the voice of Don Salmonella to the animated series The Gavones.
In 2009, William Shatner was not "offered or suggested" a role in the Star Trek film directed by J.J. Abrams.
On February 1, 2010, William Shatner guest-hosted WWE Raw to promote his Biography Channel talk show, "Shatner's Raw Nerve", and performed wrestlers' entrance theme songs.
In April 2010, William Shatner began hosting the Discovery Channel show Weird or What?, exploring left-field topics such as UFOs and cryptozoology.
At a convention held in 2010, William Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful".
In 2010, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, the special effects studio where Shatner was the CEO, ceased operations.
On March 7, 2011, the crew of STS-133 on the Space Shuttle Discovery began their last day docked to the International Space Station with William Shatner reciting an adapted version of the Star Trek introduction.
In March 2011, Shatner's humorous chat show, Shatner's Raw Nerve, concluded its run.
In May 2011, three months after the first broadcast of its final episode, William Shatner's CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says was cancelled.
In October 2011, William Shatner released the album Seeking Major Tom, featuring several notable musicians.
In 2011, Walter Koenig appeared on Shatner's interview series Shatner's Raw Nerve, indicating that the animosity he once felt towards Shatner had dissipated.
In 2011, William Shatner released his most successful album, Seeking Major Tom, which includes covers of Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly", David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody".
In August 2012, the Discovery Channel show Weird or What?, which was hosted by William Shatner, aired its final episode.
In 2012, William Shatner returned to his roots in theatre, appearing on Broadway in a one-man show called Shatner's World: We Just Live in It.
In October 2013, William Shatner released his fifteen-track album "Ponder the Mystery", produced by Billy Sherwood, featuring contributions from various musicians.
In 2013, Shatner reprised the role of Captain Kirk for a comedic interlude with the show's host, Seth MacFarlane, at the Academy Awards.
On April 24, 2014, William Shatner performed an autobiographical one-man show on Broadway, which was filmed for screening in theatres across Australia, Canada and the United States.
In 2015, William Shatner played Mark Twain in an episode of Murdoch Mysteries, and Croatoan in the final episodes of Haven's fifth season.
In March 2016, William Shatner provided lead vocals on Ben Craven's track "Spy In The Sky Part 3" on Craven's album "Last Chance To Hear".
On August 23, 2016, the NBC reality miniseries Better Late Than Never premiered, featuring William Shatner and other celebrities touring Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.
In 2016, William Shatner began starring in NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
On December 11, 2017, a preview episode of the second season of Better Late Than Never was aired.
In 2017, Stan Lee's "God Woke", a graphic novel published by Shatner Singularity, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards' Outstanding Books of the Year Independent Voice Award.
In 2017, William Shatner continued starring in season 2 of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
In 2017, William Shatner was the honorary captain of "Star Trek: The Cruise", celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Star Trek pilot episode.
In August 2018, William Shatner's first venture into country music, "Why Not Me", was released, featuring Jeff Cook and guest vocals from Neal McCoy, Home Free, and Cash Creek.
In October 2018, William Shatner released a holiday collection, "Shatner Claus", featuring collaborations with Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Todd Rundgren, Billy Gibbons, and others.
In 2018, William Shatner continued starring in season 2 of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
In 2018, the official season premiere of the second season of Better Late Than Never was aired on New Year's Day.
In 2019, William Shatner began hosting and executive-producing The UnXplained on History.
On October 2, 2020, William Shatner's ninth album, "The Blues", was released.
In March 2021, William Shatner starred in the film Senior Moment, which was released in the same week he turned 90.
On August 26, 2021, William Shatner announced his tenth album, titled "Bill".
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 the time.
In 2021, William Shatner became the focus of political controversy when it was revealed that he would host I Don't Understand with William Shatner on RT, formerly known as Russia Today.
In 2022, William Shatner competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as Knight and was eliminated in the first episode.
In 2023, William Shatner's work on The UnXplained on History concluded.
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