History of William Shatner in Timeline
William Shatner is a Canadian actor renowned for his iconic role as James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise in the Star Trek franchise. His portrayal began in 1966 with the second pilot of the original Star Trek television series and extended to his final appearance as Kirk in the 1994 film, Star Trek Generations. Shatner's career spans seven decades, marking him as a significant figure in science fiction and popular culture.
2 days ago : William Shatner Announces Tour with 'Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan' Screenings
William Shatner is embarking on a tour featuring screenings of the classic 1982 film 'Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan'. The tour includes stops in the Bay Area, with ticket information available soon.
1905: Ann Garmaise Birth
In 1905, Ann Garmaise, William Shatner's mother, was born.
1928: Joy Rutenberg Birth
In 1928, Joy Rutenberg, William Shatner's older sister, was born.
March 22, 1931: William Shatner's Birth
On March 22, 1931, William Shatner was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
1940: Farla Cohen Birth
In 1940, Farla Cohen, William Shatner's younger sister, was born.
1951: Small Role in The Butler's Night Off
In 1951, William Shatner had a small role as 'a crook' in a Canadian comedy drama, The Butler's Night Off.
1952: Graduation from McGill University
In 1952, William Shatner graduated from the McGill University Faculty of Management with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
1954: Appearance on The Howdy Doody Show
In 1954, William Shatner made his first appearance on American television on 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.
1957: Alfred Hitchcock Presents
In the 1957-58 season, William Shatner had a leading role in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Glass Eye".
December 1958: The Christmas Tree on Hallmark Hall of Fame
In December 1958, William Shatner appeared in The Christmas Tree on Hallmark Hall of Fame.
1959: The World of Suzie Wong and Nero Wolfe Pilot
In 1959, William Shatner received good reviews in the role of Lomax in The World of Suzie Wong on Broadway, and played detective Archie Goodwin in the Nero Wolfe pilot.
1960: The Twilight Zone and Outlaws
In 1960, William Shatner appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "Nick of Time" and in two episodes of NBC's Outlaws as Wayne Gorham.
1961: A Shot in the Dark, Thriller, The Explosive Generation, Judgment at Nuremberg
In 1961, William Shatner appeared on Broadway in A Shot in the Dark, in two episodes of the NBC television series Thriller, and in the films The Explosive Generation and Judgment at Nuremberg.
1962: The Intruder
In 1962, William Shatner took the lead role in Roger Corman's movie The Intruder.
1963: The Twilight Zone
In 1963, William Shatner appeared in The Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet".
1963: Family Theater
In 1963, William Shatner starred in the Family Theater production called "The Soldier" and received credits in other programs of The Psalms series, and guest-starred in Route 66.
1964: Guest Appearances
In 1964, William Shatner guest-starred in The Outer Limits, The Reporter, and played a supporting role in the Western feature film The Outrage. He also appeared in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. featuring Leonard Nimoy, and in the pilot for Alexander the Great.
1965: Guest Starring Roles
In 1965, William Shatner guest-starred in 12 O'Clock High as Major Curt Brown, and had the lead role in the legal drama For the People as an assistant district attorney.
1966: Debut as Captain Kirk
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.
1966: Incubus and Guest Appearances
In 1966, William Shatner starred in the gothic horror film Incubus, an episode of Gunsmoke as Fred Bateman, and an episode of The Big Valley as Brett Skyler.
1967: Shooting of Star Trek episode Arena
During the shooting of the 1967 Star Trek episode "Arena", a pyrotechnical accident occurred, which Shatner believes may have contributed to him developing tinnitus in the early 1990s.
1967: Joseph Shatner Death
In 1967, Joseph Shatner, William Shatner's father, died.
April 1968: Clothes-tearing incident
In April 1968, a group of Star Trek fans attempted to tear William Shatner's clothes off as he left 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
November 22, 1968: First Interracial Kiss on Television
On November 22, 1968, the Star Trek episode "Plato's Stepchildren" aired, featuring a kiss between Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), considered the first example of a white man kissing a black woman on scripted television in the United States.
1968: The Transformed Man Album
In 1968, William Shatner began his career as a recording artist with his album The Transformed Man.
1968: 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 TV Movie
In 1968, the unaired pilot for Alexander the Great, in which William Shatner played the titular role, was repackaged as a TV movie.
1969: Post-Star Trek Difficulties
In 1969, after the cancellation of Star Trek, William Shatner experienced difficulty finding employment and faced financial hardship, even living in a truck-bed camper.
1971: William Shatner Tour
In 1971, William Shatner did a tour where he would later release an album, William Shatner Live.
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 played a major part in the movie "The People".
1973: The Horror at 37,000 Feet
In 1973, William Shatner appeared in a major role in the movie "The Horror at 37,000 Feet".
1973: Star Trek: The Animated Series
In 1973, William Shatner returned to the role of Kirk, albeit only in voice, in the animated Star Trek series.
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 and Barbary Coast
In 1975, William 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, William Shatner had a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series "Barbary Coast".
1977: The $10,000 Pyramid blunder
In 1977, William Shatner made a mistake on The $10,000 Pyramid when he blurted out the word "blessed", costing his partner a $20,000 prize and causing him to throw a chair.
1977: Kingdom of the Spiders
In 1977, William Shatner starred in the horror film "Kingdom of the Spiders".
1977: William Shatner Live Album Release
In 1977, a performance from William Shatner's 1971 tour was released on a double album titled William Shatner Live by Lemli Records.
1979: Star Trek: The Motion Picture
In 1979, William Shatner reprised his role as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".
1982: Co-starring with Heather Locklear on T.J. Hooker
In 1982, Heather Locklear began co-starring with William Shatner on T.J. Hooker. While also working on Dynasty, Locklear found working with Shatner and her colleagues daunting, motivating her to be well-prepared.
1982: Airplane II: The Sequel
In 1982, William Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film "Airplane II: The Sequel".
1982: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
In 1982, William Shatner played Captain Kirk in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".
1982: T.J. Hooker
In 1982, William Shatner played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker.
May 19, 1983: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
On May 19, 1983, William Shatner was awarded the 1,762nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1984: Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
In 1984, William Shatner starred as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock".
1986: T. J. Hooker end
In 1986, "T. J. Hooker", the television show starring William Shatner, ended its run after five seasons.
1986: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
In 1986, William Shatner portrayed Captain Kirk in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home".
1986: Saturday Night Live "get a life" sketch
In 1986, William Shatner told Trekkies to "get a life" in a Saturday Night Live sketch.
1987: King of Mardi Gras Bacchus parade
In 1987, William Shatner was the king of the Mardi Gras Bacchus parade.
December 1989: This Is Your Life appearance
In December 1989, William Shatner was surprised by Michael Aspel on the set of the Starship Enterprise and featured on the British television series "This Is Your Life".
1989: Rescue 911 hosting
In 1989, William Shatner began hosting the dramatic re-enactment series "Rescue 911".
1989: Host of 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 starred as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier".
1989: TekWar Publication
In 1989, William Shatner's novel "TekWar", co-written with Ron Goulart, was published, launching a series of books.
1990: Support of Hollywood Charity Horse Show
Since 1990, William Shatner has been a major supporter of the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which raises money for organizations serving children.
1991: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
In 1991, William Shatner played Captain Kirk in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
1992: Ann Shatner Death
In 1992, Ann Shatner (née Garmaise), William Shatner's mother, died.
1993: Doohan declines interview for Shatner's memoir
In 1993, James Doohan declined to be interviewed by William Shatner for his first memoir, Star Trek Memories, making him the only former Star Trek co-star to do so at the time, reflecting the strained relationship between the two.
1993: National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
In 1993, William Shatner mocked the persona of Captain Kirk in the film "National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1".
1994: Columbo appearance
In 1994, William Shatner appeared as the murderer-of-the-week in the Columbo episode "Butterfly in Shades of Grey".
1994: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures CEO
In 1994, William Shatner became the chief executive officer of C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures.
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 Captain Kirk in "Star Trek Generations", which culminated in the character's self-sacrificial death.
1994: Grand Marshal of Tournament of Roses Parade
On New Year's Day in 1994, William Shatner served as the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, riding on horseback instead of in a classic car.
1995: Trinity and Beyond Narration and TekWar game release
In 1995, William Shatner narrated Peter Kuran's documentary film "Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie", and his TekWar franchise expanded into computer games with "William Shatner's TekWar".
1996: End of Rescue 911
In 1996, William Shatner ended his hosting role on "Rescue 911".
1996: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air appearance
In 1996, William Shatner guest-starred in Will Smith's television show, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in an episode titled 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: Free Enterprise movie
In 1998, William Shatner contributed a caricature of himself to "Free Enterprise", a film that satirized Trekkies' Kirk idolatry.
1998: A Twist in the Tale narration
In 1998, William Shatner narrated the television miniseries shot in New Zealand "A Twist in the Tale".
May 1999: Get a Life! book publication
In May 1999, William Shatner's book "Get a Life!", a memoir about his experiences with Trekkies, was published.
1999: 3rd Rock from the Sun appearance
From 1999 to 2000, William Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head."
1999: Locklear comforts Shatner
In 1999, after the death of Nerine Shatner, Heather Locklear comforted William Shatner in his bereavement, showing their close friendship.
2000: 3rd Rock from the Sun appearance
From 1999 to 2000, William Shatner appeared in several episodes of "3rd Rock from the Sun" as the "Big Giant Head."
2000: Miss Congeniality
In 2000, William Shatner acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality.
2001: Osmosis Jones voice role and Miss USA Pageant hosting
In 2001, William Shatner voiced Mayor Phlegmming in "Osmosis Jones". He also hosted the Miss USA Pageant for real in Gary, Indiana.
2003: Brad Paisley Music Videos
In 2003, William Shatner appeared in Brad Paisley's Celebrity and Online music videos.
August 2004: Doohan forgives Shatner
In August 2004, at his final convention appearance, James Doohan, already suffering from severe health problems, was reported to have forgiven William Shatner, with the two actors finally achieving a friendship that had eluded them in their younger years.
October 2004: Star Trek: Enterprise guest appearance
In October 2004, Manny Coto revealed plans for William Shatner to guest-star in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise, but the show was cancelled before it happened.
October 2004: Has Been Album Release
In October 2004, William Shatner released his second studio album, Has Been, produced by Ben Folds.
2004: Takei's memoir, To the Stars
In 2004, George Takei wrote about his issues with William Shatner in his memoir, To the Stars, highlighting the ongoing tensions between them.
2004: Denny Crane in The Practice
In 2004, William Shatner starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal show The Practice.
2005: Locklear appears in Boston Legal
In 2005, Heather Locklear appeared in two episodes of Boston Legal as Kelly Nolan, a woman being tried for killing her older, wealthy husband. The story involved Shatner's character being attracted to Nolan and trying to involve himself in her defence.
2005: Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous appearance
In 2005, William Shatner appeared in "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous".
2005: Golden Globe and Emmy Award
In 2005, William Shatner won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
May 16, 2006: Shatner appears on The View
On May 16, 2006, William Shatner appeared on The View and announced that the proceeds from the sale of his kidney stone and additional funds raised from the Boston Legal cast and crew had been donated to Habitat for Humanity.
2006: DirecTV advertisement
In 2006, William Shatner appeared in a DirecTV advertisement that used footage from "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
2006: Animated Picture Releases
In 2006, William Shatner voiced Ozzie in DreamWorks' Over the Hedge and Kazar in Walt Disney's The Wild.
2006: Emmy Nomination
In 2006, William Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
January 2007: ShatnerVision Vlog Launch
In January 2007, William Shatner began posting daily autobiographical vlogs on the LiveVideo platform, named ShatnerVision.
July 2007: Abrams on Shatner's Role in Star Trek
In July 2007, Director J. J. Abrams commented on not including William Shatner in the 2009 Star Trek film, stating that while they tried to find a way, it would have been a "disaster" to force him in.
2007: Emmy Nomination
In 2007, William Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
December 2008: Shatner's Raw Nerve Debut
In December 2008, Shatner experimented with the chat show genre in the humorous Shatner's Raw Nerve.
2008: End of Boston Legal
In 2008, William Shatner finished his role as attorney Denny Crane in Boston Legal.
2008: Publication of Up Till Now
In 2008, William Shatner published his memoir, Up Till Now, co-written with David Fisher.
July 27, 2009: Poetry Slam on The Tonight Show
On July 27, 2009, William Shatner appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien reciting a poetry slam inspired by Sarah Palin's resignation speech.
December 11, 2009: Shatner Reads Palin's Autobiography
On December 11, 2009, Shatner returned to The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien to read excerpts from Sarah Palin's autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life, while Palin responded by reciting from his memoir, Up Till Now.
2009: J.J. Abrams Star Trek Movie
In 2009, J.J. Abrams directed Star Trek movie.
2009: Voice Acting in The Gavones
In 2009, William Shatner expanded his YouTube work by supplying the voice of Don Salmonella to the animated series The Gavones.
2009: Emmy Nomination
In 2009, William Shatner was Emmy nominated for his role as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.
2009: No role in Star Trek film
In 2009, William Shatner was not offered or suggested a role in the Star Trek film.
April 2010: Hosting Weird or What on Discovery Channel
In April 2010, William Shatner began hosting the Discovery Channel show Weird or What.
2010: Shatner Describes Star Trek Film as Wonderful
At a convention held in 2010, William Shatner described the 2009 Star Trek film as "wonderful".
2010: C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures closure
In 2010, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, where William Shatner was CEO, ceased operations.
2010: Speaker at the closing ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics
On Feb. 28, 2010, William Shatner was one of several speakers at the closing ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.
March 2011: End of Shatner's Raw Nerve
In March 2011, the humorous chat show Shatner's Raw Nerve aired for the last time.
May 2011: $#*! My Dad Says Cancelled
In May 2011, $#*! My Dad Says, a CBS sitcom based on Justin Halpern's Twitter feed and starring William Shatner, was cancelled three months after its final episode.
October 2011: Seeking Major Tom Album Release
In October 2011, William Shatner released his album Seeking Major Tom, featuring collaborations with various musicians and covers of space-themed songs.
2011: Honorary Doctorate from McGill University
In 2011, McGill University awarded William Shatner an honorary Doctorate of Letters.
2011: 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 once felt towards Shatner had dissipated.
2011: Seeking Major Tom Album
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".
2012: Return to Theatre and Other Projects
In 2012, William Shatner returned to theatre on Broadway with "Shatner's World: We Just Live in It", toured the US, appeared on "Have I Got News for You", starred in "Get a Life!", and appeared in Brian Evans's music video "At Fenway".
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 that was filmed for screening in theaters, with a portion of the revenue going to charity.
2015: Roles in Murdoch Mysteries and Haven
In 2015, William Shatner played Mark Twain in an episode of Murdoch Mysteries and Croatoan in Haven.
2015: Shatner's response to Nimoy's death
In 2015, upon Leonard Nimoy's death, William Shatner expressed his deep affection for him, stating he loved him like a brother and would miss his humor and talent. Although unable to attend the funeral due to prior commitments, Shatner's daughters were present, and he celebrated Nimoy's life with an online memorial.
August 23, 2016: Better Late Than Never Premiere
On August 23, 2016, the reality miniseries Better Late Than Never, starring William Shatner, premiered on NBC.
September 2016: Special guest at Salt Lake Comic Con
In September 2016, William Shatner was a special guest at Salt Lake Comic Con.
2016: 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
On December 11, 2017, a preview episode of the second season of William Shatner's Better Late Than Never aired.
2017: Independent Publisher Book Awards
In 2017, Stan Lee's "God Woke", a graphic novel published by William Shatner's Shatner Singularity, won the Independent Publisher Book Awards' Outstanding Books of the Year Independent Voice Award.
2017: Controversy over Autism Speaks support
In 2017, William Shatner faced criticism after tweeting support for Autism Speaks, a charity disliked by some autism self-advocates. He engaged in arguments with critics and later suggested it was a misunderstanding.
2017: Better Late Than Never Season 2
In 2017, William Shatner starred in the second season of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
May 2018: Honorary Doctorate from New England Institute of Technology
In May 2018, William Shatner was granted an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the New England Institute of Technology.
2018: Better Late Than Never Season 2
In 2018, William Shatner starred in the second season of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series.
2018: Lifetime Achievement Award
In 2018, William Shatner was awarded the National Reining Horse Association Lifetime Achievement Award in the National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame.
2018: Petition against dolphin exploitation on cruise
In 2018, William Shatner, dismayed by the opportunity for customers to swim with dolphins on the "Star Trek: The Cruise", petitioned the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line through PETA to exclude dolphins from their 2018 cruise program, citing the Prime Directive.
2020: Arguments on Twitter about being called a 'straight white cis man'
In 2020, William Shatner engaged in a month-long argument with other Twitter users regarding being described as a "straight white cis man".
2020: Shatner uses cannabidiol oil for pain
In 2020, William Shatner revealed that he suffers from swollen joints and age-related aches and pains, and treats his discomfort with cannabidiol oil, a dietary supplement extracted from cannabis.
March 2021: Senior Moment Film Release
In March 2021, William Shatner starred in the film Senior Moment, which was released the same week he turned 90.
2021: Dismissive comments towards a Jewish convert
In 2021, The Forward noted that William Shatner was dismissive of a Jewish convert of color, which drew comparisons to his previous arguments about the term 'cis' and Autism Speaks.
2021: Political Controversy Over RT Show
In 2021, William Shatner faced political controversy when his show, I Don't Understand with William Shatner, was scheduled to air on RT.
2021: Space Flight Aboard Blue Origin NS-18
In 2021, at age 90, William Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, a Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule, becoming the oldest person to fly in space.
December 4, 2022: Guest appearance at L.A. Comic Con
On December 4, 2022, William Shatner made a guest appearance at the L.A. Comic Con.
2022: Appearance on The Masked Singer
In 2022, William Shatner competed in season eight of The Masked Singer as "Knight" and was eliminated in the first episode.
2023: Spiner reveals Shatner's Twitter account management
In 2023, Brent Spiner stated that William Shatner informed him his Twitter (now X) account was managed by an employee, and that Shatner had minimal direct involvement in its content.
2023: Joy Rutenberg Death
In 2023, Joy Rutenberg, William Shatner's older sister, passed away.
2023: Takei's continued hostility towards Shatner
In 2023, during an interview in London, George Takei expressed that time had not diminished his negative feelings towards William Shatner, reiterating his view of Shatner as difficult and self-centered.
2023: The UnXplained
William Shatner hosted and executive-produced The UnXplained on History from 2019 to 2023.
2025: Takei wishes Shatner a happy 94th birthday
In 2025, George Takei publicly wished William Shatner a happy 94th birthday, signaling a possible thaw in their long-standing strained relationship.
2025: Saturn Award
In 2025, William Shatner will receive a Special Lifetime Achievement Saturn Award.
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