0.0
The Sixty Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World
2026
William Shatner
Acting
Born March 22, 1931Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
William Shatner, OC (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations (1994). Shatner began his screen acting career in Canadian films and television productions before moving into guest-starring roles in various American television shows. He appeared as James Kirk in all the episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, 21 of the 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the first seven Star Trek movies. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences before, during and after his time in a Starfleet uniform. He has also co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe and a series of science fiction novels, the TekWar sequence, that were adapted for television. Outside Star Trek, Shatner played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker (1982–1986), hosted the reality-based television series Rescue 911 (1989–1996), guest starred on the detective series Columbo, and acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality (2000). After his last appearance as Captain Kirk, Shatner's television career has embraced comedy, drama and reality shows. In seasons 4 and 5 of the NBC series 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played the alien "Big Giant Head", to which the main characters reported. From 2004 until 2008, he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal show The Practice and in its spinoff Boston Legal, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards, one for his contribution to each series. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he starred in both seasons of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series in which a band of elderly celebrities toured East Asia and Europe. Aside from acting, Shatner has had a career as a recording artist, beginning in 1968 with his album The Transformed Man. His cover versions of songs are dramatic recitations of their lyrics rather than musical performances: the most notable are his versions of the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", and Elton John's "Rocket Man". His most successful album was his third, Seeking Major Tom (2011), which includes covers of Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly", David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2021, Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, a Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule. At age 90, he became the oldest person to fly in space and one of the first 600 to do so. Minutes after the flight, he described experiencing the overview effect.
Movies
See All
1.0
For the Love of Star Trek
2026
6.0
The Eagle Obsession
2025
2.0
Aliens Among Us with William Shatner
2024
6.1
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill
2024
7.0
Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic
2023
3.0
Full Moon's Roadshow Revisited
2023
2.0
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies
2022
6.8
A Tear in the Sky
2022
7.2
Fireheart
2022
3.3
2021 and Done with Snoop Dogg & Kevin Hart
2021
5.6
Shatner in Space
2021
8.7
Expedition Unknown: Shark Trek
2021
4.0
WWE Hall Of Fame 2020
2021
5.6
Senior Moment
2021
3.4
Creators: The Past
2020
5.6
To Your Last Death
2019
4.0
Devil's Revenge
2019
5.3
The Steam Engines of Oz
2018
4.8
Aliens Ate My Homework
2018
6.3
Batman vs. Two-Face
2017
4.6
Not a War Story
2017
6.8
The Truth Is in the Stars
2017
5.5
Heroes Manufactured
2017
5.8
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
2016
7.4
For the Love of Spock
2016
6.3
When Elephants Were Young
2016
4.7
Range 15
2016
7.2
Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People
2016
5.6
They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé
2016
6.3
A Sunday Horse
2016
2.0
The Colorful Montreal Expos
2016
6.2
Just in Time for Christmas
2015
5.6
Baby, Baby, Baby
2015
5.6
Being Canadian
2015
5.8
A Christmas Horror Story
2015
6.9
Tom Felton Meets the Superfans
2015
2.0
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
2014
6.9
Chaos on the Bridge
2014
7.2
To Be Takei
2014
6.7
Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale
2013
2.0
Return to the Forest
2013
5.8
Escape from Planet Earth
2013
6.0
The Captains: Still Kicking
2013
6.8
Horrorween
2012
6.8
Get a Life!
2012
7.0
Corman's World
2011
0.0
Eat, Fry, Love
2011
7.1
Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen
2011
4.5
William Shatner Sings O Canada
2011
6.4
The Captains
2011
5.0
The Space Shuttle
2011
2.0
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
2011
4.5
Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
2011
4.8
Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
2011
6.0
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
2010
2.0
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man
2010
2.0
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony
2010
4.5
William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet
2009
6.5
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit
2009
6.2
Fanboys
2009
4.5
Gotta Catch Santa Claus
2008
8.0
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
2007
7.5
The Pixar Story
2007
6.5
Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
2006
6.6
Over the Hedge
2006
5.5
The Wild
2006
2.0
Stalking Santa
2006
William Shatner in Concert
4.5
William Shatner in Concert
2006
3.8
40 Years of Star Trek
2006
Last Laugh '05
5.6
Last Laugh '05
2005
5.5
Merry F#%$in' Christmas
2005
5.7
How William Shatner Changed the World
2005
5.7
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
2005
4.9
Lil' Pimp
2005
6.0
Last Laugh '04
2004
6.4
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
2004
5.5
The Rose Parade: A Pageant for the Ages
2004
Sci-Fi Visionaries
4.5
Sci-Fi Visionaries
2004
4.2
Kiss 'N' Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century
2004
4.5
Birth of a Timeless Legacy
2004
5.8
A Carol Christmas
2003
6.0
Christmas from Hollywood
2003
7.0
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
2003
6.6
Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest
2003
4.5
William Shatner's Spplat Attack II
2003
6.0
Spplat Attack
2002
4.7
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
2002
4.2
Groom Lake
2002
4.4
American Psycho II: All American Girl
2002
6.0
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002
5.6
Showtime
2002
5.5
Shoot or Be Shot!
2002
5.0
Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The Rivalry Continues
2002
6.8
Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime
2001
5.2
Festival in Cannes
2001
5.0
Gahan Wilson's The Kid
2001
Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines
2.0
Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines
2001
6.5
Osmosis Jones
2001
5.0
Falcon Down
2001
Remembering 'The Intruder'
2.0
Remembering 'The Intruder'
2001
2.0
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
2001
2.0
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 1
2001
2.0
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 2
2001
6.5
Miss Congeniality
2000
6.6
Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero
2000
5.6
Saturday Night Live: Christmas
1999
6.1
Nukes in Space
1999
5.1
Land of the Free
1998
2.0
Hollywood Ghost Stories
1998
5.7
Free Enterprise
1998
7.7
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman
1998
6.3
Trekkies
1997
5.4
Jefftowne
1997
5.0
TV Guide Looks at Science Fiction
1997
5.6
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
1996
5.6
The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc.
1996
1.2
Star Trek Story
1996
Corwin
5.0
Corwin
1996
5.1
Dead Man's Island
1996
4.8
William Shatner's Star Trek Memories
1996
7.2
Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie
1995
5.5
Virtuosity
1995
Janek: The Silent Betrayal
3.3
Janek: The Silent Betrayal
1994
5.5
Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown
1994
5.7
Star Trek: A Captain's Log
1994
William Shatner: Captain's Log
2.0
William Shatner: Captain's Log
1994
6.5
Star Trek: Generations
1994
5.4
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
1994
5.2
TekWar: TekJustice
1994
5.0
TekWar: TekLab
1994
6.2
TekWar: TekLords
1994
5.5
TekWar
1994
UFO Cover-Up Live with Larry King
2.0
UFO Cover-Up Live with Larry King
1994
5.7
Family of Strangers
1993
6.1
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
1993
1.5
Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations
1993
5.5
The Twenty-Five Year Mission Tour
1992
7.0
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
1991
The Horror Hall of Fame II
2.0
The Horror Hall of Fame II
1991
5.9
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
1991
7.0
Voices That Care
1991
7.2
Happy Birthday, Bugs! 50 Looney Years
1990
7.2
Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest
1990
5.7
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
1989
Hollywood on Horses
4.7
Hollywood on Horses
1989
2.5
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
1988
5.6
Broken Angel
1988
6.0
Seasons
1987
6.0
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
1987
7.2
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
1986
2.0
William Shatner's Mysteries of the Way We Feel
1986
5.5
The Canadian Conspiracy
1986
5.0
T.J. Hooker: Blood Sport
1986
4.0
Super Duper Bloopers
1986
6.0
North Beach and Rawhide
1985
6.8
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
2.0
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
Secrets of a Married Man
3.0
Secrets of a Married Man
1984
6.6
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
1984
6.1
Airplane II: The Sequel
1982
7.4
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1982
5.5
Visiting Hours
1982
5.8
Night of 100 Stars
1982
5.7
The Babysitter
1980
4.6
The Kidnapping of the President
1980
4.5
Hypnosis and Beyond
1980
6.5
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
1979
5.3
Disaster on the Coastliner
1979
6.0
Riel
1979
6.8
The Crash of Flight 401
1978
6.0
Land of No Return
1978
The Third Walker
4.5
The Third Walker
1978
5.6
Kingdom of the Spiders
1977
4.8
A Whale of a Tale
1976
5.3
The Tenth Level
1976
4.5
Perilous Voyage
1976
5.3
Mysteries of the Gods
1976
6.1
Universe
1976
4.0
Microworld
1976
1.5
The Star Trek Dream
1975
5.1
The Devil’s Rain
1975
2.0
Mitzi & 100 Guys
1975
4.9
Impulse
1974
5.7
Big Bad Mama
1974
6.2
Pray for the Wildcats
1974
5.0
Indict and Convict
1974
4.6
Pioneer Woman
1973
4.9
The Horror at 37,000 Feet
1973
5.6
Go Ask Alice
1973
5.3
Incident on a Dark Street
1973
4.9
The Hound of the Baskervilles
1972
5.5
The People
1972
6.3
The Andersonville Trial
1970
6.3
Sole Survivor
1970
5.7
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970
6.0
Shadow Game
1969
4.7
White Comanche
1968
5.0
Alexander The Great
1968
0.0
Space Seed
1967
5.8
Incubus
1966
5.8
The Outrage
1964
3.8
Operation Bikini
1963
7.2
The Intruder
1962
8.0
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961
5.0
The Explosive Generation
1961
2.0
The Grim Reaper
1961
6.3
City Out of Time
1959
The Christmas Tree
2.0
The Christmas Tree
1958
5.5
A Town Has Turned to Dust
1958
6.5
The Brothers Karamazov
1958
6.1
The Defender (Studio One)
1957
6.0
Oedipus Rex
1957
5.5
The Butler's Night Off
1951
The Atomic Bomb Collection
0.0
Keeper of the Cup
TV Shows
See AllStar Trek: Legenden
0.0
Star Trek: Legenden
0.0
Hey Jonas!
0.0
The D-Con Chamber
5.3
The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe
7.8
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
5.0
The UnXplained Special Presentation
5.0
Stars on Mars
2.8
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
2.3
Piers Morgan Uncensored
0.0
WWE Backstage
6.2
The Kelly Clarkson Show
6.7
The UnXplained
7.2
My Life Is Murder
7.5
The Masked Singer
7.5
The Masked Singer
6.3
Star Trek: Short Treks
6.5
The Indian Detective
2.0
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
8.0
Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault
7.7
Better Late Than Never
7.3
Private Eyes
7.0
The Shannara Chronicles
7.0
WWE Breaking Ground
6.1
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
6.7
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
7.8
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
6.8
The Real History of Science Fiction
6.6
The Captains Close Up
5.5
Gotham Comedy Live
6.9
Comic Book Men
7.5
The Fran Drescher Show
3.0
The Talk
3.0
The Talk
8.2
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
6.0
$#*! My Dad Says
0.0
Aftermath with William Shatner
7.5
Haven
7.7
Rookie Blue
7.2
Hot in Cleveland
6.8
Weird or What?
7.2
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
4.0
Shatner's Raw Nerve
4.6
Everest
Million Dollar Password
0.0
Million Dollar Password
7.7
Murdoch Mysteries
0.0
Extraordinary Animals
6.8
Mars Rising
7.9
The Big Bang Theory
10.0
Show Me the Money
7.9
Psych
6.2
The Henry Rollins Show
The Reichen Show
4.8
The Reichen Show
7.0
The Colbert Report
6.9
Hell's Kitchen
9.0
Invasion Iowa
0.0
The Annie Awards
6.9
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
7.9
Boston Legal
5.7
Atomic Betty
The Tony Danza Show
6.4
The Tony Danza Show
5.9
Best Week Ever
5.6
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
6.0
Chilly Beach
7.2
Comedy Central Roasts
6.0
Real Time with Bill Maher
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
5.3
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
One-Hit Wonders
10.0
One-Hit Wonders
6.5
After They Were Famous
10.0
Cosmic Odyssey
7.0
Bob Patterson
3.8
Good Day Live
6.1
Click
5.3
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
8.4
Futurama
4.8
A Twist in the Tale
6.8
Hercules
4.3
The View
4.3
The View
Space Cadets
8.3
Space Cadets
6.3
Perversions of Science
7.6
The Practice
8.1
E! True Hollywood Story
6.4
The Daily Show
7.5
Muppets Tonight
7.5
3rd Rock from the Sun
5.8
TekWar
7.8
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
7.3
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
7.3
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
7.1
seaQuest DSV
6.5
Late Show with David Letterman
6.8
Raw
6.8
Raw
7.9
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Gottschalk Late Night
7.0
Gottschalk Late Night
6.9
Eek! The Cat
6.9
Eek! The Cat
7.8
The Larry Sanders Show
5.3
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
7.1
Have I Got News for You
7.9
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
6.9
Dream On
7.9
Rescue 911
5.6
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
6.9
The Ray Bradbury Theater
8.0
Television
Prime Times
0.0
Prime Times
7.9
Madame's Place
6.5
T. J. Hooker
7.9
Police Squad!
6.2
Late Night with David Letterman
6.0
Fridays
6.3
Little Women
7.0
The Bastard
5.7
The Oregon Trail
6.0
Testimony of Two Men
7.0
How the West Was Won
6.4
Battle of the Network Stars
6.9
Saturday Night Live
6.9
Saturday Night Live
8.3
Barbary Coast
6.5
Amy Prentiss
6.4
Police Woman
6.5
Kodiak
6.4
Police Woman
7.2
Petrocelli
7.3
The Six Million Dollar Man
0.0
Flick Flack
6.8
The Magician
6.8
Star Trek
7.0
Police Story
7.0
Barnaby Jones
7.7
Kung Fu
6.9
The Rookies
6.3
The Sixth Sense
8.1
Columbo
8.1
Columbo
5.0
Vanished
7.2
Hawaii Five-O
7.0
The Name of the Game
7.0
The Name of the Game
6.9
Mannix
Off to See the Wizard
9.0
Off to See the Wizard
6.8
Ironside
6.8
Ironside
6.8
Ironside
CBS Playhouse
7.0
CBS Playhouse
7.6
Mission: Impossible
7.6
Mission: Impossible
8.0
Star Trek
5.6
The F.B.I.
6.2
The Big Valley
6.5
For the People
Reporter
6.0
Reporter
7.2
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
7.2
12 O'Clock High
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
5.9
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
6.2
Burke's Law
7.5
Channing
7.3
The Fugitive
7.8
The Outer Limits
8.2
Arrest and Trial
6.0
Miss USA
7.6
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
6.8
The Merv Griffin Show
6.5
The Virginian
5.8
The Mike Douglas Show
6.0
Alcoa Premiere
5.7
Dr. Kildare
5.7
Dr. Kildare
5.7
The Dick Powell Show
6.3
The Defenders
6.3
The Defenders
6.3
The Defenders
6.3
The Defenders
6.3
The Defenders
0.0
Festival
6.7
Route 66
6.7
Outlaws
6.7
Thriller
6.7
Thriller
6.3
Police Surgeon
8.5
The Twilight Zone
8.5
The Twilight Zone
5.7
One Step Beyond
7.2
77 Sunset Strip
5.7
Naked City
5.7
Naked City
6.2
Suspicion
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
6.7
Gunsmoke
3.8
Climax!
On Camera
7.0
On Camera
7.1
The Oscars
Space Command
4.7
Space Command
7.0
Omnibus
7.0
Omnibus
General Motors Theatre
0.0
General Motors Theatre
8.8
Hallmark Hall of Fame
9.0
Lamp Unto My Feet
5.4
Studio One
5.4
Studio One
5.4
Studio One
6.8
The Ed Sullivan Show
7.8
Kraft Television Theatre
7.8
Kraft Television Theatre
7.0
Golden Globe Awards
7.0
Golden Globe Awards
7.0
Golden Globe Awards
7.0
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
0.0
Inner Space
0.0