William Shatner
Acting
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.
TV Shows(179)
The D-Con Chamber
Self
2024
The UnXplained: Mysteries of the Universe
Self - Presenter
2024
Masters of the Universe: Revolution
Keldor (voice)
2024
The UnXplained Special Presentation
Self - Presenter
2023
Stars on Mars
Self - Host
2023
Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Self
2022
Piers Morgan Uncensored
Self
2022
WWE Backstage
William Shatner
2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
The UnXplained
Self - Host
2019
My Life Is Murder
Barton Wallwork
2019
The Masked Singer
Knight
2019
Star Trek: Short Treks
Capt. James T. Kirk (voice) (archive footage)
2018
The Indian Detective
David Marlowe
2017
Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed
Self
2016
Star Trek: The Original Series – The Roddenberry Vault
2016
Better Late Than Never
Self
2016
Private Eyes
Norm Glinski
2016
The Shannara Chronicles
Captain Kirk (archive footage)
2016
WWE Breaking Ground
Himself (narrator)
2015
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Self
2015
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Self - Guest
2014
The Real History of Science Fiction
Self
2014
The Captains Close Up
Self
2013
Gotham Comedy Live
Self - Host
2012
Comic Book Men
Self
2012
The Fran Drescher Show
2010
The Talk
2010
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Grand Pear (voice)
2010
$#*! My Dad Says
Ed Goodson
2010
Aftermath with William Shatner
Self - Host
2010
Haven
Croatoan
2010
Rookie Blue
Henry McLeod
2010
Hot in Cleveland
Sally
2010
William Shatner's Weird or What?
2010
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
2009
Shatner's Raw Nerve
Self - Host
2008
Everest
Norman Kelly
2008
Million Dollar Password
2008
Murdoch Mysteries
Mark Twain
2008
Extraordinary Animals
2008
Mars Rising
Narrator (voice)
2007
The Big Bang Theory
William Shatner
2007
Show Me the Money
2006
Psych
Frank O'Hara
2006
The Henry Rollins Show
2006
The Reichen Show
Self - Guest
2005
The Colbert Report
Self - Guest
2005
Hell's Kitchen
Self
2005
Invasion Iowa
Col. Shane Yeager
2005
The Annie Awards
Self - Host
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Boston Legal
Denny Crane
2004
Atomic Betty
Jim
2004
The Tony Danza Show
Self - Guest
2004
Best Week Ever
2004
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Chilly Beach
The President (voice)
2003
Comedy Central Roasts
Self
2003
Real Time with Bill Maher
Self
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
One-Hit Wonders
2002
After They Were Famous
Self
2002
Cosmic Odyssey
2002
Bob Patterson
Warren Wellman
2001
Good Day Live
Self
2001
Click
Self
2000
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self - Guest
1999
Futurama
William Shatner (voice)
1999
A Twist in the Tale
1999
Hercules
Jason of the Argonauts (voice)
1998
The View
Self
1997
Space Cadets
Self
1997
Perversions of Science
Admiral Kornfeld
1997
The Practice
Denny Crane
1997
E! True Hollywood Story
Self
1996
The Daily Show
Narrator
1996
Muppets Tonight
Self
1996
3rd Rock from the Sun
Big Giant Head
1996
TekWar
Walter H. Bascom
1994
Space Ghost Coast to Coast
1994
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest
1993
seaQuest DSV
Milos Tezlof
1993
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1993
Raw
Self
1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Captain James T. Kirk
1993
Gottschalk Late Night
Self
1992
Eek! The Cat
Santa Claus (voice)
1992
The Larry Sanders Show
William Shatner
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Have I Got News for You
Self - Host
1990
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
William Shatner
1990
Dream On
1990
Rescue 911
Self - Host
1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self
1988
The Ray Bradbury Theater
Charles Underhill
1985
Prime Times
Self
1983
Madame's Place
Self
1982
T. J. Hooker
Sgt TJ Hooker
1982
Police Squad!
Poisoned Man
1982
Late Night with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1982
Fridays
Self - Guest Host
1980
Little Women
Friedrich Bhaer
1978
The Bastard
Paul Revere
1978
The Oregon Trail
1977
Testimony of Two Men
Adrian Ferrier
1977
How the West Was Won
Captain Harrison
1977
Battle of the Network Stars
1976
Saturday Night Live
Self - Host
1975
Barbary Coast
Jeff Cable
1975
Amy Prentiss
1974
Police Woman
1974
Kodiak
Buzz Howard
1974
Petrocelli
Adam North
1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
Josh Lang
1974
Flick Flack
Host
1974
The Magician
Ed Cassidy
1973
Star Trek
James T. Kirk (voice)
1973
Police Story
1973
Barnaby Jones
Phil Carlyle / Fred Williams
1973
Kung Fu
Capt. Brandywine Gage
1972
The Rookies
1972
The Sixth Sense
1972
Columbo
Ward Fowler
1971
Vanished
Dave Paulick
1971
Hawaii Five-O
Sam Tolliver
1968
The Name of the Game
Peter
1968
Mannix
Adam Langer
1967
Off to See the Wizard
Alexander the Great
1967
Ironside
1967
CBS Playhouse
Peter Hoyt
1966
Mission: Impossible
Joseph Conrad
1966
Star Trek
James T. Kirk
1966
The F.B.I.
Arthur Majors
1965
The Big Valley
Brett
1965
For the People
David Koster
1965
Reporter
Horner
1964
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Michael Donfield
1964
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
Burke's Law
Arthur Reynolds
1963
Channing
Tom Ericson
1963
The Fugitive
Tony Burrell
1963
The Outer Limits
Gen. Jeff Barton
1963
Arrest and Trial
Larry Tavener
1963
Miss USA
Self - Host
1963
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
1962
The Merv Griffin Show
Self
1962
The Virginian
Luke Milford
1962
The Mike Douglas Show
Self
1961
Alcoa Premiere
Dr William Grant
1961
Dr. Kildare
Dr. Toby Cunningham
1961
The Dick Powell Show
Eric Tegman
1961
The Defenders
Jim McCleery
1961
Route 66
1960
Outlaws
1960
Thriller
Gil Thrasher
1960
Police Surgeon
Joe Flatt
1960
The Twilight Zone
Bob Wilson
1959
One Step Beyond
Carl Bremer
1959
77 Sunset Strip
Paul DeVinger
1958
Naked City
Roger Barmer
1958
Suspicion
Eli
1957
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Jim Whitely
1955
Gunsmoke
Fred Bateman
1955
Climax!
Ben Tate
1954
On Camera
1954
The Oscars
Self
1953
Space Command
1953
Omnibus
1952
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Philo
1951
Lamp Unto My Feet
1948
Studio One
Dr. David Coleman
1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Kraft Television Theatre
1947
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
1944
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Self - Presenter
Inner Space
Narrator
Science Fiction Film Awards
Himself
Movies(212)
765874: Unification
Kirk
2024
Aliens Among Us with William Shatner
2024
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill
Self
2024
Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic
Self
2023
Full Moon's Roadshow Revisited
Self (archive footage)
2023
Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies
Self - (archive footage)
2022
A Tear in the Sky
2022
Fireheart
Mayor of New York (voice)
2022
2021 and Done with Snoop Dogg & Kevin Hart
Self
2021
Shatner in Space
Self
2021
Expedition Unknown: Shark Trek
Self
2021
WWE Hall Of Fame 2020
Himself
2021
Senior Moment
Victor Martin
2021
Creators: The Past
Lord Oghma
2020
To Your Last Death
The Overseer (voice)
2019
Devil's Revenge
Hayes
2019
The Steam Engines of Oz
Oscar 'Oz' Diggs (voice)
2018
Aliens Ate My Homework
Phillogenus esk Piemondum (Phil) (voice)
2018
Batman vs. Two-Face
Harvey Dent / Two-Face (voice)
2017
Not a War Story
2017
The Truth Is in the Stars
Self
2017
Heroes Manufactured
Self (archive footage)
2017
Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault
Self
2016
For the Love of Spock
Self
2016
When Elephants Were Young
Narrator
2016
Range 15
Richard Chindler
2016
Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People
Self (archive footage)
2016
They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé
Himself (voice only)
2016
A Sunday Horse
Kenneth Roubidoux
2016
The Colorful Montreal Expos
Narrator (voice)
2016
Just in Time for Christmas
Coachman Nick
2015
Baby, Baby, Baby
Actor
2015
Being Canadian
Self
2015
A Christmas Horror Story
Dangerous Dan
2015
Tom Felton Meets the Superfans
Self
2015
A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con
Self
2014
Chaos on the Bridge
Self
2014
To Be Takei
Self
2014
Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale
Self
2013
Return to the Forest
Narrator
2013
Escape from Planet Earth
General Shanker (voice)
2013
The Captains: Still Kicking
Himself
2013
Horrorween
Self
2012
Get a Life!
Himself
2012
Corman's World
Self - Actor
2011
Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen
Self - Roaster
2011
William Shatner Sings O Canada
Himself
2011
The Captains
Himself
2011
The Space Shuttle
Narrator
2011
Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored
Captain James T. Kirk (archive footage)
2011
Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner
2011
Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories
2011
Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey
Core (voice)
2010
Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man
Self
2010
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony
Himself
2010
William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet
Himself
2009
Star Trek: The Captain's Summit
Self
2009
Fanboys
Himself
2009
Gotta Catch Santa Claus
Santa Claus (voice)
2008
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Himself
2007
The Pixar Story
James T. Kirk (archive footage)
2007
Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner
Self
2006
Over the Hedge
Ozzie (voice)
2006
The Wild
Kazar (voice)
2006
Stalking Santa
Narrator
2006
William Shatner in Concert
Self
2006
40 Years of Star Trek
Self
2006
Last Laugh '05
Lucifer
2005
Merry F#%$in' Christmas
Self
2005
How William Shatner Changed The World
Self - Host / Narrator (voice)
2005
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Stan Fields
2005
Lil' Pimp
Tony Gold (voice)
2005
Last Laugh '04
Self
2004
DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story
Dodgeball Chancellor
2004
The Rose Parade: A Pageant for the Ages
Self
2004
Sci-Fi Visionaries
2004
Kiss 'N' Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century
2004
Birth of a Timeless Legacy
2004
A Carol Christmas
Dr. Bob / Ghost of Christmas Present
2003
Christmas in Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2003
Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special
Self
2003
Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2003
William Shatner's Spplat Attack II
Wild Bill
2003
Spplat Attack
2002
Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages
Self
2002
Groom Lake
John Gossner
2002
American Psycho II: All American Girl
Starkman
2002
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
Self
2002
Showtime
William Shatner
2002
Shoot or Be Shot!
Harvey Wilkes
2002
Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The Rivalry Continues
Self
2002
Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime
Himself
2001
Festival in Cannes
Self
2001
Gahan Wilson's The Kid
Professor
2001
Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines
Self
2001
Osmosis Jones
Mayor Phlegmming (voice)
2001
Falcon Down
Major Robert Carson
2001
Remembering 'The Intruder'
Himself
2001
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3
Narrator
2001
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 1
Narrator
2001
NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 2
Narrator
2001
Miss Congeniality
Stan Fields
2000
Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero
Narrator (Voice)
2000
Nukes in Space
Narrator
1999
Land of the Free
Aidan Carvell
1998
Hollywood Ghost Stories
Himself
1998
Free Enterprise
Bill
1998
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman
James T. Kirk
1998
Trekkies
Self
1997
Jefftowne
Himself
1997
TV Guide Looks at Science Fiction
Himself
1997
Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond
Self
1996
The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc.
Michael Gatewick
1996
Star Trek Story
Self (archive footage)
1996
Corwin
Self
1996
Dead Man's Island
Chase Prescott
1996
William Shatner's Star Trek Memories
Host
1996
Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie
Narrator
1995
Virtuosity
Captain James T. Kirk (archive footage) (uncredited)
1995
Janek: The Silent Betrayal
Bodosh
1994
Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown
1994
Star Trek: A Captain's Log
Himself/Host
1994
William Shatner: Captain's Log
Self
1994
Star Trek: Generations
Captain James T. Kirk
1994
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
Adam Harland (uncredited)
1994
TekWar: TekJustice
Walter H. Bascom
1994
TekWar: TekLab
Walter H. Bascom
1994
TekWar: TekLords
Walter H. Bascom
1994
TekWar
Walter H. Bascom
1994
UFO Cover-Up Live with Larry King
Self
1994
Family of Strangers
Earl
1993
National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1
General Mortars
1993
Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations
Self
1993
The Twenty-Five Year Mission Tour
Himself
1992
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Captain James T. Kirk
1991
The Horror Hall of Fame II
Self - Presenter
1991
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special
Self - Host
1991
Voices That Care
Self - Choir Member
1991
Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest
Narrator
1990
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Captain James T. Kirk
1989
Hollywood on Horses
Self
1989
The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next
Self
1988
Broken Angel
Chuck Coburn
1988
Seasons
Narrator (voice)
1987
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood
Self
1987
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Admiral James T. Kirk
1986
William Shatner's Mysteries of the Way We Feel
Host
1986
The Canadian Conspiracy
Self
1986
T.J. Hooker: Blood Sport
Sgt. T.J. Hooker
1986
Super Duper Bloopers
Self
1986
North Beach and Rawhide
Rawhide MacGregor
1985
Night of 100 Stars II
Self
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Secrets of a Married Man
Chris Jordan
1984
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Admiral James T. Kirk
1984
Airplane II: The Sequel
Cdr. Buck Murdock
1982
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Admiral James T. Kirk
1982
Visiting Hours
Gary Baylor
1982
Night of 100 Stars
Self
1982
The Babysitter
Dr. Jeff Benedict
1980
The Kidnapping of the President
Jerry O'Connor
1980
Hypnosis and Beyond
Himself
1980
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Admiral James T. Kirk
1979
Disaster on the Coastliner
Stuart Peters
1979
Riel
The Barker
1979
The Crash of Flight 401
Carl Tobias
1978
Land of No Return
Curt Benell
1978
The Third Walker
Munro Maclean
1978
Kingdom of the Spiders
Dr. Robert 'Rack' Hansen
1977
A Whale of a Tale
Jack Fredericks
1976
The Tenth Level
Prof. Stephen Turner
1976
Perilous Voyage
Steve Monroe
1976
Mysteries of the Gods
Host
1976
Universe
Narrator
1976
Microworld
1976
The Star Trek Dream
Self
1975
The Devil’s Rain
Mark Preston
1975
Mitzi & 100 Guys
Self
1975
Impulse
Matt Stone
1974
Big Bad Mama
William J. Baxter
1974
Pray for the Wildcats
Warren Summerfield
1974
Indict and Convict
Sam Belden
1974
Pioneer Woman
John Sergeant
1973
The Horror at 37,000 Feet
Paul Kovalik
1973
Go Ask Alice
Sam
1973
Incident on a Dark Street
Deaver G. Wallace
1973
The Hound of the Baskervilles
George Stapleton
1972
The People
Dr. Curtis
1972
The Andersonville Trial
Col. Chipman
1970
Sole Survivor
Lt. Col. Josef Gronke
1970
Swing Out, Sweet Land
John Adams
1970
Shadow Game
Peter Hoyt
1969
White Comanche
Johnny Moon / Notah
1968
Alexander The Great
Alexander
1968
Star Trek: The Menagerie
Captain James T. Kirk
1966
Incubus
Marc
1966
The Outrage
Preacher
1964
Operation Bikini
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
1963
The Intruder
Adam Cramer
1962
Judgment at Nuremberg
Harrison Byers
1961
The Explosive Generation
Peter Gifford
1961
The Grim Reaper
Paul Graves
1961
City Out of Time
Narrator (voice)
1959
The Christmas Tree
Philo
1958
A Town Has Turned to Dust
Jerry Paul
1958
The Brothers Karamazov
Alexi Karamazov
1958
The Defender (Studio One)
Kenneth Preston
1957
Oedipus Rex
Chorus
1957
The Butler's Night Off
1951
The Atomic Bomb Collection
Narrator
Keeper of the Cup
The Eagle Obsession
Self