William Shatner

William Shatner was born on March 22, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He performed for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a boy and later studied commerce at McGill University.⁠[1][2]

At McGill, Shatner chaired the Radio Workshop, participated in the Players’ Club, and produced and directed the Red and White Review in 1949. He received his Bachelor of Commerce in 1952. Campus theater and radio formed part of his early performing experience.⁠[3]

After graduation, Shatner worked as an assistant manager at the Mountain Playhouse before moving to New York, where he appeared in live television productions including Playhouse 90 and Studio One. He also performed on Broadway and appeared in films such as The Brothers Karamazov, developing a career across stage, television and cinema.⁠[2][1]

Shatner appeared in Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) and The Outrage (1964). Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, an episode of The Twilight Zone directed by Richard Donner, became another of his notable performances. In a 2024 interview, he recalled worrying during production that audiences might treat the story as comedy, although the episode subsequently attracted lasting attention.⁠[1][4]

In 1966, Shatner began playing James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek television series. The show premiered on September 8, 1966, ran for three seasons and ended in 1969. Reruns continued to attract viewers after its cancellation, and Kirk became his best-known role.⁠[2][5]

Shatner’s recording career spans decades. Apple Music’s artist catalog lists The Transformed Man (1968), Has Been (2004), Seeking Major Tom (2011) and Bill (2021). These recordings extended his creative work beyond screen acting.⁠[6]

Star Trek returned as a feature film in 1979, with Shatner and the original television cast reprising their roles. He played Kirk in seven films in the franchise, including The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Final Frontier (1989) and Star Trek Generations (1994).⁠[5][2][1]

T.J. Hooker, starring Shatner as a police officer, premiered in March 1982. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan opened that June. His screen work thus continued in both science-fiction cinema and television police drama.⁠[4][1]

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) marked Shatner’s feature-film directing debut. He also directed television. In a later interview, he discussed the limited time available in television production and the need to coordinate camera setups and shooting efficiently while finding room for creative expression.⁠[4][1]

Putnam published the science-fiction novel TekWar under Shatner’s name in 1989. Its story follows former police officer Jake Cardigan, who is imprisoned in connection with a substance called Tek and joins a detective agency after his release. The book forms part of Shatner’s published writing.⁠[7]

According to the Hollywood Charity Horse Show’s organizational history, Shatner was moved by a late-1980s demonstration of therapeutic riding for children with disabilities by Ahead With Horses. He launched the first event in March 1990. The organization raises funds through equestrian performances, dinners, music and auctions of signed memorabilia to support local and national charities serving children and veterans.⁠[8]

Shatner played lawyer Denny Crane in The Practice and its spin-off Boston Legal. He won the 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Practice and the 2005 Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Boston Legal. He also received the 2005 Golden Globe for television supporting actor for the latter series.⁠[9][1]

Shatner entered the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2006 and subsequently received further Emmy nominations for Boston Legal. The Academy also records that he accepted its Governors Award on behalf of the Star Trek franchise in 2018; this was an award to the franchise that he accepted as its representative.⁠[9]

McGill awarded Shatner an honorary Doctor of Letters in 2011. Its alumni directory distinguishes his 1952 Bachelor of Commerce from the honorary degree. That year he also received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for lifetime artistic achievement.⁠[3][10]

In 2011, Shatner hosted and narrated a NASA documentary marking 30 years of the space shuttle program. He also lent his voice to other space-outreach productions. NASA awarded him its Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2014 for his contributions to communicating space exploration and inspiring the public.⁠[5]

Shatner’s one-man show Shatner’s World appeared on Broadway and toured between 2012 and 2014, combining stories from his career and personal life. The performance footage used for a later digital release was recorded in Ontario, Canada, in 2014.⁠[11]

The Governor General of Canada records Shatner’s appointment as an Officer of the Order of Canada on December 14, 2017, and his investiture on November 21, 2019. The citation recognizes his performing career, his influence on public interest in science and exploration, and support for health, environmental and children’s charities.⁠[12]

In June 2019, HISTORY announced that The UnXplained, hosted and executive produced by Shatner, would premiere on July 19. Its initial run comprised eight hour-long episodes examining unusual structures and unexplained phenomena, with contributions from scientists, historians, engineers and researchers.⁠[13]

On October 13, 2021, the 90-year-old Shatner joined Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers aboard Blue Origin’s NS-18 mission. New Shepard’s second crewed flight launched from West Texas, lasted 10 minutes and 17 seconds, and reached approximately 107 kilometers above mean sea level before returning. At the time, Shatner became the oldest person to reach space.⁠[14][15][1]

Speaking on camera after landing, Shatner described the powerful experience of passing from the blue sky into black space and looking back at Earth. He emphasized the thinness of the atmosphere that sustains life and the vulnerability of life and the planet, expressing emotions he found difficult to contain. These were his personal reflections at the landing site.⁠[16]

In 2022, Shatner and Joshua Brandon published Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. Drawing on Shatner’s experiences, the essay collection considers exploration, humanity’s connections with nature and perspectives on life. Atria Books’ UK catalog lists a 256-page hardcover edition.⁠[17]

In a July 2026 PEOPLE interview, Shatner disclosed a June 2023 diagnosis of stage-four melanoma involving his lungs and brain. He underwent facial tumor surgery and immunotherapy; the interview reported that he had no evidence of cancer by late 2024.⁠[18]

While promoting the documentary You Can Call Me Bill in 2024, Shatner revisited his performances as Kirk and Denny Crane and in The Twilight Zone. He discussed acting, directing and creative decisions under time constraints. The Television Academy’s interview reported that the film would become available on demand on April 26.⁠[4]

In October 2025, Shatner’s website announced a collaboration with Stuff.io to release footage of Shatner’s World through a media token called $BILL, scheduled to become available on October 30. The partners described it as a form of media ownership and viewing through an associated application. These details reflect their announced release arrangements.⁠[11]

In a July 22, 2026 report, Shatner and his daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch discussed family support during treatment. She recalled calling him in fear one night and his immediate decision to come to her. The report described both as having no evidence of disease and being in remission, and linked their experience to the podcast they created together. Their comments concerned their own recoveries.⁠[19]

On July 29, 2026, Shatner and his daughter Melanie Shatner Gretsch launched No Time But Now, a video podcast about health, aging, personal experiences and the meaning of life. Apple Podcasts lists the 42-minute debut episode, Our Story, on that date. The announcement identifies LifeWave as presenting sponsor; health views discussed on the show are those of its hosts and guests.⁠[20][21]

Shatner’s album Love & Other Mysteries was released on August 21, 2026. Apple Music categorizes it as Americana and lists 15 tracks running approximately 51 minutes. The recording copyright is held by Loaded Goat Records under exclusive license to UMG Recordings.⁠[6]

On September 20, 2026, Shatner performed with the heavy-metal band The *uckers at Riot Fest in Chicago’s Douglass Park. The organizer’s announcement named Marcus Nand, Phil Soussan, Britt Lightning and Fred Aching as band members and described a program combining reworked material from his catalog with songs from an upcoming metal album.⁠[22][23]

MoonshotsMoonshotsMoonshots, formally Moonshots with Peter Diamandis, is a technology podcast founded by Peter Diamandis. It discusses artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship and technological change, and launched its Moonshots LIVE gathering in Los Angeles in 2026.Open the full entry presented the world premiere of The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television and the World on September 24, 2026. Shatner served as executive producer and Mark A. Altman wrote and directed the film, which interviews Shatner, George Takei, Walter Koenig and performers and creators from successive Star Trek series. Shatner and Peter DiamandisPeter DiamandisPeter Diamandis is a co-founder and partner of Link-XPV, a co-founder and partner of BOLD Capital Partners, and the founder and executive chairman of XPRIZE. This entry draws on Link Ventures, primary materials from related institutions and regulators, and high-quality corroborating sources, and distinguishes between main funds, affiliated vehicles, current titles, past positions, investment attribution and personal finances.Open the full entry held a fireside conversation after the screening.⁠[24]

On October 4, 2026, Diamandis recalled on X that Shatner had asked him to name the opposite of a dystopian future. Diamandis proposed hope; Shatner preferred “Glorious.” Diamandis connected the exchange with the inspiration he had long drawn from Captain Kirk. The account is a participant’s public recollection.⁠[25]

Hollywood Charity Horse Show: the equestrian charity event and organization founded by Shatner. Official website: https://horseshow.org/ (opens in a new window).⁠[8]

Personal website: information about Shatner’s work and events. Official website: https://williamshatner.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[26]

X: Shatner’s public account is @WilliamShatner. Official account: https://x.com/WilliamShatner (opens in a new window).⁠[27]