William Alan Shatner was born on March 22, 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were father Joseph, who ran a hardware and furniture business, and mother Anna.- William Shatner's first movie role in America was in the 1958 film, The Brothers Karamazov. From there, his career expanded into such projects as acting on Broadway; starring in the 1962 movie The Intruder; appearing in a couple of The Twilight Zone episodes; doing an episode of The Outer Limits, and also appearing on an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., among others.
- Needless to say, Shatner's big break came when he was cast for the Star Trek television show. He played the part of Captain Kirk from 1966 to 1969. Then, he went onto play Kirk in the first seven Star Trek movies.
- A little known fact about William Shatner is that he has authored several books about Star Trek. A few of the titles are: The Ashes of Eden (Star Trek, 1996), Get A Life! (Atria, 1999), Captain's Peril (Star Trek, 2004), and Star Trek: The Academy--Collision Course (Star Trek, 2007).
- Captain James T. Kirk, the second captain of the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek is also the most famous. The person who first gave us this icon of television and movies is William Shatner.
- After seeing the pilot episode, The Cage, William Shatner realized that the captain of the Enterprise needed to deliver both shock and awe. With Shatner's background in Shakespearean productions, he definitely gave his character these qualities.
- James Kirk would replace Captain Christopher Pike as played by Jeffrey Hunter in the pilot episode of Star Trek.
- His full name is James Tiberius Kirk. That's probably why he commonly goes by James T. Kirk or just James Kirk.
- Shatner once wrote that James Kirk was a man who would always be marveled and always be appreciative of the surprises he would discover in the universe. Shatner also realized that his Captain Kirk did not take things for granted. The actor really brought this awesome character of fiction to life in a way that you don't see anymore.
- Nearly ten years after acting in "Star Trek IV", Shatner narrated a television documentary for endangered species on CBS, including humpback whales. In which he also became emotional to the point of weeping.
- Has appeared in episodes of three different series with George Takei and Nichelle Nichols: "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Trek" (1973) and "Futurama" (1999).
- Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983.
- At first, Shatner believed that as the star of "Star Trek" (1966), he was supposed to "outshine" the rest of the actors. He said later he came to appreciate the merits of an ensemble cast, and each member's contribution, working on the show.
- His version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was voted as the worst massacre of a The Beatles song ever in May 2003.
- His favorite "Star Trek" (1966) episode is - Star Trek" (1966) {The Devil in the Dark (#1.25)} -
- Leonard Nimoy was the best man at his wedding to Nerine Kidd.
16 facts about William Shatner
