William Shatner Biography

William Shatner made his Broadway debut in "Tamburlaine the Great," and he also found success in the burgeoning television industry, making appearances on programs like "Goodyear Television Playhouse," "Studio One," and "Playhouse 90." In 1958's "The Brothers Karamazov," co-starring Yul Brynner, Shatner made his acting debut as one of the titular characters. He returned to Broadway that same year to perform in "The Secret Life of Suzie Wong" for a two-year run. For his work, he received the 1959 Theatre World Award. The character of Captain James T. Kirk, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, a spaceship traversing space in the 23rd century, made William Shatner popular around the world. On his missions in "Star Trek," Kirk ran against a variety of strange creatures and difficult circumstances. Three seasons of the show were produced. However, the program continued to air in syndication and become even more well-liked. Midway through the 1970s, "Star Trek" was turned into a Saturday morning cartoon, and in 1979 a live-action movie brought it back to life. In 1982, Shatner took on the role of Kirk once more and appeared in both "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and the follow-up "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Then he made an appearance on "T. J. Hooker" as an experienced police officer who gave up his detective badge to go back to a beat. In contrast to the first "Star Trek" series, this one gained popularity among television viewers right away. But Shatner never stopped playing the role that made him famous. Shatner made two additional "Star Trek" movies under the tenure of T. J. Hooker: "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." In addition to playing Kirk once more for "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," William Shatner made his directorial debut. Even after T. J. Hooker left the air, he continued to be a regular on television, taking over as "Rescue 911"'s host in 1989. "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" and "Star Trek Generations," in which Kirk dies, were the next films. Shatner took steps in fresh directions. On "Miss Congeniality" and its follow-up, he played a beauty pageant emcee. In 2003, Shatner had a cameo appearance on "The Practice" as a brilliant but quirky lawyer. In 2004, he won his first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Denny Crane. His 1999 cameo role in the science fiction comedy "3rd Rock from the Sun" earned him a nomination. Denny Crane, played by William Shatner, appeared in the 2004 spin-off series "Boston Legal," which was produced by "The Practice" creator David E. Kelley. For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Shatner earned his second Emmy in 2005. In 2006 and 2007, this category received two nominations. Shatner started working on "Aftermath with William Shatner" in 2010 after starting "Shatner's Raw Nerve," a celebrity interview show on the Biography Channel, in 2008. A middle-aged private investigator operating in the year 22 is featured in the science fiction movie "TekWar," written by Shatner. Thereafter, other Tek games were made into television adaptations. Shatner has lately collaborated on a series of Star Trek novels with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

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