William Shatner Turns 90

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 06: William Shatner visits SiriusXM Studios on September 6, 2018 in New … [+] York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)

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Naturally, when you think of the career of William Shatner one immediate TV show comes to mind…Star Trek. Debuting on NBC in September 1966, Star Trek was not your typical science fiction series. It is noted for its cultural influence beyond anything at that time within the genre, not to mention its progressive civil rights stances. And the early audience, then limited, did not exactly know what to make of it. As a result, the groundbreaking series only lasted three seasons. But it spawned a franchise that is destined to live for an eternity. And Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk had an immediate following as the classic hero, which paved the way to an Emmy-award winning career that is still going strong.

William Shatner portrays Captain James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise on the TV series … [+] Star Trek. After becoming more popular in reruns after cancellation, Star Trek earned a place in American popular culture.

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More recently, Shatner was the recipient of two Primetime Emmy Awards for his portrayal of legendary lawyer Denny Crane, first as Outstanding Guest Actor for ABC’s The Practice in 2004, and then for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama for spinoff Boston Legal in 2005. But Shatner, in fact, has appeared as a regular on five other TV series. The first was legal drama For the People prior to Star Trek in 1965. Following Star Trek was ABC western The Barbary Coast in the 1975-76 season; ABC crime drama T.J. Hooker from 1982 to 1986; CBS sitcom $#*I My Dad Says in 2010-11; and comical two season NBC reality series Better Late Than Never beginning in 2016.

Emmy Award winner William Shatner at the Governer’s Ball at 57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at the … [+] Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 18, 2005. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Amongst Shatner’s endless guest appearances on television was his standout performance as a man who spots a gremlin on the wing of the airplane he was on in the the October 1963 episode of The Twilight Zone titled “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.” Parts of the plot have been repeated and parodied several times in popular culture, including television shows, films, radio and music.

The “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” episode of “The Twilight Zone”, starring William Shatner, initially … [+] aired on October 11, 1963.

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William Shatner also found his way to the big screen, with memorable roles in films including Miss Congeniality opposite Sandra Bullock in 2000 (and its sequel Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous 2 in 2005), and seven of the Star Trek movies to-date. His first-ever credited film role was in 1951’s The Butler’s Night Off.

Over the course of his career, Shatner was a frequent guest on game shows like The Hollywood Squares, The Match Game, Tattletales and The $10,000 Pyramid. He was even considered for the hosting role on Family Feud in 1976 before Richard Dawson was hired.

Shatner also published a series of science fiction novels under his name. He has appeared in advertisements for many companies and products, including travel web destination priceline.com. He has performed in his one-man show, Shatner’s World: Just Live in It, on Broadway and across the country. And, in 2014, Shatner was awarded with the Public Service Medal from NASA for his advocacy for space exploration.

On this 22nd day of March, 2021, we wish William Shatner a Happy 90th Birthday!

Actor William Shatner smiles while taking questions from reporters, Sunday, May 6, 2018, after … [+] delivering the commencement address at New England Institute of Technology graduation ceremonies, in Providence, R.I. Shatner was presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the event. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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