William Shatner

William Shatner

Shatner in Sydney, Australia
in September 2014
Born March 22, 1931
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Residence
Other names Bill Shatner
Education Westhill High School
Alma mater McGill University
Occupation Actor, spokesman, singer, author, producer, director, comedian
Years active 1950–present
Home town Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Quebec, Canada
Television Star Trek
T. J. Hooker
Boston Legal
Priceline negotiator"
"Psych"
Spouse(s)
  • Gloria Rand (1956–69)
  • Marcy Lafferty Shatner (1973–96)
  • Nerine Kidd-Shatner (1997–99; her death)
  • Elizabeth Martin (2001–present)
Children Peter, Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie
Awards People's Choice Award
Emmy Award
Golden Globe Award
Website
williamshatner.com

William (Bill) Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor, singer, author, producer, director, spokesman, and comedian. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk, Captain of the USS Enterprise, in the science fiction television series Star Trek (1966–69), Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–74), and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films (1979–94). He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences playing Captain Kirk and being a part of Star Trek, and has co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe. He has also written a series of science fiction novels called TekWar which was adapted for television.

Shatner also played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker (1982–86). Afterwards, he hosted the reality-based television series Rescue 911 (1989–96), which won a People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Dramatic Series. He has since worked as a musician, author, director and celebrity pitchman. He also memorably starred as attorney Denny Crane in the television dramas The Practice (2004) and its spin-off Boston Legal (2004–08), for which he won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

Early life

Shatner was born on March 22, 1931, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the son of Joseph Shatner, a clothing manufacturer, and Anne (née Garmaise).[1][2] He has two sisters, Joy and Farla.[3]

Shatner's paternal grandfather, Wolf Schattner, anglicized the family name to "Shatner".[4] All of Shatner's grandparents were Jewish immigrants (from Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine);[5][6] and he was raised in Conservative Judaism.[7]

Shatner attended three schools in Montreal: Willingdon Elementary School[8] in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG), Baron Byng High School, and West Hill High School in NDG, and is an alumnus of the Montreal Children's Theatre.[9]

Shatner also studied economics at McGill University in Montreal, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.[10] In June 2011, McGill University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Letters.[11]

Acting career

Further information: William Shatner filmography

Early stage, film, and television work

After graduating from McGill University in 1952, Shatner became the business manager for the Mountain Playhouse in Montreal before joining the Canadian National Repertory Theatre in Ottawa. Trained as a classical Shakespearean actor, Shatner began performing at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, beginning in 1954. He played a range of roles at the Stratford Festival in productions that included a minor role in the opening scene of a renowned and nationally televised production of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex directed by Tyrone Guthrie, Shakespeare's Henry V, and Marlowe's Tamburlaine the Great, in which Shatner made his Broadway debut in 1956.[12] In 1954, he was cast as Ranger Bob on The Canadian Howdy Doody Show.[13] Shatner was understudy to Christopher Plummer; the two would later star as adversaries in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

Though his official movie debut was in the 1951 Canadian film, The Butler's Night Off, Shatner's first feature role came in the 1958 MGM film The Brothers Karamazov with Yul Brynner, in which he starred as the youngest of the Karamazov brothers, Alexei. In December of the same year, he appeared opposite Ralph Bellamy playing Roman tax collectors in Bethlehem on the day of Jesus' birth in a vignette of a Hallmark Hall of Fame live television production entitled The Christmas Tree directed by Kirk Browning, which featured in other vignettes such stars as Jessica Tandy, Margaret Hamilton, Bernadette Peters, Richard Thomas, Cyril Ritchard and Carol Channing. Shatner had a leading role in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents third-season (1957–1958) episode titled "The Glass Eye", one of his first appearances on American television.

Shatner (Archie Goodwin, left) and Kurt Kasznar (Nero Wolfe) in the aborted 1959 CBS television series Nero Wolfe

In 1959, he received decent reviews when he took on the role of Lomax in the Broadway production of The World of Suzie Wong. In March 1959 while performing on stage in Suzie Wong, Shatner was also playing detective Archie Goodwin in what would have been television's first Nero Wolfe series had it not been aborted by CBS after shooting a pilot and a few episodes.[14] In 1960, he appeared twice as Wayne Gorham in NBC's Outlaws Western series with Barton MacLane, and then in another Alfred Hitchcock Presents fifth-season episode titled "Mother, may I go out to swim?" In 1961, he starred in the Broadway play A Shot in the Dark with Julie Harris and directed by Harold Clurman. Walter Matthau (who won a Tony Award for his performance) and Gene Saks were also featured in this play. Shatner also starred in two episodes of the NBC television series Thriller, "The Grim Reaper" and "The Hungry Glass." In 1961, he also starred in the film The Explosive Generation.

Guthrie had called the young Shatner the Stratford Festival's most promising actor, and he was seen as a peer to contemporaries like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Shatner was not as successful as the others, however, and during the 1960s he "became a working actor who showed up on time, knew his lines, worked cheap and always answered his phone." His motto was "Work equals work", but Shatner's willingness to take any role, no matter how "forgettable", likely hurt his career.[12] In 1962, he starred in Roger Corman's movie The Intruder. He also appeared in the Stanley Kramer film Judgment at Nuremberg and two episodes, "Nick of Time" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", of the science fiction anthology series The Twilight Zone. In the 1963–1964 season, he appeared in episodes of two ABC series, Channing and The Outer Limits ("Cold Hands, Warm Heart"). In 1963, he starred in the Family Theater production called "The Soldier" and received credits in other programs of The Psalms series. That same year, he guest starred in Route 66, in the episode, "Build Your Houses with Their Backs to the Sea." In 1964, he guest starred in the episode "He Stuck in His Thumb" of the CBS drama The Reporter. Also in 1964, he co-starred with Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom, Paul Newman and Edward G. Robinson in the western film The Outrage.

In 1965, Shatner guest-starred as Major Curt Brown in second season episode 9, "I Am the Enemy" of 12 O'Clock High. He guest-starred in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in an episode that also featured Leonard Nimoy,[15] with whom Shatner would soon be paired in Star Trek. He also starred in the critically acclaimed drama For the People in 1965, as an assistant district attorney, costarring with Jessica Walter. The program lasted for only thirteen episodes. Shatner starred in the 1966 gothic horror film Incubus, the second feature-length movie ever made with all dialogue spoken in Esperanto. He also starred in an episode of Gunsmoke in 1966 as the character Fred Bateman. He appeared as attorney-turned-counterfeiter Brett Skyler in a 1966 episode of The Big Valley, "Time To Kill." In 1967, he starred in the little known film White Comanche starring as two characters: Johnny Moon and his twin brother Notah.

Star Trek

Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk in a promotional photograph

Shatner was first cast as Captain James T. Kirk for the second pilot of Star Trek, titled "Where No Man Has Gone Before". He was then contracted to play Kirk for the Star Trek series and held the role from 1966 to 1969. During its original run on NBC, the series pulled in only modest ratings and was cancelled after three seasons. In 1973, he returned to the role of Captain Kirk, albeit only in voice, in the animated Star Trek series. In his role as Kirk, Shatner famously kissed actress Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura) in the November 22, 1968, Star Trek episode, "Plato's Stepchildren." The episode is popularly cited as the first example of a kiss between a white man and a black woman on scripted television in the United States.[16][17][18]

1970s

Shatner's wife Gloria Rand divorced him in March 1969.[19] After Star Trek was cancelled that year, Shatner experienced difficulty in finding work in the early 1970s having been somewhat typecast from his role as Kirk. With very little money and few acting prospects, Shatner lost his home and lived in a truck bed camper in the San Fernando Valley[20] until small roles turned into higher-paying jobs. Shatner refers to this part of his life as "that period", a humbling time during which he would take any odd job, including small party appearances, to support his family.

Shatner again appeared in "schlock" films, such as Corman's Big Bad Mama (1974) and the horror film The Devil's Rain (1975),[12] and the TV movie The Horror at 37,000 Feet, which many fans believe is his worst work.[20] Shatner received good reviews as the lead prosecutor in a 1971 PBS adaptation of Saul Levitt's play The Andersonville Trial. Other television appearances included a starring role in the western-themed secret agent series Barbary Coast during 1975 and 1976, and guest roles on many 1970s series such as The Six Million Dollar Man, Columbo, The Rookies, Kung Fu, Ironside and Mission: Impossible. A martial arts enthusiast, Shatner studied American Kenpo karate under black belt Tom Bleecker (who trained under the founder of American Kenpo Ed Parker). Shatner was an occasional celebrity guest on The $10,000 Pyramid and The $20,000 Pyramid in the 1970s, once appearing opposite Nimoy in a week-long match-up billed as "Kirk vs. Spock." In a notable 1977 appearance he gave an illegal clue ("you're blessed" for Things That Are Blessed) at the top of the pyramid ($200) which deprived the contestant of a big money win, and reacted strongly, throwing his chair out of the Winner's Circle.[21] Other shows included The Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Bowling,[12] Beat the Clock, Tattletales, Mike Stokey's Stump the Stars and Match Game. Richard Dawson, during an Archive of American Television interview, mentioned that Shatner was Mark Goodson's first choice to host the Family Feud pilot in 1976, but gave the job to Dawson instead.[22] He did a number of television commercials for Ontario-based Loblaws and British Columbia-based SuperValu supermarket chains in the 1970s,[23] and finished the Loblaws ad spots by saying, "At Loblaws, more than the price is right. But, by Gosh, the price is right."[24] He also did a number of television commercials for General Motors, endorsing the Oldsmobile brand, and Promise margarine.

A return to Kirk and to work

After its cancellation, Star Trek unexpectedly engendered a cult following during the 1970s from syndicated reruns, and Captain Kirk became a cultural icon.[12] Shatner began appearing at Star Trek conventions organized by Trekkies.[25] In the mid-1970s, Paramount began pre-production for a revised Star Trek television series, tentatively titled Star Trek: Phase II. However, the phenomenal success of Star Wars led the studio to instead consider developing a Star Trek motion picture. Shatner and the other original Star Trek cast members returned to their roles when Paramount produced Star Trek: The Motion Picture, released in 1979. It re-established Shatner as a major film studio actor, and he played Kirk in the next six Star Trek films, ending with the character's death in 1994's Star Trek Generations. Some later appearances in the role are in the movie sequences of the video game Starfleet Academy (1997), briefly for a DirecTV advertisement using footage from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country running from late summer 2006, and the 2013 Academy Awards, in which he reprised the role for a comedic interlude with host Seth MacFarlane.

I didn't want anything to do with a group of obsessives who paid to get together to talk incessantly about a TV show that had been cancelled. It wasn't logical ...

—Shatner, on his reluctance to attend Star Trek conventions[20]

Although Trekkies had resurrected Star Trek after cancellation, in a 1986 Saturday Night Live sketch about a Star Trek convention, Shatner advised a room full of fans to "get a life."[26][12] The much-discussed sketch accurately portrayed his feelings about Trekkies, which the actor had previously discussed in interviews.[26] Shatner had been their unwilling subject of adoration for decades; as early as April 1968, a group attempted to rip his clothes off as the actor left 30 Rockefeller Plaza,[27] and he stopped attending conventions for more than a decade during the 1970s and 1980s.[28] Shatner also appeared in the film Free Enterprise in 1998, in which he played himself and tried to dispel the Kirk image of himself from the view of the film's two lead characters. He also has found an outlet in spoofing the cavalier, almost superhuman, persona of Captain Kirk in films such as Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) and National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993). In 1994, he starred as the murderer in the Columbo episode "Butterfly in Shades of Grey."

Besides the Star Trek films, Shatner landed a starring role on television as a police officer in T. J. Hooker, which ran from 1982 to 1986. He then hosted the popular dramatic re-enactment series Rescue 911 from 1989 to 1996. During the 1980s Shatner also began directing film and television, directing numerous episodes of T. J. Hooker and the feature film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.

Subsequent acting and media career

Shatner has enjoyed success with a series of science fiction novels published under his name, though most are widely believed to have been written by uncredited co-writers such as William T. Quick and Ron Goulart.[29] The first, published in 1989, was TekWar, which Shatner claims he developed initially as a screenplay during a Writers Guild strike that delayed production of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.[30] This popular series of books led to four TekWar television movies, in which Shatner played the role of Walter Bascom, the lead character's boss. A short-lived television series followed, airing on USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and CTV in Canada, in which Shatner made several appearances in the Bascom role and directed some of the episodes.

In 1995, a first-person shooter game named William Shatner's TekWar was released, and was the first game to use the Build engine. He also played as a narrator in the 1995 American documentary film Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie directed by Peter Kuran. He narrated the 1999 television miniseries shot in New Zealand A Twist in the Tale. In the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun, Shatner appeared in several 1999–2000 episodes as the "Big Giant Head", a high-ranking officer from the same alien planet as the Solomon family who becomes a womanizing party-animal on Earth. The role earned Shatner an Emmy Award nomination.[31]

Shatner has appeared in advertisements for many companies and products. In the early 1980s he appeared in print and television ads endorsing the Commodore VIC-20 home computer. Since the late 1990s he has done a series of commercials for the travel web site priceline.com, in which Shatner plays a pompous, fictionalized version of himself.[12][32] Although he received stock options for the commercials, Shatner says that reports that they are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars are exaggerated.[33][34] Shatner was also the CEO of the Toronto, Ontario-based C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a special effects studio that operated from 1994 to 2010.[35]

In May 1999, Simon & Schuster published Shatner's book, Get a Life!, which details his experiences with Star Trek fandom, anecdotes from Trek conventions, and his interviews with dedicated fans, in particular those who found deeper meaning in the franchise.[36]

In 2000, Shatner co-starred in the movie Miss Congeniality as Stan Fields, playing the role of co-host of the Miss United States Pageant alongside future Boston Legal co-star Candice Bergen. He reprised the role in the 2004 sequel Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, in which Stan Fields was kidnapped in Las Vegas along with the winner of the pageant of the previous year. In the 2001 live-action/animated film Osmosis Jones, he voiced Mayor Phlegmming, the self-centered head of the "City of Frank", a community comprising all the cells and microorganisms of a man's body who is constantly preoccupied with his reelection and his own convenience, even to the detriment of his "city" and constituents. In 2003, Shatner appeared in Brad Paisley's "Celebrity" and "Online" music videos along with Little Jimmy Dickens, Jason Alexander, and Trista Rehn. Shatner also had a supporting role in the 2004 comedy DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story, which starred Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. Star Trek: Enterprise producer Manny Coto stated in Star Trek Communicator‍‍ '​‍s October 2004 issue that he was preparing a three-episode story arc for Shatner. Shortly thereafter, Enterprise was cancelled.

After David E. Kelley saw Shatner's commercials,[12] he joined the final season of the legal drama The Practice. His Emmy-award winning role, the eccentric but highly capable attorney Denny Crane, was essentially "William Shatner the man . . . playing William Shatner the character playing the character Denny Crane, who was playing the character William Shatner."[12] Shatner took the Crane role to Boston Legal, and won a Golden Globe, an Emmy in 2005, and was nominated again in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 for his work. With the 2005 Emmy win, Shatner became one of the few actors (along with co-star James Spader as Alan Shore) to win an Emmy Award while playing the same character in two different series. Even rarer, Shatner and Spader each won a second consecutive Emmy while playing the same character in two different series. Shatner remained with the series until its end in 2008.

Shatner made several guest appearances on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, including cameos reciting Sarah Palin's resignation speech, Twitter posts, and autobiography,. (Palin herself made a cameo on the show in December 2009, reciting passages from Shatner's autobiography, Up Til' Now in front of Shatner himself.) He has also recited Twitter posts by Levi Johnston, father of Palin's grandson. He also appears in the opening graphics of the occasional feature "In the Year 3000", with his disembodied head floating through space, announcing, "And so we take a cosmic ride into that new millennium; that far off reality that is the year 3000," followed by the tag line, "It's the future, man." He also played the voice of Ozzie the opossum in DreamWorks' 2006 feature Over the Hedge.

Shatner's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In January 2007, Shatner launched a series of daily vlogs on his life called ShatnerVision[37] on the LiveVideo.com website. In 2008, he launched his video blogs on YouTube in a project renamed "The Shatner Project."[38] Shatner also starred as the voice of Don Salmonella Gavone on the 2009 YouTube animated series The Gavones.[39]

Shatner was not "offered or suggested" a role in the 2009 film Star Trek.[40][41] Director J. J. Abrams said in July 2007 that the production was "desperately trying to figure out a way to put him in" but that to "shove him in . . . would be a disaster",[42] an opinion echoed by Shatner in several interviews. At a convention held in 2010, Shatner commented on the film by saying "I've seen that wonderful film." Shatner had invented his own idea about the beginning of Star Trek with his 2007 novel, Star Trek: Academy — Collision Course.[43] His autobiography Up Till Now: The Autobiography was released in 2008. He was assisted in writing it by David Fisher. Shatner has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for television work) at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard. He also has a star on the Canada's Walk of Fame. Shatner was the first Canadian actor to star in three successful television series on three different major networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC). He also starred in the CBS sitcom $#*! My Dad Says, which is based on the Twitter feed Shit My Dad Says created by Justin Halpern. The series premiered in late 2010 and was canceled May 2011.[44] Shatner is also the host of the interview show Shatner's Raw Nerve on The Biography Channel, and the Discovery Channel television series Weird or What?[45] Also in 2011, Shatner appeared in the episode of Psych titled, "In For a Penny" on the USA Network as the estranged father of Junior Detective Juliet O'Hara (Maggie Lawson). He has signed on to continue the role into the 2012 season.

In 2011, Shatner starred in The Captains, a feature-length documentary which he also wrote and directed. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains within the Star Trek franchise. Shatner's interviewees included Patrick Stewart, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, and Chris Pine. In the film, Shatner also interviews Christopher Plummer, who is an old friend and colleague from Shatner's days with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.[46]

Shatner's star on the Canada's Walk of Fame

In February 2012, Shatner performed in a new one-man show on Broadway, called Shatner's World: We Just Live in It. After a 3-week run at the Music Box Theatre, the show is currently touring throughout the United States.[47]

In May 2012, Shatner was the guest presenter on the British satirical television quiz show Have I Got News for You, during which he coined the portmanteau "pensioneer", combining the words "pensioner" and "pioneer."[48][49]

On July 28, 2012, the premium cable TV channel Epix premiered Get a Life!, a documentary on Star Trek fandom starring Shatner that takes its title from his infamous Saturday Night Live line and his 1999 book on the topic.[50][51]

On September 25, 2012, Shatner portrayed the home plate umpire in the music video "At Fenway", which was written and recorded by crooner Brian Evans.[52] Evans' work is the first song to be written about Fenway Park to be licensed by Major League Baseball.[53]

On April 24, 2014 he performed for one night only an autobiographical one-man show on Broadway, which was later broadcast in over 700 theaters across Canada, Australia, and the United States. A large portion of the revenue went to charity.[54]

Music and spoken-word work

Shatner began his musical career with the spoken-word 1968 album The Transformed Man, delivering exaggerated, interpretive recitations of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." He performed a reading of the Elton John song "Rocket Man" during the 1978 Science Fiction Film Awards that has been widely parodied. Ben Folds, who has worked with him several times, produced and co-wrote Shatner's well-received second studio album, Has Been, in 2004. His third studio album, Seeking Major Tom, was released on October 11, 2011. The fourth, Ponder the Mystery, was released in October 2013 on Cleopatra Records, produced and composed by musician Billy Sherwood (ex member of YES). William Shatner has done a concert tour with some ex members of YES as Tony Kaye and Billy Sherwood with the group of Circa.

Space Shuttle Discovery

Shatner recorded a wake-up call that was played for the crew of STS-133 in the Space Shuttle Discovery on March 7, 2011, its final day docked to the International Space Station. Backed by the musical theme from Star Trek, it featured a voice-over based on his spoken introduction from the series' opening credits: "Space, the final frontier. These have been the voyages of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Her 30 year mission: To seek out new science. To build new outposts. To bring nations together on the final frontier. To boldly go, and do, what no spacecraft has done before."[55]

Personal life

Shatner with Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton in July 2010

Shatner dislikes watching himself perform, and claims that he has never watched any Star Trek or Boston Legal television episodes nor any of the Star Trek movies except the unedited footage from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier which he directed,[56] although his book Star Trek Memories makes reference to his having re-watched episodes of Star Trek.[57]:201

Family

Shatner has been married four times. His first marriage, to Gloria Rand (née Rabinowitz),[58] produced three daughters: Leslie (b. 1958), Lisabeth (b. 1960), and Melanie (b. 1964); from an earlier relationship with Toronto actress Kathy McNeil, Shatner has one son, Peter (b. 1956).[59] Rand was a Canadian actress.[60] Rand and Shatner married on August 12, 1956,[61] and their honeymoon was in Scotland.[62] Shatner left Rand while he was acting in Star Trek: The Original Series, after which she filed for divorce.[63] The divorce was finalized in 1969.[64]

Shatner's second marriage to Marcy Lafferty (daughter of producer Perry Lafferty) lasted from 1973 to 1996. His third marriage was to Nerine Kidd Shatner, from 1997 until her death in 1999. On August 9, 1999, Shatner returned home around 10 pm to discover Nerine's body at the bottom of their backyard swimming pool. She was 40 years old. An autopsy detected alcohol and Valium in her blood, but the coroner ruled the cause of death as an accidental drowning. The LAPD ruled out foul play, and the case was closed. Speaking to the press shortly after his wife's death, a clearly shaken and emotional Shatner said that she "meant everything" to him, and called her his "beautiful soulmate."[65] Shatner urged the public to support Friendly House, a non-profit organization that helps women re-establish themselves in the community after suffering from alcoholism and drug addiction.[66] He later told Larry King in an interview that "... my wife, whom I loved dearly, and who loved me, was suffering with a disease that we don't like to talk about; alcoholism. And she met a tragic ending because of it."[65] In his 2008 book Up Till Now: The Autobiography, Shatner discusses how Leonard Nimoy helped take Nerine to treatment for her alcoholism. Shatner writes in an excerpt from his book:

Leonard Nimoy's personal experience of alcoholism now came to play a central role in my life and it helped us bond together in a way I never could have imagined in the early days of Star Trek. After Nerine [Kidd] and I had been to dinner with Leonard and Susan Nimoy one evening, Leonard called and said: "Bill, you know she's an alcoholic?" I said I did. I married Nerine in 1997, against the advice of many and my own good sense. But I thought she would give up alcohol for me. We had a celebration in Pasadena, and Leonard was my best man. I woke up about eight o'clock the next morning and Nerine was drunk. She was in rehab for 30 days three different times. Twice she almost drank herself to death. Leonard took Nerine to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, but she did not want to quit.[20]

In 2000, a Reuters story reported that Shatner was planning to write and direct The Shiva Club, a dark comedy about the grieving process inspired by his wife's death.[67] Shatner's 2004 album Has Been included a spoken word piece titled "What Have You Done" that describes his anguish upon discovering his wife's body in the pool.

Since 2001, Shatner has been married to Elizabeth Anderson Martin. In 2004, she co-wrote the song "Together" on Shatner's album Has Been.[68]

Relationships with other actors

Shatner first appeared on screen with Leonard Nimoy in 1964, when both actors guest-starred in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. entitled "The Project Strigas Affair." However, Shatner states in his autobiography that he does not recall meeting Nimoy at that time. As co-stars on Star Trek, they interacted socially both on and off the set. After Star Trek‍‍ '​‍s cancellation in 1969, Shatner and Nimoy reunited in the production of Star Trek: The Animated Series, as well as The $20,000 Pyramid, where "Kirk vs. Spock" appeared on two different tables. Nimoy also guest-starred on T. J. Hooker for a few episodes. Shatner starred in the title role of the show.

The 1999 death of Shatner's third wife, Nerine, served to strengthen the friendship of Shatner and Nimoy, as Nimoy had mourned over the loss. Nimoy also appeared alongside Shatner at the TV Land Awards (hosted by John Ritter). Nimoy summarized his four-decade friendship with Shatner by remarking, "Bill's energy was good for my performance, 'cause Spock could be the cool individual, our chemistry was successful, right from the start." Nimoy has spoken about their mutual rivalry during the Star Trek years: "Very competitive, sibling rivalry up to here. After the show had been on the air a few weeks and they started getting so much mail for Spock, then the dictum came down from NBC: 'Give us more of that guy, they love that guy, you know?' Well, that can be... that can be a problem for the leading man who was hired as the star of the show; and suddenly, here's this guy with ears – 'What's this, you know?'" said Nimoy. Shatner has similarly described their Star Trek relationship, stating that they only became close friends while attending fan conventions together.[20] On an episode of the A&E series Biography, Nimoy remarked, "Bill Shatner hogging the stage? No. Not the Bill Shatner I know."

Shatner has been a friend of actress Heather Locklear since 1982, when Locklear began co-starring with him on T. J. Hooker as Officer Stacy Sheridan. As she was also appearing in a semi-regular role in another Aaron Spelling production, Dynasty, at the same time, Locklear was asked by Entertainment Tonight whether this schedule was difficult. She replied "...I'd get really nervous and want to be prepared..." for Shatner and for the experienced cast of Dynasty. After Hooker ended Shatner helped Locklear get other roles. Locklear supported a grieving Shatner in 1999 when he was mourning the death of his wife, Nerine. In 2005, Locklear appeared in two episodes of Shatner's Boston Legal as Kelly Nolan, an attractive, youthful woman being tried for killing her much older, wealthy husband. Shatner plays Denny Crane, a founding partner of a large law firm, and a legendary litigator. Crane is attracted to Nolan and tries to insert himself into her defense. He is about the same age as Nolan's deceased husband, so Crane courts death by pursuing her. Locklear was asked how she came to appear on Boston Legal. She explained "I love the show, it's my favorite show; and I sorta kind of said, 'Shouldn't I be William Shatner's illegitimate daughter, or his love interest?'"

I was a lot more worried about working with Walter Koenig and Jimmy Doohan, two men who have made it clear on any number of occasions that my name is generally near the top of their shit lists.

—Shatner, on having to work again with two of his Star Trek co-stars in the 1994 movie, Star Trek Generations [69]

For years, Shatner was accused of being difficult to work with by some of his Star Trek co-stars, most notably George Takei, Walter Koenig and James Doohan, the difficult relationship with the latter two Shatner himself acknowledged in his autobiography Star Trek Movie Memories. In the 2004 Star Trek DVD sets, Shatner seemed to have made up with Takei, but their differences continue to resurface, erupting in full force again in 2014.[70] In the 1990s, Shatner made numerous attempts to reconcile with Doohan, but was unsuccessful for some time, Doohan being the only former Star Trek co-star steadfastly refusing to be interviewed by Shatner for his 1993 memoir Star Trek Memories and its 1994 follow-up, Star Trek Movie Memories; however, an Associated Press article published at the time of Doohan's final convention appearance in late August 2004 stated that Doohan, already suffering from severe health problems, had forgiven Shatner and they had mended their relationship at a convention directly preceding Doohan's last one, as that convention's head, Sky Conway, attested to, "At our show: “The Great Bird of the Galaxy” in El Paso Texas in November 2003, a celebration of Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek, Bill and Jimmy went on stage together. Behind the scenes and before they went on stage, they hugged each other, apologized and expressed their love and admiration for each other. Bill specifically asked me to get them together so he could make amends and clear the air between the two of them before it was too late."[71]

Health problems

Shatner suffers from tinnitus, which he has speculated might be the result of an accident on the set (pyrotechnics) while shooting the Star Trek episode "Arena" – though he didn't begin to suffer from tinnitus until the early 1990s, more than twenty years later. Shatner is involved in the American Tinnitus Association. His treatment for this condition involved wearing a small electronic device that generated a low-level, broadband sound (white noise) that "helped his brain put the tinnitus in the background" – a process known as habituation.[72] His friend, Leonard Nimoy, also suffered the same condition as a result of the same accident. They suffered the condition in opposite ears.

Hobbies and charity work

In 2006, Shatner sold his kidney stone for US$25,000 to GoldenPalace.com.[73] In an appearance on The View on May 16, 2006, Shatner said the $25,000 and an additional $20,000 raised from the cast and crew of Boston Legal paid for the building of a house by Habitat for Humanity.

Shatner on a horse, wearing Saddle seat attire at a horse show in 2011

In his spare time, Shatner enjoys breeding and showing American Saddlebreds[12] and Quarter Horses. Shatner rode one of his own horses, a mare named Great Belles of Fire, in his role as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations.[74] Shatner has a 360-acre (150 ha) farm near Versailles, Kentucky, named Belle Reve (from the French beau rève, "Beautiful Dream"—Belle Reve was the name of Blanche Dubois and her sister Stella's family home in A Streetcar Named Desire), where he raises American Saddlebreds including three named Call Me Ringo, Revival, and Sultan's Great Day. The farm's activities help benefit the Central Kentucky Riding for Hope "Horses For Heroes" program.[75] Shatner also plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home Games,[76] where celebrities play for their favorite charities. Since 1990, he has been a leading force behind the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which raises money for children's charities.[77]

Public appearances

In 2014, Shatner was one of the Grand Marshals for the 102nd Calgary Stampede as he is an avid equestrian.[78][79][80]

Awards and honors

Bibliography

Fiction

Non-fiction

References

  1. ↑ Walton, James (June 28, 2008). "More William Shatner than Captain Kirk". The Daily Telegraph (Book review) (London: Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  2. ↑ "William Shatner Biography (1931–)". Film Reference. Hinsdale, IL: Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  3. ↑ "Social Notes – Montreal". Canadian Jewish Review (Montreal, Canada). November 2, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  4. ↑ "Schattner Genealogy Page". Peter Schattner's Home Page. Peter Schattner. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  5. ↑ Dickter, Adam (May 28, 2008). "Captain of Industry". The Jewish Week (New York). Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  6. ↑ Shatner, William; Fisher, David (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography (1st ed.). London: Sidgwick & Jackson. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-283-07058-7. LCCN 2008006234. OCLC 444341798.
  7. ↑ Eden, Ami (April 18, 2008). "Beam me up, Moses: William Shatner album tells Exodus story in spoken word, song". jweekly.com (San Francisco Jewish Community Publications Inc.). Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  8. ↑ Horowitz, Daniel. "William Shatner: Horses Make Miracles". Hillel.org (Blog). Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. Retrieved 2009-09-13. Reprint of article from Lifestyles Magazine.
  9. ↑ Greenaway, Kathryn (October 3, 2009). "Reunion honours 75th anniversary of Montreal Children's Theatre". The Gazette (Montreal, Canada: Postmedia Network). Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  10. ↑ Hustak, Alan. "William Shatner". In Wise, Wyndham. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  11. ↑ "Capt. Kirk is now Dr. Shatner with McGill degree". Montreal, Canada: CBC News. The Canadian Press. June 2, 2011. Retrieved 2012-06-24.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 12.9 Jordan, Pat (September 5, 2010). "The Many Iterations of William Shatner". The New York Times Magazine: MM24. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  13. ↑ Shatner, William; Fisher, David (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography (1st ed.). New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-312-37265-1. LCCN 2008006234. OCLC 192045752.
  14. ↑ "Two Stage Actors Signed by C.B.S.-TV: Kasznar and Shatner to Play in 'Nero Wolfe' Pilot Film — 'Telephone Hour' Plans". The New York Times. March 14, 1959. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  15. ↑ William Shatner at the Internet Movie Database
  16. ↑ Molloy, Tim (April 27, 2009). "Shattered TV Taboos: How Bea Arthur and Others Broke Barriers". TVGuide.com. San Francisco, CA: CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  17. ↑ Malik, Tariq (September 7, 2006). "After 40 Years, Star Trek 'Won't Die'". Space.com. TechMediaNetwork. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  18. ↑ Sparborth, Christian Höhne (September 5, 2001). "Nichols Talks First Inter-Racial Kiss". TrekToday. Utrecht, Netherlands: Christian Höhne Sparborth. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  19. ↑ "TV Star Divorced After Absences". The Blade (Toledo, OH: The Toledo Blade Company). Associated Press. March 6, 1969. p. 4. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Shatner, William (May 11, 2008). "In bed with Captain Kirk … William Shatner tells of his 40-year Star Trek". Mail Online (London: Associated Newspapers Ltd). Retrieved 2011-10-14.
  21. ↑ "William Shatner blows $20K for a contestant" on YouTube
  22. ↑ "Richard Dawson on the beginnings of Family Feud".
  23. ↑ Barrie, Hale (April 26, 1975). "Believing in Captain Kirk". Calgary Herald. p. 10. Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  24. ↑ Kricfalusi, John. John K Interview. TVparty!. Interview with Zachary Houle (Greensboro, NC: William Ingram). Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  25. ↑ Hern, Lee (April 11, 1975). "'Star Trek' fans still enthusiastic". Boca Raton News. King Features Syndicate. Retrieved 2011-03-22.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Jenkins, Henry (1992). Textual Poachers: Television Fans & Participatory Culture. New York: Routledge. pp. 9–13. ISBN 0-415-90572-9. LCCN 92019400. OCLC 26055104. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  27. ↑ Lowry, Cynthia (March 29, 1968). "TV Fans Save Space Ship Enterprise From Mothballs". Florence Times—Tri-Cities Daily (Florence, AL: Tri-Cities Newspapers, Inc.). Associated Press. p. 15. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  28. ↑ Martin, Sue (September 7, 1986). "Star Trek: Five-Year Mission Turns Into 20". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 49.
  29. ↑ Svetkey, Benjamin (January 15, 1993). "I'm Typing as Fast as I Can". Entertainment Weekly (New York: Time division of Time Warner) (153). Retrieved 2012-03-07. Goulart described his role on the "TekWar" books as that of "adviser", though Shatner also credits him with doing rewrites and generally playing a more active role.
  30. ↑ Gross, Edward. "Designing Tek World". RetroVision. Archived from the original on February 27, 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
  31. ↑ "William Shatner". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  32. ↑ Elber, Lynn (January 19, 2012). "Priceline Kills Off William Shatner's Negotiator (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post (New York: AOL). Associated Press. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  33. ↑ Berr, Jonathan (May 5, 2010). "William Shatner Lives Long and Prospers – but Did He Really Make $600 Million?". DailyFinance. Dulles, VA: AOL. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  34. ↑ Rose, Charlie (June 17, 2010). "Charlie Rose Talks to William Shatner". Bloomberg Businessweek (New York: Bloomberg L.P.). Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  35. ↑ Timm, Jordan (April 7, 2011). "The Ode: Core Digital (1994–2010)". Canadian Business (Toronto, Canada: Rogers Media). Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  36. ↑ Meagher, L.D. (July 8, 1999). "Review: Voyage of discovery in Shatner's latest trek". CNN (Atlanta, GA: Turner Broadcasting System). Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  37. ↑ "Channel: ShatnerVision on LiveVideo.com". ShatnerVision. LiveVideo.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-06.
  38. ↑ THE SHATNER PROJECT.com's channel on YouTube
  39. ↑ "William Shatner - The Gavones" on YouTube
  40. ↑ Leao, Gustavo (October 19, 2007). "William Shatner Answers Rumors, Says He is Not in the New Star Trek Movie". TrekWeb.com. Steve Krutzler. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  41. ↑ "New 'Star Trek' bypasses Shatner". Los Angeles Times (Tribune Company). Associated Press. October 27, 2007. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  42. ↑ "Comic-Con Transcript: 'It was logical!'". StarTrek.com. New York: CBS Studios Inc. July 27, 2007. Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  43. ↑ Leao, Gustavo (January 3, 2008). "William Shatner on His Vision of Young Kirk and Young Spock". TrekWeb.com. Steve Krutzler. Retrieved 2008-01-06.
  44. ↑ Ender, Chris; Gonzales, Phil (May 19, 2010). "CBS Announces 2010–2011 Primetime Schedule" (Press release). Los Angeles: CBS. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  45. ↑ Lackner, Chris (August 30, 2010). "Is William Shatner Weird or What?". The Gazette (Montreal, Canada: Postmedia Network). Postmedia News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  46. ↑ Kelley, Laura (June 15, 2010). "William Shatner Directing THE CAPTAINS, a Documentary About Himself". Collider.com. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  47. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "William Shatner's Solo Show Will Play Broadway's Music Box Theatre". Playbill.com. New York: Playbill, Inc. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  48. ↑ "William Shatner – William Shatner Hosts Satirical Tv News Show". Contactmusic.com. WENN. May 28, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  49. ↑ "William Shatner Sings a Clue to a Story from the Week's News". BBC Comedy. London: BBC. May 28, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-14.
  50. ↑ Colunga, Jamie; Bartsch, Erica (June 12, 2012). "EPIX Presents Two Legends on One Stage at Comic-Con: Roger Corman & William Shatner". press.epixhd.com (Press release). New York: Studio 3 Partners. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  51. ↑ Golder, Dave (July 11, 2012). "William Shatner's Get A Life Documentary Trailer". SFX. Bath, UK: Future plc. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  52. ↑ "William Shatner plays umpire in 'At Fenway' music video". MassLive.com (MassLive LLC). November 9, 2012. Retrieved 2013-11-16.
  53. ↑ Burnett III, James H. (July 19, 2012). "Brian Evans feels redemption in hit Red Sox song". Boston.com (Boston Globe Electronic Publishing Inc.). Retrieved 2013-11-16.
  54. ↑ Gluck, Robert (April 25, 2014). "From ‘Star Trek’ to one-man show, William Shatner stays in the limelight". JNS.org (Boston, MA). Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  55. ↑ "'Star Trek' moment for Earth-bound shuttle Discovery". space-travel.com. Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia: SpaceDaily. AFP. March 7, 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-09.
  56. ↑ Adams, Stephen (February 8, 2008). "William Shatner 'never watched Star Trek'". The Daily Telegraph (London: Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  57. ↑ Shatner, William (1993). Star Trek Memories ((Reprint edition, April 21, 2009) ed.). It Books. p. 320.
  58. ↑ Adam Dicktor (May 28, 2008). "Captain of Industry". The Jewish Week. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  59. ↑ Pollick, Michael (October 20, 2011). "Ex-Sarasotan signs a Shatner to advisory board". Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Daytona Beach, FL: Halifax Media Group). Retrieved 2014-12-16.
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  61. ↑ The Old Farmer's Almanac 2013. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2012. p. 123. ISBN 0544086929.
  62. ↑ "Shatner, William". Star Trek. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  63. ↑ William Shatner; David Fisher (2009). Up Till Now: The Autobiography. Macmillan Publishers. p. 135. ISBN 1429937971.
  64. ↑ "William Shatner Biography". The Biography Channel. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 "William Shatner: Captain Quirk". The Bulletin (ninemsn Pty Ltd). October 3, 2006. Archived from the original on October 27, 2006. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  66. ↑ "Science Fiction News of the Week". Science Fiction Weekly. Archived from the original on March 25, 2009. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  67. ↑ "Shatner takes inspiration from tragedy". The Seattle Times. Reuters. July 4, 2000. p. E2.
  68. ↑ "Together – William Shatner". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 2011-10-19.
  69. ↑ Shatner, William (1994). Star Trek Movie Memories (Reprint edition, August 1995). HarperCollins. p. 414.
  70. ↑ Tucker, Reed (July 21, 2014). "40 years later, William Shatner and George Takei still feuding". New York Post. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  71. ↑ Pascale, Anthony (December 9, 2010). "George Takei: William Shatner Refused To Appear On-Stage With James Doohan At Farewell Con". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved 2014-10-11.
  72. ↑ Thomas, Nick (June 25, 2007). "Easing the torment of tinnitus". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  73. ↑ "William Shatner Passes Kidney Stone To GoldenPalace.com!". GoldenPalaceEvents.com. January 18, 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  74. ↑ Harris, Moira C. (2006). America's Horses: A Celebration of the Horse Breeds Born in the U.S.A. Photographs by Bob Langrish. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-1-59228-893-9. LCCN 2003001797. OCLC 76906780.
  75. ↑ "CKRH Home Page". Central Kentucky Riding for Hope. Lexington, KY: Neil Tollner. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  76. ↑ "Hollywood Home Game V". World Poker Tour. Los Angeles: WPT Enterprises, Inc. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  77. ↑ "Welcome to the Hollywood Charity Horse Show". Hollywood Charity Horse Show. Los Angeles: Picture Partners. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  78. ↑ Elliott, Tamara (June 3, 2014). "William Shatner beams into role as Calgary Stampede parade marshal". Global News (Toronto, Ontario: Shaw Media). Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  79. ↑ "William Shatner to lead Calgary Stampede Parade". CBC News (Calgary, Canada). June 3, 2014. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
  80. ↑ Russell Skeet (July 3, 2014). "Shatner "Beams Down" For Stampede (With Video)". Calgary, Canada: highriveronline.com. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  81. ↑ "Shatner gets Governor General's lifetime achievement award". Toronto Star (Star Media Group). March 3, 2011. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
  82. ↑ "William Shatner Sings O Canada" (REQUIRES ADOBE FLASH). NFB.ca. Saint-Laurent, Canada: National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2011-05-16.
  83. ↑ Morrow, Adrian (May 6, 2011). "William Shatner to receive honorary degree from McGill University". The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada: The Globe and Mail Inc.). Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  84. ↑ Loff, Sarah, ed. (April 28, 2014). "NASA Honors William Shatner With Distinguished Public Service Medal". redOrbit.com (Reprint of NASA news release with same title). Tyler, TX: RedOrbit, Inc. Retrieved 2014-04-29.

Further reading

External links

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