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Top 10 Amazing Facts about William Shatner

William Shatner, (born March 22, 1931), was born and raised in Montreal. His father was a menswear manufacturer and his mother taught elocution.

He is a Canadian actor whose prolific output and self-deprecating sense of humour secured him a place in the North American pop culture pantheon.

If they made an all-star team of actors from television鈥檚 first 75 years, William Shatner would be its captain.

From his humble beginnings in live TV to unforgettable roles on The Twilight Zone.

Then his career-defining performance as Captain James T. Kirk to his role as nerd culture鈥檚 elder statesman, Shatner has been an icon for more than 50 years.

Capt. James T. Kirk in the science fiction television series Star Trek (1966鈥�69) is what he is best known for playing.

He’s appeared in numerous film and television productions.

He has been successful in the horse riding competition and breeding industries.

Here are the top 10 amazing facts about William Shatner.

1. William Shatner is the Oldest Man to Travel to Space

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At age 90, William Shatner broke a record by becoming the oldest man to travel to space.

The “Star Trek” star spent 10 minutes on the edge of space during a flight with Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos.

The actor wasn’t content with simply enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He used the publicity to bring attention to the environment, telling reporters (via Time): “I was moved to tears by what I saw, and I come back filled with…overwhelmed by sadness and empathy for this beautiful thing we call Earth.”

2.  William Shatner was a Teen Camp Counselor

As a teenager, he worked as a counsellor at a summer camp in the Laurentian Mountains. 

Over the summer, Bill taught a young Belgian boy named Fred Bild to speak English. Bild later became an important Canadian diplomat.

Shatner did not immediately pursue a career in acting after graduating high school. Like many other teenagers looking for a summer job in Montreal, Shatner started working at the B鈥檔ai Brith camp in the Laurentian Mountains.

Shatner did know he wanted to be an actor from a very young age and one of the things that solidified his ambition was his stint working as a teen camp counsellor.

Shatner’s job was to entertain the various cabins of kids.

This storytelling practise first gave him a taste of the joy that performing for other people could bring, and helped him hone different characters and styles of acting.

3. William Shatner鈥檚 Kiss that Broke Racial Barriers

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These days, an interracial kiss on television isn’t something that raises an eyebrow, but it wasn’t always like that.

For decades, such an act was considered taboo and wasn’t allowed on TV.

Then, in 1968’s Star Trek episode “Plato’s Stepchildren,” Captain Kirk embraced and kissed Lieutenant Uhura to widespread astonishment.

The kiss made a significant impact on society, and it pushed Nichelle Nichols into becoming a lifelong activist.

She was the first African American woman to have a recurring role in a major TV series and the kiss broke new boundaries for the actress.

The production was told to take several shots, including the kiss, but also options showing their embrace without any lips locking.

Shatner purposefully flubbed all of the takes that didn’t show the kiss.

This action proved to be an important and monumental moment in television history.

4. Shatner Thought star Trek was Just another Gig

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When Shatner agreed to play Captain James T. Kirk on a new sci-fi show called Star Trek in 1966, he had no idea that it would become anything close to what it became.

The show only lasted 79 episodes, but when it aired in syndication beginning in the 70s, the franchise really started to take off.

It spawned seven movies (with the original cast), several spin-offs, a series of books, and annual conventions. Not bad for, as he called it, 鈥渏ust another gig.鈥�

In 2013 Shatner drawing comparisons between his Star Trek and the new Star Trek from JJ Abrams, said that the original had 鈥榤ore soul.鈥�

Bill also talks about how he had grown 鈥榯ired鈥� with Star Trek but has again come to appreciate its place in his career.

5. William Shatner was Awarded Canada’s Highest Honour

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William Shatner was honoured with one of Canada’s highest awards: the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.

It is designed to honour Canadians whose achievements go above and beyond a regular citizen’s contribution to the country’s cultural life.

This lifetime artistic achievement award was a big honour for the Canadian-born star, who has lived a large portion of his life in the United States.

He told the Globe and Mail (via Toronto Life): “To be honoured in my native country is to hark back to my youth and the joy I felt as I prepared for my life, prepared to be whatever I am now.”

Shatner’s entertainment career has spanned seven decades, and in addition to acting, directing and producing, he is also an accomplished author, philanthropist, and environmentalist.

6. He won two Emmys for Playing the same Character in two Different Shows

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Shatner may be most famous for roles a generation or two ago, but all of his seven Emmy nominations have come in the last 20 years.

His first win was for the introduction of his character Denny Crane in the final season of David E. Kelley鈥檚 The Practice, and his second win was for the first season of the spinoff Boston Legal.

鈥淢any actors do not want to be laughed at,鈥� Kelley said at the Paley Center for Media in 2006. 鈥淏ill just immediately embraced it.鈥�

Shatner told the T.V. Academy in 2010 that his collaboration with Kelley is 鈥渕aybe the most satisfying thing I鈥檝e done.鈥�

7. William Shatner Trained as a Classic Shakespearian Actor

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After he graduated from university and made the switch from finance to acting, Shatner was lucky enough to take part in the second season of Canada鈥檚 annual Shakespeare festival, the Stratford Festival.

Shatner performed at the behest of famous stage director Tyrone Guthrie, who saw promise in the young actor and encouraged him to learn the ways of a proper stage troupe.

Once there, Shatner remained with the troupe for three seasons, returning each time to the festival to tackle a new set of classic Shakespearean plays.

The trial-by-fire nature of the rehearsal process, performances and schedule helped Shatner to develop his theatrical style of acting, which later distinguished him in all of his on-screen roles.

8.  The Crew of the Space Shuttle 鈥楧iscovery鈥� woke up to William Shatner鈥檚 Voice

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the American space program and Star Trek have long been tied together and for a good reason.

When it aired, the Space Race was well underway, and sci-fi adventures like Star Trek were all the rage.

Numerous Star Trek actors have worked with or visited NASA during important events.

One such interaction came when Shatner recorded a wake-up call for the crew of STS-133 aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

On March 7, 2011, the Discovery was set to leave the International Space Station. The crew awoke to the musical theme from Star Trek with a voiceover provided by the captain of that ship.

The message said, “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.  bring nations together on the final frontier. To boldly go and do what no spacecraft has done before.”

The recording was chosen via a public NASA poll, and Shatner (and the accompanying music) won.

9.  William Shatner Sold his Kidney Stone for Charity

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An online casino has a piece of Capt. Kirk.

GoldenPalace.com is noted for its collection of oddities, which includes a partially eaten cheese sandwich thought to contain the image of the Virgin Mary.

William Shatner sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity.

The money went to Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for the needy.

Shatner said the idea of selling the stone came up after 鈥淏oston Legal鈥� raised $20,000 for Habitat for Humanity.

With the money for the stone, Shatner said there is about enough funding to build half a house.

GoldenPalace.com originally offered $15,000 for the stone but Shatner turned it down, noting that his 鈥淪tar Trek鈥� tunics have commanded more than $100,000. His counteroffer was accepted.

10.  William Shatner Released a Spoken Word Album with Joe Jonas

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William Shatner has released 11 albums over the course of his recording career. “Bill,” released in September 2021, is a spoken word album.

Themes centre on his life and big-screen career.  The album includes a variety of stories and anecdotes as well as collaborations with several artists.

They include singer Joe Jonas, Dan Miller (They Might Be Giants), guitarist Joe Walsh, country star Brad Paisley and musician John Lurie, reports the New York Post.

Jonas played a big part in its production as it was released on his label, Let’s Get It Records/Republic Records.

The 32-year-old Jonas Brothers star sings in a song called “Clouds of Guilt,” which Shatner called “terrific.”

The actor added: “It has a depth to it and his gentle approach is not straightened and yet it’s there.”

He explained how some songs refer to painful or beautiful moments, while others are more philosophical in nature and deal with life and death.

Jonas, a long-time fan of the “Star Trek” star, noted that partnering with Shatner was an honour. “He’s iconic,” he said.

For many science fiction fans, William Shatner is the end-all, be-all of starship captains, but the Canadian actor is far more than that.

Shatner has been actively working in television and film for nearly 60 years. The nonagenarian has shown no signs of stopping anytime soon.

The Star Trek actor has been associated with a ton of franchises over the years, and he’s amassed a fandom spread across the globe.