William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor, writer, performer of the spoken word, and director, best known for having gained fame for his starring role as Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the television show Star Trek from 1966 to 1969, also appearing in seven of the subsequent movies. Shatner has written several books chronicling his experiences playing James T. Kirk and being a part of the Star Trek franchise. He's also recorded several albums, many of them drawing on sci-fi themes such as his covers of "Space Oddity" and "Rocket Man".

He has since worked as a writer, producer, director, musician, writer, and celebrity pitchman (most notably for Priceline.com). He has worked with Ben Folds a great deal, both on Folds' Fear of Pop project, and more recently on Shatner's album Has Been, which also features Joe Jackson on Shatner's cover of Pulp's "Common People". Shatner's other collaborators include Peter Frampton, Bootsy Collins, and Steve Miller among many others.

Upon reaching his seventies and beyond, Shatner shows no signs of slowing down. His acting career reached a new peak when he won two Emmy Awards in 2004 and 2005 for his portrayal of attorney Denny Crane on the television series The Practice and Boston Legal. In 2008, Shatner starred in his own talk show, Shatner's Raw Nerve on the Biography Channel. It focuses on aspects of the personal lives of celebrities that are not normally discussed.
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