- In 2011, Shatner reaching the ripe “young” age of 80: had many accomplishments, including:
- putting out his seventh musical album,
- re-igniting the ‘war’ between the Star Trek and Star Wars universes,
- and getting ready for a role in the 2012 third season opener of Rookie Blue.
- Shatner has also been booked to appear at the 2012 New Orleans Wizard World Comic Con.
- Shatner signed onto the original Star Trek television series in 1966.
- Star Trek stopped filming in 1969 but entertains to this day in syndication.
- Shatner went onto to do seven Star Trek films, until the “Kirk” character finally died in Star Trek Generations in 1992.
- Kirk had the first scripted inter-racial kiss on television when he kissed Lt. Uhura on November 22, 1968 during the episode Plato’s Stepchildren.
- Shatner faced financial challenges after the original Star Trek series cancelled. He lived in a truck bed camper in California, accepting small roles to make ends meet.
- Shatner is very proud to be a Canadian, having once made an appearance at a Montreal comedy festival that garnered much media attention. Among the things he said was “My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!” View the video.
- Bill has been busy on the partner/marriage front, having been married three times before marrying Elizabeth, his fourth wife in 2001.
- He divorced twice. Gloria Rand: 1956 to 1969. Marcy Lafferty: 1973 to 1994.
- His third wife died after 2 years of marriage in a drowning accident, involving alcohol and valium. Nerine Kidd-Shatner: 1997 to 1999.
- He starred in a video for State Farm Insurance demonstrating the dangers of deep frying a turkey when safety is not considered.