Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > William Shatner
William Shatner Facts
| Sign | Aries |
| Born |
Mar 22, 1931 Montreal, Canada |
| Age | 95 |
| Total Facts | 84 |
"Trek" novel cover artist Keith Birdsong names Shatner as the most difficult to render. His cheekbone structure, especially, when painting either the series or motion picture eras.
Leonard Nimoy was the best man at his wedding to Nerine Kidd.
According to Debra Hill, a Halloween mask in Shatner's likeness was painted white and used as the mask of Michael Myers in the original Halloween (1978).
After the success of his sixth "Trek" film and the rise of "The X-Files" (1993), he was interviewed as believing in U.F.O.s' existence, claiming he, himself, had seen the unexplained when he was younger.
At first, Shatner believed that as the star of "Star Trek" (1966), he was supposed to "outshine" the rest of the actors and actresses. He later said that he had come to appreciate the merits of having an ensemble cast, with each member's contribution while working in "Star Trek".
Attended West Hill High School in Montreal.
Auctioned a kidney stone to GoldenPalace.com for $75,000. The money went to Habitat for Humanity, a charity that builds houses for the needy.
Close friends with Patrick Stewart.
Dr. James Kirkland, Ph.D wrote a 1996 "Star Trek" novel titled, "First Frontier". And in his acknowledgments, thanked Capt. Kirk (original series episode "Star Trek: Arena (#1.18)" (1967)) for inspiration and being his childhood hero.
During his marriage to Marcy Lafferty he was the son-in-law of Perry Lafferty.
During the filming of Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), a fire broke out on the studio lot that threatened to destroy the "Genesis Planet" sets. Shatner was one of a few cast and crew members who helped to put the fire out, wielding a fire hose to spray it at the fire.
During the late 1960's, he recorded an LP record titled "The Transformed Man", that is considered to be a camp classic today. One track was a spoken cover version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" -- one in which he gave an overdramatic performance that some compared to a man on a bad drug trip. Shatner embraces his checkered reputation as a "camp" performer now.
Father-in-law of Andy Clement and Joel Gretsch.
Grew up in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG) section of Montreal.
Has appeared in productions at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
He and his wife, Elizabeth Shatner, have two Dobermans.
He appeared in the music video, and he sang in the choir, in the song "Voices That Care".
He did a concert with crooner Brian Evans in Key West, Florida, joining the singer for his own style and rendition of the songs "Lady Is A Tramp" and "What Kind of Fool Am I".
He earned his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
He fluent in French and English, from his bilingual upbringing in Montreal.
He had some worries about appearing in "Futurama: Where No Fan Has Gone Before (#4.12)" (2002). He spoke with Billy West, who told Shatner that the cast and crew had nothing but respect for him. He agreed to continue.
He has 3 daughters, Leslie Carol (born 1958), Lisabeth Shatner (born 1960), and Melanie Shatner (born 1964). He and his wife live in Southern California, and they also own a 360-acre horse farm in Kentucky.
He has appeared in episodes of three different TV series with George Takei and Nichelle Nichols: "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Trek" (1973), and "Futurama" (1999).
He has written several "Star Trek" novels, including "The Ashes of Eden", "The Return", and "Avenger".
He is a vegetarian.
He once bought a horse from the father of Chelsea Field, a man who is also the father-in-law of Scott Bakula.
He once worked as a camp counselor as a teenager at the Camp B'nai Brith in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec.
He produces and hosts the annual "Hollywood Charity Horse Show" that he founded in 1990. More than $1.25 million has been raised for children's charities, such as "Ahead With Horses", "L.A.'s BEST", and the "Children's Museum of Los Angeles".
He was one of the guests at the wedding of Sandra Bullock and Jesse James.
He was the understudy of Christopher Plummer in a stage production of Shakespeare's play "Henry V" in Canada.
He wrote and directed a college musical: "The Red, White and Blue Revue".
His appearance in "Saturday Night Live" (1975) in 1986 mocked the Iran-Contra Affair figure Oliver North (with Shatner standing mute in a green uniform); his own "T.J. Hooker" (1982) show, recently-canceled, and some overzealous "Star Trek" (1966) fans. This last sketch had him grimly addressing the fans at a "Star Trek" convention with the phrase "Get a life!". Many Trekkers asked him later if he had meant anything by the sketch. He hadn't, but this had been written by the comedy writers of "Saturday Night Live" (1975). Later, Shatner made "Get a Life!" the title of his "Star Trek" fan memoir.
His children with Gloria Rand: Leslie Carol (born on August 31, 1958, married to Gordon Walker, and the mother of two children, Grant and Eric); Lisabeth Mary (born on June 12, 1960, married to Andy Clement); and Melanie Ann (born August 1, 1964, married to the actor Joel Gretsch).
His clipped, dramatic delivery of his lines, peppered with dramatic pauses, is often referred to as "Shatnerian".
His daughter Lisabeth Shatner was "Miss Golden Globe" 1985.
His daughter Lisabeth Shatner wrote the script for the episode of "T.J. Hooker" (1982) called "T.J. Hooker: Partners in Death (#5.14)" (1986).
His daughter Melanie Shatner had a small role in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) that was directed by her father.
His face appears on the cover of the official first aid handbook issued by the National Safety Council, stemming from his time hosting "Rescue 911" (1989).
His favorite "Star Trek" (1966) episode is "Star Trek: The Devil in the Dark (#1.25)" (1967).
His fondness for motorcycle riding in 1950s and 60s influenced the same for the re-envisioned Kirk of "Star Trek" (2009).
His hobbies: horses, horseback riding, and playing tennis.
His old house on Bag Ave., in Laval, Quebec was bought by a millionaire.
His version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was voted as the worst massacre of a The Beatles song ever in May 2003.
In 2001, he married Elizabeth Shatner (Elizabeth Anderson Martin), 30 years his junior. She is a horse trainer who had lost her husband to cancer in 1997. Their grief (Shatner was a widower) and their love of horses drew them together. They reside in Southern California and in Kentucky.
In his early performing days, Shatner was once required to play the piano in a scene (with music supplied off-camera), then pull a weapon from a drawer to kill another actor. First the piano cue went badly, then the only "weapon" available turned out to be a corkscrew. Shatner carried on, and in his own words, "I screwed him to death!"
In the June 17, 2009 episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (2009) it was revealed he cannot perform the Vulcan salute ('live long and prosper') hand gesture.
Is an expert equestrian (horse rider), which was put to good use in Star Trek: Generations (1994). Co-star Patrick Stewart, despite his classical background, had very little experience with horses, so Shatner helped teach him. One of Shatner's tips was to wear pantyhose under his pants, to reduce chafing.
Lt. Lemli, a character from the original "Star Trek" (1966) series, played by Roger Holloway, was named after his three daughters: Elizabeth, Leslie and Melanie.
Money from his dad's Laval, Quebec hardware and furniture business supported him during the actor's job hunt in the U.S.
Nearly ten years after acting in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), whose plot involved rescuing humpback whales, Shatner narrated a television documentary about endangered species (including humpbacks), in which he became emotional to the point of weeping.