William Shatner

Born March 22, 1931, in Canada, Shatner worked his way through Canadian film and television before landing American guest spots and, in 1966, the lead in Star Trek as Captain James T. Kirk - a role he carried through every episode of the original series, 21 of 22 animated episodes, and the first seven feature films until 1994's Star Trek Generations. Between and after Trek, he played a veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker from 1982 to 1986, hosted Rescue 911 for seven years, and guest-starred on Columbo and in Miss Congeniality. His second peak came in 2004 when he joined The Practice as attorney Denny Crane, a character he rode into Boston Legal's entire run through 2008, winning two Emmys and proving he could play the joke without losing the edge. He also recorded albums - starting with 1968's The Transformed Man - that turned songs into dramatic recitations, peaking with 2011's Seeking Major Tom, and in 2021, at 90, he flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, becoming the oldest person to leave the atmosphere.