1931-03-22 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
William Shatner, OC (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship Enterprise in the second pilot of the first Star Trek television series to his final appearance as Captain Kirk in the seventh Star Trek feature film, Star Trek Generations (1994). Shatner began his screen acting career in Canadian films and television productions before moving into guest-starring roles in various American television shows. He appeared as James Kirk in all the episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, 21 of the 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Animated Series, and the first seven Star Trek movies. He has written a series of books chronicling his experiences before, during and after his time in a Starfleet uniform. He has also co-written several novels set in the Star Trek universe and a series of science fiction novels, the TekWar sequence, that were adapted for television. Outside Star Trek, Shatner played the eponymous veteran police sergeant in T. J. Hooker (1982–1986), hosted the reality-based television series Rescue 911 (1989–1996), guest starred on the detective series Columbo, and acted in the comedy film Miss Congeniality (2000). After his last appearance as Captain Kirk, Shatner's television career has embraced comedy, drama and reality shows. In seasons 4 and 5 of the NBC series 3rd Rock from the Sun, he played the alien "Big Giant Head", to which the main characters reported. From 2004 until 2008, he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal show The Practice and in its spinoff Boston Legal, a role that earned him two Emmy Awards, one for his contribution to each series. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, he starred in both seasons of NBC's Better Late Than Never, a comical travel series in which a band of elderly celebrities toured East Asia and Europe. Aside from acting, Shatner has had a career as a recording artist, beginning in 1968 with his album The Transformed Man. His cover versions of songs are dramatic recitations of their lyrics rather than musical performances: the most notable are his versions of the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man", and Elton John's "Rocket Man". His most successful album was his third, Seeking Major Tom (2011), which includes covers of Pink Floyd's "Learning to Fly", David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". In 2021, Shatner flew into space aboard Blue Origin NS-18, a Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule. At age 90, he became the oldest person to fly in space and one of the first 600 to do so. Minutes after the flight, he described experiencing the overview effect.
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The Eagle Obsession | Self | 2025-05-18 |
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765874: Unification | Kirk | 2024-11-18 |
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William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill | Self | 2024-03-22 |
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Aliens Among Us with William Shatner | 2024-08-08 | |
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Full Moon's Roadshow Revisited | Self (archive footage) | 2023-06-30 |
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Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic | Self | 2023-12-21 |
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Fireheart | Mayor of New York (voice) | 2022-01-16 |
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Way of Tomorrow: The Evolution of Science Fiction Movies | Self - (archive footage) | 2022-06-22 |
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A Tear in the Sky | 2022-05-22 | |
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Expedition Unknown: Shark Trek | Self | 2021-07-12 |
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Shatner in Space | Self | 2021-12-15 |
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2021 and Done with Snoop Dogg & Kevin Hart | Self | 2021-12-28 |
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WWE Hall Of Fame 2020 | Himself | 2021-04-06 |
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Senior Moment | Victor Martin | 2021-03-26 |
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Creators: The Past | Lord Oghma | 2020-10-08 |
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To Your Last Death | The Overseer (voice) | 2019-11-30 |
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Devil's Revenge | Hayes | 2019-10-01 |
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The Steam Engines of Oz | Oscar 'Oz' Diggs (voice) | 2018-05-08 |
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Aliens Ate My Homework | Phillogenus esk Piemondum (Phil) (voice) | 2018-03-06 |
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The Truth Is in the Stars | Self | 2017-05-01 |
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Heroes Manufactured | Self (archive footage) | 2017-03-10 |
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Not a War Story | 2017-06-30 | |
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Batman vs. Two-Face | Harvey Dent / Two-Face (voice) | 2017-11-14 |
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The Colorful Montreal Expos | Narrator (voice) | 2016-01-29 |
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A Sunday Horse | Kenneth Roubidoux | 2016-02-15 |
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They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé | Himself (voice only) | 2016-04-19 |
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Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault | Self | 2016-12-05 |
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For the Love of Spock | Self | 2016-09-09 |
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Range 15 | Richard Chindler | 2016-06-15 |
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When Elephants Were Young | Narrator | 2016-08-12 |
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Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People | Self (archive footage) | 2016-06-15 |
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A Christmas Horror Story | Dangerous Dan | 2015-07-20 |
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Baby, Baby, Baby | Actor | 2015-10-30 |
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Just in Time for Christmas | Coachman Nick | 2015-12-05 |
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Being Canadian | Self | 2015-09-18 |
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Tom Felton Meets the Superfans | Self | 2015-03-23 |
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To Be Takei | Self | 2014-08-22 |
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Chaos on the Bridge | Self | 2014-08-25 |
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A Star Is Drawn: Rob Simone's Look Inside Comic-Con | Self | 2014-11-01 |
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Escape from Planet Earth | General Shanker (voice) | 2013-02-14 |
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The Captains: Still Kicking | Self | 2013-01-08 |
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Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale | Self | 2013-12-11 |
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Return to the Forest | Narrator | 2013-04-25 |
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Get a Life! | Self | 2012-07-28 |
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Horrorween | Self | 2012-10-26 |
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Billy Blackburn's Treasure Chest: Rare Home Movies and Special Memories | 2011-01-01 | |
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Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner | 2011-01-01 | |
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Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen | Self - Roaster | 2011-09-19 |
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Corman's World | Self - Actor | 2011-12-16 |
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Classic TV Bloopers Uncensored | Captain James T. Kirk (archive footage) | 2011-01-01 |
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The Space Shuttle | Narrator | 2011-07-01 |
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The Captains | Self | 2011-07-22 |
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William Shatner Sings O Canada | Himself | 2011-07-26 |
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Vancouver 2010 Olympic Closing Ceremony | Himself | 2010-02-28 |
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Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey | Core (voice) | 2010-09-17 |
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Charles Beaumont: The Short Life of Twilight Zone's Magic Man | Self | 2010-03-27 |
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Star Trek: The Captain's Summit | Self | 2009-04-12 |
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Fanboys | Himself | 2009-02-06 |
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William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet | Himself | 2009-04-17 |
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Gotta Catch Santa Claus | Santa Claus (voice) | 2008-12-11 |
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The Pixar Story | James T. Kirk (archive footage) | 2007-08-28 |
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WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary | Himself | 2007-12-26 |
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William Shatner in Concert | Self | 2006-03-22 |
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Over the Hedge | Ozzie (voice) | 2006-05-17 |
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The Wild | Kazar (voice) | 2006-04-06 |
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40 Years of Star Trek | Self | 2006-01-01 |
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Comedy Central Roast of William Shatner | Self | 2006-08-20 |
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Stalking Santa | Narrator | 2006-03-31 |
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Last Laugh '05 | Lucifer | 2005-12-11 |
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How William Shatner Changed the World | Self - Host / Narrator (voice) | 2005-11-13 |
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Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Stan Fields | 2005-03-11 |
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Merry F#%$in' Christmas | Self | 2005-11-27 |
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Lil' Pimp | Tony Gold (voice) | 2005-01-11 |
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Last Laugh '04 | Self | 2004-12-12 |
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The Rose Parade: A Pageant for the Ages | Self | 2004-03-06 |
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Sci-Fi Visionaries | 2004-01-01 | |
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Kiss 'N' Tell: Romance in the 23rd Century | 2004-01-01 | |
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DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story | Dodgeball Chancellor | 2004-06-18 |
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Birth of a Timeless Legacy | 2004-01-01 | |
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William Shatner's Spplat Attack II | Wild Bill | 2003-01-01 |
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Christmas in Hollywood | Self (archive footage) | 2003-11-13 |
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Halloween: A Cut Above the Rest | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2003-08-05 |
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Late Night with Conan O'Brien: 10th Anniversary Special | Self | 2003-09-14 |
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A Carol Christmas | Dr. Bob / Ghost of Christmas Present | 2003-12-07 |
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NBC 75th Anniversary Special | Self | 2002-05-05 |
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Groom Lake | John Gossner | 2002-09-21 |
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Spplat Attack | 2002-11-10 | |
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Christopher Plummer: A Man For All Stages | Self | 2002-11-07 |
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Showtime | William Shatner | 2002-03-14 |
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American Psycho II: All American Girl | Starkman | 2002-06-18 |
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Shoot or Be Shot! | Harvey Wilkes | 2002-01-25 |
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Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The Rivalry Continues | Self | 2002-01-01 |
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Mind Meld: Secrets Behind the Voyage of a Lifetime | Self | 2001-11-06 |
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NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 1 | Narrator | 2001-01-01 |
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Remembering 'The Intruder' | Self | 2001-03-27 |
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Osmosis Jones | Mayor Phlegmming (voice) | 2001-08-10 |
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Whale Shark Hunters of the Philippines | Self | 2001-10-24 |
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Festival in Cannes | Self | 2001-11-03 |
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Gahan Wilson's The Kid | Professor | 2001-10-30 |
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Falcon Down | Major Robert Carson | 2001-04-17 |
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NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 2 | Narrator | 2001-01-01 |
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NASA: A Space Odyssey Vol. 3 | Narrator | 2001-01-01 |
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Miss Congeniality | Stan Fields | 2000-12-22 |
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Atomic Journeys: Welcome to Ground Zero | Narrator (Voice) | 2000-10-03 |
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Nukes in Space | Narrator | 1999-01-01 |
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Land of the Free | Aidan Carvell | 1998-11-24 |
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Saturday Night Live: The Best of Phil Hartman | James T. Kirk | 1998-01-01 |
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Free Enterprise | Bill | 1998-06-04 |
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Hollywood Ghost Stories | Self | 1998-10-30 |
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Jefftowne | Self | 1997-09-08 |
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Trekkies | Self | 1997-10-18 |
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TV Guide Looks at Science Fiction | Self | 1997-07-05 |
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William Shatner's Star Trek Memories | Host | 1996-02-06 |
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Dead Man's Island | Chase Prescott | 1996-03-05 |
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The Prisoner of Zenda, Inc. | Michael Gatewick | 1996-09-01 |
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Star Trek Story | Self (archive footage) | 1996-08-26 |
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Corwin | Self | 1996-06-14 |
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Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond | Self | 1996-10-06 |
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Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie | Narrator | 1995-09-29 |
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Virtuosity | Captain James T. Kirk (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1995-08-04 |
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William Shatner: Captain's Log | Self | 1994-11-30 |
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TekWar | Walter H. Bascom | 1994-01-23 |
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Star Trek: A Captain's Log | Self - Host | 1994-11-30 |
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UFO Cover-Up Live with Larry King | Self | 1994-01-01 |
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City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Adam Harland (uncredited) | 1994-06-10 |
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Star Trek: Generations | Captain James T. Kirk | 1994-11-18 |
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Janek: The Silent Betrayal | Bodosh | 1994-12-20 |
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TekWar: TekJustice | Walter H. Bascom | 1994-05-14 |
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TekWar: TekLab | Walter H. Bascom | 1994-02-27 |
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Science Fiction: A Journey Into the Unknown | 1994-12-13 | |
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TekWar: TekLords | Walter H. Bascom | 1994-02-20 |
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Your Guide to Star Trek: Generations | Self | 1993-01-01 |
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National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 | General Mortars | 1993-02-04 |
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Family of strangers | Earl | 1993-02-21 |
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The Twenty-Five Year Mission Tour | Self | 1992-01-01 |
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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country | Captain James T. Kirk | 1991-12-06 |
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The Horror Hall of Fame II | Self - Presenter | 1991-10-01 |
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Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special | Self - Host | 1991-09-28 |
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Voices That Care | Self - Choir Member | 1991-02-28 |
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Amazon: Land of the Flooded Forest | Narrator | 1990-01-10 |
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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier | Captain James T. Kirk | 1989-06-09 |
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Hollywood on Horses | Self | 1989-01-01 |
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The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next | Self | 1988-10-03 |
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Broken Angel | Chuck Coburn | 1988-03-13 |
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Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood | Self | 1987-05-18 |
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Seasons | Narrator (voice) | 1987-06-11 |
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The Canadian Conspiracy | Self | 1986-06-08 |
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William Shatner's Mysteries of the Way We Feel | Host | 1986-08-11 |
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Super Duper Bloopers | Self | 1986-01-01 |
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T.J. Hooker: Blood Sport | Sgt. T.J. Hooker | 1986-05-21 |
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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | Admiral James T. Kirk | 1986-11-26 |
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North Beach and Rawhide | Rawhide MacGregor | 1985-11-12 |
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Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers | Self (archive footage) | 1985-01-01 |
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Night of 100 Stars II | Self | 1985-03-10 |
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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock | Admiral James T. Kirk | 1984-06-01 |
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Secrets of a Married Man | Chris Jordan | 1984-09-24 |
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Airplane II: The Sequel | Cdr. Buck Murdock | 1982-12-10 |
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Visiting Hours | Gary Baylor | 1982-05-21 |
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Night of 100 Stars | Self | 1982-03-08 |
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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan | Admiral James T. Kirk | 1982-06-04 |
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Hypnosis and Beyond | Self | 1980-03-12 |
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The Babysitter | Dr. Jeff Benedict | 1980-11-28 |
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The Kidnapping of the President | Jerry O'Connor | 1980-08-15 |
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Star Trek: The Motion Picture | Admiral James T. Kirk | 1979-12-07 |
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Disaster on the Coastliner | Stuart Peters | 1979-10-28 |
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Riel | The Barker | 1979-04-11 |
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The Crash of Flight 401 | Carl Tobias | 1978-10-29 |
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Land of No Return | Curt Benell | 1978-08-01 |
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The Third Walker | Munro Maclean | 1978-01-01 |
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Kingdom of the Spiders | Dr. Robert 'Rack' Hansen | 1977-08-24 |
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Botschaft der Götter | Host | 1976-03-17 |
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Perilous Voyage | Steve Monroe | 1976-07-29 |
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Microworld | 1976-01-01 | |
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Universe | Narrator | 1976-01-01 |
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A Whale of a Tale | Jack Fredericks | 1976-09-03 |
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The Tenth Level | Prof. Stephen Turner | 1976-08-26 |
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The Star Trek Dream | Self | 1975-09-24 |
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The Devil’s Rain | Mark Preston | 1975-07-01 |
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Mitzi & 100 Guys | Self | 1975-03-24 |
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Indict and Convict | Sam Belden | 1974-01-06 |
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Pray for the Wildcats | Warren Summerfield | 1974-01-23 |
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Big Bad Mama | William J. Baxter | 1974-09-19 |
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Impulse | Matt Stone | 1974-10-01 |
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Pioneer Woman | John Sergeant | 1973-12-19 |
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Go Ask Alice | Sam | 1973-01-24 |
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Incident on a Dark Street | Deaver G. Wallace | 1973-01-12 |
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The Horror at 37,000 Feet | Paul Kovalik | 1973-02-13 |
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The Hound of the Baskervilles | George Stapleton | 1972-02-12 |
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The People | Dr. Curtis | 1972-01-22 |
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Swing Out, Sweet Land | John Adams | 1970-01-01 |
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The Andersonville Trial | Col. Chipman | 1970-05-17 |
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Sole Survivor | Lt. Col. Josef Gronke | 1970-01-09 |
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Shadow Game | Peter Hoyt | 1969-05-07 |
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Alexander The Great | Alexander | 1968-01-26 |
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Comanche blanco | Johnny Moon / Notah | 1968-06-21 |
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Incubus | Marc | 1966-10-26 |
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The Outrage | Preacher | 1964-10-07 |
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Operation Bikini | Narrator (voice) (uncredited) | 1963-03-26 |
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The Intruder | Adam Cramer | 1962-05-14 |
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Judgment at Nuremberg | Harrison Byers | 1961-12-18 |
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The Grim Reaper | Paul Graves | 1961-06-13 |
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The Explosive Generation | Peter Gifford | 1961-10-19 |
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City Out of Time | Narrator (voice) | 1959-04-15 |
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The Brothers Karamazov | Alexi Karamazov | 1958-02-20 |
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The Christmas Tree | Philo | 1958-12-14 |
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A Town Has Turned to Dust | Jerry Paul | 1958-06-19 |
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Oedipus Rex | Chorus | 1957-01-06 |
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The Defender (Studio One) | Kenneth Preston | 1957-02-25 |
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The Butler's Night Off | 1951-09-01 | |
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The Atomic Bomb Collection | Narrator | |
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Keeper of the Cup |
