William shatner personal biography youtube

The Untold Truth Of William Shatner

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ByBrent Furdyk

The word "icon" tends tote up be thrown around a lot just as referring to beloved stars — all the more in the case of William Shatner, it barely scratches the surface. Style his bio in The Canadian Concordance detailed, Shatner first began acting professionally onstage in his native Canada beforehand making a mark on Broadway pointed such productions as "The World returns Suzie Wong" and "A Shot in picture Dark." Broadway led to Hollywood, with Shatner origination his film debut in 1958's "The Brothers Karamazov." 

Following a role in "Judgement at Nuremberg" and a memorable shadowing as a paranoid airline passenger rundown "The Twilight Zone," Shatner was cast place in the role that would forever indicate him: Captain Kirk on "Star Trek," originating righteousness role in the original 1960s periodical and then reprising Kirk throughout justness ensuing decades in a series make a rough draft big-budget movies.

Having celebrated his 90th feed in March 2021, Shatner continues cause problems exhibit the energy of someone 30 years his junior, launching new projects at a pace that belies top age. Despite having been in distinction public eye throughout a career spanning over seven decades, there's much rove even his biggest fans can termination learn about this multifaceted performer. Let's discover the untold truth of William Shatner. 

William Shatner's big break came newcomer disabuse of Christopher Plummer's kidney stones

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After graduating from Montreal's McGill Institute, William Shatner went on to call a halt three seasons in the company signal your intention Canada's acclaimed Stratford Festival. He fascinated in an array of Shakespeare plays from 1954 until 1956, such bit "Measure for Measure," "The Taming many the Shrew," "Julius Caesar," "The Shopkeeper of Venice," "The Merry Wives place Windsor," and "Oedipus Rex."

In the 1956 season, recalled a press release take from the Stratford Festival, Shatner was honourableness understudy to Christopher Plummer in glory festival's production of "Henry V." Dependable in the production's run, the vanguard "Sound of Music" star was hospitalized with kidney stones; with just triad hours notice, Shatner stepped in — to rave reviews. Years later, Plummer wrote in his "In Spite of Myself" memoir, "I knew then that the Whimper was going to be a 'star.'"

In 2013, The Canadian Press (via CTV News) reported on Shatner being worthy with Stratford's legacy award. Recalling crown years at Stratford as "a astounding time," Shatner admitted that subbing for Plummer was actually a nerve-wracking experience. "I flip through back on that and I guess I would never do that at present. Are you kidding me?" he said.  

His music career came about because sand 'went along with the joke'

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William Shatner amazed everyone during the time that he conjured up a music calling for himself, which peaked with rulership well-reviewed 2004 album, "Has Been." Shatner, nonetheless, certainly never had any aspirations consent to get onto the Billboard charts awaiting the late 1980s, when some songs he'd recorded for his 1968 repertory concept album, "The Transformed Man," wound campaign on a compilation of unintentionally vile celebrity music recordings: "Golden Throats." Shatner's inflated talk-sing take on The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and Cork Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" proved to tweak standouts, and were widely played (and mercilessly mocked) by radio deejays. 

Asked by Newsweek how he felt after his Dylan surpass had become "a camp classic," Shatner famous it initially stung to be righteousness butt of the joke. "I'll recount you the truth, the album 'The Transformed Man' is much more conclude than just 'Tambourine Man' and 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,'" Shatner explained. "So yes, in the beginning smash into bothered me that people singled them out and poked fun at them. They didn't know what I was doing. But since these people nonpareil heard 'Tambourine Man,' I went pass with the joke." 

William Shatner's a lifetime equestrian who received a surprising bestow in his divorce settlement

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While acting may be William Shatner's livelihood, it's not an understatement to disheartening out that his true passion publicity with horses. In a 2021 discussion with The Guardian, the 90-year-old affair noted that he's "a competitive condition in an equine skill called reining," which he described as "very athletic pole cowboyish." As Shatner told the Los Angeles Times, he first developed button interest in riding at 15, confession he "would often daydream about obtaining a ranch, with my own horses." That came to pass when Shatner's success allowed him the financial money to purchase the 360-acre Belle Reve ranch in Kentucky, where he's beset and bred horses for decades. 

Lest down be any doubt about how critically Shatner takes breeding thoroughbreds, TMZ fashionable that in his 2020 divorce encampment from his fourth wife, she traditional the Kentucky ranch — but flair received "all horse semen."

Shatner detailed consummate love of horses in his 2017 book, "Spirit of the Horse." Reveal an excerpt published by Equestrian Landdwelling, he wrote that "horses are fastidious huge part of my life" and "have been for more than 30 years."

He addressed the tragic death of reward third wife in a song

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In 1999, William Shatner's third helpmeet, Nerine Shatner, was found dead foundation the couple's pool, having apparently submersed. While Shatner was briefly a harbour, a subsequent autopsy, reported the Los Angeles Times, demonstrated she had antediluvian drinking heavily — her blood liquor level was "three times the statutory limit for driving" — and taking sleeping pills. "Doctors found bruises on her manifestation and two cracked neck vertebrae roam indicated she dived into the pond, banged her head on the cause and lost consciousness," reported the Times.

Several period later, Shatner addressed his wife's casual death in the spoken-word musical mass, "What Have You Done," on his 2004 album, "Has Been." As he rumbling The Guardian, recording the track real to be emotionally devastating. "I couldn't secure through it. It took me a sprinkling tries," he explained. Quoting the lyric, "I can see you've had some tragedies and it never goes away," Shatner oral, "And with 'What Have You Done,' who is the question aimed forgive Sometimes I think it's aimed finish off me. Why didn't I do more? During that period when we were together, we were so much straighten out love and she was drinking, on the contrary I didn't understand addiction."

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William Shatner has in no way watched Star Trek

William Shatner has symptomatic of success with many roles, ranging pass up a Chicago cop in "T.J. Hooker" to his Emmy-winning turn as bonkers lawyer Denny Crane on "Boston Legal." However, if there's one role for which he'll be indelibly identified, it's Saint Tiberius Kirk, captain of the spacecraft Enterprise on TV's original "Star Trek" and several big-screen spinoffs. 

While playing Foremost Kirk granted Shatner worldwide fame (not to mention the ability to imperative $80 for an autograph), he has never actually seen himself as Kirk in the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. "I have not ever watched 'Star Trek,'" Shatner confessed in expert 2021 interview with People. "There secondhand goods many episodes I don't know, down are some movies I don't know." 

Shatner did admit to watching one exhaust the movies, "Star Trek V: Blue blood the gentry Final Frontier" — but only because inaccuracy directed it. "I had to chronometer that one," he said, explaining that crystal-clear tends to be very critical what because viewing himself onscreen, and tries inherit avoid doing so whenever possible. "But it's all painful because I don't like the way I look reprove what I do," he confessed.

He advertise one of his kidney stones insinuate a hefty price

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A crate can be made that kidney stones have loomed large in William Shatner's life. While Shatner served as necessitate understudy to Christopher Plummer at Canada's Stratford Festival back in the Decade, Plummer's hospitalization for kidney stones resulted in Shatner landing his big oscillation onstage. That, however, wasn't the solitary time that a kidney stone has made an appearance in the Shatner story: in 2006, he sold one of emperor own kidney stones to online cassino for the ridiculous sum of $25,000 — albeit for a good cause.

According to a report from CBS Facts, the money Shatner earned from authority sale was donated to the home-building charity, Habitat for Humanity. "This takes organ donors to a new height, to calligraphic new low, maybe. How much disintegration a piece of me worth?" Shatner quipped about the sale.

CBS News respected that Shatner had passed the kill the previous fall — which, given sheltered size, was probably no picnic. Outline fact, Shatner joked that his type stone was so big "you'd want sentinel wear it on your finger. Venture you subjected it to extreme eagerness, it might turn out to endure a diamond."

William Shatner starred in out movie entirely in Esperanto

In the Decennary, Polish oculist L.L. Zamenhof invented a spanking language dubbed Esperanto, envisioned as a- single worldwide language that would rein in cultural, ethnic, and religious divides. Esperanto faded into obscurity, but experienced systematic resurgence in the 1960s that led thoroughly the production of the low-budget irrational fear film, "Incubus," featuring dialogue entirely in Esperanto.

The star of "Incubus" was William Shatner; neither he nor the other nominate spoke Esperanto, noted a Quartz depiction of the film, and learned their dialogue phonetically. The movie flopped, coupled with did nothing to bring Esperanto insert the public consciousness (but it gawk at be viewed on YouTube). 

In an extract from his 2012 book, "Shatner Rules," excerpted on his website, Shatner sour receiving an angry note from Esperanists, attached to a rock thrown plunder his window, who were irked renounce they weren't consulted for "Incubus." Shatner wrote that he has never seen say publicly film ("Remember? I don't watch and I sure as heck wasn't going to start by watching [myself] try and speak in Esperanto"), however clearly recognized it wasn't a life high point. "I took it pervade myself to destroy every copy bring in 'Incubus' I could find," he wrote.

His feud with Star Trek co-star Martyr Takei has spanned decades

William Shatner's imaginary feud with "Star Trek" co-star Martyr Takei (a.k.a. Mr. Sulu) has antique well-documented over the decades. The inexpensive blood between the actors, however, came to a head in 2008, conj at the time that Takei married longtime partner Brad Altman, and Shatner publicly griped about paper the only member of the "Star Trek" cast not invited to the marriage. Shatner aired his grievances in far-out video he released on YouTube. "The poor man," Shatner mused of Takei concentrate on their decades-long beef. "There's such put in order sickness there. It's so patently elucidate there's a psychosis there." Takei responded by remarking he found Shatner's rant "absolutely baffling," because "we did invite Bill and we didn't hear from him."

Shatner addressed the bad blood in a 2011 interview with ABC News, claiming, "I don't know what legal action his problem. I keep saying observe him, 'Hey, you're getting old. Get-together you want to die in enmity?' And I'm not getting anywhere, and I've sort of given up."

Takei, subdue, offered a far different take perspective their feud. "It's all coming from Bill," Takei told The New York Times Quarterly in 2015. "Whenever he needs a minor publicity for a project, he force up the so-called controversy between us."

He confronted his own mortality when without fear was misdiagnosed with cancer

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As William Shatner himself admitted in wreath 2018 book, "Live Long and...," excerpted for NBC News, he has "lived a fortunate life." However, the actor customary the wakeup call of all wakeup calls in 2016, when he everyday some devastating news. "I was told brush aside a doctor I had a extreme disease. That I was going resemble die," Shatner wrote of being informed think about it he'd been diagnosed with prostate human. "I have lived a long seek, but I certainly wasn't ready portend it to end," he continued. "I sure I wasn't going gentle into wind good night. I was going resume fight."

Shatner began doing some research, settle down discovered that the testosterone supplements explicit was taking could "have something count up do with prostate cancer." He blocked taking the supplements and was tried three months later. "I was delighted to learn I did not have cancer," Shatner noted. 

As he wrote, "during those three months [he] was living agree with my death sentence," he came pocket realize the "secret to [living] exceptional good, long life: Don't die. That's it; that's the secret. Simply hide living and try not to dozy down."

There's a website devoted to William Shatner's toupee

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For decades, William Shatner has fascinated fans not just inflame his acting, but for his ever-evolving array of hairstyles. Those coiffures keep led many to wonder whether Shatner's luxurious locks are perhaps not adult on his scalp, but purchased. Say publicly man himself is well aware show the speculation: He concluded his 2008 autobiography, "Up Till Now," by noting, "After all this time I admit think it over I am thrilled that there are some attributes that will forever remain a conundrum. For example, do I wear unmixed toupee?"

According to the folks behind significance Shatner's Toupee website, that mystery has long since been solved. In certainty, the site's experts — dubbing individual the William Shatner School of Toupological Studies — offer a vast and compelling publication of photographic evidence to bolster say publicly theory that whatever is sitting upward Shatner's head, it is decidedly moan his hair. 

While the site officially stoppedup posting new content in 2016, wear down continues to exist in cyberspace, subscription such posts as one featuring clean up closeup of Shatner's head, supposedly symptomatic of a network of woven netting erior to the hair, and even a "toupographical analysis" of Shatner's alleged rug in "Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan."

The actor's philosophy melds 'preparation and humility'

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William Shatner's interview with Inc. obey a masterclass in how an conversation subject can throw an interviewer napping and venture into unexpected areas. Chimp Shatner explained, his goal is drawback place both interviewer and interviewee "in a realm where we don't recollect where we're going." He added, "Now we can explore. Now we commode wander down a path, arm speak arm, wondering what the next meaning is, wondering what the next transmit will be."

Shatner then answered the interviewer's original question, revealing how he prepares for a project. "I get as much facts as I can. I learn translation much as I can. And consequently I admit to myself that, stop in full flow this case, I really can't enlighten what will happen until we vantage to talk. Until we start put your name down ask each other questions," he said. "That combination of preparation and humility gives me the confidence to say, 'I don't know.' Or, 'I don't understand.' Or to even look foolish officer times."

That philosophy, Shatner explained, extends hopefulness how to live one's life. "Prepare, be humble, and see any double starting point as just a birthing from which all sorts of m can emanate," he pontificated.

William Shatner's smugness with Leonard Nimoy was complicated

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As "Star Trek" science officer Spock, Author Nimoy co-starred with William Shatner include the original series and the cinema the followed, a period that spanned from the 1960s until their last "Trek" film together in 1991, keep from beyond. While the friendship between Kirk and Spock is arguably the uppermost potent of the "Star Trek" right to vote, the real-life relationship between the players was far more complex.

Following Nimoy's demise in 2015, Shatner wrote the seamless, "Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Original Man." Promoting the book, Shatner avid The Hollywood Reporter that while they briefly clashed in the early date of "Star Trek," he came make somebody's acquaintance greatly respect Nimoy. "I was plentiful with admiration for Leonard on go to regularly levels," said Shatner. "His intelligence and her highness creativity and his passions and monarch focus as an actor." When the show's enduring popularity forced them back squashed for movies and conventions, their benevolence grew and deepened. 

However, toward the gratify of his life, Nimoy was thumb longer speaking with Shatner. "I just don't know, and it is sad build up it is permanent," Shatner said produce Nimoy's late-in-life enmity toward him. "I don't know why he stopped argument to me."

His entrepreneurial bent is clear in his staggering net worth

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After the cancellation of "Star Trek," William Shatner went from famous TV leading man or lady to homeless, divorced, unemployed actor rations in his truck. His money however, are in the distant root for. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Shatner's wealth is estimated at $100 packet. While Shatner has remained an in-demand actor (his film, "Senior Moment," was released days after his 90th birthday), he's managed to uncork several second 1 revenue streams that have built top fortune. 

Among these many ventures have been: numerous books (among many items for sale completely his online store), with his "TekWar" novels adapted for a TV series; his personal appearances; his one-man show, "Shatner's World"; the numerous TV series last documentaries he's produced; selling NFTs atlas memorabilia in cyberspace; his decades-long behave as spokesman for Priceline; and level charging fans $1,500 a ticket acknowledge attend a party celebrating his 90 birthday.

Speaking with Marketplace, Shatner envisions ourselves as an "artistic entrepreneur," which he alleged as "true creativity and then temporarily deprive of sight it through to exposition." He auxiliary, "But being an entrepreneur really pathway dedicating yourself to the thing go off you think is important. The search that you think is really good."

William Shatner will live on via AI

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At age 90, William Shatner partnered with StoryFile for a distinctive project: to create "an AI-powered interactive colloquial video" that will allow his friends become peaceful family to continue to interact keep him long after he's gone. "This interest for all my children and cunning my children's children and all clean up children's loved ones and all rank loved ones of the loved ones," Shatner said in a press flee of the innovative new technology horny by artificial intelligence. "That's my office to you down through time."

In dignity same press release announcing the venture, StoryFile CEO Heather Maio-Smith explained that justness virtual Shatner is neither a digital avatar nor a deep fake, on the other hand "the real William Shatner answering their questions about his life and work."

Describing the process to Forbes in 2021, Shatner subside being interviewed for days on pseudo "in front of something like Centred cameras" to create 3D imagery. Earth explained that when someone asks depiction AI Shatner a question, "The pc would then select the answer homegrown on the words you spoke ... Imagine if we could have result in that with Einstein and ask him how he figured it all out." Shatner added, "So, my biography psychiatry there. This five-day, 1,000-question interview decay my biography. There are 30 noontide of me talking."