William Shatner 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 in 2023
Shatner in a publicity photo in 1958
Shatner (Archie Goodwin, left) and Kurt Kasznar (Nero Wolfe) in the aborted 1959 CBS television series Nero Wolfe
William Shatner and Jeanne Cooper in The Intruder (1962)
James Tiberius Kirk, commonly known as James T. Kirk or Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk first appeared in Star Trek serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as captain. Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds, new civilizations, and "boldly go where no man has gone before". Often, the characters of Spock and Leonard "Bones" McCoy act as his logical and emotional sounding boards, respectively. Kirk has also been portrayed in numerous films, books, comics, webisodes, and video games.
William Shatner as Kirk in a publicity photograph for Star Trek: The Original Series
Publicity photo of William Shatner as Kirk, alongside Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock
Shatner portrayed Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series and the first seven films.
Chris Pine has portrayed an alternate reality version of Kirk in three Star Trek films since 2009.
