Dubbed the "theatrical wunderkind" in his native Canada for his performances in Shakespearean and classic dramas, William Shatner is perhaps best known for his roles in the popular series Star Trek and T.J. Hooker. But his body of work spans nearly 50 years in stage, film, and television and includes not only his work as an actor and company spokesperson but also that of writer, producer, and director.

     In the 1950s, Shatner appeared in regional theatrical productions and toured with the Canadian National Repertory Theatre. In 1954, he was invited to join Ty­rone Guthrie's  Stratford  Shakespeare  Festival.  where he played nearly 100 roles in 60 plays, including the title role of Henry Vat age 22. Shatner traveled with the Stratford company when their production of Tamburlaine the Great opened on Broadway (1956), and although Shatner only had only a small role, he was noticed by a 20th  Century-Fox  studio  representative. He rejected the offer of a  lucrative seven-year  contract in order to remain independent and retain the ability to choose his own roles. Shatner returned to Stratford for his third and final season.

     A scholarship, plus a Tyrone Guthrie Award as the most promising actor. allowed him to return to New York. The myriad of anthology programs produced on the East Coast and Hollywood took advantage of the number of stage-trained actors available to them, and Shatner became one of the most sought-after performers in the live television productions. He found roles in anthologies such as GoodYear Playhouse, Studio One, Playhouse 90, Kaiser Aluminum Hour. Omnibus. U.S. Steel Hour. and Climax! Shatner also  worked  in episodic television, including Rod Serling's The Twilight 'Zone  (Columbia  Broadcasting  System  fCBS]) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (National Broadcasting Company fNBC]) in an episode that also featured  future Star Trek cast Leonard Nimoy. He had earlier turned down opportunities to  star  in  television  series for fear he would be typecast into a particular role. However, he overcame his apprehension to star in the short-lived For the People (CBS, 1965), playing determined New York Assistant District Attorney David Koster.

     Shortly after the cancellation of that series, writer­ producer Gene Roddenberry offered Shatner the opportunity to work in the second pilot for his fledgling science fiction series, replacing Jeffrey Hunter as captain of the USS Enterprise. Star Trek premiered on September 8, 1966, starring William Shatner, as Captain James Tiberius Kirk. was on his way to becoming a cultural icon.

     In an effort to avoid typecasting after Star Trek ended its three-year run, Shatner made numerous guest appearances on popular series, miniseries, and made­ for-television films. including the critically acclaimed The Andersonville Trial. He returned to series television in the short-lived Barbary Coast playing Jeff Cable, an undercover agent in 1870s San Francisco.

     Shatner continued working in guest roles, films, and stage work. He also toured in his one-man show An Evening with William Shatner, which combined dramatic readings with question-and-answer  sessions with his audiences. Excerpts from this stage show were recorded and released as William Shatner Live! (1977).

     Shatner once again returned to series television in 1982 as the star of Aaron Spelling's T.J. Hooker, playing a former Los Angeles detective who, after the shooting death of his partner, takes on the job of training new recruits at the LCPD police academy. The series was planned as an ensemble series with stories featuring the cadets. However, test audiences preferred Shatner's character, and the show was  transformed into more of an action-adventure series, but, like Star Trek, it remained a character-driven show concentrating on the relationship of the characters over car chases and shoot-outs. Shatner made his directorial debut on the third-season episode "Gang War" (May 5, 1984). When the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) dropped the series in 1985, it was quickly picked up by CBS and became the first series geared directly for late night.

     Shatner later hosted the reality-based Rescue 911 (CBS, 1989-96). During its six seasons, the series credits over 300 lives saved by people who learned life saving techniques from the show. The series consistently won its Wednesday night time slot and won the 1990 People's Choice Award for Favorite New Dramatic Series.

     A savvy businessman, Shatner is chief executive officer and minority partner of C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, a Toronto special effects company. CORE (an acronym for "Company of Righteous Effects"), founded in 1994, has created effects for such films as Fly Away Home ( 1996), Disney's Flubber (1997), X-Men (2000), and The Time Machine (2002). In 1998, he signed on as spokesperson for the Internet company Priceline.com and starred in a series of radio and TV commercials that satirized his singing abilities.

     An avid horseman, Shatner breeds horses on his Malibu ranch and each year hosts the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, which benefits Ahead with Horses, an organization that gives physically challenged children the experience of riding while boosting their confidence and self-esteem. He also raises and trains champion American saddlebreds on his Belle Reve farm in Versailles, Kentucky.

     Shatner has always maintained a good-natured attitude toward the roles with which he has been associated for the past 30 years. He even spoofed both his Kirk and his Hooker characters when hosting Saturday Night Live in 1986. He continues to satirize his characters and his reputation in films such as Miss Congeniality (2000) and Showtime (2002). His guest appearance as 'The Big Giant Head" on Third Rock from the Sun garnered him his first Emmy Award in 1999. Shatner received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983.