Talk:William Shatner/Archive 1

Ghostwriting

 * There seems to be a small dispute about whether or not Shatner actually wrote the novels that bear his name, or whether they were ghost-written. I believe that if Orangemike wants to include the bit about the novels being ghost written he needs to include a reference. --Wolf530 06:59, 9 Mar 2004 (UTC)

The paragraph about Shatner's potential guest-appearance on Enterprise is listed twice, albeit it in slightly different form. I'll see if I can combine the two. Also, until someone has good reason to claim otherwise, I'm deleting the "ghost-written" remark. --Feitclub 04:28, Sep 15, 2004 (UTC)

Sadly, though I have a strong reference as to who ghostwrote many of the William Shatner books, I am bound to not use it. These people are contractually obliged to never reveal their involvement, with the penalties being both monetary and in the loss of future work. You will note that Shatner dedicates his novels to well-established series writers. This is not coincidence. And it may be helpful for those searching for the evidence I won't give. (sorry!) However, if anyone does find evidence and chooses to edit this entry, I urge you to weigh the ethical implications and the potential impact to working writers' lives.--Drakkenfyre 06:58, 24 October 2005 (UTC)


 * It's not exactly hidden knowledge that Shatner has never written any of his books. It's widely known that Ron Goulart wrote the Tek novels, Michael Tobias wrote Believe, his daughter wrote his supposed autobiographies, and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens wrote his Star Trek work. This is common knowledge in the industry, and among fans. Contractual obligations, however, prevent these authors from acknowledging this officially. --rassmguy
 * But nor is it public knowledge, Rass. More importantly, it isn't cited public knowledge, which means we don't get to mention it. There are many reasons for this, and most of them can be found amongst our policies and guidelines. If you need some more specific information, please let me know, and I'll help you out. :) - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  16:40, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

Jewish
There is no mention of Shatner's faith on this page. I wasn't aware of it myself until about 2 minutes ago. Not sure how best to mention it. In the trivia section? I'm not sure it's a well known fact. Mintguy (T) 02:57, 25 Oct 2004 (UTC)


 * I knew it from the Simpsons ten years ago (if that can be counted as a source =p ). Did he ever take American citizenship? If not -- I sure hope he didn't do the Molson thing if he did -- as a Tuquistani, I don't like him categorised as "American writer" and "Jewish American". Kwantus 07:18, 2005 Jan 15 (UTC)


 * Both he and Nimoy are Jewish (remember Adam Sandler's Chanukkah song?) but I fail to see how Shatner can be regarded as "American" since he frequently mentions his Canadian heritage whenever someone mistakes him for an American. They joked about it as recently as "Free Enterprise" and that "Invasion Iowa" show. So I'm going to remove the "American" categories. If anyone knows otherwise, please explain and revert. --Feitclub 06:40, Apr 10, 2005 (UTC)


 * Hi! This article states that Mr. Shatner is of Ukrainian-Jewish ancestry.  He is in the category "Jewish-Canadian", but not under "Ukrainian Canadian".  I only mention his because he is listed on Ukrainian Canadian as a "famous Ukrainian Canadian".  Now I realise that the term "Ukrainian Canadian" usually refers to people who are ethnically Ukrainian, rather than people from other backgrounds that are from the territory of Ukraine.  However, I'm not opposed to putting him in the Category of Ukrainian Canadians, but he may not be the strongest example to put on the main page.  Does anyone have any more info on this?  Does anyone know how he self-identifies?  For now I won't change anything, but my plan would be to add him to the category "Ukrainian Canadian" but remove him from the list on the main page for that ethnicity.  Any comments?  Kevlar67 10:06, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

I think it's great that you brought it up though. If Mr. Shatner recognises his ukrainian "geographical" heritage then fine, I think he's a jewish Ukrainian-Canadian. Someone try email his manager or something :P I do not think that just because someone might not have xxx genetics to belong to a certain nationality. Let's say an ethnic chinese person is born in Iran and then moves to Sweden at age 12 and lives here for 50 years. This person wants to consider himself a Chinese Iranian-Swede :) I'm sure his children will consider themselves Chinese Swedes or vice versa. I guess, to me it's up to what claims the person have and what he wants. So as I said earlier...

I guess a person can't do anything about ethnic heritage, but defenitely nationality and geographical heritage can be discussed and is more up to the person.

213.141.89.53 (talk) 01:17, 10 December 2007 (UTC)

Real life Astronaut
I'm sorry but I take issue with including this line in the opening section. "In 2008, William Shatner will become a full-fledged astronaut, as he will fly into suborbital space aboard a Virgin Galactic private spacecraft." It's an event a reasonable way in the future and as such, in this case, probably shouldn't be in an encyclopaedia entry especially since many things can happen between now and then. Ben W Bell 14:33, 16 Jun 2005 (UTC)


 * Besides, isn't "astronaut" a term devoted to the fine employees of NASA? Is any slob who sits in a rocket an astronaut?  I always thought an astronaut was someone who has been trained for the profession of being a space traveller.  I respect Mr. Shatner but he's not a spaceman by trade.  -Kasreyn 12:51, 7 January 2006 (UTC)


 * No, an astronaut is the general term for any person who achieves extra-atmospheric flight. There are a good few Air Force test pilots that have earned their astronaut wings during flights that took them so high they were considered to be outside the atmosphere. --Xander the Potato Vanquisher 18:17, 25 July 2006 (UTC)


 * I disagree. The derivation of the word means star sailor and the dictionary defines an astronaut as such.  A passenger on a spacecraft would just be a space traveler or something like that.  Those test pilots were flying the craft in question so they would be astronauts. Bombot 09:04, 22 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Unfortunately for you, you're wrong: the term Astronaut does in fact apply to anyone who has been higher than a certain critical altitude - I believe it's around 60-65 miles in the United States, and a bit higher for the international definition. 24.61.36.80 (talk) 17:53, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

Keeping America Strong with William Shatner
I find it very intriguing and noble of Mr. William Shatner to not only host the Television show “Keeping America Strong”, but to actively promote small entrepreneurial businesses.

Right, these small businesses have to pay for the "opportunity" to talk with Shatner. I doubt he's doing this for a noble cause.

Pictures
Does anyone have a photo of Shatner from Boston Legal, or indeed anything from the last forty years? DJ Clayworth 15:59, 12 September 2005 (UTC)


 * Done :) RadioKirk 23:01, 8 October 2005 (UTC)

VSS Enterprise
Is it just me, or does anyone else find it ironic that the man who played Capt. Kirk will fly aboard Virgin Galactic's VSS (presumably, Virgin Space Ship) Enterprise?! ;) RadioKirk 23:05, 8 October 2005 (UTC)


 * Not ironic . . . inevitable!  :D KDoug 01:50, 21 October 2005 (UTC)


 * Well, I was referring to the Virgin part, not the Enterprise part... ;) RadioKirk 21:58, 29 October 2005 (UTC)

Removed the bit about the VSS Enterprise trip, as it false information. dc 09:21, 4 March 2006 (UTC)

Singing Career
Can someone please add an entry about Shatner's career as a singer? I think many people enjoy this facet of him as an entertainer.

is it worth mentioning his cameo apperance on "Fear of Pop", Ben Folds' electronica weirdness of 1999?

In the top biography section opening the 2nd paragraph is the line "He has since worked as a musician, bestselling author, producer, director, and celebrity pitchman,". Are his contributions as a musician more prominent than the other categories? Somehow it seems out of place. Bbagot 17:58, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Speech
Can't we. Add more about. His famous. Vocal style. On Star Trek? Carolynparrishfan 13:42, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

Technically a person is American if they are from these areas: North, South, and Central America and the Caribbean, since those areas are considered the America's.It's the United States "of" America. It's funny how we can call an native american from south america, but when people say Americans the suddenly think it only refers to the people of the United States, but infact it can technically refer to other groups of people within the Americas.

On the other hand, the only country in either continent that bothers to put "America" in its name is the USA. So by default, "American" refers specifically to a citizen of the USA. This really is only a point for making silly arguments anyway. No Brazilian, Canadia, Mexican etc. is going to risk confusion by referring to himself as an American. Maybe South or North American, but not American. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.116.216.55 (talk) 20:20, 17 November 2008 (UTC)

Twilight Zone
I've added a reference to Shatner's performances in "The Twilight Zone", which was as far as I can tell two episodes ("Nick of Time" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet", two of the better episodes). -Kasreyn 17:24, 1 February 2006 (UTC)
 * Those are the only two Twillight Zone" episodes that I am aware of that he appeared in. I also added his starring role in an episode of "The Outer Limits." ZincOrbie 21:39, 27 March 2006 (UTC)
 * Yes, I do believe he was only in the two "The Twilight Zone" episodes. Michael 05:17, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

"Memorable quotes"
As of this writing, the article page includes this complete quote from the Molson parody:


 * "I'm not a Starfleet commander, or T.J. Hooker. I don't live on Starship NCC-170... (some audience members say "1"), or own a phaser. I don't know anybody named Bones, Sulu, or Spock (picture of Dr. Benjamin Spock is shown on screen behind him). And no, I've never had green alien sex, but I'm sure it'd be quite an evening. (Pomp and Circumstance begins playing.) I speak English and French, not Klingon! I drink Labatt's, not Romulan ale! And when someone says to me 'live long and prosper', I seriously mean it when I say, 'get a life'. My doctor's name is not McCoy, it's Ginsberg (nude picture of Dr. Ginsberg shown on screen). And tribbles were puppets, not real animals. PUPPETS! And when I speak, I never, ever talk like Every. Word. Is. Its. Own. Sentence. I live in California, but I was raised in Montreal. And I believe in priceline.com, where you never have to pay full price for airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals! I've appeared onstage at Stratford, at Carnegie Hall, Albert Hall, and the Monkland Theatre in NDG. And, yes, I've gone where no man has gone before, but... I was in Mexico and her father gave me permission! My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!"

An edited audio file (you can tell if you listen carefully to "Pomp and Circumstance") removes the priceline.com reference and the stage appearances. I have the unedited video for anyone who wishes to see it. Radio Kirk   talk to me  01:45, 13 February 2006 (UTC)

See addition "I am a Canadian" parody citation below.

Citizenship?
Is Shatner still a Canadian citizen?--MarshallStack 05:04, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

Photo.
I guess the old one was removed for violation of copyright? Please, someone, get something better than this one. A recent photo is more appropriate for an article on someone who's still alive. -Kasreyn 01:38, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

12 O'Clock High and other Early TV Work
I have seen Mr Shatner in an episode of (I think) 12 O'Clock High, a 1960s era B&W TV show about WW2 pilots. In the episode, he plays an angry pilot of German ancestry.

I'm short on details, but it was definately him. Perhaps a researcher could find more?

A quick little bit of research turned up a reference to this on IMDB, and it seems like there's a lot of early TV work listed there that isn't here - is that policy, or should that data be moved into here?  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.103.226.30 (talk • contribs)  Did Mr. Shatner play a part in the early 50's say, 1952 or 53 in Twelfth Night at the Jan Hus theatre in New York? 74.170.251.46 (talk) 21:29, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

How William Shatner Changed the World
Mr Shatner recently did a program for Discovery, the theme of which is that he is responsible for many of the technical advances of the late 20th century. It is entirely tongue-in-cheek, but it does give many examples of fictional Star Trek tech becoming reality when real scientists and engineers are inspired to create what they saw on Star Trek.

Again, I'm short on details here, but that should be enough of a hint to get a researcher started.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.103.226.30 (talk • contribs) 

I'm watching this right now on the Discovery Channel, but the name is changed to "How Techies Changed the World"... strange... 85.167.133.203 20:10, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

The page is up...'How William Shatner Changed the World', Rewt241

Wiped out financially?
The section of the biography about Shatner's Post-Star Trek career sounds melodramatic. It's difficult to believe that a divorce settlement and being typecast left him "with very little money and acting prospects, living in a truck bed camper" down by the river considering all the TV & film work he was doing plus Star Trek residuals. If the only source for this information is the Shatner himself, this information should be prefaced with "claimed". Ghosts&amp;empties 14:20, 23 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I know this question was a while ago, but since it was never answered... The original Star Trek actors did not receive ANY residuals from the original series, just straight salaries. I don't have a source, but I believe several of them have mentioned this in their memoirs. And the point of that paragraph is that he WASN'T doing any TV or film work then... it dried up after Star Trek was canceled. (Although that may have been clarified after this question was posted.) -- CWesling (talk) 03:06, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Regardless according to his IMDB page he had steady piece work from 1969 through 1979 when Star Trek the motion Picture was released. I doubt he was forced to live in poverty as implied do we know how long he lived in the trailer and during what time period his credits are quite respectible during the gap....a credible source would help otherwise if he lived in a trailer for a month who cares?

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) .... Admiral James T. Kirk ... aka Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Director's Edition (USA: DVD title) Disaster on the Coastliner (1979) (TV) .... Stuart Peters Riel (1979) (TV) .... The Barker Crash (1978) (TV) .... Carl Tobias ... aka Crash of Flight 401 Little Women (1978) (TV) .... Professor Friedrich Bhaer The Third Walker (1978) .... Munro Maclean Land of No Return (1978) .... Curt Benell ... aka Challenge to Survive ... aka Snowman (USA: TV title) The Bastard (1978) (TV) .... Paul Revere ... aka The Kent Chronicles "How the West Was Won" (1978) (mini) TV mini-series .... Capt. Harrison "The Oregon Trail" (2 episodes, 1977) - The Scarlet Ribbon (1977) TV episode - Return of the Baby (1977) TV episode Kingdom of the Spiders (1977) .... Dr. Robert 'Rack' Hansen "Testimony of Two Men" (1977) (mini) TV mini-series .... Adrian Ferrier A Whale of a Tale (1977) .... Dr. Jack Fredericks ... aka Joey and the Whale Columbo: Fade in to Murder (1976) (TV) .... Detective Lucerne/Ward Fowler Perilous Voyage (1976) (TV) .... Steve Monroe ... aka The Revolution of Antonio DeLeon (USA) "Barbary Coast" .... Jeff Cable (13 episodes, 1975-1976) - The Dawson Marker (1976) TV episode .... Jeff Cable - Mary Had More Than a Little (1976) TV episode .... Jeff Cable - The Day Cable Was Hanged (1975) TV episode .... Jeff Cable - Sharks Eat Sharks (1975) TV episode .... Jeff Cable - Arson and Old Lace (1975) TV episode .... Jeff Cable (8 more) The Devil's Rain (1975) .... Mark Preston Barbary Coast (1975) (TV) .... Jeff Cable "The Rookies" .... Luke Harris (1 episode, 1975) - The Hunting Ground (1975) TV episode .... Luke Harris The Tenth Level (1975) (TV) .... Prof. Stephen Turner "Police Woman" .... Mark Ciprio (1 episode, 1974) - Smack (1974) TV episode .... Mark Ciprio "Amy Prentiss" .... Detective Parkins / ... (2 episodes, 1974) - Baptism of Fire (1974) TV episode .... Parkins - Prime Suspect (????) TV episode .... Detective Parkins "Police Story" .... Sergeant Bill Keitlinger (1 episode, 1974) - Love, Mabel (1974) TV episode .... Sergeant Bill Keitlinger Impulse (1974) .... Matt Stone ... aka I Love to Kill ... aka Want a Ride, Little Girl? "Kodiak" (1 episode, 1974) - The Last Enemy (1974) TV episode "Petrocelli" .... Adam North (1 episode, 1974) - Edge of Evil (1974) TV episode .... Adam North "Kung Fu" .... Capt. Brandywine Gage (1 episode, 1974) - A Small Beheading (1974) TV episode .... Capt. Brandywine Gage Big Bad Mama (1974) .... William J. Baxter "Ironside" .... Bill Parkins / ... (4 episodes, 1970-1974) ... aka The Raymond Burr Show (USA: syndication title) - Amy Prentiss: Part 1 (1974) TV episode .... Bill Parkins - Amy Prentiss: Part 2 (1974) TV episode .... Bill Parkins - Walls Are Waiting (1971) TV episode .... Don Brand - Little Jerry Jessup (1970) TV episode .... Marty Jessup "The Six Million Dollar Man" .... Josh Lang (1 episode, 1974) - Burning Bright (1974) TV episode .... Josh Lang "The Magician" .... Ed Cassidy (1 episode, 1974) - The Illusion of the Queen's Gambit (1974) TV episode .... Ed Cassidy Pray for the Wildcats (1974) (TV) .... Warren Summerfield "Star Trek" .... Captain James T. Kirk (16 episodes, 1973-1974) ... aka Star Trek: TAS (USA: promotional abbreviation) ... aka Star Trek: The Animated Adventures (USA) ... aka Star Trek: The Animated Series ... aka Star Trek: The Animated Series-The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek (USA: DVD box title) ... aka The Animated Adventures of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek (USA: video box title) - The Jihad (1974) TV episode .... Captain James T. Kirk - The Eye of the Beholder (1974) TV episode .... Captain James T. Kirk - The Slaver Weapon (1973) TV episode .... Captain James T. Kirk - The Ambergris Element (1973) TV episode .... Captain James T. Kirk - The Time Trap (1973) TV episode .... Captain James T. Kirk (11 more) Indict and Convict (1974) (TV) .... Sam Belden Pioneer Woman (1973) (TV) .... John Sergeant ... aka Pioneers "Dr. Simon Locke" .... Joe Flatt (1 episode, 1973) ... aka Police Surgeon (USA: new title) - Ten Kilos to Nowhere (1973) TV episode .... Joe Flatt "Mannix" .... Adam Langer (1 episode, 1973) - Search for a Whisper (1973) TV episode .... Adam Langer The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) (TV) .... Paul Kovalik "Barnaby Jones" .... Fred Williams / ... (1 episode, 1973) - To Catch a Dead Man (1973) TV episode .... Phil Carlyle/Fred Williams Go Ask Alice (1973) (TV) .... Sam Incident on a Dark Street (1973) (TV) .... Deaver G. Wallace "The Bold Ones: The New Doctors" .... Richard Burrell (1 episode, 1973) ... aka The New Doctors - A Tightrope to Tomorrow (1973) TV episode .... Richard Burrell "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1 episode, 1972) ... aka Robert Young, Family Doctor - Heartbeat for Yesterday (1972) TV episode "Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law" .... Gary (1 episode, 1972) - Five Will Get You Six (1972) TV episode .... Gary "Mission: Impossible" .... Joseph Conrad / ... (2 episodes, 1971-1972) - Cocaine (1972) TV episode .... Joseph Conrad - Encore (1971) TV episode .... Thomas Kroll "Hawaii Five-O" .... Sam Tolliver (1 episode, 1972) ... aka McGarrett (USA: rerun title) - You Don't Have to Kill to Get Rich, But It Helps (1972) TV episode .... Sam Tolliver "The Sixth Sense" .... Edwin Danbury (1 episode, 1972) - Can a Dead Man Strike from the Grave? (1972) TV episode .... Edwin Danbury The Hound of the Baskervilles (1972) (TV) .... George Stapleton ... aka Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles The People (1972) (TV) .... Dr. Curtis "Cade's County" .... Jack Pilgrim (1 episode, 1971) - The Armageddon Contract (1971) TV episode .... Jack Pilgrim Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law (1971) (TV) .... District Attorney Dave Blankenship ... aka A Pattern of Morality (USA) "Storefront Lawyers" (1 episode, 1971) ... aka Men at Law (USA: new title) - One American (1971) TV episode Vanished (1971) (TV) .... Dave Paulick "The Name of the Game" .... Peter / ... (2 episodes, 1970) - The Glory Shouter (1970) TV episode .... Ronald Payden - Tarot (1970) TV episode .... Peter "The F.B.I." .... Arthur Majors (1 episode, 1970) - Antennae of Death (1970) TV episode .... Arthur Majors Swing Out, Sweet Land (1970) (TV) .... John Adams ... aka John Wayne's Tribute to America (USA: DVD box title) The Andersonville Trial (1970) (TV) .... Lt. Col. N.P. Chipman "Medical Center" .... Dr. Eli Neily (1 episode, 1970) - The Combatants (1970) TV episode .... Dr. Eli Neily "Paris 7000" (1 episode, 1970) - The Shattered Idol (1970) TV episode Sole Survivor (1970) (TV) .... Lt. Col. Josef Gronke —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.74.24.2 (talk) 19:43, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

All of which were either minor guest appearances/roles in box office bombs (Big Bad Mama, Impulse, Devil's Rain, etc.) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.136.202.49 (talk) 21:28, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

James E. Morris
William Shatner endorses a western New York lawfirm, James E. Morris on local commercials Rubedeau 04:10, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

didn't his wife die?
Didn't his wife die under mysterious circumstances? I can't find anything about this in the article. --169.231.18.197 09:35, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

I added something about this, and it was taken away... so I've gone in and added it again. It's too big a part of his biography not to discuss it.--Multiverse 08:40, 16 August 2006 (UTC)


 * And your new version is fine; in fact, it used to be there, and I didn't notice it was gone. Your original edit&mdash;the entire 911 call transcript&mdash;would not be appropriate in an article about Shatner, only (perhaps) in an article specific to Nerine's death. :) RadioKirk (u|t|c)  19:11, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Weren't Shatner and his wife separated at the time of her death and heading for divorce? Does anyone know more about this? Perhaps the word separated or estranged should be mentioned somewhere? Bbagot 17:50, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

It is specifically referred to on his Has Been album- "What Have You Done". Worth mentioning as part of bioThomasrdotorg (talk) 07:21, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Rocket Man Cover
I think something should be included about his cover of Rocket Man by Elton John. There's more information about it here: Rocket Man

Did anyone else notice that in his cover.....taht Bill didnt inhale his cigerette nor did he even pretend...as soon as it leaves his mouth so does the smoke

William Shatners full name?
Does anybody know what William Shatners middle name is? OR if he even has one for that matter?
 * He has one. At the very least, it's "William Shatner".  Don't know if he has a middle name, however. &mdash; X  S  G  20:54, 3 September 2006 (UTC)

I'm claiming it's "Tiberius." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.251.251.49 (talk) 02:50, August 30, 2007 (UTC)

Created "References in Popular Culture"
Some of the things listed as facts are less facts about William Shatner and more about how William Shatner is reflected in popular culture. To differentiate, I've created a new section. I've also cleaned up several of the facts to sound a bit more authoratative. &mdash; X S  G  07:34, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

The English rock group The Wedding Present have a song named after Shatner on their 1987 debut album George Best. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.75.243.226 (talk) 21:44, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

The English-language version of Nena's song, "99 Red Balloons" features a direct reference to Star Trek and Shatner in one of the verses: "99 Knights of the air/Ride super-high-tech jet fighters/Everyone's a superhero./ Everyone's a Captain Kirk." I do not know why this reference was omitted from the Popular Culture section of Shatner's entry.71.234.13.153 (talk) 16:37, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

The line "Everyone's a Captain Kirk" would appear to be more appropriate for the Captain Kirk entry, rather than for Shatner, hence its omission. Kt&#39;Hyla (talk) 03:19, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

William Shatners Degree
Did William Shatner have more than a Bachelors Degree and also, what degree was it? B.A. or a B.Sc? Amlder20 17:22, 24 September 2006 (UTC)

It was a B.Comm. Also, the Shatner Building referendum at McGill University was in 1992, not 1993. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.234.71.183 (talk) 10:45, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

How about Loblaw's Commercials
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loblaws 199.43.48.131 05:05, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

"How...Changed World" Quote Clarification Needed...
In Memorable quotes section, there is a quote from the "History Channel documentary 'How William Shatner Changed the World'". Well, I've just compiled the page on that topic and watched the whole thing and don't remember such a quote even close to it. I might have to go through the documentary again and delete the quote if warranted.Rewt241

Show Me The Money
Someone needs to add in information about hosting this new game show that will premier on November 22 (a preview show was on this past Tuesday night at 9:30) on ABC.

Bill Shantener clip from the 2005 AFI Life Achievement Award
This is a clip from the 2005 AFI Life Achievement Award where Bill Shatner begins the ceremonies for George Lucas. It is brilliant and not included in the list of TV appearances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p55YD8QhQ3o

"that same year"
Can someone clarify in the article what year "that same year" is supposed to mean? Heatherfire 15:15, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
 * You're right, the intervening sentence made that confusing; it's now fixed. :) RadioKirk (u|t|c)  18:35, 4 December 2006 (UTC)

"I am a Canadian" Parody
citation (link to video clip) http://www.justforlaughs.ca/videos/search/1027-willam-shatner-jfl-i-am-canadian?search_terms=I+am+a+Canadian Could someone with "rights" please add this citation to the article?
 * It's not the complete video; I have it, I'll see if I can upload it somewhere. RadioKirk (u|t|c)  21:11, 16 January 2007 (UTC)


 * No need; I made a link from Google video just now.--Planetary 08:07, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Most kind, thank you. :) RadioKirk (u|t|c)  19:01, 20 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Very welcome.--Planetary 19:52, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Author
Does anyone have more information to add about Shatner's literary works? Apart from mentioning it in the biography part, information on the subject appears to be lacking. Bbagot 17:54, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Contradiction about the kiss

 * Shatner has claimed in his memoirs that no one on the set felt the kiss to be very important until a network executive raised fears of a Southern boycott, and the kiss was almost written out of the script. Gene Roddenberry supposedly made a deal, that the scene would be shot with the kiss, and with a cut-away shot which merely implied a kiss, and then a decision would be made on which to use. The footage of the actual kiss was eventually used. Some cast members have written that this was because Shatner deliberately ruined the take for the implied-kiss footage by looking into the camera and crossing his eyes to force the real kiss to be used.

If it was "not felt to be very important" why did Shatner "deliberately ruin the take" and "force the real kiss to be used"? --Uncle Ed 18:00, 12 May 2007 (UTC)
 * There's not necessarily a contradiction: "no one on the set felt the kiss to be very important until a network executive raised fears of a Southern boycott". Possibly after that, some people on the set (including but maybe not limited to Shatner) decided it was important. --Jtl 06:31, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Could someone please fix this?
In the section titled "Early stage, film, and television work", the entire first paragraph is one large run-on sentence. In addition to being long, it includes the bizarre statement that students were "startled to see pictures ... playing a wide range of Shakespearean roles..." I, too, would be startled to see such a thing, but I don't think this is what was intended here. I would fix it myself, but I have no idea what the intent was. Roachmeister 04:59, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Paintball
Isn't he an avid paintball fan? Here is one story about him, even with a picture of him suited up:http://www.face-full.com/william_shatner.php

Current Photo is Horrible
Doesn't anybody have a better photo they're willing to submit? The current one is awkward in many ways. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.53.143.46 (talk • contribs)

Common People Ballet
The Milwaukee Ballet recently made a ballet set to Shatner's last album. It was choreographed by Margo Sappington of OH! CALCUTTA! fame. I think Shatner is making a film about the project. Seems noteworthy, could this be added to his article? He mentions it in this interview: http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/movies/news/n12380.htm

Hair
What, no mention other than pop culture JOKES about his hair? I think it needs some sort of backstory - no where on the net can I find info about this. Come on peeps!--135.214.154.104 22:09, 21 July 2007 (UTC)


 * Legitimate point...I personally can't tell it's anything but natural, just going by recent photos - but if you know the old Star Trek series from the 60s, its pretty obvious:) Engr105th (talk) 23:29, 22 October 2008 (UTC)

Relationships with other actors
This section doesn't seem to serve much purpose - the only other actor mentioned is Leonard Nimoy, and the current rendition doesn't talk about Shatner's relationship with him, only the things they have in common. I think it should be deleted... anyone else have thoughts? Surfeited 05:47, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
 * I agree, the section didn't make sense - I've removed it. The section used to have more content, but it was unsourced. I'm not sure what to do with this sourced info:

Nimoy and Shatner are both vegetarians. Both Shatner and Nimoy are of the same ethnicity, Ashkenazi Jewish, and their birthdays are separated by only 4 days -- Shatner's is March 22, 1931 and Nimoy's is March 26, 1931. The two men also both suffered from chronic tinnitus after getting too close to an exploding special effect while working on Star Trek in the episode "Arena." Shatner's was almost debilitating, but this was mitigated by retraining therapy.


 * It might also be worth pointing out how much he is reviled by some of his fellow actors from Trek, mst notable, Takei, Doohan and Koenig. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  22:11, 29 April 2008 (UTC)

The lead
I don't think the fact that William Shatner didn't do something (ie. didn't get a part in a movie) is so important that it should go in the lead. There are many other things that he hasn't done. We don't even mention those in the article, let alone the lead. Sancho 16:28, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

Also, I believe the piece about not being offered a role in the new Star Trek movie isn't important enough be in the lead, but should be under the Star Trek career. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.59.164.216 (talk) 20:47, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

Language inter-wikis
I've created the Malay article on William Shatner, which is currently in need of full translation to Malay, and this article needs to be inserted with William Shatner at the bottom of the page. 60.48.114.78 (talk) 18:51, 13 December 2007 (UTC)

Commercials: Especially World of Warcraft
Recently, Mr. Shatner has appeared in a TV commercial featuring Blizzards popular World of Warcraft video game as a character representaion. Could this be included as Pop Culture appearances? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kyotodesertfox (talk • contribs) 06:30, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Role in "NEXT"
I see that in this article, William Shatner has been listen as playing a role in the movie "NEXT" (2007). I am curious to know what the source of this information is. I searched IMDB and there appears to be no connection between Shatner and NEXT. Information, anyone? 203.194.42.217 (talk) 09:02, 13 March 2008 (UTC)

"Friendship with Other Actors" section needs cleanup and revision
I took a stab at some style edits for the Leonard Nimoy paragraph of this article, but the whole section reads like a bad regurgitation of a People magazine article. There are no citations for any of the claims or quotes from Nimoy, and the writing itself is decidedly in a gushy gossip column tone. Can any Shatner / Nimoy / Trek fans take a look, and try to source the quotes in this section? I do think it's worthwhile to have a section on the relationship between Nimoy and Shatner, since they are by far the most popular and famous actors of the original series. But the section as it stands -- in stark contrast to the rest of this entry, which is pretty well-written and documented -- is awful both as a piece of writing, and as NPOV encyclopedic entry. StrangeAttractor (talk) 08:11, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
 * I've also added an unreferenced tag to the section. I certainly hope someone comes along with some citations, as it would be a shame to remove the info - as BLP tells us to do. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  17:13, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

Shatner & Muppets
Okay, am I crazy, or did I see, probably in the mid-90s, something with Miss Piggy (I think) on a plane, where she looks out the window, and (parodying Shatner's Twilight Zone appearance) spots the gremlin on the plane's wing... and when she turns back and starts complaining, Shatner's sitting there and says "I've been saying the same thing for years" and goes on (IIRC) to extol one of his books (I think the first Mars one, Man o' War(?)). Anyway, anyone else have a clue what I'm talking about, or have I gone totally off the deep end? (I do know I'm not talking about the 3rd Rock thing already mentioned) --Umrguy42 (talk) 10:12, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

online resources for editors of this article
It's already been mentioned that some of the areas in this article need cleanup and better sources. An interview with Shatner was drawn to my attention today, and seems like a decent source for this article:

May 2008 Interview with Shatner in Daily Telegraph

I encourage other people to add more here in the talk page. Some of these might wind up as external links for the article, but they are also useful as sources for editors of the article. - StrangeAttractor (talk) 01:55, 27 May 2008 (UTC)

Shatner's new book?
Can someone mention William Shatner's new book--Up Till Now: The Autobiography, his third autobiography--in the Wikipedia article for him. It is absent from the article. I don't know if it is a good book but it seems to have won reasonable reviews. Shatner also apparently talks about Leonard Nimoy and his wife Nerine's unhappy relationships with alcoholism in this new book. Unfortunately, I have to work in real life but maybe some Trekkies can note this addition to Shatner's article. 24.87.136.31 (talk) 08:51, 27 May 2008 (UTC)
 * The Only thing I added to Shatner's article was his favourite Trek episode--The Devil in the Dark. I know almost nothing on this new book. Perhaps someone can make an addition to the article. 24.87.136.31 (talk) 01:27, 28 May 2008 (UTC)
 * There seem to be significant new material in this book that discredits a lot of material in this WP article - notably the idea that Shatner and Nimoy had a significant friendship during the initial run of ST.68.145.179.81 (talk) 01:18, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

Toupee or not toupee?

 * That is the question;
 * Whether 'tis nobler in the article to suffer
 * The slings and arrows of outrageous vandals,
 * Or to take arms against a sea of contrary edits,
 * And by opposing improve them? To note the wig, the piece;
 * Or not; and by not mentioning to say that BLP ends
 * The heartache and the thousand natural questions
 * That flesh is heir to, 'tis a confirmation
 * Devoutly to be wish'd via citation. To confirm, to cite;
 * To cite, perchance to prove; aye, there's the rub.


 * - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  16:55, 29 May 2008 (UTC)


 * Wiki poetry is the best. :) Ottava Rima (talk) 20:37, 11 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Garsh, thanks. I was languishing over a definite lack of appreciation of my conversion Billy Shakespeare's ode. I even used iambic pentameter, for the most part. :) - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  04:39, 18 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Umm, assuming you need a citation for whether it's a toupee (I could be wrong)... I don't have the *exact* page (since I checked it out from the library some time ago, and have since returned it), but I know in Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman's book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, they talk about how several of Shatner's toupees went missing between the first and second seasons of The Original Series. Being as Solow was one of the original producers, one would hope it's a reliable source.  umrguy 42  18:20, 12 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, we need a citation to note it. That's the problem; no one is willing to go on the record so we can cite the 400-lb hairless cat in the room. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  04:39, 18 July 2008 (UTC)
 * Who gives a shit? I guess if you do, Shatner's latest autobiography addresses the question, if you read the book.68.145.179.81 (talk) 01:21, 2 September 2008 (UTC)
 * If enough folk have commented on Shatner's cranial hisutedness (or lack thereof), it is notable to include, so long as we have a citation to back up the actual baldness.
 * If you can point to the relevant comment in the autobiography, that would be great, anon 68. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  02:32, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

Might the Robot Chicken "Shatner's Toupee" sketch count as a pop-culture entry? Not to mention some of the other sketches he's depicted in... Shatner's Toupee —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kt'Hyla (talk • contribs) 03:46, 1 November 2008 (UTC)
 * No, it would have to be a reliable source. Sketches are usually in-jokes. We need a reliable source that states that the Shat wears a head mirkin, and then we can include it - esp. since BLP applies. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  03:59, 1 November 2008 (UTC)


 * Here's a citation . I also read a Joan Collins comment about it somewhere years ago. The following is from a magazine interview with the actress who played Lt. Arlene Galway in the episode The Deadly Years: "When I walked into the makeup room, I didn't recognize him because he was almost totally bald! They were putting on his toupee when I walked in. He didn't say anything about it, although I don't think eveyone knew, including me." -- VideoScope, Fall 2008, Vol 17, No 68, (Oct-Dec 2008), p 40, "Beverly Washburn: From Superman to Spider Baby," PhanMedia, L.L.C., Ocean Grove, New Jersey USA. [I'm sure you can email the editors to verify this quote if need be. The magazine's title is spelled half in italics.]. 5Q5 (talk) 17:43, 29 November 2008 (UTC)
 * Respectfully, that's rather your job, now isn't it? I went over to the university library and searching the periodicals database, I cannot seem to find the quote in question. We are not going to add anything derogatory to the Biography of a Living Person unless we can verify that a reliable citation for Shatner's baldness actually exists. Failing to do so damages the reputation of a public figure, and opens the wiki to legal action. The best of all possible worlds would be an online citation that we can verify quickly. Failing that, you have to do it the old-fashioned way. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  19:05, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

Futurama?
Didn't Shatner and the rest of the original Trek crew lend their voices to a Futurama episode? I may be mistaken, but if so, why is it not listed in his Television [filmography] section? Goulash (talk) 23:47, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 * Yes, he did along with the rest of TOS cast except James Doohan. Why it's not there, I don't know. Although I swear I also saw him in a Muppet Show episode (maybe a "new Muppet Show"? I know it was like the 90s - think there's a section above with my question on this.)  umrguy 42  01:22, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Shatner's education
How was he classically trained as a Shakespean actor? Every bio seems to skip this passage. He took a commerce degree in 1952 and was suddenly performing in the Stratford Festival. When and where did he learn his craft? 68.35.11.25 (talk) 02:07, 16 November 2008 (UTC)Vienne

Toupee or not toupee - Cont'd from Archive 1
(Continued from Archive 1 here) The question is whether there should be a mention in the article somewhere about the debate over Mr. Shatner's alleged wearing of a toupee. Justification for inclusion is that Mr. Shatner himself raised the debate in his humorously written 2008 autobiography. In fact he chose the word "toupee" to be the very last word in the book.

William Shatner :

""Mysteries simply are a feast for an active mind. And while in my lifetime I've seen science make extraordinary inroads into solving the most complex questions of life, after all this time I admit that I am thrilled that there are some things that forever will remain a mystery. For example, do I wear a toupee?""

- William Shatner

Here is an eyewitness quote from an actress who appeared on Star Trek. The magazine as I write this is available at Books-A-Million bookstores. The publisher also has a website at videoscopemag.com and a contact email there if anyone should challenge it.

Star Trek actress Beverly Washburn :

"When I walked into the makeup room, I didn't recognize him because he was almost totally bald! They were putting on his toupee when I walked in. He didn't say anything about it, although I don't think eveyone knew, including me."

- Beverly Washburn, the actress who played Lt. Arlene Galway in the original series episode The Deadly Years

I propose that we take some time and gather some additional cited sources to support a line or two in the article about this. The VideoScope article runs additional pages. I will update that tomorrow. I am not a regular editor here. Someone else can certainly write the new material when the time seems right. 5Q5 (talk) 19:32, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

actor Barry Morse :

"Also in the serial was the young William Shatner, later of Star Trek fame. He was just trying to get his foot in the door in the performing field. He wasn't troubled by having to wear a toupee in those days, of course, and it was on radio, anyway."

- Barry Morse

The above quote can also be viewed online at books.google.com here. 5Q5 (talk) 16:27, 3 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Shatner's been quoted in one or more interviews discussing the toupee. Sorry, no reference here, but you should be able to find it online somewhere eventually. It was from a more recent interview, but pre-'Priceline' & 'Boston Legal'. Hope that helped. VictorC (talk) 11:01, 17 December 2008 (UTC)


 * Respectfully, we aren't talking about a fictional character here; Shatner is alive and well. If he wears a rug, then there is a personal reason for not showing up bald at public appearances; as per BLP, we conservatively protect that right to privacy. When we have more than second- and third-hand reports of his baldness, we can note it. Not before. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  19:00, 17 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I have to reluctantly agree with Arcayne. Further, the only discussion I've heard from Shatner regarding his hair situation is denial on his part.  In one instance, he was doing a telephone interview with some radio jock named M. D. something-or-other, who brought up the issue, using the line "your hairpiece, it's the best I've ever seen."  Shatner lit into the guy, saying "I don't wear a hairpiece" and that "M. D. must stand for most dumb" and then hung up.  Obviously, the guy doesn't want to talk about it. Ironically, he's willing to discuss his weight, which he has some control over, but not his baldness, which is the result of heredity and his massive testosterone level.THD3 (talk) 19:29, 17 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I saw a photo of him in one of the U.S. supermarket tabloids last year I think of him at a beach somewhere coming out of the water and his hair was upright but definitely showed signs of being wet. It surprised me because his hair looked natural, though a little sparse as wetness will tend to do. Maybe he had successful hair restoration at some point? I tried a Google image search, but came up empty; probably in a photo agency's pop-up only archive. I think since he acknowledges the controversy himself humorously in his autobiography, and therefore cannot claim defamation, it would be justified if an editor here wanted to include a simple line in the article mentioning the controversy, but I'm not in favor of a devoted subsection debating it, unless he whips it off on live or pay-per-view TV and it becomes a news story. If he wears one, that is. 5Q5 (talk) 19:34, 28 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Okay, let's look at that for a moment: if Shatner felt that wearing a hairpiece would not affect his livelihood or social life, he would have admitted to such long ago. Clearly, he considers it a private matter. This is why there isn't a lot of official yea or nay about it. It's all speculation. And since commenting - even one sentence of comment - would damage the biography of a living person, we need rock solid citations before proceeding. As a Google search turns up nothing, mentioning even the controversy of maybe-ness is ill-advised. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  21:01, 28 January 2009 (UTC)

Tinnitus - Spokesperson & Sufferer
He is a spokesperson for the American Tinnitus Association, and has been quoted as telling the story about how he got the illness during a 'Star Trek' episode from close proximity to the noise of a special effects explosion. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the ATA. Seems like this deserves some attention in the article. VictorC (talk) 11:16, 17 December 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree. The tinnitus problem has been reported in many places. It's in his 2008 autobiography as well. Any regular editors of this article reading this? 5Q5 (talk) 19:31, 23 December 2008 (UTC)
 * Nope, but if you have citations from outside his autobiography, that would remove any perceptible obstacle to inclusion. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  22:10, 23 December 2008 (UTC)

Cracked -
There is a humorous, non professionally written article on Cracked.com discussing this entry, would it be relevant to discuss this in the article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.154.92.234 (talk) 19:36, 6 January 2009 (UTC)


 * No. Frank  |  talk  19:56, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * I don't think so earlier, as it isn't really that notable. If national media picks it up and expands on it, mebbe. As an aside, it seems that most if not all of the article is devoted to Bruce Willis. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  20:05, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
 * Lol try reading the other pages next time. --90.206.33.140 (talk) 16:47, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Toupee or not toupee - Redux
Okay, I have found a citable reference to Shatner's use of a toupee. The following quote comes from Inside Star Trek: the Real Story, by Herb Solow and Bob Justman (p.341-42), from Justman himself:


 * "My gaze shifted to (Shatner's) hairline. Examin ing balding actors' hairlines was a habit I'd picked up over the years.
 * The "lace" that anchored the front of his toupee glistened. I made a mental note to tell the makeup man about it before we
 * filmed Shatner again.'
 * "I was tempted to ask Bill if he had ever found the so-called missing hairpiece. But no, discretion was the better part
 * of valor.
 * "We had begun the first season with two new toupees for Bill because his own "personal" ones were too ratty-looking.
 * He would wear one toupee while the other piece was being cleaned in the makeup department. But somehow, one of them
 * disappeared during the hiatus between seasons. Each hairpiece cost $200, a princely sum in those days. So we expected
 * to get our moneys' worth out of them.
 * "We had always planned to have two Shatner pieces at the start of each season, and we expected to have the same two
 * when the season ended. Somehow, there was only one left when Fred Philllips, our makeup man, took inventory after
 * the last episode was filmed.
 * "The hairpieces were for Bill; he was the only one who could wear them..."

The anecdote goes on to note how actors usually keep a prop or two, and that Shatner kept the toupees. I think we now have our citable information. Thoughts? - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  22:36, 6 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Well, IMO, this is citable (indeed, in the archived discussion of this, this is the very quote I mentioned, although I didn't have the specific cite at the time).  umrguy 42  04:24, 8 February 2009 (UTC)

Musician?
Since he doesn't seem to play any instruments shouldn't he be described as a "vocalist" rather than anything else - Not sure his voiceovers to music could be described as "singing"....not this side of the galaxy at least...Rrose Selavy (talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 00:15, 12 February 2009 (UTC).
 * Steady, now. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  21:23, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

Categories
Why is this Talk Page currently categorised under various "Pornography" categories? Is this some kind of joke or am I missng something?Rrose Selavy (talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 10:13, 13 February 2009 (UTC).
 * Probably because he did a photo shoot for Playboy in 2004. Also, please sign your comments on talk pages by adding ~ after the comment. Thanks! Frank  |  talk  11:15, 13 February 2009 (UTC)
 * I did sign my comment. Same as ths one. Rrose Selavy (talk) —Preceding undated comment was added at 17:32, 13 February 2009 (UTC).
 * I see that...User:SineBot was adding the date. Frank  |  talk  17:37, 13 February 2009 (UTC)
 * Oh I se now I need four not three tildes for the date. Rrose Selavy (talk) 20:30, 13 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Er, was he actually nude in playboy? If not, I am not sure how we can add this article to the Porn project, as Playboy could barely be classified as such. Now if he were in some freaky-deaky shoot in Hustler, I wouldn't be surprised at the classification. Are we really being this prudish? - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  23:00, 21 February 2009 (UTC)

Hollywood Charity Horse Show
Although its just a once a year event, for 19 years he's put on a charity horse show in Hollywood, yet all this bio has is: "He plays for the Wells Fargo Hollywood Charity Horse Show." - which is not even correct - at the very least he is the host, at the very most he founded this endevour. Anyone have more info or sources? sherpajohn (talk) 18:57, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Not sure about this one
In the recent Family Guy episode Not All Dogs go to Heaven, Peter is revealed to have been kicked out of a the previous year's annual Trek convention for asking "in the episode where you drown your wife, why are you fat?"

despite that particular Family Guy moment being in poor taste, should that be mentioned in the popular culture section or some place or what? Yami (talk) 23:48, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

Award-winning
A little back and forth on this shows the term 'award-winning' being clipped from the Lede, first as non-notable and then as peacocking. In actuality, both arguments are incorrect. Stating an obvious and clearly neutral fact is neither non-notable, nor is it peacocking. Indeed, we note in FA-quality articles the awards other entertainers have achieved all the time (Eric Bana, Joseph Barbera, Rudolph Cartier and Bette Davis, etc.), so I am wondering what's the prob? - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  02:07, 6 April 2009 (UTC)


 * For Shatner, I think "award winning" in the opening sentence may in fact be a bit of peacocking. He's not famous because he won awards, and, similarly, the awards didn't really substantiate his fame. Looking at the opening paragraph, it looks to me like there's almost TOO much info there - I would argue it should be boiled down in essence to "William Shatner is a Canadian actor and author best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise. He is also known for his portrayal of Denny Crane in the series Boston Legal (for which he won Emmy awards), TJ Hooker in the series of the same name, (and maybe the bit about Rescue 911). He has also written several series of books, including the TekWar series, which was adapted for TV." blah blah blah blabbity cakes. Basically, like I said, he's famous cuz he's Captain Kirk, and no subsequent Emmy awards, or any other awards, add further notability than that (if that makes sense). I would say, compare this with, oh, the guys who wrote Brokeback Mountain - they're notable for writing it, and the Oscar kind of "cements" that notability, and thus, for whom "award winning" wouldn't be as much of a peacock term. Anyway, that's my thoughts, if that makes any sense.  umrguy 42  02:08, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Please read the link I put in my edit Avoid_peacock_terms, you will see this:

"Words and phrases to watch for

Deciding whether a particular wording is suitable on any given occasion is a matter of common sense and good editorial judgment. However, oft-abused words include:"

and then a list which contains: "award‑winning". Its not an "argument", its not a matter of semantics, it what the people who have written the manuals of style have agreed on. I had someone point it out to me, and when I countered with many examples where someshinything award-winning was in the lead sentance, to which they said to the effect that it only meant more work to do to clean articles up. To my thinking its not even that one way is right or wrong, but there needs to be consistancy, and the concensus on anything vaguely peacocky in the lead sentance is not permitted. I agree with Umrguy who sunms it up well - its not the awards that make him notable, or even more famous.sherpajohn (talk) 02:39, 6 April 2009 (UTC)


 * I see both your points, and suggest that the Lede can be written to be more in keeping with the FA examples I noted earlier. While I think you missed the idea that oft-abused terms are not equivalent with always-abused terms, I get your point. So long as the Lede does address the fact that he has won awards for his acting, I have no problem with reworking the Lede. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  12:11, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Indeed. I would reiterate that I think "award-winning" doesn't belong in the first sentence. But the first couple paragraphs of the opening (the whole lede section), absolutely mention the awards. I may take a stab at a re-write (which I'll post here first) later on this evening.  umrguy 42  22:34, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
 * Hmm. Looking at it, I would suggest (besides removing the "award-winning" part), if somebody can maybe figure a way to condense the Star Trek info. Otherwise, I'd say it doesn't look too bad - although the TekWar info reads as slightly out-of-place where it is right now - maybe that can be moved to another paragraph, or at least a sentence or two mentioning that he's written several other science fiction book series (TekWar, Man O' War, there's another one I've seen, don't know the name of)...  umrguy 42  23:08, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
 * I'll keep an eye out for it (eww!). :) - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  23:11, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

Awards and mentions of them most definitely do belong in the lead paragraph but not in the lead sentence. If you'll notice in the list of FAs presented earlier in this section, none of the articles' lead sentences contain the phrase "award winning" or "award nominated". Big Bird (talk • contribs) 14:04, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

I have to question how Roger Corman's 'The Intruder' is defined in this article as an award winning film. There are no awards or nominations listed for this film on IMDB, and no accompanying reference to the claim within this article. There is no mention of any award at all on the film's own page. 174.17.49.143 (talk) 14:44, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Appearance on Saturday Night Live
One of Shatner's most memorable (and funniest) TV appearances was on Saturday Night Live, where he portrays himself appearing at a Star Trek convention and telling the attendees: "Get a life! It's just a TV show!" Shouldn't this incident be listed in the "popular culture" section? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.93.17.168 (talk) 02:49, 27 April 2009 (UTC)

"Kirk is dead, long live Shatner"?
I noticed that one of the sections is titled this. It doesn't seem encyclopedic at all, and I think it should be changed, but first it needs to be asked, is that phrase some sort of famous reference or quote? If it is, then of course it should be left as is.bob bobato (talk) 00:25, 8 May 2009 (UTC)

Photo
Isn't there a better photo we can use? This one does nothing to capture his red and bloated appearance. 92.23.213.83 (talk) 10:55, 11 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Yeah, that indicates the level of neutrality the article needs. You may go away now. - Arcayne   (cast a spell)  15:25, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Inter racial Kiss
In the TV show "Bring back star trek" there was an interview with Nichelle Nichols and she said that the kiss was meant to be between her and Leonard Nimoy but when shatner saw the script he said that he should do it, when the kiss happened the director was un-nerved by it and made them shoot it again when they only embrace, he was so happy that he didnt notice that shatner stared into the camera cross eyes ruining the take. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.68.122.109 (talk) 21:05, 27 May 2009 (UTC)

Why is there so much Star Trek stuff in his works listed? It's not like he was on the show or anything! —Preceding unsigned comment added by BrokenEye3 (talk • contribs) 17:14, 17 July 2009 (UTC)

"in pop culture" section
The pop culture section has vast amounts of trivial information and has been tagged as such. I would like some assistance in weeding the trivial parts out, anyone care to help? Much of it isn't sourced either. Ejfetters (talk) 05:49, 21 August 2009 (UTC)

padlocked
Is there really so much vandalism so as to require padlocking this article? Editing locks should be used most sparingly and generally run counter to the tenents of Wikipedia.--75.4.204.137 (talk) 07:17, 25 January 2010 (UTC)


 * Given the high incidence of nonsense edits and vandalism that have appeared in the article lately, the protection is warranted.THD3 (talk) 15:37, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

Shatner's Raw Nerve
This show needs to be included in his television career list; I also think it warrants mentioning in the Subsequent Career category. It's a fantastic show and he's had some very interesting guests. (If you're not familiar, it's on the Biography channel.) VooLaLa (talk) 08:40, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Different name?
I just watched William Shatner, who spoke during the closing ceremonies for the Vancouver Olympics. He recited his full name - if I heard it correctly - as Brian William Shatner. If this is the case, then this needs to be researched to determine whether I heard his full name correctly or whether the one in this article stands as his legal name.  →   Lwalt ♦ talk 03:12, 1 March 2010 (UTC)

Twice Columbo Murderer
I would like to add that Shatner twice (at least) have played the murderer in Columbo with Peter Falk. Also he appeared in a rather funny Western-series in the mif 1970's. Do not remember what it was called, but it came soon after "Alias Smith & Jones". I'm from Sweden and do not know airdates or broadcasting companies. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.249.32.230 (talk) 16:18, 1 March 2010 (UTC)
 * The show you're thinking of was 'Barbary Coast' (wikipage - Barbary Coast (TV series)) with Doug McClure, and it aired at the time you say. It was on ABC televison in 1975-76 and yes, it was very much like 'Alias Smith and Jones'. 76.172.11.202 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 14:31, 28 March 2010 (UTC).

Vegetarian?
WS is listed as a vegetarian but I could not find much information about this, or his view of the subject. How long was he vegetarian? Does anyone have a source(s) with more info on this? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.130.111.78 (talk) 14:15, 3 March 2010 (UTC)


 * I recall seeing an interview (I think on Trekmovie.com) where Shatner stated he was a vegetarian in the late 1970s (when he lost weight for the first Trek film) but is no longer a vegetarian.THD3 (talk) 14:42, 3 March 2010 (UTC)


 * William Shatner did a documentary on vegetarianism called "The Vegetarian World" in 1982, but he's not a vegetarian anymore. On his youtube channel, there are a few videos with him cooking meat. Not sure what year he quit, but he's definitely not anymore.

Video links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuiuG69wq_o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA_suy0jpaM

Funny contrast huh? Asnav (talk) 04:15, 5 March 2010 (UTC)

Ukrainian Ancestry
This article does not mention that his grandfather, Wolf Shatner, was Ukrainian.70.31.137.42 (talk) 06:58, 6 March 2010 (UTC)

Spokesman
Shatner has been a prolific spokesman for a number of companies going way back to Promise Margarine in his early career all the way to Priceline.com. We should list these in chronological order with dates and details. JettaMann (talk) 19:25, 24 March 2010 (UTC)
 * Any objections or comments to this idea? I'm going to start a new section if I don't hear otherwise. JettaMann (talk) 17:56, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Esperanto
He spoke Esperanto. He played a leading role in Incubus one of the only movies ever made in that language. 76.172.11.202 (talk) 15:30, 15 April 2010 (UTC)

"Dubious" Marker under "In popular culture"
I was reading this article when I came across this sentence: "Poking fun at himself[dubious – discuss], Shatner professed when interviewed to have no idea whom Allen was parodying.[56]". I came to the Discussion page and see nothing here in reference to this marker. Does anyone know why this was marked as "dubious" and why there is no discussion on it? User:texasrebelaggie —Preceding unsigned comment added by 97.26.129.94 (talk) 15:40, 10 May 2010 (UTC)

Allergies?
In recent photos his eyes are red and watering. Does he have allergies? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.165.32.131 (talk) 22:33, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
 * This is a page for discussing the content of the article, not the subject of the article. I daresay you can find a discussion forum somewhere online to talk about William Shatner's theoretical allergies. Aawood (talk) 11:54, 11 May 2010 (UTC)

a true CANADIAN such as myself keep it up
To a gloried mann - a true CANADIAN Ek  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.67.130.73 (talk) 04:35, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

Movies
He also co-starred with Sandra Bullock in "Miss Congeniality" —Preceding unsigned comment added by 159.230.99.92 (talk) 16:39, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Miss Congeniality and Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous are already included in his Film section in this article. GoingBatty (talk) 17:10, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

Atheism/agnosticism
I don't know if he is agnostic or atheist(AFAIK he is an atheist), but why it hasn't been mentioned in the article? http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blogs/entry/captain_kirk_is_godless/ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.164.17.75 (talk) 21:10, 26 August 2010 (UTC)
 * That interview was half a century ago. He now calls himself a Believer though I have no online source.; 72.209.63.226 (talk) 17:58, 7 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Here ya go; http://www.avclub.com/articles/is-there-a-god,1413/, last question on the list. However, it is uncertain how serious he was in the interview (considering the fact the Onion did the interview), or what Shatner considers himself (that interview still leaves a lot of 'wiggle room'). Therefore, nothing should be said in the article regarding his religious beliefs because of the uncertainty surrounding the topic. 99.50.186.94 (talk) 06:04, 1 November 2010 (UTC)

GG
I'm surprised of the lack of mention about the fact that he was the preferred person by Canadians to replace Michaelle Jean as governor-general - that was according to a national poll (cannot remember who commissioned it though). Maybe just a brief mention would be sufficient though as that fever was only brief when the PM had its own nomination. JForget 16:10, 28 August 2010 (UTC)

You may be on to something here, JForget. William Shatner has be picked as the next "King of Canada" by readers of The Atlantic magazine. (Source: Interview with the monarch-to-be) I think the Michaëlle Jean thing and this certainly point to his popularity in Canada, particularly related to government (though not politics). Given the quality of the article, this may be a bit trivial, but I think it could be tastefully included. — Senator2029 (talk) 09:05, 25 July 2011 (UTC)

Inconsistency between sources
The William Shatner wiki page describes him selling his kidney stone for $75,000 to GoldenPalace.com, and cites the Official William Shatner page, which seems legit.

On the other hand, the GoldenPalace.com wiki page states it was bought for $25,000, and cites this fox news article, which is quoted as saying: "An online casino has a piece of Capt. Kirk Actor William Shatner has sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity, it was announced Tuesday. Shatner reached agreement Monday to sell the stone to GoldenPalace.com."

Just something I noticed that should get sorted out in the future.   Fyyer   22:52, 29 August 2010 (UTC)

Just a note, according to Shatner himself in the How Time Flies tour he did in Canada in the fall of 2011, he sold his kidney stone for $75,000, with the cast of Boston Legal pitching in an extra $25,000. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.246.223.146 (talk) 09:29, 6 November 2011 (UTC)

Airplane 2
Shatner was also in this. <span style="font-family:Arial,serif;border:1px solid Black;"> Smokey TheCat  18:10, 5 November 2010 (UTC)
 * Airplane II: The Sequel is already listed in the Film section. GoingBatty (talk) 02:41, 6 November 2010 (UTC)

The Intruder
Roger Corman's The Intruder is referred to in the text as "award-winning". Really? And if so, which awards? It seems to be critically respected (at least moreso than most Corman films) but I question it being "award-winning". 75.201.81.213 (talk) 04:40, 8 February 2011 (UTC)
 * There's no mention of any awards on The Intruder (1962 film), so I removed "award-winning" from this article. GoingBatty (talk) 17:46, 9 February 2011 (UTC)

Main Image
Could we replace the current main image with an image of William Shatner as Captain Kirk? It would define him better than the current image, as he is famed for the role in Star Trek. Bulldog73 (talk) 22:13, 13 February 2011 (UTC)
 * If after Kirk he had faded into oblivion, I would agree with you. However, while he may be best known for Kirk, he certainly has enjoyed popular and critical acclaim for his post-Trek career.  GoingBatty (talk) 23:29, 13 February 2011 (UTC)


 * I agree with the opinion of GoingBatty. The general purpose head shot currently being used is appropriate. Senator2029 (talk) 06:45, 29 June 2011 (UTC)


 * I also agree with GoingBatty and Senator2029. The current image of Shatner as himself is appropriate.  Captain Kirk is but one of many roles he portrayed, even if it's the role Shatner is best known for.  The main image of this article should no more be Captain Kirk than the main image of the Christopher Reeve article should be Superman.THD3 (talk) 12:25, 29 June 2011 (UTC)

Agree with Buldog73, his major film and tv character is more appropriate than a candid snapshot of him at a comic book convention. His most recognized notable role is Capt. Kirk, and per lead he is an "actor, musician, recording artist, author, and film director." This kind of obvious rationale doesn't rest on rocket science.


 * While you're all deliberating, does anyone else besides me prefer a sharper Capt. Kirk image, instead of the fuzzy one that We Hope prefers (see image Talk). --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 23:18, 18 August 2012 (UTC)

The lead is supposed to have the most recent photo of the subject, if they are living. After death you can revert to Kirk. Span (talk) 10:56, 19 August 2012 (UTC)
 * While I agree that a recent photo is more appropriate, is this a policy or guideline that is posted somewhere? GoingBatty (talk) 03:30, 22 August 2012 (UTC)


 * A recent photo is appropriate when the person is in the news, not for a biography. There is no guideline or even recommendation I've ever seen about a recent photo being the preferred one. I do remember somewhere that an image which supports their notability was the most logical, which makes the most sense. Pick up any biography or autobiography book about almost any famous person and you'll usually see an image on the cover matching their prime career years, including Shatner. Here's one of Phyllis Diller who died yesterday at the age of 95. Browse the book covers for bios of Elizabeth Taylor and you'll only find career images 50 - 60 years ago. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 03:46, 22 August 2012 (UTC)


 * Seems appropriate for a book called Star Trek Memories to feature a picture of Shatner as Captain Kirk. However, Up Till Now and Shatner Rules have more recent pictures.  GoingBatty (talk) 05:30, 22 August 2012 (UTC)


 * I guess autobiographies or recent books by a person about a subject would have a recent photo. But for a biography article relying so heavily on his notability from his Star Trek role, his Capt. Kirk image is logical. A candid photo from 2012 would fit better in a later body section. --Wikiwatcher1 (talk) 16:48, 22 August 2012 (UTC)

Category:American actors of Hungarian descent, etc. etc.
If Shatner is an American, the article does not appear to say so. Varlaam (talk) 23:59, 11 March 2011 (UTC)
 * I removed all of the "American" categories, and modified one of the "Canadian" categories. GoingBatty (talk) 18:27, 12 March 2011 (UTC)

That's because he's not American, he's Canadian. Canada is a country located North of the United States, with it's own separate government.

69.171.160.200 (talk) 20:03, 17 September 2011 (UTC)


 * I just finished reading Shatner Rules. He confirms he is a Canadian and has not taken American citizenship. Shatner further states he has a green card and has to periodically complete a form to confirm he is working in the United States. Maybe that's why he keeps busy!THD3 (talk) 14:45, 14 October 2011 (UTC)

Interview on CBC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmO7HPV55k0 Ottawahitech (talk) 20:05, 8 November 2011 (UTC)

Way of speaking
Does anyone have any information regarding his unique, and oft parodied, way of speaking? AmericanLeMans (talk) 20:11, 27 November 2011 (UTC)
 * What...areyoutryingtosay? I guess we should have something on this. I'll see what I can find. Anyone else? - Sum mer PhD  (talk) 03:42, 28 November 2011 (UTC)
 * This looks pretty good to me. - Sum mer PhD  (talk) 03:48, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

Belle Reve
The article states "Belle Reve (Canadian French for “Beautiful Dream”)" -- that is incorrect. French (Canadian or otherwise) for "beautiful dream" is "BEAU reve", so the statement above is technically wrong. See http://www.newliteraryhistory.com/tennesseewilliams.html for the most likely origin of the "Belle Reve" denomination. So either the farm was named with a clear reference to Tennessee Williams in mind (or some other derived reference), or made a simple Agreement_(linguistics) mistake (again, probably because of the Tennessee Williams work or some derived reference.) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vromascanu (talk • contribs) 20:28, 1 February 2012 (UTC)

Protection
The article may require some protection temporarily. There's a rumor about his death, and I don't know if it'd true.Vampromero (talk) 02:35, 31 July 2012 (UTC)

Full name: William Shatner
Per the man himself: https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/statuses/263049957538414594 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.38.237.171 (talk) 22:56, 29 October 2012 (UTC)

Shatner's Ethnic Origins
It states in the very first sentence of the Wikipedia entry that "William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a French-Canadian", which is erroneous. William Shatner has no French-Canadian geneology and, as it states - with footnotes to references (as opposes to the erroneous statement) - in the Early Life and Education section, "All of Shatner's grandparents were Jewish immigrants (from Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine),[5][6] and Shatner was raised in Conservative Judaism.[7]"

So much of the history of Montreal, like New York, is rich because of its immigration history. Shatner's family came over during a great migration to the Eastern Seaboard from Eastern Europe, which included massive amounts of Jews escaping the prosecution and brutal laws against them in their "home" countries, many from what is now the Ukraine, most from what was then known as "the Pale of Settlement", an area Catherine the Great designated all Jews had to live in.

He has no connection to French-Canadians and this should be removed, especially because, as stated in the Early Life and Education section, "Shatner has said that he faced anti-semitism while growing up in Montréal.[12]", much of which was systemic and institutionalized during the years he was growing up in Canada in general and Quebec specifically (http://www.vigile.net/Quebec-Anti-Semitism-and-Anti; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universities_and_antisemitism) and he likely experienced prejudice at the hands of French-Canadians.

75.159.188.239 (talk) 01:57, 26 December 2012 (UTC)
 * You are correct that William Shatner is not "French Canadian." This incorrect information was added less than two days ago. I have now reverted the change.  Neutron (talk) 02:48, 26 December 2012 (UTC)

Bill Shatner's 70's movies
Reading the main article, it made a generally disparaging comment concerning Bill's movies, being the quality of them, during this time. Yet, a number have been praised as rather interesting; I happened to watch one concerning terrorism on a train, and thought it to be engrossing (I have yet to find the title). Another film in this time period was "The Kidnapping of the President." with Hal Holbrook. I think a further, and balanced, effort should be made to analyze Mr. Shatner's efforts in this troubling decade. (John G. Lewis (talk) 06:38, 17 June 2013 (UTC)) (John G. Lewis (talk) 16:49, 17 June 2013 (UTC))

"William Shatner ... is a Canadian-American actor"
No. He was recently interviewed on BBC television at a Star Trek conference in London. The interviewer exclaimed that he had never seen so many British fans out to see an American star; he responded that he isn't American but Canadian. As to the scene in the Star Trek television series with him kissing Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) the interviewer expressed surprise at that scene for Shatner in the 1960s; he responded that he's Canadian so it wasn't anything difficult for him. He is candid about his country's shortcomings but insistent that it is indeed his -- indeed, has made several extended appearances discussing his country's pros and cons but overall his pride in it -- so it's not only inaccurate but inappropriate to describe him as "Canadian-American." Masalai (talk) 05:23, 16 August 2013 (UTC)


 * I agree, and will change it to Canadian. 1) WP:MOS clearly states that article opening paragraph should have the subject's nationality at the time the subject became notable, and although one can quibble with when Shatner became notable, he has never taken American citizenship, so the point is moot; 2) Shatner discussed his continuing need for a Green Card to remain in the United States;  3) Shatner has never, to the best of my knowledge, raised the possibility of taking citizenship.THD3 (talk) 12:15, 16 August 2013 (UTC)

Career pinnacle
I think the article should state in the very beginning that he attained the rank of Admiral in StarFleet Command. He is also considered an expert on pizza and has had more than 1000 slices in his day. 172.129.23.188 (talk) 14:32, 16 August 2013 (UTC)BG

News Flash
William Shatner has agreed to wear his StarFleet uniform and sing with Miley Cyrus on her next TV appearance. More details to be announced soon. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.162.67.222 (talk) 04:04, 28 August 2013 (UTC)

Lead image
The Captain Kirk image strikes me as much better in quality and most importantly, it's relevant to his notability. The candid at a collector's show seems totally out of place, except maybe in the personal life section. Support? --Light show (talk) 05:31, 15 September 2013 (UTC)


 * Captain Kirk is merely one of many characters that Shatner has portrayed, although it may be the most notable. I like [| this photo] best.THD3 (talk) 19:59, 15 September 2013 (UTC)

Judgement at Nuremberg
Am I missing it? Is this not a major credit worthy of inclusion? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.81.27.207 (talk) 02:32, 9 February 2014 (UTC)


 * It's in the Works by William Shatner article, linked from this one. --Light show (talk) 04:49, 9 February 2014 (UTC)

Shatner's willingness to take any role, no matter how "forgettable," likely hurt his career.[
I don't know if that is fair to say about his taking "any role." It's true he did take many horror and science-fiction roles. But back in the late 50s and throughout the 60s, even into the 80s, it was considered déclassé for actors to do episodic TV. Almost poison for movie actors. Agents certainly discouraged it if they thought their clients could get big screen work. I think it did hurt Shatner's career to do episodic television almost exclusively during that time period (except, of course, for the Star Trek movies, which typecast him, hurting his long-term career in a different way). Now, if not the opposite situation, it is at least a two-way street to be able to jump back and forth between the big screen and the small screen. Of course this may have a lot to do with it: big-screen work now always ends up on the small screen.

If you look at the Outer Limits episode "Cold Hands, Warm Heart," you may be startled to see how alike the role is to his Star Trek role. The leadership. The dialogue. The terminology, even. Vulcan?! No wonder I was confused as a kid ST fan thinking being from Venus meant you were Vulcan.

SPOILER ALERT THRILLER S.1 E.37 "The Grim Reaper" — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jedgould (talk • contribs) 10:48, 21 April 2014 (UTC)

PS: If you have not seen it already, the "Thriller," episode --- "The Grim Reaper," written by Robert Bloch, featuring Shatner --- is a must see. That last two minutes is really somethin' special. Not many actors can carry the weight of an off-screen boogie man.

Shatner has a fear of flying
Could it please be added that William Shatner has a fear of flying? Yes, the very same William Shatner who played Captain James Tiberius Kirk on Star Trek and the man from the Twilight Zone episode "Nightmare At 20,000 Feet". I guess his fear of flying really helped sell it, too. Apparently, Shatner's own fear of flying is so great that he once turned down an invitation by Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson to travel aboard the VSS Enterprise into space, stating his fear of airline travel, and wouldn't go unless Branson paid him first. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.87.50.60 (talk) 21:03, 4 July 2014 (UTC)


 * First, you'll have to provide third-party reliable source(s) before any inclusion.  Mlpearc  ( open channel ) 21:13, 4 July 2014 (UTC)