Happy Birthday William Shatner March 22, 2007
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Shatner , trackbackToday is William Shatner’s 76th birthday. He has had some very good years…
Shat & Nimoy Convention news
Creation have announced today that Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (who has a bday next week) will attend 3 conventions this year (Minneapolis May 4 through 6, Cherry Hill, N.J., July 20 through 22 and Las Vegas Aug. 9 through 12).
50 Years on Television
William Shatner was recently inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. Click the image below to see the retrospective film the TV Academy showed at the ceremony
(launches YouTube ins new window…video is not embeddable)
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Bill Shatner. From a lifelong fan… and occasional impersonator.
Daren
I want to be William Shatner when I grow up… if I ever do.
Happy Birthday, Bill. Many more!
Hey Bill, you sure you don’t have some painting up in your attic that’s getting older as we speak?
The more I see clips of a younger Shatner (i.e. in the second YouTube vid, with splices out of the Twilight Zone eps) I can see where Matt Damon could come up with some resembling facial mannerisms.
Damon can do the bulgy-eyed, curled lip freneticism in his sleep.
Wow, Anthony! You found the long-lost video that Starfleet shows to all Deltan applicants as a part of their “You’re Too Horny for the Humans, Now Take Your Oath of Celibacy” campaign! Outstanding!
In all seriousness, Happy Birthday to the Shat!
Rob+
Happy Birthday William Shatner — Matt Damon wishes he can be as good looking as you were “back in the day”.
Hard to believe he is almost 80!
Where did all the time go?
I feel old.
Happy Birthday to William Shatner AKA Captain Kirk!
Shatner brought an energy to that show. Amazing he seems to retain much of that energy now, despite his advanced years.
This is why I come to this site. I get my trek news in on place plus I get to laugh my ass off! THANKS Anthony
It’s cool, man!! :-) Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday Bill. I hope you continue to live long and prosper :)
Shatner is Star Trek.
Awesome. Classic Shatner and I love it. What a career he’s had…ya have to admit the man’s versatile, doing TV, film, music, and voice-over.
My favorite Kirk moment of all time is still the TOS sequence where he’s in the knock-down fight with old Academy rival Finnegan. Can’t remember the episode name, it’s the one where they’re about to go on shore leave on a planet that can manufacture their fantasies. That fight scene’s hilarious, I love how Finnegan keeps mocking him yet ultimate gets the crap kicked outta him as only Kirk can deliver :)
…and then Spock walks up and ask, “Did you enjoy it, Captain?” Bahaha…
Finnegan should be played by Colin Farrell.
Happy Birthday Captain Kirk
I love this video check it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eISBTBwWKeE&mode=related&search=
Bill was quite a handsome man in his early years. I wonder what year this video clip was from?
Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to me that the Shat may have invented a new art form. He’s the only guy I know that talks thru popular songs, reinterpreting the lyrics in such a distinctly original way. It’s almost like he’s reading a poem with music added.
Like it or hate it…it’s definately different!
Mike :o
……. Oh……my…….
“How do you do a spoken-word version of a rap song?”
“He found a way.”
I’ve read interviews over the years where Shatner INSISTS he never took drugs. And then you see his spoken-word material and know the man must be lying.
Happy Birthday, Shatner. You… ARE aprinceamongmen!
He’s sporting a wig here I’ve never seen – clearly pre the TJ Hooker curly top and even its precursor style in Kingdom of the Spiders. Darker than the Trek toupees, but in a similar wavy natural style, though the seam on his forehead at camera right is a little obvious.
My ears! My eyes!! My precious ears and eyes!!!
I’m am sure the Shat was not on drugs when he did this. But watching it I felt like I had ingested something!
Happy BD big guy!
Shatner, you’re the man now dog.
I don’t care if the Shat was on drugs when he performed this, I only know I feel like rolling a “fat one” after watching it! Not because his performance puts me in a mellow mood, but because watching him contort his face like THAT makes me want to liquify my brain and forget I saw it! Ouch!!
Wait, even better! If terrorists are captured and need to be tortured, and you showed them THIS over and over again on a repeat loop, how long would it take before they would crack? How long would YOU be able to hold out?? Bahahahahaha…..
The Shat is proof positive that if you can’t BEAT your critics– just OUTLIVE ‘em!
Happy Birthday to the man who personified the greatest adventure hero in TV history!
Yeah thats the good stuff lol. Hes so charismatic. A couple of days ago I saw a clip on the Match game and Circus of the Stars . I rarely have seen somebody who is so multi-talented. Thats why hes the Shat!
^ #17
Richard Harris did that in all his musicals and movies such as “My Fair Lady” and “Camelot”, “Why Can’t Women Be More Like Men” as a famous example.
Based on the looks of Shat’s outfit, I’d bet money this was done during Trek’s live run. He still appears aquite young, mid-thirties [I write this as I contemplate my own "very good years" at 42 years... children are the answer Bill (and Frank)]
Shatner is a legend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Happy Birthday! A toast to the Shat!
..and a great song “spoken” by the Shat, for his critics…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdBlZzuadLQ
29 – I think that was Richard Harris doing his impression or Rex Harrison.
:) Hooray for Shatner! :)
:) You da man! :)
re: 21- I think he did this performance during the Star Trek years. It’s a guess of course, but based on some clues. My guess is late 1968 or early 1969. His hair looks a lot like the Trek one and his side burns looks like 3rd season.
And Happy Birthday!
Aha, my curiousity got me looking. It was February 1969 on The Mike Douglas Show. This link is to the Mike Douglas website. The video is a little clearer and bigger. Almost looks like he’s got a blue shirt on top of his Star Trek costume.
http://www.themikedouglasshow.com/multimedia.htm
James T. Kirk: Dr., I assure you I am just what I appear to be, a simple tailor trying to sell his wares…
Dr. Bashir: Yeah, tell it to Gul Garak of the Cardassian warship Enterprise…
Since it’s the Shat’s birthday I’ll share a quick story of how I met him back in early 1974. I was an usher at the Uptown Theatre Multiplex in downtown Toronto and one Monday evening I was standing duty outside the doors to the cinema showing Don’t Look Now starring Donald Sutherland. The movie was ending and I locked the doors open to let the patrons out. The movie was sparsely attended that evening and who comes walking out but William Shatner and his wife (at the time) Marcy Lafferty. He asked me where the ladies restroom was and I directed them up the stairs next to us (while trying not to swallow my tongue, being a huge Trekkie even then). He thanked me and as they turned to ascend the stairs I, of course, abandoned my station and walked up the stairs behind them. Marcy went into the restroom and Shatner stood at the top of the stairs waiting for her. I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity, so I walked over and engaged the Shat in conversation. He said they had enjoyed the film they had just attended and asked me how Don’t Look Now was doing in popularity with the audiences. I pointed out that it wasn’t doing as well as our other film, American Grafitti, which had been packing them in for months. He wrinkled his nose and said, “Oh, really? My wife saw that…she didn’t like it very much”. Now, here’s the interesting part; I would guess most Trekkies would acquiesce at this point and demurely nod in agreement with one of their favorite actors, but, no, not me (lol). Being an avid film buff and comfortable with my opinions, I raised one eyebrow (a la Spock) and smiling replied, “Well, she’s in the minority. Everybody loves the movie and personally, I think with Don’t Look Now, in regard to the direction, they must have gotten the reels mixed up!” Shatner just looked at me and smiled! We chatted for at least ten minutes (Lafferty took forever in the restroom and I loved her for it!), but I made a conscious effort not to bring up Star Trek as I figured he must be sick of being asked about it (and this was in 1974! Stupid me!). Marcy finally emerged from the bathroom, and we wrapped up our conversation, with the two of them holding hands as they exited the theatre. I met him a few more times over the years, but this is the occasion where I had the most extended time in talking with him. He was pleasant, charismatic and everything you would hope to experience in meeting a famous person. Long live the Shat!
P.S. if he was enamored with the Director’s technique of Don’t Look Now, it would go a long way to explaining his approach on Star Trek V when he was in the Director’s chair!!
Be sure to check out the documentary about the Shat’s career. He is a remarkable man, an accomplished actor, acting in LIVE TV PLAYS during the “Golden Era” of television, back in the 50s.
Those old live TV plays put most of what is on the tube today to shame.
Looking at the early TV performances from the Shat, I think Matt Damon playing a young Kirk is a pretty reasonable idea. The resemblance is there.
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner, thanks for entertaining us all of these years. God Bless!
Forgot to mention, thanks Mr. Shatner for the inspirational climax of Star Trek V. At least for me, some of the most awe-inspiring moments I’ve ever seen in cinema were arriving at ShaKaRee and the depiction of the Supreme Supreme Being.
Thanks again! Happy Birthday!
#40
Are you referring to when Kirk ponders “maybe God’s not out there Bones, maybe he’s right here,” while pointing to himself heh heh heh.
Now I know where James Gandolfini gets his inspiration. Happy Birthday William Shatner!
Here’s to another successful 76 years, Mr. Shatner. Happy birthday!
#41: I am not a religous man, but that scene got to me as a kid. Captain Kirk pointing to his heart and suggesting that God lives inside us all… so touching and inspiring and… oh wait… where you implying that he meant that HE was God? Well, there might be some truth to that too… :)
God wears a “rug”?
happy birthday again soon Bill Shatner!
i share the same birthday too.
march 22 2009 is right around the corner.