Happy Birthday, William Shatner March 22, 2012
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: Celebrity,Shatner , trackback
Today is William Shatner Day. A day when people the world over celebrate the birthday of a man who has been entertaining us from decades, including his time as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk. Bill turns 81 years old today and so we too at TrekMovie want to wish him a big happy birthday.
Happy Birthday to Our Captain
After Gene Roddenberry’s first pilot for Star Trek ("The Cage") was rejected he decided to try again. The biggest difference for the second pilot (“Where No Man Has Gone Before”) was a change in the Captain’s chair, with William Shatner coming aboard to star as Kirk. The second pilot worked, NBC picked up the show, and the franchise is still going more than 46 years later. So today we remember Bill, and the role that he turned into a cultural icon. This tribute video by filmakr1 gives us a nice history of Kirk’s original five year mission.
Of course Star Trek is just part of Bill’s life. TrekMovie’s resident Shatnerologist John Tenuto has put together a special photo montage of Bill’s life from childhood to today. Check it out.
Trek celebs wish Bill happy bday + help Get Shatner to 1 million followers
So far today we have a few Star Trek celebs who have wished Bill a happy birthday, including Jonathan Frakes, Simon Pegg and LeVar Burton.
And in the last week William Shatner’s wife Liz has been working on to get Bill to a million followers on Twitter. She has almost met the goal, as of now Bill has around 986 thousand followers. You can read more about her plan to "Thrill Bill With A Mil" at his official site.
How are you celebrating William Shatner day?
Don’t forget about Shatner’s World Tour
Bill is currently on the road, touring his show Shatner’s World. Tonight he is in Dallas. He will be visiting Houston, St. Louis, Cincinati, Cleveland, Columbus, Charlotte, and Detroit over the next month. Visit http://shatnersworld.com/tour for more info and tickets. Here is a promo.
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Comments
Happy Birthday, Bill!
Happy birthday, William Shatner! You’re an inspiration to us all!
Happy Birthday to the original and best Captain in all of Star Trek! Peace, good health and long life sir!
Happy Birthday Captain, may your adventures continue with joy
Happy Birthday to the best Star Trek Captain!!
81 years young! Happy Birthday William Shatner!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. SHATNER YOU ARE THE BEST!!!
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shatner!
Actor, author, director, pitchman and singer–Happy birthday to the single most unforgettable performer of our generation.
Warp speed ahead, Bill. Many happy returns.
Happy Birthday Bill Shatner! Live long and prosper.
its also twitters 6 birthday
Happy Birthday Bill!
Happy Birthday William and many years in good health
“Don’t mince words, Bones. What do you really think?’
Happy Birthday, William Shatner!
I get to wish The Shat a Happy Birthday *in person*, tomorrow in Houston. Can’t beat that! :)
Since you’ve already lived long and prospered, I’ll just say Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner.
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner! Thanks for all your great entertainment over the years. With hope of many more to come. :)
Happy Birthday, William Shatner. You are the best – the one to bring me “my captain”. Have a wonderful birthday and may you have many many more!
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shatner. I hope the year ahead is a good one for you!
Gonna go see Shatner tonight in Dallas in his one man show. Maybe tell him Happy Birthday in person. Anybody else going to be there?
Some of those old pics of Shat really do look a lot like Chris Pine.
Happy birthday, Captain!
Happy birthday bill 81 and still a legend !!!!
Happy Birthday. Hope I’m horseback riding at that age, which would be quite a trick seeing that I don’t do it now….
Cheers!!
Im put in mind of the ending of DS9′s Trials and Tribulations… what one of us would not wish ourselves in Ben Siskos shoes to wish our Captain a very happy b-day indeed.
From one Canadian to another, have a Happy Birthday!!! You are the Greatest Captain/Police Officer/ Lawyer/Pitchman/Humanitarian.
Happy Birthday Bill! I can’t believe you’re 81, but you look great for your age! Looking forward to seeing you in more “Psych” episodes!
Happy Birthday!!!…… Mr. Shatner is awesome!!!
My first childhood hero. Happy Birthday!
LLAP, Mr.Shatner.
Bill, all the best on your birthday!
I apologize 100% for any misunderstandings we have had in the past, and hope that we can be friends moving forward.
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner! You are by far, my favorite Captain.
Happy Birthday!!
Many Happy Returns, and thank you for the Captains film, which I greatly enjoyed.
My earliest memories are of Mysteries of the Gods, Kingdom of the Spiders and T J Hooker, along with your most icon role. Long may you continue to inspire future fans with your work.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shatner!!
You’re an inspiration to many.
Regards.
Hippy Bathday!
…..oh my….
Gene Roddenberry was indeed fortunate to have found Mr. Shatner for the Captain. There is no other actor who could have imbued Kirk with such energy and verve as he did. Even though Mr. Nimoy got most of the attention over the years, it was Mr. Shatner who did most of the heavy lifting when it came to keeping what might have been a rather turgid space opera afloat.
One can’t help but smile with fondness and remembrance at the sight of these clips. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Shatner, and a very happy birthday.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shatner!!!
Thanks for everything you have given us by way of your performances!!
You are an inspiration!!
Happy Birthday!
Happy B-Day Captain!
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shatner!!!!
May you have another 81 years ahead of you, Bill!
Ditto!
Happy Birthday Mr Shatner, Oh captain, my captain!
“I feel young.” You feel it, act it, and even look it! Thanks for all the memories and the ones still to come — Happy Birthday, Bill.
Surely, the best of times.
Happy B-Day Mr.Shatner!! :) Thanks for everything!! (Namely Captain Kirk!) :)
Happy birthday!
81 is just like 18, but in the reverse order.
Happy Birthday, Bill! May you continue to boldly go where almost everyone has gone before! Live long and prosper!
Happy birthday, Shat! Surely the best of times!
I nearly shat myself when I found out you were 81! Good onya Bill!
#39 Ah Bob Orci – Hello. I see that JJ man has let you “come up for air”…;) Now don’t disappear on us again just yet. I see on a twitter posted here that you said that you missed us. Aww – that’s nice. Really, it is.
How is our sequel movie coming along? No spoilers, of course. Just need to know that all is well with “my captain” in this film and with the man who plays him now.
Happy Birthday Bill! LLAP
Happy birthday!
Hey Bob Orci,
Is JJ still freaking over the photos? Is that why you’ve been in the doghouse with no news for us?
@31. Mr. Takei, outstanding to have you post here! And on Shat’s birthday at that! Very Cool!
39.
Bob, THIS you show up for??!!
Happy Birthday, Sir! As big an icon as any Beatle.
Happy birthday, Captain Kirk.
Thanks for all you do. Best wishes to you and yours.
No International Talk Like William Shatner day contest?
Well, happy birthday to the original, and forever best, Captain Kirk!
And I really hope that is really George Takei posting. I’d like to believe that, but there’s no way of knowing without Anthony confirming this.
…”No, I’m from Iowa. I only work in outer space.”
Thanks for all the wonderful memories & looking foreward to many more Bill
Happy Birthday from a fan who has watched your iconic role since it’s Wagon Train to the stars launch
“Second star to the right…and straight on ’til morning”
Spock: My father says that you have been my friend. You came back for me.
James T. Kirk: You would have done the same for me.
Spock: Why would you do this?
James T. Kirk: Because the needs of the one… outweigh the needs of the many.
Spock: I have been and ever shall be your friend.
James T. Kirk: Yes. Yes, Spock.
Spock: The ship …. out of danger?
James T. Kirk: You saved the ship. You saved us all. Don’t you remember? Spock: Jim …. your name is Jim.
“Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its 5-year mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” – Captain Kirk, Star Trek
Happy Birthday to the captain. No one could ever be you or ever be like you. In television history they have been some greats, Ethel and Lucy, Ralph and Ed, Fred and Barney, Archie and Meathead, Abbott and Costello and Richie and Fonzie but there will never be one as great as Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Here is to you William Shatner simply the best Happy Birthday.
16. Shatner_Fan_Prime – March 22, 2012
I get to wish The Shat a Happy Birthday *in person*, tomorrow in Houston. Can’t beat that! :)
I beat it. I did it on his birthday in Dallas tonight. Good show. They had a cake for him end of the night. Got a picture of the moment, for what it’s worth. Hard to make out though.
I’ll say this….he sure doesn’t look, move or act like 81.
Happy Birthday William Shatner :):)
APRIL FOOLS (OR March 22 Fools — early!) — that was me posing as Takei. I was expecting more reaction, but I guess it seemed to outlandish that no one bought into it. Please forgive my weird sense of humor. ;-)
67.
Uh, MJ, fair warning……Anthony tends to permaban people who try stunts like that!
You mean I wouldn’t be able to waste an hour of my life each day posting here no longer?
If it was a serious attempt at impersonating somebody, then I would certainly permaban me if I was Anthony. It was sound outlandish that it was pretty much not taken seriously…and that was kind of the point — it was a joke! I mean, can you seriously imagining George apologizing to Shat 100% for being wrong…come on! :-))
Argh, numerous typos above…OK, new rule, no wine for me while posting anymore.
In honor of the Shat’s 81st birthday, I have watched “Airplane 2″ for the first time ever.
“Let’s get to the tower.”
“We have no tower, sir.”
“…no tower?”
“No, sir.”
“Why aren’t I notified about these things?!”
Thank you for everything, Mr. Shatner. May you live even longer and prosper even more. Happy Birthday!
happy birthday from denmark :-)
I began to watch the TOS-movies first, then much later the series, and even today they are still going strong….
Hope mr. shatner gets a nice day with family and friends .
:-)
Happy birthday Sir.
Live long and prosper.
Happy Birthday Bill. Where would us Trekkies be without you? Well…I suppose we would not be Trekkies would we? (!)
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN!!
Happy belated birthday, Bill!!
Hope you had a great 81st Birthday Bill.
Since that GENERATIONS movie merely showed us an ‘alternate’ universe outcome, I hope to show everyone what REALLY happened in the actual ‘prime’ universe before long…
Sorry to be so cryptic for now. ;)
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner, I hope you’re very pleased with yourself. 81 and still vigorous!
Happy Birthday, Bill Shatner! Keep going, playing, being awesome, having success, and talking like only you do! :)
Here’s to the Captain!
Happy Birthday Bill!!! God Bless!!!!
John, thanks for that wonderful photo montage!
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner LLAP
Happy Birthday!
A very Happy Birthday to Mr William Shatner!!!!
Happy birthday William Shatner.
And thank you for your contribution to our entertainment these many years.
Holy shit. 81.
I may have grown up watching TNG as a teenager, but Bill Shatner IS Star Trek. There is only one Capt. Kirk (ok, well two). Hope i live to be 81 and look and feel that good!!!! Live long and prosper, Bill!!!!
Happy Birthday!
MCcoy. Happy Birthday Jim.
Kirk. Romualn Ale. Why Bones you knwo this is illegal.
MCcoy. I got a ship that brings me a case every now and then across the neutrual zone.
Happy Birthday to the Shat. May you live long and prosper.
The best, the one, the only. Best wishes.
Happy (belated) birthday Captain!! Live Long & Prosper! :-)
Spent “Shatner Day” with some friends at the beach.
We saw a pod of dolphins performing mating rituals in the shallows. Too bad they weren’t humpbacked whales…. would’ve been perfect.
;-P
I swear The Shat is on some kind of rejuvenation drug!
Loved George Takei’s shout out to The Shat in honor of his 81st birthday!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=407488782613914&set=a.223098324386295.105971.205344452828349&type=1&theater
#67.
Maybe you should have posted as Leonard Nimoy. Most people are too cynical and skeptical of the idea of “George Takei” apologizing to William Shatner. That would be like expecting Ayatollah Khamanei to apologize to Benjamin Netanyahu!
I have to say – William Shatner was one really good looking dude when he was younger. Is it any wonder I fell for him as Captain Kirk at such a tender age? He ain’t so bad looking now either, given that he is now 81 years old.
Gosh, I love my captain Kirks. Chris Pine represents a younger generation of good looking dudes. What’s not to love?
Don’t know what happend with that link I posted. But check out George Takei’s facebook page! lol
Alan Shore: You know one thing I do love about you?
Denny Crane: Tell me!
Alan Shore: While many people embrace the promise of tomorrow, too few celebrate the joy of now. And nobody does that like Denny Crane.
Denny Crane: Let me tell you something. When you got polar ice caps melting and breaking off into big chunks and you got Osama still hiding in a cave, planning his next attack, when you got other rogue nations with nuclear arsenals, and not to mention some wack-job, home-grown that can cancel you at any second and when you got…mad cow, now gets high priority. And when you’re still on the balcony on a clear night, sipping scotch with your best friend, now is everything.
Alan Shore: Here’s to that.
Denny Crane: Here’s to now.
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0021033/quotes
Happy Birthday, William Shatner. *Raises a glass*. .
I see that in the Trekmovie Twitter column, there is a note that quite a few well known people share William Shatner’s birthday, 22 March. One name did not get mentioned and that is Reese Witherspoon, born 22 March 1976, Harry’s favourite *chin*.
So here goes on Trekmovie: Happy Birthday, Reese Witherspoon. May your chin always be as noticeable and remain as lovely as ever!…:)
Happy Birthday Mr. Shatner!
Thank you for giving us some wonderful memories, a hero to look up to, and for putting a big coat of Shat charm and energy on the hopeful and peaceful message that Star Trek espouses.
Mr. Shatner, you and the original crew are what got me into Sci-Fi all those years ago. Thank You. Happy Birthday and I hope you have many more.
99.
Keachick, the astronauts can see Reese Witherspoon’s chin from outer space!
Saw the Shat last night in Dallas. My thoughts on his show: Everyone here already knows the kind of stuff he said. A few new things to me but mostly things I’ve read before So I won’t comment on the show but will make observations on the experience.
As a musician I’ve sat in the pit many times playing a show but never to see a show. Pretty cool. I was literally on the front row right underneath him all night.
Some other observations….that stupid xylophone ring tone that famously brought a New York Philharmonic performance to a halt a few months ago needs to be banned. Or wait,…maybe people need to turn their phones off. Right in the middle of a touching story of a beloved horse he owned that dumb tremolo of a D and an E going off. Embarrassing. Sorry Shatner. I apologize for Dallas last night.
Also,…last time I was at the Majestic in Dallas I saw Frank Gorshin do his one man show of “Say Goodnight Gracie”. I talked to Frank backstage afterward and I told him the sound system didn’t do him any favors. He said “That sound system sucks!” He was right. That was nearly ten years ago and it still sucks! C’mon Majestic. Hire an acoustician and fix that thing. It’s a great old historic theater. Get the sound up to date. Maybe get Dr. Sevrin to help. Or is it just the problem of nobody knows how to mix a soundboard anymore? Cranking the bass up to 11 doesn’t work for everything, every show, every time.. We’ve lost all sight of what a good mix I believe.
Other thoughts, many tried to yell Happy Birthday to Shatner at the start of the show. After many people doing it he gently told the crowd, “Thank you, and let’s let that be the last interjection of that during the show.” They complied and we sang Happy Birthday to him at the end of the night. Complete with a cake.
One final note, I saw David Lee Roth perform in a little club with a Van Halen cover band backing him up almost 15 years ago. At the time I thought he worked harder than I’ve ever seen anyone work. No break,… like a man possessed. One song after the other. I saw Bernadette Peters in Gypsy working like a warrior on stage with that little body. Incredible energy output. And I’d put Shatner up there as hard working performers on stage too. Kind of made me nervous at times. Was afraid he might fall or hurt himself. Man! He’s got energy for a man his age.
It was good to see him and he sure still looks good for 81. Heck for 60 he looks good. I’m glad I saw him in my area.
Happy Birthday Mr Shatner- Still the greatest captain of them all.
Greg
UK
81 and still going beyond strong. I hope no one EVER finds that picture in your attic Mr. Shatner!
Now Bob and J.J.,, give us all a gift and cameo he and Nimoy while these great men are still with us. It may seem as if they will both live forever but lets not have regrets for not giving them their proper send off before it’s too late and it can never happen.
#99 Wow – Cool stuff…:) If the news is true, if her chin can be seen from outer space, her bump will also be seen within the next few months. Apparently Reese is pregnant.
106.
I don’t think the astronauts will be able to look past the chin to see the bump!
@98: That was awesome. I know it’s blasphemy to say it on a Trek site, but I’m starting to think Denny Crane > Jim Kirk…
#107 LOL Harry!
109.
Keachick, not to mention, how can anything grow in the shade provided by that CHIN??!!
Now, now, Harry… Despite that lovely mighty chin, she still managed to grow two bumps already, a girl and a boy, so I am sure that it will be fine now. You know, there just may be a place for lens flares and such after all…:)
It is actually 26 March here now, which means that it is Leonard Nimoy’s birthday. He also turns 81 years old, like William Shatner. Only four days difference in their ages.
Happy Birthday, Leonard Nimoy!
Keachick, I will take your comments under advisement.
Happy Birthday, O Captain, my Captain!
87
There is only one true Captain Kirk.
Happy belated birthday to the legend that is Bill Shatner
How about some love for Grace Lee Whitney age 82!!!!! Postings for Bill & Leonard but none for Grace on April 1st!!!!!!