William Shatner may be most closely identified with James T. Kirk and the “Star Trek” franchise, but his television résumé extends through an expansive lineup of programs, including “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Columbo” and “T. J. Hooker.”
One of his most memorable non-“Star Trek” appearances came in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” the celebrated episode of “The Twilight Zone” in which Shatner played a frightened airline passenger terrorized by a gremlin.
That performance is only one entry in a television career that also includes “Encounter,” “The Ed Sullivan Show” and “One Step Beyond.” Shatner’s other credits include “The Outer Limits,” “Mission: Impossible” and “Gunsmoke,” illustrating just how much of his work sits beyond the captain’s chair.
From Denny Crane to more recent television roles
Shatner later took on the role of attorney Denny Crane in “The Practice.” He reprised the character across five seasons of “Boston Legal,” giving him another substantial television part outside the science-fiction franchise that defines much of his public profile.
Among his more recent television credits are “Psych,” “Private Eyes” and “Better Late Than Never.” Across the decades, his work has earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards, one Golden Globe Award and four Saturn Awards.
His film credits have been varied as well. Shatner appeared in “The Brothers Karamazov,” “Miss Congeniality” and “American Psycho 2,” along with multiple “Star Trek” films. Even with that broader body of work, his Captain Kirk legacy remains foundational to modern science fiction.
Shatner’s thoughts on what really lasts
Shatner has also addressed the very idea of legacy, arguing that accomplishments and memorials are less enduring than the impact of a person’s actions.
“But what does live on are good deeds. If you do a good deed, it reverberates to the end of time,” he told Variety in a 2023 interview.
When asked what kind of legacy he hoped to leave, Shatner rejected the premise that a conventional legacy can truly survive. “Statues are torn down. Graveyards are ransacked. Headstones are knocked over. No one remembers anyone,” he said.
He connected his belief in lasting good deeds to the butterfly effect, emphasizing that one positive act can continue to carry consequences beyond the person who performed it.
Those reflections were discussed in connection with his documentary “You Can Call Me Bill,” which explores his career highlights, influences and personal interests. Shatner said he wanted the project to reach beyond a simple collection of biographical details.
“In the movie, I didn’t just want to go on about ‘I did this or that when I was 7, or this is my favorite color,’” he told Variety. “I’m trying to discover something I’ve never said before or to find a way to say something I’ve said before in a different way, so I can explore that truth further.”
Shatner described the documentary as a way to honor his truth while confronting human mortality. He also spoke about the knowledge accumulated over a lifetime and the inevitability that it will disappear.
“The sad thing is that the older a person gets, the wiser they become, and then they die with all that knowledge. And it’s gone,” he said. Questioning what would happen to “90 years of observations,” Shatner added that “the moths of extinction” would eventually consume his brain just as they would his clothing.
A life considered through space, mortality and friendship
Similar themes appear in Shatner’s other public reflections. In his book “Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder,” he described seeing a “cold, dark, black emptiness” during his trip to space before turning back toward Earth and seeing its desert, clouds and blue sky. He characterized the planet as “life” and “Mother Earth,” while recognizing that he was leaving it behind.
In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Shatner considered how his outlook had changed with age. He said that knowing at 20 what he understood at 90 might have prevented him from doing anything, because his later perspective was to take things easily and recognize that “nothing matters in the end.”
Speaking to Sharp Magazine in 2022, Shatner also reflected on his friendship with his late “Star Trek” co-star Leonard Nimoy. He said their time together during three years on the series, at events and while making films developed into “a beautiful friendship.” Shatner said he thought and felt about Nimoy “like a brother, the brother I never had.”
ShowBiz Take
Captain Kirk remains the role at the center of William Shatner’s screen legacy, but it is far from the complete story. His frightened passenger in “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” his five-season return as Denny Crane on “Boston Legal” and appearances across programs ranging from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” to “Columbo” reveal a television career with many distinct chapters.
There is also a striking contrast between the enduring recognition attached to those performances and Shatner’s own skepticism about legacy. While his credits, awards and “Star Trek” work continue to define how audiences view his career, Shatner has made clear that he places greater value on good deeds and the effects they leave behind.