6 out-of-this-world facts you learn about William Shatner in his new biography

Michael Starr's new book 'Shatner' gives us six fun facts about the captain

No matter if you remember him as Captain James T. Kirk, T.J. Hooker, or from his classic Twilight Zone episode, we all love us some Shatner. He's had a long, fascinating life and career and is still going strong.

New York Post writer Michael Starr just came out with a new book on our favorite starship captain, appropriately named Shatner.

Here are six facts courtesy of Starr himself that you may not know.

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1. As a camp counselor, he influenced future diplomats

As a teenager, he worked as a counselor at a summer camp in the Laurentian Mountains. The campers were mostly Jewish youngsters brought over from war-torn Europe. Over the summer, Bill taught a young Belgian boy named Fred Bild to speak English. Bild later became an important Canadian diplomat.

2. His father wanted him to be a suit salesman

He graduated with a degree in economics from McGill University, and disappointed his father by not selling men's suits (like he did).

3. He starred with a future Star Trek coworker in a Shakespeare play

He's a Shakespearian-trained actor and, in the mid-1950s, was a star at the Stratford Festival in Ontario along with future Star Trek VI co-star Christopher Plummer. He understudied Plummer in the Festival's production of Henry V when Plummer was sick.

4. He was on TV with Leonard Nimoy years before Star Trek

Bill and Leonard Nimoy appeared on the same episode of The Man From U.N.C.L.E in 1964 — two years before Star Trek — and acted in a scene together. They didn't know each other at the time. They became good friends later; Shatner refers to Nimoy as his "brother".

5. He nearly was the host of Family Feud

"Show me ... Shatner!" He was in the running to host the original Family Feud before producers decided to hire Richard Dawson.

6. He defended a classic children's book

When the Association for Library Service to Children decided to remove Laura Ingalls Wilder's name from an award, Shatner spoke out and defended the Little House on the Praire author's legacy.

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12 Comments

JDnHuntsvilleAL 51 months ago
"As a camp counselor, he influenced future diplomats" ONE diplomat does not constitute "dilomatS".
texasluva 51 months ago
Interesting 6 things we did not know about William Shatner. A 7th is his fight with Gorn on a rocky planet which was orchestrated by a superior being. Though Kirk finally defeated this reptilian species character (though cheesy). Whatever happened to Gorn? Though he and Kirk are not exactly bosom buddies. They meet annually to discuss their former "Battle To The Death". Sometimes gets testy and they again square off. Only to find out they are rather old to be carrying on such nonsense. Star Trek where no man nor Gorn has gone before. >>>>. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hnBp7x2QAE.

Merry Christmas to all. I hope all your days will be merry and bright.
JDnHuntsvilleAL texasluva 51 months ago
WILLIAM SHATNER did NOT fight a Gorn, JAMES T. KIRK did that.

The article is about the REAL person, the fictional ones.
PeterRoff 51 months ago
In Judgment at Nuremberg, he shared screen time with two-time Oscar winner Spencer Tracy.
Dont; tell me "The Shatman" doesn't have acting chops. He does - in spades.
UnicornPrincess 51 months ago
I wouldn't consider Little House on the Prarie a "children's" book. It was a true tale of survival in the West.
dth1971 51 months ago
I didn't know William Shatner almost became the Family Feud host! In 2006 he did host a short lived prime time game show called "Show Me The Money".
TVFF 52 months ago
I haven't read a Shatner biography since the late 1970's or early 80's. I think it was called "Shatner: Where No Man." I read Leonard Nimoy's "I Am Not Spock" and then his follow up "I Am Spock".
Moody 52 months ago
Your forgot his role on Boston Legal as Denny Crane. He was great!
jdev Moody 51 months ago
He was DENNY CRANE!!
Kiyone57 Moody 34 months ago
The article is about things most of us DIDN'T know about Shatner. Most know about his Boston Legal role.
Lantern 52 months ago
That's "...classic Twilight Zone episodeS" - Shatner starred in two of them. The one that probably comes to mind is the gremlin-on-the-plane episode, but remember he was also half of that honeymooning couple that stopped in a small town and was briefly held captive by that (seemingly) fortune-telling machine in the diner.
Utzaake Lantern 51 months ago
The other half of that honeymooning couple was Patricia Breslin who later married Art Modell.
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