William Shatner is a person.
William Shatner ( born March 22 , 1931 ) is a Canadian actor , author , producer , and director . In his seven decades of television , Shatner became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk , Captain of the USS Enterprise , in the Star Trek franchise . From 2004 until 2008 , he starred as attorney Denny Crane in the final season of the legal drama The Practice and its spinoff series Boston Legal '' , a role that earned him two Emmy Awards . Shatner has also worked as a musician , an author , a director , and a celebrity pitchman .