# An Appreciation of William Shatner's Total Career **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734 "2007-06-20T16:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/41 "2007-06-21T01:00:05Z")
> [@](#): > > A concrete blob behind a former barber shop marks the spot for present (and future) fans. It’s sort of a weird place to visit–you have to go down this little alleyway, and there is the marker, sitting in what seems to be someone’s back yard. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/42 "2007-06-21T01:03:54Z")
All this fuss about Kirk’s birthplace … my my my … [whisper] - it hasn’t happened yet - [/whisper] :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/43 "2007-06-21T01:07:29Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] [2nd paragraph [del]first sentance[/del]](http://trekfest.com/) - [del]and so far, no one has disputed the claim[/del] Riverside claimed it and Roddenberry approved [/QUOTE] Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/44 "2007-06-21T02:21:02Z")
I’m somewhat alarmed that he’s including _video game credits_ in his filmography. I could see including films based on video games, but since when does voice work in frakking video games count? ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/45 "2007-06-21T02:50:20Z")
No Oscars, sure, but he’s won several Emmy’s now!! He is the best. He’s one movie star famous person whom I would love to sit down to dinner with a great bottle of wine and just listen to him tell stories all night. He’s got to be just a riot to be around. Did anyone catch the Comedy Central Roast of Shatner they had on Spike last year? It was absolutely hilarious and Shatner laughed louder than anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Khadro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Khadro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/46 "2007-06-21T03:10:03Z")
[QUOTE=cerberus] I’m somewhat alarmed that he’s including _video game credits_ in his filmography. I could see including films based on video games, but since when does voice work in frakking video games count? [/QUOTE] I would suggest that it’s at least as valid as voice work in a movie. Perhaps moreso, in that video games generally tend to have a great deal more incidental dialogue. Most of which some players will never even hear. And AFAIK he’s only done voice work in Star Trek video games. Lots of entirely famous people have video game voice over listings on IMDB, lots of them not even for characters they are famous for. Patrick Stewart has voiced both Xmen and Star Trek games, as well as the RPGs Oblivion, Lands of Lore, and a Forgotten Realms game. Does that make him any less an actor, or those any less credits that should be on a list. A list that, on the whole, is probably not maintained by the person in question at all, it should be noted. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/47 "2007-06-21T03:16:36Z")
How about his role as Alexi in “The Brothers Karamazov?” Really, really diffferent. (Alexi is the saintly, spiritual brother, who talks to God more than to anyone in the family.) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/48 "2007-06-21T04:05:33Z")
[QUOTE=The Punkyova] How about his role as Alexi in “The Brothers Karamazov?” Really, really diffferent. (Alexi is the saintly, spiritual brother, who talks to God more than to anyone in the family.) [/QUOTE] That’s what I meant with [QUOTE=NoClueBoy] And then there’s the Shatner. Whether he’s a **pre-bolshevik pacifist** , a terrorised airline passenger, a starship captain, a cop, a sleazy lawyer, or a commercial spokesperson, he still plays it almost exactly the same way. Now THAT’S acting! [/QUOTE] from [this thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=425458) ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/49 "2007-06-21T04:12:06Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] The best part is he is able to laugh at himself. I respect that. (as an aside - so does Adam West - I’d love to see the two of them do something together) [/QUOTE] Ask and you shall receive! Bill Shatner and Adam West acted together in a made-for-TV version of \*Alexander the Great \* in 1968: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326725/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326725/) I’m sure it’s impossible to find now, but I would LOVE to see that. Can you imagine the unintentional homoeroticism, to say nothing of the unintentional humor? ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/50 "2007-06-21T04:42:44Z")
I also enjoyed his role in Disaster on the Coastliner, a made-for-TV movie about two trains on a collision course. He plays a criminal forced by the situation to become a hero. Shatner was perfect for it. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/51 "2007-06-21T04:50:01Z")
In the Book " The Making of Star Trek", ( [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Trek-Stephen-Whitfield/dp/0345340191) ) Shatner discussed his acting style. I do not have the book at hand, but remember him saying (and I paraphrase)… The slow stilted speech was taught to him by an acting coach… not only did the pauses add dramatic depth, but they also increased screen time. Also, if you ever watch him having a reaction time, FIRST his eyes move, THEN he turns his Head, and then he turns his body and reacts. Not only the speech has pauses, but the body language too. The idea was that screen time meant control of scene or some such… regards FML ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/52 "2007-06-21T04:54:29Z")
[QUOTE=Enola Straight] Here is the closest thing to a Star Trek/Star Wars crossover we’ probably will ever see. Shatner talk/sings to George Lucas! [/QUOTE] Another would be if he and Mark Hamill ever supply voiceovers for the same videogame. (I have no idea if they have or ever will.) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/53 "2007-06-21T14:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=Full Metal Lotus] FIRST his eyes move, THEN he turns his Head, and then he turns his body and reacts. Not only the speech has pauses, but the body language too. The idea was that screen time meant control of scene or some such… FML [/QUOTE] Arnold Scwarzenegger used the same technique in The Terminator. Its called “Shark Eyes”. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/54 "2007-06-21T14:58:23Z")
It’s easy to make fun of Shatner - God knows _I_ do - but I got “The Intruder” - [http://imdb.com/title/tt0055019/](http://imdb.com/title/tt0055019/) - from NetFlix and I really thought it was excellent. The easily-mockable acting style somehow works here - he’s smarmy and evil and driven and charming and repulsive all at the same time. I really do recommend the film; it has a short interview with Shater & Corman at the end. VCNJ~ ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/55 "2007-06-21T19:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y5eBRWQerY) is a YouTube video of Bill performing the Pulp song _Common People_ with…Joe Jackson. [/QUOTE] And Ben Folds. But I think the rest of the band is different from the one that they recorded with. I know for sure that the bass player is a different guy. [QUOTE=NoClueBoy] All this fuss about Kirk’s birthplace … my my my … [whisper] - it hasn’t happened yet - [/whisper] :dubious: [/QUOTE] Oh, that’s very good. I can get behind that! ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/56 "2007-06-21T19:25:16Z")
Just here to add another recommendation for **Free Enterprise**. The musical Julius Caesar at the end was completely gut-busting. Shatner did a great job in that movie lampooning himself. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/57 "2007-06-21T19:36:48Z")
You cannot mention Shatner without a mention of his bringing 3rd Rock’s mythical Big Giant Head to life. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/58 "2007-06-21T19:44:33Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] You cannot mention Shatner without a mention of his bringing 3rd Rock’s mythical Big Giant Head to life. [/QUOTE] I loved when he was comparing his experience on the Airplane to John Lithgow’s experience. Lithgow had reprised Shatner’s famous role from “Nightmare at 20,000 feet!” in the Twilight Zone Movie. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/59 "2007-06-21T19:49:36Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] You cannot mention Shatner without a mention of his bringing 3rd Rock’s mythical Big Giant Head to life. [/QUOTE] “I saw something on the wing of the plane!” “So did I!” Greatest scene ever. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2007, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734/60 "2007-06-21T20:50:56Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] “I saw something on the wing of the plane!” “So did I!” Greatest scene ever. [/QUOTE] The actual response was “The same thing happened to meeeeeeee!” in John Lithgow’s high pitched squeal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-appreciation-of-william-shatners-total-career/408734.md?page=4)