William Shatner has cultivated a career that has spanned 50 years as a professional actor, director, producer, screenwriter and author. He is one of pop culture's most recognizable figures, and has also established himself as a major Hollywood philanthropist.

Born in Montreal, Shatner developed an early interest in acting and started working professionally at the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) even before he reached his teens. He found himself drawn to the theater and eventually joined the Stratford Shakespeare Festival under Sir Tyrone Guthrie. Tamburlaine, one of the festival's productions, moved to Broadway, and Shatner was immediately noticed by the New York critics. He later returned to Canada, winning the Tyrone Guthrie Award soon thereafter.

Also while at Stratford, Shatner found time to write plays for the CBC. He moved to New York and was a part of television's Golden Age, working on programs such as Playhouse 90 and Studio One. He made his film debut in the 1957 film, The Brothers Karamazov, followed by Judgment at Nuremburg and The Intruder. During the same period, he starred on Broadway in The World of Suzie Wong and A Shot in the Dark.

He has since guest starred in several hundred television programs, including classics such as The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Mission: Impossible. He also recurred on other staples, including 77 Sunset Strip and Dr. Kildare, before garnering an Emmy nomination for his appearances in 3rd Rock from the Sun.

In 1966 Shatner originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the television series Star Trek, which rocketed into fame only after the show was cancelled and re-launched in syndication. The series spawned a feature film franchise, and Shatner reprised the role of Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek motion pictures. He has since appeared in other movies such as Airplane II: The Sequel, Loaded Weapon 1 and Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality was successful enough to warrant a sequel, and Miss Congeniality 2 is currently in production.

Shatner played the title role in the network television series hit, T.J. Hooker, before hosting the CBS series Rescue 911 for six seasons. Since that show first aired, over 300 lives have been saved by people who learned a life-saving technique from watching it.

He made his feature film directorial debut in 1989 with Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (in which he also starred, as well as helped conceive the story). Since then he has directed several others features, television movies and episodics. Most recently he directed (as well as produced and starred in) Love Lake, a picture about the mysterious area surrounding Roswell, New Mexico.

Since April 1998, Shatner has served as the spokesman for Priceline.com. He was one of the first celebrities in Hollywood to recognize the importance of the Internet, and his enduring appeal has proven to be an integral part of the company's ad campaigns and brand marketing program. As the celebrity spokesperson for Priceline.com, he contributes his trademark sense of humor and entertaining style to the groundbreaking and humorous series of television and radio commercials.

Off the screen and broadcast waves, Shatner has authored over a 20 bestselling books in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. His novel series, TekWar, was turned into a television series for The Sci-Fi Network (in which he starred and directed). Some of his other popular novels include Man O' War, Star Trek Avenger and Ashes of Eden. He wrote two books on his Star Trek career in the titles "Star Trek Memories" and "Star Trek Movie Memories," before penning "Get a Life!," a hilarious but endearing look at the cult of "StarTrek" conventions.

Shatner has also become a success at another career ? horse breeding. A longtime dedicated breeder of American Quarter horses, he has had smashing success with the beautiful American Saddlebred, developing and owning the world champion "Sultan's Great Day." In August 1997, he won the World Harness Championship at Louisville, Kentucky, with his Saddlebred, "Revival."

This love for horses led him to his involvement with AHEAD With Horses, a charity organization that gives physically and mentally challenged children the thrill of riding a horse, and boosts their confidence and self-esteem. For the past 14 years, Shatner has hosted the Hollywood Charity Horse Show at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The event, held every spring, benefits AHEAD With Horses and other child-oriented charities in the Los Angeles area. He has also worked with the American Tinnitus Association, and has raised awareness of this debilitating illness through numerous television appearances and interviews.