In 1997, William Shatner became the spokesman for Priceline, agreeing to do the spots in exchange for stock in the company. The arrangement turned out to be quite profitable. Shatner reportedly sold much of the stock shortly before its value plummeted in the dot-com bust and made approximately $600 million.

Shatner was born on March 22, 1931, in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Two of Shatner's daughters, Melanie Shatner and Lisabeth Shatner, appeared in the episode Star Trek: Miri (1966) in small uncredited roles.

Shatner's musical career began in 1968 with the release of The Transformed Man. On the album, Shatner intersperses dramatic readings of Shakespeare with spoken-word performances of songs such as "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Mr. Tambourine Man".

In 2006, Shatner auctioned off his kidney stone for $25,000. The money was donated to Habitat for Humanity, which builds houses for the needy. The auction included the surgical stint and string used to permit passage of the stone, which Shatner said was so large "you'd want to wear it on your finger."

In T. J. Hooker Shatner played the title role, a 15-year veteran of the fictional "LCPD". The supporting cast included Adrian Zmed as rookie Officer Vince Romano and Heather Locklear as rookie Officer Stacy Sheridan.

Shatner has written several Star Trek novels, including "The Ashes of Eden", "Captain's Blood" and "Spectre".

Shatner rode one of his own horses, a mare named Great Belles of Fire, in Star Trek Generations.

Shatner's first wife was Canadian actress Gloria Rand. They married in 1956 and divorced in 1969.

In 1999, Shatner's third wife, Nerine Kidd, drowned in the swimming pool at their house in Studio City, California. According to Los Angeles police, the actor returned home to find his wife motionless at the bottom of the pool. Paramedics arrived shortly afterward but were unable to revive her.