It’s been almost twenty-seven years since William Shatner donned the Starfleet uniform and played what is perhaps his best known role, that of Captain James T. Kirk. Over the years, Shatner went on to star in T.J. Hooker, a cop-drama with James Darren and Heather Locklear, and his Emmy-award-winning role as Denny Crane in The Practice and Boston Legal, a role that ended when he was 77. And he has shown no signs of slowing down, despite reaching his ninth decade today as currently, he hosts The UnXplained which, according to Shatner, “deals with mysteries that are all around us.”
But there is no mystery as to how Shatner has reached this birthday milestone. He has always maintained a “say yes to life” approach to a long life. According to an interview he gave Newsmax Health in 2019, he believes it’s important to stay active, both mentally and physically.
"I know that good, healthy aging comes from not being solitary or brooding. Say yes to life, yes to dinner, yes to going out, and yes to something new, because time is too short to lose one opportunity to sacrifice another."
And fans are grateful that Shatner continues to say yes, especially since he’ll officially celebrate his birthday with them on July 23-24, 2021 in Ticonderoga, NY at the Star Trek Original Series Set Tour.
When asked by the History Channel what kept him motivated to interact with his fans, whether through a television series, social media (Shatner has an active Twitter presence), or convention appearances, Shatner gave an answer that defines who he is.
"I’m a performer. That’s what I’ve done all my life, and I see no reason to stop entertaining—whether it’s making a new album, as I’m doing right now, or making movies or hosting a show or being on tour in front of an audience or other things. I’m just puttering along."
And we couldn’t be happier that Shatner continues to live his life in the best way possible—by saying yes, and we’re looking forward to celebrating many more years with the man who made Captain James T. Kirk one of the most popular captains to ever command a starship.