Almost 60 years after Captain Kirk went “where no man has gone before,” William Shatner ventured to space and to Mars, hosting the TV series Stars on Mars.

The nonagenarian, best known as the captain of the USS Enterprise in the massively successful Star Trek franchise, is still going strong and exploring new territories in cinema and television – despite the fact that “time is gunning” for him.

The 92-year-old Canadian-born actor William Shatner made his television debut in 1954 as Ranger Bob on the Canadian Howdy Doody Show. After appearing in various films and television shows, he got the part of a lifetime as James Tiberius Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series, a character he returned in seven Star Trek films.

After Starfleet was grounded, the legendary Shatner traded his captain’s uniform for a police sergeant in T.J Hooker, where he starred with Heather Locklear and James Darren as the title role.

As a natural progression, he played “Big Giant Head” in the sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun before hosting Rescue 911, a TV show that included emergency re-enactments.

Shatner was also a spoken word recording artist, releasing his first album The Transformed Man in 1968 while focusing on his acting career.

However, his musical abilities were called into question.

Shatner failed to impress Johnny Carson and the Tonight Show audience with his performance of Bob Dylan’s “Tambourine Man.”

“You need to hear the two pieces,” Shatner remarked, claiming Carson mouthed the words “What the f—?” following his performance. However, they do not want me to make two pieces. They ask me to do one, so I do “Mr. Tambourine Man” [and] ‘What the heck is he doing?’ [People speculated]. Because they don’t understand the context.”

That did not deter him. Shatner produced another spoken-word album, Seeking Major Tom, in 2011, which contains a rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in which he intones the words.

“I don’t sing in the way that Freddie Mercury sings in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ but I’m an actor, and I love the spoken word,” Shatner remarked. “I love the musicality and rhythm of the word, and so, in a way, speaking can become musical-iambic pentameter.”

“I don’t mean you to laugh at…,” he added. However, it is precarious. In fact, it’s so daring that some would laugh at it, criticize it.”

Though his musical career is hilarious, Shatner, who has nearly a dozen CDs to his credit, is a polished professional who, refusing to be swayed by public opinion, is shooting for the stars.

And the host of The UnXplained TV show is still looking for new adventures.

He launched into orbit on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space shuttle in October 2021, admitting that 40 years of exploring space as Captain Kirk had done nothing to prepare him for what he would see.

Shatner, now the oldest person to have been to space, claimed the experience was transformative despite only being in space for 10 minutes.

“I saw the incredible smallness of this planet,” the actor recalls of his trip, which he chronicled in his 2022 memoir Go Boldly: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. “The air that allows us to live is paper-thin,” Shatner concluded. My concern was for what was happening to all these sacred things that had taken Earth 4.5 billion years to form. In what we are doing to our earth, I saw the devil.”

Despite a few health scares in his 90s, the award-winning cinema and stage actor is still filming and recording. In 2021, he released the album Bill, which featured guest musicians such as country music singer Brad Paisley and Eagles member Joe Walsh.

Shatner will be featured as the host of Stars on Mars in 2023, a TV series that places celebrities, such as Modern Family’s Ariel Winter and professional racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, in a base camp in Coober Pedy, Australia, to simulate life on Mars.

Shatner told Closer about his experience: “They put me behind these reality goggles, and I virtually walked on Mars!” The Mars rover’s footage appeared everywhere I looked. I could turn around and see Mars all around me.”

“I was there in Coober Pedy, 500 miles into the Outback,” the father of three, who has been divorced four times, added. You couldn’t spend much time outside because flies attacked you. But the whole thing had the air of being on Mars! It was really captivating.”

When the nonagenarian isn’t performing, he’s fighting for the planet’s and animals’ well-being, largely at his home near Lexington, Kentucky, where he breeds horses. Shatner described his ranch as “…a whole other world, and one in which I am recognized.” They don’t say, ‘There goes another Hollywood guy.’ I’m a horseman.”

“It may appear, given the things I’m doing, that there’s a plan, but there’s no plan,” he stated of his future plans. ‘Oh, that’s interesting,’ I think. It’s worth looking into if you think something is right for you.”

“The mistakes you make and the things you wish you hadn’t done stick with you longer.” “However, time is on my side,” he added.

William Shatner is a living legend, and we cannot picture life without him! His music may be unearthly, but his acting parts will be remembered for years.

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