BlogNinety one years ago today, on March 22, 1931, William Shatner was born in Montreal, Canada.
In honor of the captain who boldly went where no man has gone before, let’s take a look at Shatner’s career in Hollywood, and some of the people he’s worked with along the way.
Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, Southern California
Shatner came to Hollywood in the late 1950s, and started appearing in television and movies, though without a big break for more than a decade. In 1966, he was cast as Captain James Kirk in the original Star Trek series. Filming the intergalactic series led to the crew working in some fun and funky locations, including Vasquez Rocks just north of Los Angeles.
These rocks were once a favorite place for bandits and outlaws to hide, but have in more recent years become a popular place to film television and movie scenes, including several Star Trek episodes.
Longtime Home, Los Angeles
While Shatner starred in Star Trek for three seasons, the show cancelled and Shatner struggled to find work for years. In fact, at one point he lost his house and had to live out of a trailer. It wasn’t until fans got into the show during reruns and Shatner starred in Star Trek movies that he started to earn more money.
But eventually the money did come. Now, Shatner is worth about $100 million! In 1975, he bought a 4,000 square foot home in Studio City, which has four bedrooms and four bathrooms, and a pool, too.
Property Next Door
Shatner also bought the property next door, which is a 1,600 square foot home. Shatner and his ex-wife loved to entertain and host fun parties, so perhaps it was a place for staff to live, or to let friends stay the night if they needed a place to crash.
Blue Origins Hangar, West Texas
With a reputation of “going where no one has gone before” it made sense that Shatner would want to travel to space as soon as the chance came. And in October 2021, he was able to fly as a guest on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins spacecraft.
While it’s reported Shatner flew for free, others have paid as much as $28 million for a seat on the rocket that launches 100 kilometers into space, giving passengers about three minutes of weightlessness in space before returning to earth. For an 11 minute trip, that’s $2.5 million per minute, or $42,000 per second!
Leonard Nimoy’s Home, Los Angeles, California
Shatner wasn’t the only Star Trek actor to experience belated success. Leonard Nimoy, who played the serious and stoic Spock in the series and subsequent films, was a great actor who never forgot his Boston roots.
He owned property in Florida, Tahoe, and southern California, but towards the end of his life, he downsized to his private home in Los Angeles. The actor, worth $45 million when he passed away in 2015, maintained an active role in the Star Trek world, like Shatner, and also like Shatner, he enjoyed the belated financial reward from his hard work.
Patrick Stewart’s Park Slope Home, New York, New York
While William Shatner was the OG captain in the original Star Trek series, Patrick Stewart reinvented the role of captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise for Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent film and franchise roles. He was originally a famous stage actor, and had a great reputation in theater before being labeled as an “unknown British actor” when he got the role as Captain Picard.
He and his wife own several properties in England, but they love their Park Slope town house which they bought in 2012 for about $2.5 million. The converted carriage house has three bedrooms, and a 1,200 square foot patio with fire pit, a real luxury in New York. But with $70 million to his name, he can afford all the amenities.
Over the last 91 years, William Shatner’s career and success have carried him far–even to outer space! While it’s probably going to be hard to find a gift for the man who has left earth’s orbit, a thoughtful “Happy Birthday” will suffice. So, Happy Birthday!
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