Synopses & Reviews
“It is now Bill Shatners universe---we just live in it.”---New York Daily News
After almost sixty years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. And it seems as if Shatner is everywhere. Winning an Emmy for his role on Boston Legal. Doing commercials for Priceline.com. In the movie theaters. Singing with Ben Folds. Hes sitting next to Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, and hes practically a regular on Howard Sterns show. He was recently honored with election to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame. He was a target on a Comedy Centrals Celebrity Roast entitled “The Shat Hits the Fan.” In Up Till Now, Shatner sits down with readers and offers the remarkable, full story of his life and explains how he got to be, well, everywhere.
It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable, called by name---or at least by Captain Kirks name---across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeares Henry V or staring at “something on the wing” in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, hes gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and most recently Boston Legal.
William Shatner has always been willing to take risks for his art. What other actor would star in historys first---and probably only---all-Esperanto-language film? Who else would share the screen with thousands of tarantulas, release an album called Has Been, or film a racially incendiary film in the Deep South during the height of the civil rights era? And who else would willingly paramotor into a field of waiting fans armed with paintball guns, all waiting for a chance to stun Captain…er, Shatner?
In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and how hes become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today.
Review
"Engaging recollections of an unrepentant ham actor who...has earned the deep affection of legions of fans....Goofball, genius or canny self-promoter? The jury is still out, but Shatner is indisputably a born storyteller." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The Autobiography seems a rather ponderous label for an impish book....[A]n old-style entertainer's spiel and delightful lite reading." Booklist
Review
"Many actors have a high opinion of themselves, and Shatner is no exception. The difference is that he has learned to laugh at himself and turn failures into success." Library Journal
Synopsis
Up Till Now is the riotous, self-deprecating story of William Shatner's life, as told by the man himself. 16-page color photo insert.
Synopsis
"It is now Bill Shatner's universe we just live in it."
New York Daily News
After almost sixty years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. And it seems as if Shatner is everywhere. Winning an Emmy for his role on Boston Legal. Doing commercials for Priceline.com. In the movie theaters. Singing with Ben Folds. He's sitting next to Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel, and he's practically a regular on Howard Stern's show. He was recently honored with election to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. He was a target on a Comedy Central Celebrity Roast entitled "The Shat Hits the Fan." In Up Till Now, Shatner sits down with readers and offers the remarkable, full story of his life and explains how he got to be, well, everywhere.
It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner instantly recognizable, called by name or at least by Captain Kirk's name across the globe. But Shatner neither began nor has ended his career with that role. From the very start, he took his skills as an actor and put them to use wherever he could. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television, whether stepping in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeare's Henry V or staring at "something on the wing" in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, he's gone on to star in numerous successful shows, such as T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and most recently Boston Legal.
William Shatner has always been willing to take risks for his art. What other actor would star in history's first and probably only all-Esperanto-language film? Who else would share the screen with thousands of tarantulas, release an album called Has Been, or shoot a racially incendiary film in the Deep South during the height of the civil rights era? And who else would willingly paramotor into a field of waiting fans armed with paintball guns, all waiting for a chance to stun Captain er, Shatner?
In this touching and very funny autobiography, William Shatner reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments, and how he's become the worldwide star and experienced actor he is today.
Synopsis
The riotous, self-deprecating story of William Shatner's life, by the man himself
Synopsis
This is the story of William Shatners half-century career and private life. The audio will take readers from the streets of Montreal to regional theatre, where Shatner was once called upon to replace Christopher Plummer as Henry V— in a role he had never rehearsed, with actors he had never met. It will describe his early TV work and movies, among them Roger Cormans The Intruder, a movie about racism filmed in the south in 1961; Kingdom of the Spiders, in which he costarred with 30,000 tarantulas; and Incubus, the only film ever made in the language of Esperanto.
It will include his private life, including the complete story of the drowning death of his third wife. It will include stories from three other series, T.J. Hooker, Rescue 911—which saved more than 240 lives—and Boston Legal, as well as his work on Third Rock from the Sun, for which he won his first Emmy for playing “the Big Giant Head.”
And of course, it will include the story of Star Trek; how it came about and how it affected him—and fans—concluding with the story of a taxi driver who told Shatner hed been a prisoner in Vietnam and that pretending they were the Star Trek crew kept him and his fellow inmates sane. And yes, it will include his singing and commercials and quiz show hosting and award show hosting and the greatest practical joke ever played, Invasion, Iowa, not to mention the story about Shatner being invited into a cage with Koko the Gorilla—who wanted to take him back to her bedcage.
After almost 60 years, William Shatner has become one of our most beloved entertainers. And as evidenced by Comedy Centrals roast, “The Shat Hits the Fan,” Shatner gets the joke. For the first time, William Shatner shares with listeners the remarkable, full story of his life.
Synopsis
The New York Times bestseller
After almost sixty years as an actor, William Shatner has become one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. It was the original Star Trek series, and later its films, that made Shatner an internationally known figure, but he neither began nor ended his career with Captain Kirk. He straddled the classic world of the theater and the new world of television. He stepped in for Christopher Plummer in Shakespeares Henry V and stared at “something on the wing” in a classic episode of The Twilight Zone. And since then, hes gone on to star in numerous successful shows, including T. J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and most recently, Boston Legal.
In his touching and very funny autobiography Up Till Now, William Shatner reveals the man behind these unforgettable moments and tells us how hes become the worldwide star and acclaimed actor he is today.
About the Author
William Shatner played Captain Kirk of the USS Enterprise on Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 and in seven Star Trek movies. He also played Police Sergeant T.J Hooker, from 1982 to 1986, and has worked as a musician, producer, director, and celebrity pitchman, recently for Priceline.com. He has won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for his role as attorney Denny Crane on the TV drama Boston Legal.
David Fisher is the author of more than fifteen New York Times bestsellers. He is the only writer ever to have works of fiction, nonfiction, and reference offered simultaneously by theBook of the Month Club. He lives in New York with his wife, two teenagers, one dog, and one cat.