William Alan Shatner ( born on March 22 , 1931 ) is a Canadian actor who gained fame for playing James Tiberius Kirk of the USS Enterprise in the television show Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 and in seven of more movies . William Alan Shatner ( born March 22 , 1931 ) is a Canadian actor , recording artist , and author . He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T. Kirk , captain of the USS Enterprise , in the science fiction television series Star Trek from 1966 to 1969 , Star Trek : The Animated Series from 1973 to 1974 , and in seven of the subsequent Star Trek feature films from 1979 to 1994 .