In 1966, Star Trek debuted. It was stardate 1513.1 and James T. Kirk, captain of the Starship Enterprise, saved his entire crew from a life-sucking alien who snuck onboard his ship. This was only the beginning of their five-year mission through the galaxy discovering new planets, searching for new life forms but above all, going boldly where no man has gone before. Playing the role of fearless leader Captain Kirk was one of our very own, Montreal-born William Shatner.
As Captain Kirk, Shatner was not just a character on a television series. He became one of the faces of a culturally iconic craze. He was immortalized in action figures, on lunchboxes and even a wax figure in the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum. And of course, we can’t forget the sea of faithful followers known as Trekkies.
For years, Canadians have been stealing the spotlight on TV. With Michael J. Fox on Family Ties and Alan Thicke on Growing Pains taking the leads in ‘80s sitcoms and Pamela Anderson on Baywatch remembered for, well, other reasons, Canucks have long been viewer favourites. Many of us wished that our gay best friend was Will Truman, played by Torontonian Eric McCormack on Will & Grace or that we could pull off a white denim pencil skirt as stylishly as Kim Cattrall’s Samantha Jones on Sex and the City.
Today, Canadians still captivate us on the small screen, connecting our favourite shows back home. But how much do you really know about our stars? It’s time to find out.
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