How Old Is William Shatner? Age, Birth Date, and Life Milestones

The question “how old is William Shatner?” is one of those quick Google searches that often leads to a single number — but the answer opens up a life story spanning nearly a century. With a career that began before television was a household fixture and a spaceflight that made headlines at age 90, Shatner’s age is a factual anchor for a much bigger narrative.

Born: March 22, 1931 ·
Age: 95 years old (as of 2026) ·
Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada ·
Occupation: Actor, author, director, musician ·
Known for: Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek ·
Spaceflight: Oldest person in space (2021, age 90)

Ten key biographical data points, one pattern: each milestone ties directly to a verifiable date.

How old is William Shatner?

What is William Shatner’s exact birth date?

William Shatner was born on March 22, 1931, according to his entry at Britannica, which notes his birthplace as Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Biography.com confirms the same date and location. This makes his birth one of the most consistently reported facts in entertainment biography databases.

How old is William Shatner in 2026?

As of 2026, William Shatner is 95 years old. On March 22, 2026, he celebrated his 95th birthday, an event covered by Fox News, which reported that he gave blunt life advice alongside the milestone. The age is also listed on Wikipedia and Memory Alpha, though these are considered Tier 3 sources.

The implication: his birth date anchors a career that spans from the dawn of television to the age of space tourism.

How old was William Shatner when he went to space?

When did William Shatner go to space?

William Shatner flew on Blue Origin NS-18 on October 13, 2021. At that time, he was 90 years old, making him the oldest person to travel to space. Britannica notes the mission as part of his post-Star Trek adventures. The 90-year figure is directly calculable from his birth date and the flight date.

What was the Blue Origin flight date?

The Blue Origin flight date is a matter of public record. The same mission was widely reported in 2021, and the age at flight is a simple subtraction: 2021 − 1931 = 90. No ambiguity exists on this point.

What this means: Shatner’s age became a record, not just a number.

How many wives and children does William Shatner have?

Who are William Shatner’s wives?

Shatner has been married four times. His first wife was Gloria Rand (married 1956–1969), followed by Marcy Lafferty (1973–1996), Nerine Kidd (1997–1999, ended in tragedy), and current wife Elizabeth Martin, whom he married in 2001. These details are collated in his Britannica biography.

How many children does William Shatner have?

He has three daughters — Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie — all from his first marriage to Gloria Rand. The Biography.com entry names them as part of his family background.

The pattern: his marital timeline is as long as his career, spanning four partners over 70 years of adult life.

What is the age difference between William Shatner and his wife?

How old is William Shatner’s wife?

William Shatner’s current wife, Elizabeth Martin, is reported to be about 40 years younger than him. She is a horse trainer and they married in 2001 when Shatner was 70 and she was approximately 30. No official age verification is publicly available, but the 40-year gap appears in multiple sources including TODAY.

Who is William Shatner married to now?

He is married to Elizabeth Martin (formerly Elizabeth Jean Martin). She is his fourth wife. The couple lives in Los Angeles and have no children together.

What this means: the gap is part of the story, but not officially verified.

What does William Shatner suffer from?

What illness is William Shatner suffering from?

William Shatner has not confirmed any specific terminal illness. In a 2024 statement, he debunked fake news stories about his health, calling them bogus. Yahoo Entertainment reported in April 2026 that he said, “I’m fit as a fiddle.” He also mentioned surviving stage 4 melanoma — a skin cancer diagnosis he revealed after finding a lump near his ear, as covered by TODAY.

Why does William Shatner say he doesn’t have long to live?

This question stems from public comments about mortality that he has made in interviews. However, no official announcement of a health crisis exists. In September 2025, TODAY reported that he responded to hospitalization rumors, saying he was fine. The same month, People magazine noted a Thanksgiving post where he said he was “blessed beyond measure with health.” The persistent health rumors on Reddit and social media are often AI-generated fabrications, as fans have noted.

The implication: health rumors often outrun official information.

For anyone searching “how old is William Shatner” in 2026, the factual answer — 95 years, born March 22, 1931 — sits beneath a much longer story of resilience. He has survived cancer, flown to space at 90, and continues to push back against rumors that his health is failing. For fans and followers of celebrity longevity, the choice is clear: trust the verified record, or risk getting lost in the noise of unsubstantiated gossip.

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