For generations of television fans, William Shatner will always be connected to one unforgettable name: Captain James T. Kirk.

Shatner first stepped onto the bridge of the USS Enterprise in the 1960s, never imagining that the role would follow him for the rest of his life.

Decades later, Kirk remains an enormous part of his legacy.

Shatner has continued to embrace the character and the extraordinary connection Star Trek created between him and generations of fans. Even as his career expanded far beyond the Enterprise, Kirk never completely disappeared from his story.

And remarkably, Shatner has remained active well into his 90s — writing, appearing before audiences and continuing to reflect on a career few actors could ever match.

For longtime fans, that’s what makes his relationship with Captain Kirk so special.

It isn’t simply an old television role.

It’s the character that helped make William Shatner a television icon — and one that millions of fans still aren’t ready to leave behind either.