William Shatner proved Saturday why he remains one of Canada's most beloved entertainment icons, filling the BMO Centre at Calgary Expo with roaring laughter as the 95-year-old legend shared decades worth of on-set antics and mishaps.
The actor, famous for commanding the USS Enterprise as Captain James Kirk across nearly three decades of Star Trek productions, abandoned any talk of the franchise's future to focus on what audiences really wanted: the wild, behind-the-scenes stories that defined his extraordinary career.
A Stinky Competition in Stockholm
Among the most memorable tales, Shatner recounted a particularly pungent incident from the 2016 reality television series Better Late Than Never, which followed him and four other celebrities traveling the globe. The moment involved fermented fish — lots of it.
"I was told by a policeman in Stockholm that dead people, after two weeks, smell like fermented fish," Shatner told the captivated ballroom audience, who hung on his every word.
The story escalated when Shatner and his co-stars gathered around a distended can of the pungent delicacy. When someone cracked it open, the resulting stench was so overwhelming that one cameraman reportedly turned away for a bout of projectile vomiting. Rather than retreat, Shatner seized the moment to one-up his friendly rival, four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw.
"He made an abrupt left-hand turn, thinking he was still a football player, but he came out of his shoes and fell to the ground. I jumped on him and wiped his bald pate with a fermented fish."
The crowd erupted in laughter at the image of the legendary actor chasing down a Hall of Fame quarterback with what might be television's most disgusting prop weapon.
The Great Commissary Wars with Leonard Nimoy
Shatner's affection for his late co-star Leonard Nimoy — immortalized as Spock — shone through as he described their legendary rivalry during Star Trek filming.
"Had he been a girl, I would have married him," Shatner said, drawing knowing chuckles from fans who understand the deep bond shared by the show's two leads.
The competition was born from a simple fact: both actors raced to reach the commissary first, but when Nimoy consistently arrived last, he went without meals. So Nimoy bought a bicycle to outpace Shatner's running speed — a move Shatner couldn't let stand.
"So the next day I brought chains and a padlock."
When Nimoy arrived with bolt cutters the following day, Shatner escalated the prank to legendary status: he hid the bike in his dressing room, guarded by his two Dobermans.
The anecdotes drew spontaneous applause and audience participation, with some fans even helping Shatner recall details he'd forgotten — including the capital of Sweden — proving that even at 95, the Star Trek legend remains a commanding presence who knows how to work a room.
Shatner has maintained a long connection to Calgary, previously serving as marshal of the 2014 Calgary Stampede parade, cementing his status as a fixture in Canadian pop culture history.
Information for this article was sourced from CBC Calgary's reporting on William Shatner's appearance at Calgary Expo 2026.