March 22 – International Talk Like William Shatner Day

Posted on March 22, 2019


Two different people - completely independently! - decided to honor actor William Shatner on his birthday by declaring the day International Talk Like William Shatner Day!

They apparently had this very same idea the very same year: 2009.

Maurice LaMarche (a voice actor featured on Futurama, The Simpsons, Pinky and the Brain, Frozen, and more) and Doug Van Horn realized that they were both trying to promote the exact same thing at the exact same time. At first they battled - each sure that he was the first one who'd thought of such a thing - but then they decided to join forces and promote their holiday together.

What does it mean to talk like William Shatner?

According to LaMarche, who has studied how William Shatner talks in order to imitate him while playing various roles, first you have to talk as if you are completely important, obviously the most important person in the room. By which I mean *every* room. 




Second, you must pause a great deal. LaMarche says, the more inappropriate the pause is, the better.

Third, you should do a sharp, audible intake of breath at the end of what you wanted to say - as if the next thing you were going to say was super-duper important - but then there is no next thing!

Of course, Shatner's most famous role is Captain James T. Kirk on the starship Enterprise, on the Star Trek television show and movies. 



Here is Seth McFarlane talking like William Shatner.

And here is Jim Belushi talking like William Shatner. 





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