James T. Kirk/Appendices/Background information/Casting Kirk

Kirk was played by William Shatner. 
Don Eitner served as body double for Shatner as the pair of Kirks in . Actress Sandra Smith also "played" Captain Kirk in Janice Lester's body in , while Shatner "played" Lester in Kirk's body.
Following his introduction in the second pilot, the only non-appearance of Kirk was in the animated episode . Archive footage of Shatner was used in the episode , and archive audio of his voice was used in the finale, and the episode .
William Shatner was not the first choice to play Kirk. The producers first approached actors Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lord for the role; both turned it down."Star Trek": View from the Bridge as the torch is passed to the next generation, the captains of the Enterprise shoot down rumors of feud. Both Bridges and Lord have since passed away.
In order to play Kirk, William Shatner attempted to stay physically fit. "I've tried to stay limber, and I've tried to keep myself in shape," he related. "Not for a little reason. For a great reason, because I'm playing Captain Kirk, and I wanted to be ready for each movie and not act my age." ("Strange New Worlds: The Valley of Fire", DVD/Blu-ray)
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