Courtesy: Startrek.com

Quite possibly the greatest export from Canada not named Labatt Blue or Pamela Anderson is William Alan Shatner, who on March 22 turns 80 years young. Remarkably, the man known for his pipes and the ability to bed women we’ve only dreamed about, continues to work after 60 years in the entertainment  industry. Sixty years! Admit it, you hope to be done working the day you win the lottery or turn 65, whichever comes first. Well, Mr. Shatner thinks that’s just plain lazy. He continues to pull in a six-figure paycheck and adoration from fans all across the social spectrum.

Here’s a man who made it acceptable to ask the question, “Kirk vs. Picard: Who you got?” Today he’s no longer known solely as Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek, though he did make quite the extraterrestrial fighting machine. Mr. Shatner currently stars as the brash father in the hit sitcom $#*! My Dad Says.

As an icon, he elevates whatever TV show or movie you’re watching with a simple cameo, taking it from “Hey, this is alright” to “Holy $#*!, William Shatner is in this movie… Awesome!” Admit it, you were pretty psyched to see him appear as the “Big Giant Head” on 3rd Rock From The Sun. That show turned instantly cool when Shatner graced the screen wearing a sideways ball-cap while playing a drunken alien.

Mr. Shatner’s also made a name for himself as a can’t fail celebrity impression. Face it, we all know someone who can do a good Shatner. In fact, Zippy has been honing his craft for years.

“This… party is… killer. Someone… pass me… a scotch!” Eh, it comes across better in person, trust us.

And tell us you can get through the first 15 seconds of Shatner’s spoken-word rendition of “Rocket Man” without absolutely losing it. His performance at the 1978 Sci-Fi Award Show where one Shatner turns into three Shatners… pure genius. Few men can release spoken word records that we’d actually consider buying.

The man lists his favorite hobbies as “horses and tennis,” and we’re OK with that. He owns a paintball recreation center and competes in competitions. Did we mention he’s 80 years old?

We salute you, Mr. Shatner, with a “You the Man” that would fall on deaf ears among most 80-year-olds. We raise a glass to a man who’s lived the dream. Trust us, we know one when we see one.