For my own tribute to The Greatest Thespian of Our Time — and I’m only being somewhat facetious here, because I honestly do think William Shatner is much better than most people give him credit for, at least when he’s really trying and not just collecting a paycheck — I’d like to present some of his finest moments in front of the camera.

First up is the “risk is our business” scene from the original Trek episode “Return to Tomorrow,” which is to Trekkies the emotional equivalent of the St. Cripin’s Day speech in Henry V. The acting style on display here is broader than we’re accustomed to today — some YouTube commenters accuse Shatner and De Kelley (Dr. McCoy) both of being “hammy” — but I challenge detractors to watch any television drama from the late ’60s and not find it hammy or melodramatic by modern standards. It’s simply the way actors acted at that point in time, and in some ways I prefer it to the more realistic but frequently bloodless performances that are in vogue now. Certainly, De and Shat are a lot more interesting to watch than David Caruso of CSI: Miami fame, whose entire repertoire seems to consist of putting his hands on his hips and squinting reeeaally hard. Anyhow, this speech encapsulates the “right stuff” spirit of both the original Star Trek and the real-life space program that was underway at the time; prepare to be inspired!

Next up, one of the most famous moments from the long history of the Trek franchise, the “death of Spock” scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. If by some chance you don’t know what’s happening here, Spock has just saved the entire ship by getting the damaged warp drive back online just in the nick of time, but he’s subjected himself to a fatal dose of radiation in the process. Now, Jim has only a few minutes to say everything he never said, to say goodbye to a man who’s been his best friend — more, in fact, as close as two heterosexual males can possibly be — for decades:

I’ve seen that dozens of times, and it still chokes me up. I almost wish the producers had had the courage to leave Spock dead instead of resurrecting him in Star Trek III. Great work from Shatner and Leonard Nimoy here. I think it may be the best moment of The Shat’s entire career.

Ironically enough, The Wrath of Khan also contains the one scene that better exemplifies his cornball, scenery-chewing tendencies than any other I’ve ever seen. Say it with me now: Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!

(For the record, even though that scene ends on a ridiculously over-the-top note, I find it generally pretty effective… Ricardo Montalban’s whispered delivery of “buried alive… buried alive” always raises the hairs on my neck.)

And finally, some of Shat’s more recent (and more subtle) work, a clip from Boston Legal that, like many of the best moments on Star Trek, is about the sometimes tricky territory of male friendship and how difficult it is for a heterosexual man to admit how much he feels for another man. In particular, watch Shatner’s face as James Spader speaks, and then tell me this guy is a hack. It just isn’t so!