James T. Kirk is perhaps Star Trek's most famous figure, having earned a place in the pop culture canon partly due to the character's intrepid nature and partly due to William Shatner's charismatic (if hammy) performance. Kirk is best known for captaining the Enterprise during the ship's five-year mission, as dramatized in Star Trek: The Original Series, as well as his camaraderie with the half-Vulcan Spock.