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Shatner’s career taking off again

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Is it time to declare that William Shatner is back -- in a serious way?

A guest spot as an eccentric lawyer on ABC’s “The Practice” not only won Shatner his second Emmy nomination Thursday, but also a leading role on the next fall’s spinoff, “Boston Legal.”

At 73, Shatner’s career has circled from radio dramas to Broadway and live TV, through his glory days of playing Capt. James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” to a camp figure, spoofing his own halting delivery and puffy self-regard in commercials for Priceline.com.

His calendar has become crowded with more sober fare lately, including two TV movies and possibly a turn on next season’s “Star Trek: Enterprise” on UPN as “a form of” Capt. Kirk.

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He’s also made a record that’s serious and self-mocking at the same time. “In an acting career,” he says, “I don’t think you need to hold on to one or the other.”

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-- Lynn Smith

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