James Tiberius Kirk, often known as Captain Kirk, is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. Originally played by Canadian actor William Shatner, Kirk is best known as the captain of the starship USS Enterprise in the original Star Trek series (1966–1969). Kirk leads his crew as they explore new worlds and "boldly go where no man has gone before". Often, the characters of Spock and Leonard "Bones" McCoy act as his logical and emotional sounding boards, respectively.