William Shatner (James T. Kirk) yesterday joined the growing ranks of big-name actors who have signed up for guest shots on The Practice this season.

The Star Trek actor has been tapped to play a pivotal recurring role as the head of a competing law firm on David E. Kelley's legal drama, trade paper Variety reported.

Shatner will reportedly appear in four of the final six episodes of the show's eighth season, with an option to appear in further instalments. He will share the screen with Australian actor Vince Colosimo (The Secret Life of Us), who has been cast in the role of Shatner's junior partner.

With an Emmy nomination for playing "The Big Giant Head" on The Third Rock From The Sun, Shatner is certainly no stranger to showy guest roles. His character on The Practice, Danny Crane, is described as a "power-hungry, eccentric legal legend", who will reportedly play a large part in the season's climactic story arc.

The Practice, which was awarded the Best Drama Series Emmy in 1999, was on the verge of cancellation last season, but in a cost-cutting measure David E. Kelley sacked many of the principal cast members. This year he has populated the show with big-name guest stars such as Sharon Stone and Chris O'Donnell and veteran television actor Adam Arkin (Chicago Hope, The West Wing).

Shatner's episodes will likely air in April and May this year. The original Variety article is available through Yahoo! News.

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