In 2009, J.J. Abrams initiated the Star Trek reboot with a fresh film featuring Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, the iconic character initially portrayed by William Shatner. Pine continued to embody the role in two subsequent sequels, released in 2013 and 2016.
More recently, Olyphant discussed his close call with the role during an interview with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, disclosing that he likely would have secured the part if he were approximately a decade younger.
Timothy Olyphant Didn’t Fit The Bill For The Role
Timothy Olyphant later revealed his strong conviction that he was on the verge of being cast, but age became the primary obstacle. He explained that Abrams encountered challenges in identifying the ideal actor for Kirk within that specific age bracket, which prompted serious consideration of Olyphant for the role.
Nonetheless, Chris Pine, who is approximately 13 years junior to Olyphant, swiftly entered the scene and successfully secured the role. Olyphant expressed his belief that the correct decision was ultimately made, demonstrating his endorsement of Pine’s casting.
“Somewhere along the line, J.J. called and said, ‘I found a guy younger, who’s really good,'” Olyphant said. “I have since then met Chris Pine, and I am a huge fan of him, both on and off-screen. I love that guy. He is a good dude.”
During the Happy Sad Confused interview, Olyphant also delved into his close brush with landing the role of Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic portrayal, Jon Favreau had engaged in discussions with Olyphant regarding the potential of him playing Tony Stark.
Ultimately, the casting didn’t align, with Downey perfectly embodying Iron Man, yet Favreau would eventually circle back to involve Olyphant in the Star Wars universe years later, granting him a part in the Disney+ series, The Mandalorian.
Chris Pine Made Things Difficult For Zoe Saldana
In a conversation with BBC Radio 1, Zoe Saldaña openly acknowledged the immense improvisational prowess of her co-star, Chris Pine, which posed a unique challenge to her ability to maintain focus and stay in character. Reflecting on her time filming alongside the Wonder Woman actor, Saldaña revealed,
“Chris is really good at improvising, so it makes it really hard for you to stay in character, for sure. But I also remember, because of the three Star Trek movies that I’ve done, that being in the same room with Simon Pegg, John Cho or Anton Yelchin. Sometimes Chris Pine, whenever he wanted to jump in. Zachary Quinto was hysterical.”
Saldaña’s behind-the-scenes anecdotes unveil the vibrant ambiance that infused the Star Trek set. The spontaneous humor and sharp wit displayed by her co-stars, among them Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Zachary Quinto, frequently tested her capacity to stay in character amid the unforeseen bursts of comedic brilliance.
Source: CBR
