14 DAY TRIAL // The highly anticipated “Star Trek Into Darkness” is out this May and, following the release of countless stills, posters, and videos from the film, it’s time for its stars to do their part. This is precisely what Chris Pine does in his brand new interview with Esquire UK.
Speaking with the magazine, the actor, who plays Cpt. James Kirk, reveals that, before he was cast in the 2009 film, he had no interest in the franchise whatsoever.
Some Trekkies might consider that the ultimate blasphemy but, if you think about it, perhaps Pine deserves praise for being honest about it (at least), which is not something you can say about all actors out there.
“I wasn’t a fan of Star Trek. It didn’t excite me. All I wanted at that time was a part that I really connected to and when my agent said, ‘Star Trek’, I said, ‘No! Have you not been hearing anything I’ve said? Star Trek is the furthest thing from what I want to do’,” he recalls of talking to his agent about the role.
Part of his initial reluctance to do the part was his fear of such a project. Though he was not a fan, he must have known something about the “Star Trek” fanbase and how dearly failure would have cost him.
“Star Trek scared me a lot. It terrified me, really. Because of the scale, the responsibility, the fact that it was this iconic character. It was the bigger challenge. So I had to take it,” Pine says.
In the same interview, he talks about a recent trip he and the cast took to Japan to promote the film. Pine almost didn’t believe how quickly he and Zachary Quinto were “forgotten” the moment Benedict Cumberbatch (who plays villain in the upcoming film) set foot on land.
“When I went to Japan for Star Trek, the fans were at the airport waiting. But they didn’t scream until Benedict [Cumberbatch] got off the plane. And I was like, [expletive] man: what about me?” Chris says laughing.
See here for the rest of the interview.