

(written from a Production point of view Real World article

The reason I was actually intrigued by the JJ Abrams version of it is because I thought Chris Pine did a fantastic job not just playing Capt. Kirk but playing William Shatner’s captain — he is William Shatner. He’s not just another guy, he’s William Shatner’s Capt. Kirk. And it’s literally, Zachary Quinto is literally Leonard Nimoy’s — because they both have the same scene together — he’s his Spock. They fucking nail it. They just nail it."

Christopher Whitelaw Pine (born 26 August 1980; age 40), known simply as Chris Pine, is the actor who portrayed James T. Kirk in Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond.

When it was originally announced that Pine was in negotiations to play Kirk in Star Trek, he was also in talks to star with George Clooney in the film White Jazz. This project would have reunited Pine with his Smokin' Aces director Joe Carnahan. [1] It was Carnahan who first broke the news that Pine had decided to do Star Trek instead of White Jazz. [2] Trekmovie.com soon after confirmed that Pine had signed on to play Kirk. [3]

Since being cast as Kirk, Pine has acquired an increased amount of recognition. The Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, and Variety have all named him one of the rising stars to watch in 2009. [4] [5] [6] He was also named the Male Star of Tomorrow at the 2009 ShoWest exhibit in Las Vegas, Nevada. [7]

In 2010 Pine received two MTV Movie Award nominations in the categories Best Breakout Star and Biggest Badass Star for his work on Star Trek. [8] [9] Pine also received a Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards in 2009, two Teen Choice Award nominations in 2009, and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards in 2010 as part of the ensemble of Star Trek. The ensemble won the 2009 Boston Society of Film Critics Awards in the category Best Ensemble Cast.

Pine joined his fellow Star Trek co-stars and lent his voice to the video game Star Trek, which was released in 2013. Between January and May 2012, he filmed his scenes for Star Trek Into Darkness. Pine got the chance to conduct the orchestra during a visit to the recording of Star Trek Into Darkness's score composed by Michael Giacchino. [10]

Pine is the subject of a lawsuit by his former talent agency, SBD Partners, alleging breach of contract and seeking millions of dollars in commissions in part derived from his Star Trek work they allege they have been denied. The lawsuit provides some insight into Pine's salary for the next two Star Trek movies, claiming that he will get $1.5 million plus $500,000 in backend compensation for the second movie, and $3 million plus the same $500,000 for a third movie. Additionally, they claim Pine will get 5 percent of net merchandising revenue from the use of his name and likeness. [11]

In 2013, Pine received a nomination at the Teen Choice Awards in the category Choice Summer Movie Star: Male for his appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness. Another nominee in this category is former Star Trek: Voyager guest star Dwayne Johnson. [12] Pine appeared on card #36, titled Recruit James T. Kirk, card #56, titled Cadet James T. Kirk, card #84, titled Acting First Officer James T. Kirk, and card #101, titled Captain James T. Kirk, of the 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals. In 2014, Pine guest-starred with Sir Patrick Stewart on Robot Chicken as "Captain Jake", the party-loving commander of the USS Enterprise-D's night crew.

On 26 June 2015, it was reported that Pine, as well as Zachary Quinto signed on for a potential fourth film in the alternate reality series of films. [13] He was to be paid about $6 million, double his original projected take. [14]

With the cancellation of Star Trek 4, Chris Pine's most recent appearance as Kirk came courtesy of a 2017 appearance on Saturday Night Live, albeit playing Shatner's Kirk instead of his own version.

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Early life

Pine was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the son of Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise guest star Robert Pine and actress-turned-psychotherapist Gwynne Gilford. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English. He spent his junior year studying at the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, United Kingdom.

Career

Before Star Trek

Pine began his screen acting career with a role in a 2003 episode of ER. The episode, entitled "A Thousand Cranes", was co-written by VOY: "Pathfinder" scribe David Zabel. The episode also featured Brad Blaisdell, Michelle Bonilla, and Michael Buchman Silver. Pine followed his appearance on ER with guest spots on The Guardian (2003, with Erich Anderson, Tracy Middendorf, and Christopher Neiman), CSI: Miami (2003, with Wade Williams) and American Dreams (2004, with Ethan Dampf).

He made his film debut as the young male lead in the 2004 comedy sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, which co-starred John Rhys-Davies as Pine's character's uncle. Pine then had the starring role in the independent thriller Confession (2005), opposite his father Robert as well as Bruce Davison and Kate Vernon. Afterward, Pine was cast in the male lead opposite Lindsay Lohan in the romantic comedy film Just My Luck (2006).

After a guest spot on Six Feet Under in 2005 with Joanna Cassidy, James Cromwell, Ann Cusack, J.G. Hertzler, and Anne Ramsay, Pine played the lead role in the comedy film Blind Dating (2006). He then appeared in the action film Smokin' Aces (2006), in which he and Star Trek: Enterprise guest actor Maury Sterling played two of the Tremor brothers, a trio of insane hillbilly mercenaries bent on accomplishing the title goal. Joseph Ruskin also made an appearance in this film.

In 2006, Pine starred in a thriller called Carriers, which was released in 2009 and featured Mark Moses. Pine then had the lead role in the dramatic film Bottle Shock, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008 and ran for a limited US release starting in August 2008. This film also featured Kirk Baily, Louis Giambalvo and Matthew Kimbrough in the cast.

After Star Trek

After Star Trek, Pine filmed the independent drama Small Town Saturday Night, released in 2010. He was also part of the ensemble voice cast of the 2009 short film Beyond all Boundaries. Others who lent their voices to this project include James Cromwell and William Sadler.

In addition, Pine worked on the computer-animated feature Quantum Quest, in which he voiced the protagonist, a photon named Dave. The film also features the voice of the first actor to play James T. Kirk, William Shatner, making Quantum Quest the first and thus far only project featuring performances from both Kirk actors. Other voices heard in the film include Jason Alexander, Robert Picardo, and Brent Spiner. [15] [16]

On 22 January 2010, Pine participated in the fund-raising program Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief. He was among the celebrities who operated the phones for the benefit, along with his Star Trek co-stars Tyler Perry and Zoë Saldana, Star Trek: Voyager actress Jeri Ryan, Christian Slater, and Robin Williams. [17]

Pine starred opposite Denzel Washington in the 2010 action thriller Unstoppable, in which Pine played a "newbie" train conductor hired to replace Washington's character. This became the last film directed by filmmaker Tony Scott, who committed suicide two years later. The supervising sound editor of Unstoppable, Mark Stoeckinger, also supervised the sound editing of Star Trek.

Pine next starred opposite Star Trek Nemesis actor Tom Hardy in the 2012 action-comedy This Means War. Michael Papajohn worked on this film, as well, and Star Trek makeup head Mindy Hall was Pine's personal makeup artist on the movie. Joey Box was the film's stunt coordinator, while Lauro Chartrand, Zack Duhame, Terry Jackson, Chris Palermo, Susan Purkhiser, John Stoneham, Jr., Marcus Young, and Steve Kelso performed stunts.

Also in 2012, Pine starred in the drama People Like Us, which was directed by Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness co-writer/producer Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman also co-wrote and executive-produced this film alongside his Star Trek writing and producing partner, Roberto Orci; Mindy Hall was the head of the film's makeup department. In addition, Pine was the voice of Jack Frost in the 2012 animated feature Rise of the Guardians.

After Star Trek Into Darkness, Pine appeared with Alice Eve in the video for Paul McCartney's single "Queenie Eye", alongside with many other actors and singers. [18]

Pine recently took over the role of CIA analyst Jack Ryan in a reboot of the film franchise based on the novels by Tom Clancy. Pine was the fourth actor to play the role, after Alec Baldwin (in The Hunt for Red October, in which Gates McFadden appeared as Ryan's wife), Harrison Ford (in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger), and Ben Affleck (in Sum of All Fears). The Jack Ryan films mark two Paramount Pictures franchises Pine will be top-lining simultaneously, as he is already starring in the new Star Trek films. [19] The film, titled Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, was directed by Kenneth Branagh and also featured Seth Ayott.

Pine starred in the comedy Mantivities, which he co-wrote with several friends, including Enterprise alum Drew Howerton. He is also a producer on the film. [20] In addition, Pine makes a cameo appearance in his Smokin' Aces director Joe Carnahan's comedic thriller Stretch. [21] Pine also stars in the independent science fiction feature Z for Zachariah [22] and played Cinderella's prince in Disney's adaptation of the Broadway musical Into the Woods (2014). [23] He played obnoxious kidnapping victim Rex Hanson in the comedy sequel Horrible Bosses 2. In 2016, he will reunite with Eric Bana in Disney's The Finest Hours, dramatizing the Pendleton rescue of 1952.

In July 2015 it was reported that Pine signed a multi-picture deal with DC to portray the character Steve Trevor in the comic adaptation Wonder Woman and further sequels opposite Gal Gadot. [24]

Pine's latest project reunites him with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, the TV series I Am the Night costarring Golden Brooks and Leland Orser. He will also star in the upcoming film Violence of Action alongside Gillian Jacobs.

Star Trek appearances

Pine appeared as Kirk in