'Star Trek didn't excite me': Chris Pine says he 'wasn't a fan' of the series before landing the iconic role of Captain Kirk

Star Trek is known for its legions of die-hard fans.



So they'll likely not be too pleased with Chris Pine's latest comments about the iconic series.



The 32-year-old, who is set to reprise his role as Captain Kirk in the upcoming film Star Trek Into the Darkness, admitted that he wasn't too enthusiastic at being offered an audition for the previous 2009 film.



'I wasn't a fan of Star Trek,' said the actor in the latest issue of Esquire UK . 'It didn't excite me.'

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Not a fan: Chris Pine admits in the latest issue of Esquire that the idea of playing Captain Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek film 'didn't excite' him



Big shoes to fill: The 32-year-old said playing the legendary character 'terrified' him



Chris said in the interview - which was accompanied by a retro-inspired photo spread - that acting in a franchise didn't fit into his career plans.



'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,"' the actor said candidly.



Once he landed the role in the J.J. Abrams re-boot, he said he was filled with anxiety about stepping into the shoes of the legendary Captain Kirk, made famous by William Shatner in the original television series.



'Star Trek scared me a lot. It terrified me, really,' he said. '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.'



The interview is accompanied by a photo shoot which shows the actor dressed in Seventies-style attire such as loafers and cardigans.



In one shot, he is shown laughing as he leans against the display case at a bakery, about to tuck into a pastry.



In another picture he oozes sex appeal as he reads the newspaper wearing sunglasses and a plaid jacket, the palm trees and old neon signs in the background evoking a past era.

Stylish set: The actor wore Seventies-style attire for the retro shoot, which saw him enjoying a pastry in a traditional bakery in Los Angeles



But despite his boy-next-door looks and movie star status, the actor said he was a bit put out when he was usurped by his lesser-known co-star, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, while promoting the film abroad.

'When I went to Japan for Star Trek, the fans were at the airport waiting. But they didn’t scream until Benedict got off the plane. And I was like, "f*** man: what about me?” '



He also admitted that life was simpler before he hit it big in Hollywood, at least in some respects.



'Before, it was so much easier. You had this Zen-like tunnel vision of "must work at all costs." It’s so wonderfully focusing,' said the actor.



Now, although he is able to command big paychecks and work with talented actors, 'the excitement doesn’t compare to when I got my first movie ten years ago. That was a pretty amazing day.'



Reprising the role: Chris in a scene with actor Bruce Greenwood from the new film



Action-packed: In the new film, Captain Kirk and his crew are tasked with leading the deadly manhunt to capture the party responsible for attacking Starfleet



The actor also appears to have used basic common sense to avoid the pitfalls of fame.



Full interview appears in Esquire’s Spring Style Special, on sale Thursday 4 April. Also available as a digital edition

'Drugs were never interesting to me. With drinking, you slowly learn how much you can handle, but with drugs I just don’t know what the f*** they are or what they do. Also, I was a shy kid, a late bloomer. At 22, I was probably 16 emotionally.'



Chris also revealed his life philosophy, which could go some way to explaining his phenomenal success.



'We have one shot at this life, and we have all these potentials and capabilities, so what I’m interested in is how can you live so that by the end, you’ve truly investigated yourself and lived life to the full?'

Despite being the eleventh film in the Star Trek franchise, 2009’s Star Trek enjoyed massive box office success.



The majority of the cast from the hugely popular film have returned as the action is taken up a notch in the upcoming flick.



In the new film, due for release in May, the crew of the Enterprise find a seemingly unstoppable force which has attacked Starfleet and left Earth in chaos.



Captain Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are tasked with leading the deadly manhunt to capture the party responsible and settle an old score.

Full interview appears in Esquire’s Spring Style Special, on sale Thursday 4 April. Also available as a digital edition.