Timothy Olyphant recently shared a glimpse into a role that slipped through his fingers, reflecting on his near brush with playing Captain Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 “Star Trek” films, a role that eventually went to Chris Pine.
In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast conducted prior to the actors’ strike, Olyphant recalled his audition experience for the iconic role. He reminisced about reading with J.J. Abrams, describing the audition process as “lovely.” Initially, Olyphant wasn’t auditioning for Captain Kirk; he was reading for the part of Doc. However, it became clear that the Kirk role was still up for grabs.
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Olyphant explained, “Somewhere in there, I was auditioning for Doc, he’s like, ‘I already got a guy for Doc, so I don’t need you for that, but I don’t have a Kirk.'” While Olyphant’s audition seemed promising, there was a preference for a younger actor for the Kirk role. He noted, “I believe it was one of those things where he might have been prepared to hire me, but they wanted somebody younger, and he [Abrams] was having a hard time finding somebody younger.”
Eventually, Pine was chosen to portray Captain Kirk in the “Star Trek” trilogy, including the films “Star Trek” (2009), “Star Trek: Into Darkness” (2013), and “Star Trek Beyond” (2016).
Despite not landing the role, Olyphant had nothing but praise for Pine, whom he has met since. Olyphant shared, “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 also recounted a Golden Globes experience where he spent most of the evening at the bar with Pine, describing him as a “good dude.”
Olyphant acknowledged that the audition process can be challenging, but his positive memories of it reflect his appreciation for J.J. Abrams and his professionalism. He concluded, “Auditioning sucks and the fact that I remember the audition process fondly says a lot about J.J. Abrams and what a wonderful man that guy is.”
In addition to Chris Pine, the “Star Trek” films boasted a talented ensemble cast, including Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldaña, and John Cho.
While the role of Captain Kirk might have eluded Timothy Olyphant, his gracious attitude and admiration for his fellow actors shine through. As fans of both actors, we can appreciate the camaraderie and mutual respect that exists within the entertainment industry.