By Cielestia Calbay
Sci-fi fans lived well and prospered in the early 60s when the
“Star Trek” series first dominated the universe with William
Shatner and Leonard Nimoy as Capt. James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock,
respectively.
This Friday, Chris Pine, starring as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto,
starring as Spock, will take audiences on an adventure back to the
starship Enterprise.
For Pine and Quinto, the pressure was on to continue the legacy
that Shatner and Nimoy had left behind as one of cinema’s most
notable duo.
“Even though protecting the legacy was always on our minds, it
was never at the forefront,” said Pine in a conference call. “It
was always about making this particular version of the movie as
best as we could make it.”
To prepare for their roles, Pine and Quinto each took a
different step.
Pine said he watched the series, but realized midway that he was
setting himself up for trouble.
“We really tried to live up to the great writing that [the
writers] gave us instead of trying to immerse myself in the minute
details of the original series.”
On the other hand, Quinto spent time with Nimoy on how to convey
his character.
The original series’ protective fan base hasn’t discouraged the
two from fulfilling the Enterprise experience.
“People’s reactions are going to be people’s reactions
regardless of how much I care about them,” said Quinto in the
conference call. “So, I choose not to care about them and then my
experience remains more my own.”
With a hefty $150 million budget, the film called for intense
visual effects.
For this reason, Pine and Quinto found certain areas
challenging.
Pine struggled with the physical aspect of his role, as he said
he failed to realize how intense his action sequences were until he
actually got on set.
“Working with the stunts and the green screen was probably what
threw me off most,” said Pine.
For Quinto, it was a matter of finding the emotional life of his
character with the restriction of not being able to express that
emotion as freely as he’d wanted to.
Despite these challenges, the two found parallels with their
character and their own personalities.
“I find a certain level of connection to the duality between
one’s heart and one’s head, so my connection to the character was
rooted in that,” said Quinto.
Pine is known for his roles in “The Princess Diaries 2” while
Quinto is known for his role as Sylar in “Heroes.”
Pine and Quinto signed on to the project at earlier times in
their careers.
Quinto says Paramount executives spotted him after he had
expressed his interest in the project through several
interviews.
Pine first auditioned for the role in 2007, but didn’t land the
role until after his second audition.
“I was hesitant to [audition again] because I felt there was no
need to subject myself to further rejection,” said Pine.
“But I decided to back in because I wanted to meet J.J. [Abrams]
so badly, and was so happy that I did.”
Despite the film’s 43-year gap between the original series, the
two promise the film will engage old and new fans alike.
For an exclusive interview with the cast visit
thepolypost.com
Reach Cielestia Calbay at lifestyle@thepolypost.com
Courtesy of RottenTomatoes.com
Pine, Quinto tag team Vulcan pride
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