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SINGAPORE : Author Garth Sundem, who wrote "The Geek’s Guide to World Domination", probably had it right when he said, be afraid, beautiful people.
Why? Because the geek shall inherit the earth, apparently. Just ask the geek poster boys of this generation, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
The two are Hollywood’s hottest rising stars and this year’s sexiest “It” boys. And it’s all thanks to the ubercool re-imagining of the long-running, fanatically beloved franchise that’s more commonly associated with pasty-face, bespectacled convention-gathering mouth breathers than sex symbols.
FYI: We’re talking about Captain Kirk (Pine) and First Officer Spock (Quinto), who will take you to the final frontier in the new movie, "Star Trek".
And Quinto and Pine are not just pretty boys, they have geek cred too. Pine played a bumbling music manager in Just My Luck, was the slightly officious geek lord Nicholas Devereaux in "Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement", and his middle name is Whitelaw (seriously, how geeky is that?)
Quinto is perhaps better known as the geekily quiet, insecure baddie Sylar from "Heroes", but was geekily pleased that Leonard Nimoy (Spock from the original TV series) approved his casting for the new movie, calling it “liberating”. He also called "Star Trek" “touching” and “moving” (again, geek alert).
And while most see geeks as near-obsessive homebodies with a principled disdain for ordinary social conventions, in the case of Kirk and Spock, geeks are sexy hot. Galactically hot. And that’s fine by us.
Zachary Quinto (First Officer Spock)
What do you like about this take on the Star Trek saga?
I am really pleased that it continues the optimistic tone that creator Gene Roddenberry first implemented in the original series. They dealt with problems and themes back then that people had trepidation to talk about, like racial, social and political issues. What I love about our film is that it’s about friendship and family. And while we might have action and drama and comedy, it is ultimately a very moving and touching film.
Tell us about putting on those famous ears.
It was a momentous occasion when I put the ears on for the first time. The process takes the make-up team two hours each day and although they made a difference, after a while, I didn’t even notice they were there.
Stepping into a role so identifiable with another actor can be a daunting task: Are you afraid of inevitable comparisons or stereotypes?
At the 2007 edition Comic Con Convention in San Diego, I found myself riding in a crowded elevator with Leonard Nimoy. We stood silently next to each other, but when the doors opened, he turned to me and simply stated, “You have no idea what you are in for.”
Leonard made the transition easy, and our friendship gave me some insights not only into the background and psychology of Spock, but the aura that surrounds the character. Leonard has spent 40 years with this character, and you can see how it has shaped his life. I am just looking at this opportunity as an incredible launching point and I am eager for a diverse, extensive experience as an actor.
Chris Pine (Captain James Tiberius Kirk)
It seems that you’re not the first in your family to stroll the halls of the USS Enterprise.
Yes, that honour was bestowed upon my father, Robert Pine, who guest starred in "Star Trek: Voyager", one of the many TV incarnations of the beloved science fiction series.
What was it like to fill the coveted shoes of the iconic William Shatner (who first played Kirk in 1960s TV series)?
It was daunting! Mr Shatner had a way of moving around the deck of the Enterprise, which was almost balletic; specific poses he struck in the Captain’s chair which are so identifiably Kirk. He was bold and confident and funny and I was really impressed by the complexity that he brought to the character.
Tell us about your audition.
I thought it was just about the worst audition I could’ve given! I came in during the spring of 2007 and I was doing a play at the time, so my energy was focused elsewhere. I was asked to talk about photons and torpedoes and ... I just felt the audition went down the drain. Months later, my agents called me to go back again. I initially turned them down. But they convinced me to at least meet with director J J Abrams and it was a smart move to go back. J J was so passionate and positive, and allowed me to improvise and find the nuance of the character. He is like a big eight-year-old kid and the audition was actually fun.
You had to attend a boot camp filled with kickboxing, krav maga (an Israeli-based fighting technique) and general conditioning classes to prepare for the role?
We had the best (training) but I wasn’t mentally prepared. Instead of 12 hours a day thinking about a love scene or some intense dialogue-driven moment, I would spend a whole day running, pretending to be fired upon, or chased by something. I had no concept of that and let me tell you, I have not sweat that much since high school!
Did you strike up a connection with Shatner, like Zachary did with his original counterpart?
Not face-to-face, I haven’t. But I wrote him a letter early on in the process just to introduce myself. I wanted him to know that I was not trying to usurp his status as the original Kirk and that I was just doing my best to portray a certain part of the story and character. He responded back in kind, wishing me the best of luck and an offer to grab a lunch sometime soon.
Exclusive interview transcripts courtesy of UIP
Star Trek opens on Thursday. - TODAY/ra
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