Performers considered for film roles

This is a list of performers who were considered for Star Trek films roles, but ultimately did not appear in the role in the film. Performers listed here have been verified as having been considered by Star Trek production staff for a particular film role in which they ultimately did not appear.

Performers considered for Star Trek roles
The Original Series • Films • The Next Generation • Deep Space Nine • Voyager • Enterprise • Discovery • Picard • Strange New Worlds
See also: Production staff members considered to work on Star Trek

Star Trek: The Motion Picture[]

Jordan Clarke[]

Jordan Clarke auditioned for the role of Will Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. He was interviewed by the film's director, Robert Wise, and his audition was scheduled for 11:20 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 104)

Frederic Forrest[]

Frederic Forrest auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105)

Lance Henriksen[]

Lance Henriksen auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:40 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) Henriksen is well-known for his work in numerous science fiction and horror films, including The Terminator (1984, starring Linda Hamilton, with Earl Boen, Paul Winfield, Brian Thompson, Dick Miller), Aliens (1986, with Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, and a score by James Horner), Near Dark (1987, with Roger Aaron Brown), Alien 3 (1992), and Alien vs. Predator (2004). He starred alongside Megan Gallagher and Terry O'Quinn in Millennium (1996-1999, featuring Bill Smitrovich).

Arthur Hindle[]

Arthur Hindle auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for sometime between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105). Hindle had previously appeared in the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. That film was directed by Philip Kaufman, and Leonard Nimoy had a prominent role.

Richard Kelton[]

Richard Kelton auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:30 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) Kelton also played Ficus Pandorata on NBC's Quark, which included numerous references to Star Trek throughout its short run. (For more information, see the series' entry at Star Trek parodies and pop culture references.) He died only four months after his Star Trek audition, due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning while filming the miniseries Centennial.

Stephen Macht[]

Main article: Stephen Macht

Stephen Macht auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. In common with Arthur Hindle, Macht's audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for sometime between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) He also auditioned for both the roles of Jean-Luc Picard and William T. Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation. (The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years) Years later, Macht played General Krim in DS9: "The Circle" and "The Siege".

Andrew Robinson[]

Main article: Andrew J. Robinson

Andrew Robinson auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:10 am on 25 July 1978, only ten minutes after Stephen Collins, who was ultimately cast in the part. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 104) Years later, Robinson played the recurring character Elim Garak on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Tim Thomerson[]

Tim Thomerson auditioned for the role of Will Decker in The Motion Picture. His audition, held by Robert Wise, was scheduled for 11:50 am on 25 July 1978. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 105) As with Richard Kelton, Thomerson also appeared on the television series Quark.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan[]

Kim Cattrall[]

• See: Kim Cattrall

Madlyn Rhue[]

Main article: Madlyn Rhue

Madlyn Rhue was originally planned to reprise her role as Lieutenant Marla McGivers in the film, having established that part in TOS: "Space Seed". Harve Bennett ended up writing the character out of the film's story, after learning that Rhue suffered from multiple sclerosis which bound her to a wheelchair. Bennett felt it would be unfair to recast the role.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock[]

Kirstie Alley[]

Main article: Kirstie Alley

Kirsty Alley was offered the chance to reprise the role of Saavik in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, but according to Alley, she was offered less money for that film than she was paid for Star Trek II and thus declined to return. According to Leonard Nimoy, Alley's talent agent demanded a salary that was higher than DeForest Kelley's after learning that Saavik was to have a large role in the film. [1] It was also reported that "Just before production began, negotiations with Kirstie Alley broke down. […] The Los Angeles Times indicated the problem concerned money with Alley asking 10 times the salary she earned on Star Trek II. […] Alley's representative, Michael Levine, agreed that the problem was financial, but refused further details." (Starlog #77, December 1983, p. 15)

After an intensive casting search, Nimoy opted instead to recast the role of Saavik, which was ultimately given to Robin Curtis.

In a later interview, Alley reported wanted to reprise the role, but Paramount wasn't willing to pay what she was asking, which according to Alley was "less money then they did for Star Trek II, so I figured they weren't very interested in me for Saavik." This, combined with the commitment of a co-starring role in the TV pilot Masquerade for ABC, forced Alley to bow out of the role. (Starlog #102, January 1986, p. 43)

Upon viewing The Search for Spock, Alley found the film an enjoyable but unnerving experience, as she came to the realization that of Curtis' as Saavik, "She wasn't me". Sympathizing with Curtis, however, Alley revealed that "I thought she was at a real disadvantage playing the role someone else established, especially with Star Trek, which has an enormous following. I think she did a fine job. I have no problem with what she was doing except that, when I saw the film, I said, 'She isn't Saavik. I am.'" (Starlog #102, January 1986, p, 43)

Edward James Olmos[]

• See: Edward James Olmos

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home[]

Mariette Hartley[]

Main article: Mariette Hartley

Mariette Hartley was one of "several other actresses [who] were considered for the role of Dr. Taylor […] but Hicks fought through four auditions to land the part." (Starlog, March 1987, p. 39)

Robert Hooks[]

Main article: Robert Hooks

Robert Hooks was due to reprise his role as Morrow in the film, but became unavailable for unknown reasons, and the character was replaced by Cartwright (played by Brock Peters). The revised final draft script specifies that Morrow was changed to Cartwright. [2]

Eddie Murphy[]

Eddie Murphy, a popular actor and comedian who rose to stardom as a regular on Saturday Night Live (frequently appearing in tandem with Joe Piscopo – Charles Rocket was also in the cast his first season) and as the star of Paramount Pictures' 48 Hrs. (1982) and Beverly Hills Cop (1984), was initially rumored to appear in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home either as himself or as a Murphy-like character.

This was initially explored in an interview with Leonard Nimoy in the November 1985 issue of Starlog #100 (p. 55-56):

Another casting controversy sparked by press speculation concerned a possible starring (or cameo) role for comedian Eddie Murphy in Star Trek IV. "It's too premature to discuss that," Nimoy maintainrf. "There has been much conjecture about Murphy since Beverly Hills Cop. The press has been very curious about what he will do next. They know he has a multi-picture deal with Paramount. They know he is a big Star Trek fan. They know Trek IV is in preparation at Paramount. So, it isn't surprising that rumor would pop up. And when I started talking about the film being lighter in tone, some people put two and two together."

Although unwilling to substantiate the speculation, Nimoy still refuses to publicly dismiss the notion of incorporating the unorthodox antics of the madcap Murphy into the sedate atmosphere of the Star Trek environment. "Why should I?," he asks, not entirely rhetorically. "What would be gained? Why should I try to reassure the fans who are worried about it? That would mean I was letting them dictate to me." […] "I've been through this before." […] "In other words, we are professional people doing a professional job. If we decide that Eddie Murphy should be in Trek IV, then the fans will have to trust us. Let us do our work."

Shortly before the release of the film, it was noted that "at the other end of the soundstage from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a large, sewer set from The Golden Child, Eddie Murphy's new fantasy adventure. Murphy's proximity is a reminder that he was once rumored to have a role in the new Trek film. It was, however, only a small part with Murphy unrecognizably made up as a Klingon official–a role that was instead filled by character actor John Schuck." (Starlog #111, October 1986, p. 40; Starlog #138, p. 30)

Years later, it was confirmed that Murphy had expressed interest in the part and early scripts were written with Murphy in mind for the role of a major character, an eccentric professor who believed that aliens exist, who ultimately became Gillian Taylor. Ultimately a negative writing campaign coupled with story issues prompted the writers to drop the idea, and Murphy moved on to other projects. "I'm a Trekkie. I've always loved Star Trek and have wanted to do one of the films," says Murphy. "The script was developed, but we eventually dropped the idea. [The] Golden Child came along and I decided to do that film instead … In retrospect, I might have been better off doing Star Trek IV." The character was ultimately rewritten as a woman and the part went to Catherine Hicks. (Starlog, October 1987, p. 8; The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration; Trekworld, June 1999)

Since then, Murphy has continued a successful career in film, starring in such hits as Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Dr. Dolittle (1998), Daddy Day Care, and the Shrek films. In 2006 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Dreamgirls.

Susan Sarandon[]

Susan Sarandon was one of "several other actresses [who] were considered for the role of Dr. Taylor […] but Hicks fought through four auditions to land the part." At the time she was known for her work in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Starlog, March 1987, p. 39)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier[]

Kim Cattrall[]

• See: Kim Cattrall

Sean Connery[]

• See: Sean Connery

Rachel McLish[]

Rachel McLish was one of the final thirteen women who auditioned for the role of Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, but the role went to Spice Williams. (Source: Spice Williams)

McLish is a famous female bodybuilder and former Ms. Olympia who retired in 1984. She has acted in several movies such as Getting Physical (1984) alongside Spice Williams-Crosby and TNG guest actor Earl Boen and Raven Hawk (1996) with John de Lancie, Michael Champion, Ed Lauter, John Fleck, and Nicholas Guest, and published several books as well as many fitness instruction videos.

Max von Sydow[]

Max von Sydow was a well-known Swedish actor who was considered for the role of Sybok when Sean Connery proved unavailable. According to William Shatner, the idea of using von Sydow "quickly flew out the window" when he discovered how high his expected salary was compared to the remaining production budget. (Captain's Log: William Shatner's Personal Account of the Making of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; Charting the Undiscovered Country: The Making of Trek VI)

Max von Sydow is known for his many collaborations with famed writer/director Ingmar Bergman during his early career, which included Wild Strawberries (1957), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Magician (1958), The Virgin Spring (1960), and Through a Glass Darkly (1961). Perhaps von Sydow's best-known American film role is that of Father Merrin in The Exorcist (1973). He was received Golden Globe nominations for his work on both The Exorcist and Hawaii (1966), and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 1987 Danish film Pelle the Conqueror.

By 1988, when he was being considered for a role in Star Trek V, von Sydow was no stranger to science fiction, having played Ming the Merciless in the 1980 film Flash Gordon. He also co-starred with Christopher Plummer in Dreamscape (1984) and appeared as Dr. Kynes in Dune (1984, featuring Brad Dourif, Virginia Madsen, Dean Stockwell, and Patrick Stewart). Von Sydow later appeared in Judge Dredd (1995), Minority Report (2002) and appeared as Lor San Tekka in J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015). He also ventured into the fantasy genre, including the role of King Osric in 1982's Conan the Barbarian.

His many other, non-genre film credits include Three Days of the Condor (1975), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), Awakenings (1990), Needful Things (1993), and Snow Falling on Cedars (1999). Later credits include Rush Hour 3 (2007) and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007).

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country[]

Kirstie Alley[]

Main article: Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley was originally asked by director Nicholas Meyer to reprise her role as Saavik in the film, but her price was deemed to be too high. Other sources (most notably Meyer himself) say that she refused Meyer's requests because of weight problems, feeling she would look fat in a tight-fitting uniform. Finally Kim Cattrall was cast in the role, which was eventually reworked into the character of Valeris. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition) DVD audio commentary)

Most ironically, Cattrall was not available for the original part in Wrath of Khan, whereas it was Alley, who turned out to be unavailable for The Undiscovered Country. Alley's unavailability, was the reason why the character of Saavik was changed into that of Valeris, as Robin Curtis, who had also played the part of Saavik, had never been considered to reprise the role. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 22, No. 5, p. 31)

Whoopi Goldberg[]

Main article: Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg, eager to make a cameo appearance in the film, met with Nick Meyer to discuss the possibility of her appearing as a "Klingon princess" in Star Trek VI. This idea was vetoed by Leonard Nimoy, who feared that too many well known performers in the film's supporting cast might detract from the movie being the last to feature the regular Star Trek: The Original Series cast. Goldberg was also making recurring appearances as Guinan in Star Trek: The Next Generation. (The View from the Bridge, hardcover ed., p. 211)

Jack Palance[]

Main article: Jack Palance

Jack Palance was an American actor, originally approached to play Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. He was scheduled to appear in the film City Slickers, which earned him an Academy Award, and David Warner was cast in the role instead. Palance appeared in many classic Hollywood films, including Shane (1953, with Elisha Cook). Other films of Palance include Austerlitz (1960, with Orson Welles), Le mépris (1963), Chato's Land (1972), Batman (1989, with Tracey Walter), and Tango and Cash (1989, with Teri Hatcher, Marc Alaimo, and Michael J. Pollard).

Star Trek Generations[]

Marlon Brando[]

Two-times Academy Award-winning actor Marlon Brando was interested in playing Tolian Soran, and his representative contacted producer Rick Berman about the role. Berman was enthusiastic about having Brando on board, and contacted Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing about the possibility. However, Brando was asking for a very high salary, which Lansing was not ready to pay.

According to Berman, "It was numerous millions of dollars, much more than she had any interest in paying. This was also at a point when he was quite overweight, and it was an action-hero type of role. My feeling was, 'we're talking about Marlon Brando here!' But Sherry had remarkable experience in the motion picture business and said 'Brando's presence is not going to justify the expenditure'". [3]

Considered to be among the greatest actors of the 20th century, Brando rose to fame with his roles in films such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Viva Zapata! (1952, with Arnold Moss), The Wild One (1953, with Carey Loftin, Sam Gilman, and K.L. Smith), and On the Waterfront (1954, with Nehemiah Persoff). His career continued with projects like The Fugitive Kind (1960), his directorial debut One-Eyed Jacks (1961, with Elisha Cook), and Mutiny on the Bounty (1962, with Antoinette Bower, Mike Dugan, Torin Thatcher, and Paul Baxley).

In 1972, Brando played the iconic role of mafia boss Don Vito Corleone in The Godfather. Joe Lombardi served as special effects supervisor, and Paul Baxley as second unit director for the film. In his later career, Brando appeared as Jor-El in Superman (1978, edited by Stuart Baird), as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now (1979, co-starring Martin Sheen), and as the titular character in The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996, with Ron Perlman and Frank Welker).

DeForest Kelley[]

Main article: DeForest Kelley

DeForest Kelley was approached to appear as Leonard McCoy in the prologue sequence of Generations. He felt the part was rather just a cameo, and that the original characters made their exit well in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The script was re-written to feature Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) instead.

Leonard Nimoy[]

Main article: Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy was approached to appear as Spock in the prologue sequence of Star Trek Generations and direct the film, but declined the offer. As Nimoy explained, "There were five or six lines attributed to Spock […] but it had nothing to do with Spock. They were not Spock-like in any way. I said to Rick Berman, 'You could distribute these lines to any one of the other characters and it wouldn't make any difference.' And that is exactly what he did. There was no Spock function in the script. I have always tried to make a contribution to these movies. There was no contribution to be made in that movie. It was just sort of 'let's get Nimoy in here too.' I said there is nothing here I can do so I said 'thanks, but I'll pass'." [4] He was replaced by Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) in the scene.

Star Trek: First Contact[]

Avery Brooks[]

Main article: Avery Brooks

Avery Brooks was planned to have a cameo appearance as Benjamin Sisko in the film while it was still titled Star Trek: Destinies, but it didn't come to fruition. (Star Trek Monthly issue 15)

Tom Hanks[]

Tom Hanks is the two-time Academy Award–winning American actor, who was originally approached to play Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. Hanks, a self-admitted Trekkie, had to turn down the offer, as he was busy working on his directorial debut, That Thing You Do! (featuring Clint Howard and Robert Wisdom).

Hanks built a long and successful career in film, working as an actor, producer, writer, and director. He started out in comedies, such as Splash (1984, with Charles Macaulay, Clint Howard, Bill Smitrovich and cinematography by Don Peterman), The Money Pit (1986, with Tzi Ma), and Big (1988, with Josh Clark), and also starred in Trek director Nicholas Meyer's Volunteers (1985, with Clyde Kusatsu and music by James Horner). He turned to more serious roles in the early 1990s with such films as The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990, with Kim Cattrall, Saul Rubinek, Kirsten Dunst, Jon Rashad Kamal, F. Murray Abraham, and Terry Farrell) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993).

His big break came with two roles which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in Philadelphia (1993, with Charles Napier) and Forrest Gump (1994, with Haley Joel Osment). Since then, Hanks appeared in a variety of well-received movies, including Apollo 13 (1995, with Clint Howard, Max Grodénchik, Steve Rankin, and John Wheeler, and music by James Horner), Saving Private Ryan (1998, with Leland Orser and John de Lancie), You've Got Mail (1998), The Green Mile (1999, with James Cromwell and William Sadler), Cast Away (2000, with Jenifer Lewis, Michael Forest and Nan Martin), Road to Perdition (2002), Catch Me If You Can (2002, starring Martin Sheen, with Thomas Kopache and Malachi Throne), The Terminal (2004, with Zoë Saldana), The Da Vinci Code (2006), and Charlie Wilson's War (2007). He also lent his voice to a number of animated productions, including Toy Story (1995) and its two sequels (which also featured Wallace Shawn and Kelsey Grammer), The Polar Express (2004), and Cars (2006, with Paul Dooley).

Yaphet Kotto[]

• See: Yaphet Kotto

Adam Scott[]

Main article: Adam Scott

Adam Scott auditioned for the role of Lieutenant Hawk. Though he lost out to Neal McDonough for the role, he was given the role of the unnamed helm officer of the USS Defiant. [5]

Christopher Walken[]

Academy Award-winning actor Christopher Walken' was considered for a part in the film (most probably Zefram Cochrane), while it was still titled Star Trek: Destinies. (Star Trek Monthly issue 15)

Walken is a highly accomplished actor, known for such films as Annie Hall (1977, with Mark Lenard and John Glover), The Deer Hunter (co-starring John Savage), David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone (1983, with Martin Sheen and Anthony Zerbe), A View to a Kill (1985, with Walter Gotell), Batman Returns (with Vincent Schiavelli, Biff Yeager, Felix Silla and Anthony De Longis), True Romance (1993, with Christian Slater and Saul Rubinek), Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994), and Catch Me If You Can (2002, starring Tom Hanks and Martin Sheen, with Thomas Kopache, Jimmie F. Skaggs, J. Patrick McCormack, and Malachi Throne).

Star Trek Nemesis[]

Jude Law[]

Jude Law was rumored for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis. [6] [7] [8]

James Marsters[]

James Marsters auditioned for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis, but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy. Actress Marina Sirtis believes Marsters would have been more suitable in the role. [9] [10]^(X)

Marsters is best known for playing Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and Captain John Hart on Torchwood. He co-starred with Star Trek: Enterprise actress Jolene Blalock and Tony Todd in the film Shadow Puppets and had a supporting role in P.S. I Love You (2007). In 2001, he played Charlemagne Bolivar in an episode of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda. He also had a recurring role as Professor Fine/Brainiac in Smallville and also played the villain Piccolo in Dragonball Evolution (2011).

Craig T. Nelson[]

Craig T. Nelson was rumored for the role of the Reman Viceroy in Star Trek Nemesis. [11] [12] [13]

Alan Rickman[]

Alan Rickman was rumored for the role of the Reman Viceroy in Star Trek Nemesis, succeeding the rumor of Nelson filling the role. [14]^(X) Rickman had already played the Nimoy/Spock-inspired Alexander Dane/Dr. Lazarus (alien) primary character in Galaxy Quest, (1999, with Rainn Wilson and Missi Pyle).

Michael Shanks[]

Michael Shanks auditioned for the role of Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis, but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy.

Shanks is best known for playing Dr. Daniel Jackson on Stargate SG-1, its direct-to-video spinoff films and television spin-off series. Shanks has also appeared on such shows as Smallville, Andromeda, and Burn Notice. [15]

Star Trek (2009)[]

AKB48[]

J.J. Abrams briefly considered adding a member of this Japanese band to the cast of the '09 movie after seeing them perform live. It never materialized. [16]

Adrien Brody[]

Academy Award-winning actor Adrien Brody was in talks to play Spock in Star Trek, the eleventh Trek film released in 2009. At first, his connection to the project was merely a rumor, [17] but Brody himself later confirmed that he had discussed playing Spock with the film's director, J.J. Abrams. [18] The role of Spock ultimately went to Zachary Quinto.

Brody had supporting roles in several popular films throughout the 1990s, including King of the Hill (1993), Angels in the Outfield (1994, with Christopher Lloyd and Neal McDonough), The Thin Red Line (1998), and Summer of Sam (1998, with Bebe Neuwirth and Mike Starr). He also played the leads in a number of smaller films, including 1998's Restaurant, Liberty Heights (1999), and 2002's Dummy.

Brody won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Polish Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman in The Pianist (2002). He has since starred in such films as The Village (2004), King Kong (2005), Hollywoodland (2006), Darjeeling Limited (2007), The Brothers Bloom (2008), and Cadillac Records (2008, with Gabrielle Union).

Matt Damon[]

Matt Damon is an American Academy Award-nominated actor and Academy Award-winning screenwriter who was approached to play James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk in Star Trek. [19] According to Abrams, Damon turned down the role for "most gracious and understandable and logical of reasons." [20] The role ultimately went to Chris Hemsworth.

Before this, Damon had long been rumored to be in the running for the role of James T. Kirk in the film. It was even rumored that he solicited William Shatner's aid in getting him signed up. [21]^(X) Damon himself denied having been approached for the role, although he later told Sci-fi Wire that he would be interested in playing a young Captain Kirk if the script met with his satisfaction. [22]^(X) In March 2007, Kurtzman, although not confirming that Damon would play Kirk, stated that he was "the hugest Matt Damon fan. If he became [Kirk], great." [23] In a subsequent interview with IGN, Damon stated that the filmmakers were looking for someone younger for the role. [24] Chris Pine was ultimately cast in the role.

Damon began acquiring fame in the 1990s with major roles in such films as School Ties (1992), Courage Under Fire (1996), and Saving Private Ryan (1998). He and best friend Ben Affleck won an Academy Award for their screenplay to Good Will Hunting (1997), for which Damon also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Damon and Affleck later became executive producers on Project Greenlight, for which they received three Emmy Award nominations. Damon and Affleck have also worked together on several projects for director Kevin Smith, most notably the 1998 film Dogma.

In addition, Damon is known for his roles in two film franchises: he plays young thief Linus Caldwell in the Ocean's films: Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2001), and Ocean's Thirteen (2001), and also stars as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne in the Bourne films: The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004, with Karl Urban), and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).

Damon's other films include The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Stuck on You (2003, photographed by Dan Mindel), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Syriana (2005, with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine regular Alexander Siddig), The Departed (2006, with Mark Rolston). He also lent his voice to such films as Titan A.E. (2000, along with Ron Perlman and Charles Rocket), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002, with James Cromwell), and Ponyo (2008).

Damon earned his second Academy Award in an acting category for his performance in Invictus (2009). He has since been seen in such films as Hereafter (2010), True Grit (2010), We Bought a Zoo (2011), Contagion (2011) and The Adjustment Bureau. Damon also worked alongside Star Trek: Enterprise star Scott Bakula in The Informant! (2009) and Behind the Candelabra (2013). In addition, Damon played the recurring role of airline pilot Carol Burnett on NBC's 30 Rock.

He later appeared in Elysium (2013, featuring Faran Tahir), The Zero Theorem (2013), The Monuments Men (2014), The Martian (2015), Jason Bourne (2016), and Downsizing (2017).

Ricky Gervais[]

Ricky Gervais is an English actor, comedian, producer, and director who turned down an unspecified role in Star Trek. He was approached by the film's director and producer, J.J. Abrams, whom Gervais previously worked with on an episode of Alias, but Gervais rejected a part in the film. He explained his reasons for doing so: "I was never a big fan, so I would've felt guilty taking the part just to be in a blockbuster. To what? Boost my profile?" [25]

Gervais is known for his work on two popular British comedy series: he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in The Office (and also made two cameo appearances on its American remake, which starred Rainn Wilson – coincidentally, Spencer Daniels, who plays Johnny in the film, is the son of Greg Daniels, the executive producer of the US version), and then went on to do the same for Extras. These shows have earned Gervais two Emmy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe, and a British Comedy Award, among many other honors. Gervais has also starred in such films as Night at the Museum, For Your Consideration, Stardust, and Ghost Town (2008. He even wrote and lent his voice to an episode of The Simpsons.

Greg Haines[]

Main article: Greg Haines

Greg Haines is an actor who was originally cast and scheduled to portray an instructor at Starfleet Academy in 2009's Star Trek but was chosen to be the stand-in for actor Ben Cross. Haines had a wardrobe fitting but did not appear on screen. (Source: Greg Haines)

Jeffery Hauser[]

Jeffery Hauser is an actor who was cast to have a supporting role as a Kelvin crewmember in Star Trek. He was cast in October 2007 and was on set to shoot his scenes a month later. [26] [27] During the day of shooting he was asked to step down by the first AD and told that they had another scene in mind for him. But Hauser got no call back and saw a different actor saying his lines when he saw the film on DVD two years later. [28]

Hauser moved to Los Angeles in 2003 and appeared in a few stage productions. He got featured parts in First Daughter (2004), with executive producer Jerry O'Connell who also wrote the original story, and The Terminal (2004, with Star Trek''s Zoe Saldana). He performed in several commercials, including one with Samuel L. Jackson, which was shown during the Super Bowl in 2004. [29]

Also in 2004 he was featured in the MTV show Your Face or Mine?, appeared in the music video "I'm not ready" from My Chemical Romance, and was featured in Red Eye (2005, featuring Angela Paton, Suzie Plakson, Dey Young, Beth Toussaint, and Scott Leva). [30]

Hauser has started to write his own scripts and to produce short films. He served as photo double for Little Miss Sunshine (2006), was featured in three episodes of Days of Our Lives (2004-2005), and played a lead role in the independent film Broken Concrete (2006). [31]

After his experience in Star Trek he called himself a "Star Trek freak". [32]

Joshua Jackson[]

Joshua Jackson auditioned for two roles in Star Trek, including James T. Kirk. Although he was not cast, the audition won him a role in J.J. Abrams' Fringe. [33] [34]

Jackson is best known for playing Pacey Witter in Dawson's Creek from 1998 through 2003. He is also known for playing Charlie Conway in The Mighty Ducks (1992), D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) and D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996, with Jeffrey Nordling). He has worked with Louise Fletcher in Cruel Intentions (1999) and Aurora Borealis (2005). His other film credits include Apt Pupil (1999, directed by Bryan Singer and co-starring Bruce Davison and Joe Morton), Urban Legend (1998, with John Neville Robert Englund), The Skulls (2000, with Christopher McDonald), Gossip (2000, starring James Marsden, with Sharon Lawrence), The Laramie Project (with Clancy Brown), and Bobby (2006, with Christian Slater).

Dominic Keating[]

Main article: Dominic Keating

Dominic Keating, best known for his role as Malcolm Reed on Star Trek: Enterprise, auditioned for the role of Kirk's uncle Frank in Star Trek. He did not get the part. [35]

Josh Lucas[]

Josh Lucas was considered for the role of Christopher Pike in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, but the role ultimately went to Bruce Greenwood. [36] [37][38]

Lucas had supporting roles in several acclaimed films, including American Psycho (2000, with Reg E. Cathey and Catherine Black) A Beautiful Mind, and Secondhand Lions. He played the lead male role in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama and played the villain in Hulk (2003, starring Eric Bana). He has since had lead roles in such films as Stealth (2005), Glory Road (2006), and Poseidon (2006).

Paul McGillion[]

Main article: Paul McGillion

Paul McGillion auditioned for the role of Montgomery Scott in Star Trek. [39] The role ultimately went to Simon Pegg, but McGillion was cast in another role in the film.

Derek Mears[]

Main article: Derek Mears

Derek Mears is a stuntman and actor who was was the first choice for playing the long faced bar alien in Star Trek but was unable to shoot his part because of his time schedule. He recommended Douglas Tait who got this part. [40]

Timothy Olyphant[]

Main article: Timothy Olyphant

Sydney Tamiia Poitier[]

Sydney Tamiia Poitier is an American actress who auditioned for a role on Star Trek, possibly Nyota Uhura. [41] [42]

She is the daughter of Academy Award-winning actor Sidney Poitier and actress Joanna Shimkus. She has been seen in such films as True Crime (with Michael McKean and Anthony Zerbe), MacArthur Park (co-starring Lori Petty), and Nine Lives (with K Callan and Lawrence Pressman) and had recurring roles on Joan of Arcadia and Veronica Mars. She is best known for playing Jungle Julia in Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof, one of the two films released as the 2007 anthology Grindhouse.

Chris Pratt[]

Chris Pratt auditioned for the role of James T. Kirk in Star Trek, but the role went to Chris Pine. [43] Afterwards, he was cast as dim-witted Andy Dwyer on the sitcom Parks and Recreation, which aired from 2009 to 2015, co-starring Jim O'Heir and Adam Scott. In 2014, Pratt voiced the protagonist Emmett in The Lego Movie. He referenced his audition for Star Trek while narrating a featurette on The Lego Movie Blu-ray in character. He also played Star-Lord that year in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, co-starring Zoe Saldana and Benicio del Toro. He subsequently starred in Jurassic World (2015) and The Magnificent Seven (2017), as well as reprising Star-Lord in further Marvel films.

Chris Prangley[]

Chris Prangley auditioned for the role of James T. Kirk in Star Trek, but the role went to Chris Pine. He auditioned on 24 August 2007. [44]

Prangley has appeared in several stage plays, commercials, and independent films and had a recurring role on the daytime series As the World Turns. [45]

Keri Russell[]

Keri Russell was in talks to appear in Star Trek, but she and director/producer J.J. Abrams decided it was not for the best. [46]

Russell was the star of Abrams' Felicity, for which she won a Golden Globe. She also appeared in Abrams' first film, Paramount Pictures' Mission: Impossible III with Simon Pegg. She later starred in Waitress (2007) and August Rush (2007). Other film credits include the films We Were Soldiers, The Upside of Anger, The Girl in the Park, and Austenland.

Sebastian Stan[]

Sebastian Stan is a Romanian-born American actor who shot a screen test for the role of James T. Kirk, but lost to Chris Pine. He is probably best known for his role as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero franchise, where he acted alongside Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, and Zoë Saldana among others.

He recalled, "There were a couple things I didn’t get that I really, desperately wanted. Captain Kirk for J.J. Abrams was one of the first things that I got very close to. I was really close and I had a screen test with him at Paramount studios and my manager had me do a separate photoshoot where I would try and replicate all of these William Shatner pictures just to send to [J.J.] to see how much I look like him and stuff. Didn’t get it." [47]

Mike Vogel[]

Mike Vogel is the American actor and former fashion model who was a leading candidate for the role of James T. Kirk.[48] He had already worked with that film's producer and director, J.J. Abrams, on Cloverfield (2008). However, the role of Kirk ultimately went to Chris Pine.

Vogel was modeling for Levi's jeans that he won a recurring role in the FOX (and later WB) series Grounded for Life, whose regular cast included Richard Riehle. He made his film debut in Grind (2003) which was followed by the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre later that year. Since then, Vogel has starred in such films as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Rumor Has It (2005), and Poseidon (2005, with Jimmy Bennett, who played young James Kirk in Star Trek. Vogel also appeared in She's Out of My League (2010, with Alice Eve), and a regular role in the ABC series Pan Am. From 2013 to 2015, he was Dale Barbara, aka "Barbie", on CBS' Under the Dome.

Mark Wahlberg[]

Mark Wahlberg is an American actor and former rapper who was offered the role of George Kirk. He said "I remember [J.J. Abrams] asking me to play Captain Kirk's father in Star Trek. I tried to read the script, but I couldn't even, I didn't understand the words or dialogue or anything, and I said, 'I couldn't do this. I think you're really talented but I couldn't do it.' Then I saw the movie and I was like, 'Holy shit, he did a great job." [49]

Star Trek Into Darkness[]

Benicio del Toro[]

Benicio del Toro is a Puerto Rican-born Spanish actor who was offered the role of the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness. [50] Latino Review reported that del Toro would play Khan Noonien Singh, a report which J.J. Abrams said was "not true." [51] Soon thereafter, it was revealed that del Toro's deal fell through and that he would not be appearing in the film. [52] He was replaced by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch [53] and the role did ultimately turn out to be Khan Noonien Singh.

Del Toro made his film debut in Licence to Kill (1989, with Anthony Zerbe), then acquired recognition with his roles in such acclaimed films as Bryan Singer's The Usual Suspects (1995, featuring Jack Shearer) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998, with Larry Cedar, Jenette Goldstein, Gregory Itzin, Richard Riehle, and Steve Schirripa). He won an Academy Award for his performance in Traffic (2000, with Clifton Collins, Jr., Miguel Ferrer, Enrique Murciano, and Tucker Smallwood).

Del Toro is also known for his roles in such films as Snatch (2000), 21 Grams (2003, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination), Frank Miller's Sin City (2005), Che (2008), The Wolfman (2010) and Savages (2012). He later portrayed infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar in Escobar: Paradise Lost (2014), and appeared in Inherent Vice (2014). He also appeared as the Collector opposite Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). [54]

Michael Dorn[]

Main article: Michael Dorn

Michael Dorn played Worf and his grandfather in the previous films and television series, and was offered the part of "an officer – a soldier." He and his agent expressed interest, but "then time went by and we finally talked to them at maybe the end of January or February [2012] and they said they had changed their mind." Dorn was unclear why, speculating "It could have been the casting people going 'Hey this would be a good idea' and they shot it up the road to JJ and he said 'No, we aren't going to do that.' But I don't know. It is nothing nefarious. Nothing mean. They changed their mind, so I don't worry about it." [55]