Chris Pine + JJ Abrams & Crew Named GQ Men of the Year

In yet another mainstream accolade, the December issue of GQ magazine celebrates the return of Star Trek by naming Chris Pine and the Star Trek team as men of the year (in two categories). We have photos below, plus some excerpts and an additional MTV interview with Pine and Abrams.

 

Trek Team are GQ Men of the Year
GQ names Star Trek’s Captain Kirk Chris Pine as their "Breakout of the Year," and dedicates one of the magazine’s cover to the actor (see below). The GQ Profile (which you can read online) notes "Pine’s sly reinvention of Captain James T. Kirk helped propel Star Trek to the rare trifecta of success among audiences, critics, and geeks."


Cover and internal photo page of Pine  [GQ]

The profile quotes Pine, JJ Abrams and Leonard Nimoy in recalling the journey, starting with his reluctance to take the role of Kirk:

“I said, ‘Are you kidding?’ That’s the last thing I want to do,’ ” Pine says.

“I totally understood that feeling,” says director J. J. Abrams. “For a young actor, a part like Kirk has got lots of advantages but also plenty of disadvantages. When I called to offer him the part, he said, ‘You’re not going to make me wear spandex, are you?’ ”

It’s a truism that you’re rarely more charming than while interviewing for a job you don’t want. So Pine’s initial reluctance to become America’s next action hero may explain why he made such a thoroughly likable captain of the Enterprise—never devolving into a William Shatner impression, while still possessed of some essential Kirkitude. “When I watched the scene in which Kirk and Bones meet for the first time, I let out an actual sob in the theater,” testifies no lesser an authority than Leonard Nimoy.

Pine appreciates the quality of puffed-up self-parody that Shatner brought to the role. “You inflate Kirk and then you pop Kirk,” he says. And Pine’s version radiated a confidence—to look foolish, to get his ass kicked, to share the screen with other actors—reminiscent of early Harrison Ford or late George Clooney.


Pine and a Ferengi in a two-page spread [GQ]

But the Star Trek connections don’t end with Pine. In fact, JJ Abrams and posse were all named the "Power Players" of the year. The magazine profiles JJ Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Bryan Burk and Carlton Cuse in an article titled "How the Nerds Saved Hollywood" (not yet online), which includes the photo below of the team on a beach.


Cuse, Orci, Burk, Abrams, Lindelof & Kurtzman on the beach
(Abrams, Lindelof, Cuse, & Burk)

The feature discusses the various team member’s success with Lost (Abrams, Lindelof, Cuse, & Burk), Transformers (Orci & Kurtzman), Fringe (Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, & Burk), and most of all, Star Trek (all but Cuse). The article notes:

Abrams directed this summer’s franchise-revitalizing Star Trek reboot, which, despite being powered by dylithium crystals of unabashed Spock-eared nerdism turned out to be hugely popular mainstream entertainment.

Pine and Abrams talk sequel (& Khan) w/ MTV + Damon almost daddy Kirk
And as if the GQ accolades weren’t enough, MTV have a special new "giving thanks" feature and interview with Pine and Abrams. It is worth a read, but here is a quick bit with the pair discussing the sequel…

MTV: J.J., if the planets align, will that be the next thing you direct?

Abrams: I don’t know. We have no script yet. We have no specific story. We’re at the starting gate of the process. All I can tell you is that working with Chris and the whole cast was literally the most fun thing I’ve ever been able to professionally be part of, so the chance to work with them again, I can’t tell you how devastating it would be to pass that up. I couldn’t be more excited about the next adventure.

MTV: Chris, have you practiced your “Khan!!!” scream?

Pine: Yes, as I do every night before I go to bed. I practice my Shatner. I pray to Shatner.

Also of interest, JJ also talked about that persistent Matt Damon rumor from back in 2006, revealing that he did talk to the actor about playing Kirk, just not James T. Kirk…

Abrams: I went to Damon for the role of Kirk’s father, and he declined in the most gracious and understandable and logical of reasons. We lucked out with Chris Hemsworth, and he did a great job. Maybe it would have been distracting to have someone as massively famous as Matt Damon in that role. … The decision was made very early on to have actors who were not necessarily the most famous but the most right for the role.


Damon in "Bourne Ultimatum" and Hemsworth in "Star Trek"

Party on, JJ
Finally, On November 18th JJ Abrams attended the GQ Men of the Year part at Château Marmont in Hollywood. Fellow honoree Chris Pine was not able to make it, but here are photos of JJ along with other guests (click images to enlarge).



JJ at the GQ party with Zoe Saldana (top left), Quentin Tarantino (top right),
wife Katie McGrath (bottom left), and solo
[Photos: WireImage]

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Go Chris and JJ!

I am really impressed. Congratulations to you all. Just fantastic. GQ, very nice.

Great news. Well deserved. Love the picture on the beach.

I’m an avid reader of GQ and I can’t wait to pick this up! :D

Better lighting makes JJ look years younger

I just wanna know if Chris Pine is now thankful for the role or what. He obviously wasn’t really thrilled by it in the beginning…

y’know I wasn’t too sure about Pine at first, but he’s certainly grown on me. Looks hot in those pics above. :D especially next to that,.. Ferengi? o.O

and nice to see the ‘supreme court’ get recognized too…congrats! ^_^

I hope they win some Academy Awards, that would be the ultimate closure to star trek 2009. I can hear the Enterprising Young Men theme while the entire casts walks up to collect the iconic statues.

hope the boyfriend doesnt see this but i dont think i’ll ever get enough of chris pine.

I can’t say I care much about GQ, but any accolades are good. Nevertheless, it was unnecessary for them to speak of the film and the franchise as a whole in such negative, derogatory terms. The public’s opinion of Star Trek needs to be changed, and articles like this don’t help to do that.

I am so proud to be a Trekker!!! I can’t wait until all the people who has poked fun of me in the past sees all the hoopla surrounding this fantastic movie and crew!!! I just sit back and smile, thinking “uh- huh told you it rocked!!” Now they agree with me!!! Lovin it!!

On a side note, Chris Pine was the perfect Captain, I also loved Chris Hemsworth as his father. The similarities are striking.

What? I didn’t read the article- Antodav- I will do so now, and probably write GQ a letter in defense of them! Oh well, I still am proud of them!!

by the way, has anybody noticed when vulcan is about to get sucked into the singularity, Spock heads to the transporter first then Chekov leaves. Why does Chekov get there much faster than Spock? I mean ok from a writer’s POV I understand why it was done. Still, its kind of funny. The movie is still awesome though.

I want Quentin Tarantino do make a totally tongue-in-cheek, ultraviolent Sci-Fi movie… no, I’m not kidding

I don’t think even Shatner was ever profiled thusly in GQ. To be recognized as a cover figure in GQ is equivalent to being elevated to James Bond cool. More so, actually.

Congratulations to you all. Richly deserved recognition. Now get on and build on it!!

‘You’re not going to make me wear spandex, are you?’ ”

This coming from a guy who was making Lindsay Lohan movies before JJ called him.

He’s a real GQMF.

i hope thats the first and last time we ever see the new Kirk with a Ferengi

Love the Ferengi!

When is Family Guy gonna do some Star Trek 2009 stuff? They have this new one coming out…

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/familyguysomethingsomethingsomethingdarkside/

Family Guy has lost a lot of zip lately, for some reason.

I guess Cuse needed a belt after counting all his money.

Great pics!!!

Wow, Matt Damon was almost Kirk’s father? Now THAT is a missed opportunity. Also, was Tom Hanks ever approached to be Capt Pike?

I’m glad neither Damon nor Hanks landed in ‘Star Trek.’ It would have yanked everyone out of the film. JJ took the right approach with casting — the right actors in the right parts.

Pine looks like a young Denny Crane in that cover pic…even the same hair

Pine is a hell of an actor. They all deserived the Accolades and i for one think this is just fantastic for Trek.

“When I watched the scene in which Kirk and Bones meet for the first time, I let out an actual sob in the theater,” testifies no lesser an authority than Leonard Nimoy

I suspect there was a lot of that going on. I know I was moved, not to tears, but a BIG OLD SMILE. Karl was so awesome as Bones. Deforest would have been proud I think.

#24 Huh, I though that Hemsworth did a great job as Daddy Kirk. Why do you think Damon was a missed opportunity?

Prob best the Damon wasnt cast as Kirks old man. itd have killed the suspense (for non fan and casual fan movie goers anyway) as everyone wouldve known Damon wouldnt actually be playing James T Kirk

where as when Robau goes ‘you’re the Captain now Mr Kirk’ you could sense the majority of people were like ‘huh! thats Captain Kirk!!’…until 5 minutes later of course :)

I’m always impressed by how much Nimoy genuinely seems to love and care about Star Trek.

Unlike the other actors who just seemed to regard it as another job (one they were often pretty resentful of), it’s obvious he really believed and felt strongly about the show and it’s characters.

I just think that’s really cool.

#30 It took Mr. Nimoy a while to develope his love of Trek. He did write a book titled “I Am Not Spock”.

31. The title “I Am Not Spock” was not to pay any disrespect to Spock, but was a reference to one of the chapter titles in which he explains the difference between himself as an actor and the character. That was the point of that story and it was the point of the book. It was an exercise in the practical and philosophical process of acting.

Matt Damon could of played a good George or James Kirk, either or. The good thing he didnt cameo as George Kirk because he may gotten the role as Thor (HA), just kidding, but he would of cost Chris Hemsworth the chance to put on the Marvel icons wings. Damon has two other franchises Bourne and Oceans he does need a third at this time. Star Trek 2009 film has boosted the careers of not just Chris Hemsworth but Chris Pine as he is predicted to play the next Jack Ryan, which if they keep the new reboot Ryan series the same tone as the Harrison Ford’s Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger but with a younger actor, Pine would be a good choice to play Tom Clancys Jack Ryan. Pine also has Unstoppable coming out next year with Denzel Washington, directed by Tony Scott.

Plus if Damon would of taken the role of Captain Kirk the production budget that was set at 140 millon would of rose to about 200 million at least to cover his would be salary and probably more expensive thrown both at the special effects as well even more advertisement to promote the film since Damon is now the star of it. Another thing is Pine is the better choice since he is nearly ten years younger than Damon and a lot cheaper and has less on his schedule than Matt Damon does at this time.

That’s a great shot at the beach..

28

” Huh, I though that Hemsworth did a great job as Daddy Kirk. Why do you think Damon was a missed opportunity?”

3 reasons-same goes for having Hanks portray Pike-
1- more butts in the seats- it would’ve made the profile of the movie even larger than it is now, and drawn a larger crowd,
2- everyone, and I mean everyone, in movies always says that when they see a serious name actor in a production it raises the level of output from the rest of the cast- think of Bale in Batman Begins opposite Neeson, Freeman, Caine, or Reeves opposite Hackman in Superman,. When you surround a little known actor with Oscar talent it seems to bring a better performance out of everyone because they feel the need to bring their A game
3-These roles- George Kirk, and Capt Pike were not show stoppers, they were essentially cameos, in that even if you put a name actor in it wouldn’t detract from the new cast because in the scenes they were in they were the center of attention, not the new guys. If you had recast Sulu with Jackie Chan, then each moment you see the bridge most of the audience would be looking to see what Sulu is up to, rather than looking at Kirk and Spock, but no such scene exists where George or Pike aren’t the center of the dialogue, the center of the attention, so even if you have a name actor you never detract from the story.

#35 Strong arguments indeed, and I find it hard to disagree with you but despite that I still thought Hemsworth and Greenwood were very good.
But thanks for taking the time to explain your thinking.

Orci

You need some product in that hair, Ringo

36

oh, I absolutely agree that what we got was excellent, those guys were extraordinary in the roles but stunt casting would’ve provide more revenue for the movie and the buzz would be that much higher. The higher the revenue and buzz this movie got the more the next one will have in terms of budget and A listers wanting to portray roles. I want people dying to be in the next one, not declining respectfully as Damon did.

# Valar1 i do wonder why Damon turned it down, respectfully or otherwise. That was a terrific emotion charged role that any actor would have enjoyed playing i’d have thought. Or was it just the old problem of it not being a big enough role ‘worthy of his time’? I think Damon missed out there, but I’m personally glad he didn’t take it.

40

Could be arrogance, or it could be that he was gaining a lot of weight for the recent movie he was in and JJ decided against using him- didn’t look like a Starfleet officer and all of that stuff. I know Hanks is a huge insane fan of Trek, the only reason I can think of him not being Pike is some kind of contractual clause that prevents him from opening against his own movie- Angels and demons.

#41 doubt it was the Angels and Demons thing because Trek was originally going to open 6 months earlier.
Was Hanks seriously under consideration do you know?

Valar1 sorry tracking back I see you are not sure about Hanks being considered for the role. Is certainly a good question. Wonder if Bob O. would care to tell us…….?

“I pray to Shatner every night…”

hahaha, absolutey brilliant from Pine :D

Matt Damon can play his older brother in the next one. A dead body with a mustache lying on the floor.

What an absolute whirlwind year for Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, etc.

45

lol, awesome

Starry Trek blokes named GQ men o’ tha’ year?

Hmmmmm…

Perhaps thar’ be hope fur’ me yet… Wonder iffi’ thye would take me picture fur’ GQ dressed in me crotchless C3PO costume…

Me pick-up line: Hey lass, ye’ get yer’ daily dose o’ iron ta’day?

Hey- is Pine’s starryship supposed ta’ be Freudian?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….

JJ and the boys clean up pretty nice! ;) Love that pic with the Ferengi!

Though Chris should leave the hats to Zachary Quinto — that red tuque thing isn’t doing him any favours. :P

That interview was great Chris Pine you are amazing