Another high profile actor has expressed interest in appearing in the 2012 Star Trek sequel. This time it is recent Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti who wants to know what it will take to land a job as a Klingon. In other famous face as Klingon news, Brit actor and humorist Stephen Fry joined a production of Hamlet in Klingon for a new documentary. Details and photos below.
Giamatti wants to be a Klingon
Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti is mostly known as a character actor and critical darling of indie films. But in a new interview the actor has revealed he wants to break out of the box. Revealing his inner Trekkie, Giamatti tells the Portland Mercury:
It’s always been frustrating to me, because really, I just want to be, like, a Klingon or something. I really would love to play a Klingon. It’s like, goddammit, will I ever get to play a Klingon?
Giamatti in his most recent film "Barney’s Vision" – wants to be throwing back the Klingon blood wine in 2012 Star Trek sequel
Many fans are hoping that the Klingons, who were cut from the 2009 Star Trek film, will play a prominent role in the 2012 Star Trek sequel. Giamatti’s style could make for an interesting member of the warrior race. By the way, if you are wondering if Giamatti has what it takes to play a Klingon, check out this trailer for Ironclad, due in theaters in April. In Ironclad Giamatti plays the ruthless King John, who is not shy about chopping people up with an axe.
Giamatti joins notable actors such as Rosario Dawson and Rachel Weisz, who have expressed interest in appearing in the next JJ Abrams Star trek production, all of whom could make interesting additions to the franchise.
Fry does Klingon Hamlet
In other famous faces going Klingon news, last night British actor/writer/humorist Stephen Fry revealed that he participated in a Klingon production of Hamlet. Fry went Klingon for his upcoming BBC documentary series Planet Word, which explores language. Fry tweeted pictures of himself in Klingon costume from Washington DC, including this one with the comment "A proud member of a fierce warrior race".
Stephen Fry as Klingon
Giamatti as Harry Mudd would be pretty interesting.
Giamatti wouldn’t exactly be a physically imposing Klingon, but he would almost certainly have a unique take on the role. That would be interesting to see.
I say if they don’t mind a small part let them all have a spot, could hurt have many cameos in a star trek movie.
All I can picture is an insecure, ultra-neurotic, Klingon questioning his self-worth and the meaning of life.
Seriously, though Paul Giamatti is fantastic in everything he does. I’m sure he’d rock as a Klingon.
As much as I like Paul Giamatti I still would rather see Rosario Dawson as a Klingon.
I say let him. Lets have some Klongons and maybe he can play Kor. Or Kang.
1. PaulB. –
—-Giamatti as Harry Mudd would be pretty interesting.—-
He would be.
And I hope that his overture to play a Klingon isn’t an indication that there are going to be Klingons in the sequel. Haven’t we had enough of Klingons for a while?
Perhaps playing a Klingon could become the “in” thing in Hollwood. This could become the coveted position by famoius actors. It allows them to jump in a role and be somewhat unrecognizable.
I think Paul Giamatti would make a great Klingon, especially since he WANTS to play one. That’s the kind of talent I like to see ST continue to get. Love to see it hap’n cap’n.
I wish people would just forget about Harry Mudd, one of the last characters I care to see revived in the JJ-verse.
Paul G wants to be a Klingon and will settle for nothing less. I say give it to him. His acting chops would be a wonderful asset to the cast.
I want to play a Klingon as well.
I’ll even translate my own lines.
This would be a fabulous bit of casting. I think he can pull it off!
Stephen Fry played a Klingon?! That’s the most awesome thing I’ve ever heard! Wow.
Read some of the old Star Trek Comics. The character who was the son of Klingon-in-Starfleet Konom and Lt. Bryce… Kobry became a great Klingon ambassador. That could be part of a template for a Giamatti-portrayed Klingon. Then again, Paul’s a dead ringer for Kras, the Klingon in Friday’s Child!!
Is there an actor that doesn’t want to be in the sequel?? I heard the pig from Babe hopes to be cast against type and play a Klingon targ.
John Larroquette, John Tesh, James Worthy (former L.A. Laker), Christopher Plummer and Christopher Lloyd are big names who have previously played Klingons.
PaulB @1 is right – he’d be a great Harry Mudd!
God, Harry Mudd was one of the most annoying and campy characters ever done! LAME!
I think Paul Giamatti would be a great Klingon. I’ve seen him be very intense in his roles. I loved him as John Adams. One question, if you’ve seen the deleted scenes, the Klingons faces are covered. Will we get the full forehead?
18
FINALLY!!!!!! I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
Just breezed through the entire series (in about a month’s time) when I got them on Blu-ray and only skipped one episode — “I, Mudd” — THE worst episode ever. At least Spock’s Brain is good in a campy 60s B-movie kind of way. And it was closely followed by “The Alternative Factor”, an episode I still fail to completely understand.
Fry as a Klingon is brilliant. I love this man and the work he does.
love him so much. please, JJ, can we get him!?!
make it happen, paramount. love giamatti in everything he does.
Please, no Harry Mudd. No, no, no!
I’d rather Paul Giamatti play KHAN than another dose of Harry Mudd…
21
Bob, I’d be very interested to see your take on Klingons at some point, whether in ST’12 or some other point down the line. Such as, how would you address the cultural discrepancies between the TOS Klingons (i.e. an allegory for Space Communists, what with their military dictatorship fighting the Federation both diplomatically and militarily over neutral planets and their resources) versus the later Klingons (honor-driven, prone to eating bizarre foods with their hands, political infighting, sword duels).
Also, I agree with your statement :)
19
His work as John Adams was fantastic!!
He would be a great Klingon- a High Council member or a politician possibly, making the decisions from behind the front lines.
Bob Orci- I think you’ve found yourself a brutally fantastic Klingon!
I think Giomatti would be great as a Klingon- he in makeup would be able to pull it off.
who would have thought Eric Bana would of been a great Romulan enemy? He was very good in the role of Nero.
oops mispelled Giamatti- it’s late goin to bed now
goodnight :)
I like Klingons as characters but overdone in the movies.
Harry Mudd was overdone in the first two minutes he was on Trek. It would be like bringing ja ja binks to Star Trek, no thanks.
Expand the universe, please.
Paul Giamatti is a great actor though.
Harry Mudd, the only 2 (I think) episodes of ST I hated. In all 43 years of the franchise I hate only those 2 shows.
It would be a total sick joke if Harry Mudd is the storyline for ST II.
Well, if he could pull off playing an orangutan, why not?
Awesome, Want to see Stephen Fry do a Klingon in the Hamlet production. Stephen Fry is a legend.
Well as long as the Klingons aren’t taken away from their two known looks, I think there should be smooth headed Klingons as well a ridged forehead Klingons.
@ 21 Bob Orci
Since you want Paul Giamatti and he wants to play a Klingon, does that mean there are Klingons in the new film? Come on, Bob you can tell us. We’ll keep it a secret. Okay, this Internet thing will make that impossible. What about a blood oath. We’ll read your post and not tell anyone we know. :-)
I love Paul GIamatti, he’s a great actor.
He’s too small to be a Klingon without some trickery, though, so he’ll need some favorable camera angles and maybe Linda Gray’s shoulder pads from late 80’s Dallas episodes.
@33
He could play a Klingon with a Napoleon complex! (Is Paul G that small?)
For that matter… get Stephen Fry too!
#18
Agreed. I just can’t stand Harry Mudd.
I’m not sure having a film involving Klingons is a good idea. They’re the most over developed race in Star Trek and Nero may have altered this timeline for Starfleet, the Romulans and the Vulcans… but I think very little affected the Klingons. Shouldn’t they all still be recovering from that Enterprise two-parter – “Affliction” and “Divergence”? A large percentage of Klingons carrying a genetically engineered disease, that made them more human in appearance? I think it was said they wouldn’t have increased strength but a side effect could be they all have increased ambition and intelligence, making them more Augment like, more Khan like or whatever. Conquering the galaxy mixed into their DNA thanks to having disasterous contact with humans.
See what I mean. Not much else to say about Klingons. Romulans on the other hand, never really had anything like that “Bushido” retcon, Ron Moore and other TNG writers gave the Klingons. To look for the best representation of Romulans, it’s still “Balance of Terror” and aside from Trek lit, it never got any better than that…
Imagine a sort of reverse version of The Undiscovered Country featuring the Romulans. Klingons in it by all means, but loose allies in the background and Romulans brought to the fore, then made a lot more interesting than we’ve ever seen them.
Throw in some references to an offscreen conflict mankind had with them in the 22nd Century, with Admiral Archer still holding a bit of grudge over it.
Romulans making overtures towards the Vulcans, after the destruction of their homeworld. Threatening to split the Federation, bringing them out of that and reunite with their pointy-eared cousins, across the Neutral Zone. Taking the opportunity to undo all of humanities hard work in setting up an alliance between neighbouring races.
38. By “loose allies” of course I don’t mean with humans. Why would they have anything to do with us filth for polluting their race. No, no, I mean the Romulans. Sharing cloaking technology. Klingons suddenly cosying up to get more tech where Nero’s ship came from… Well, they think so but that was more advanced than Rommies can currently come up with isn’t it?
I thought earlier rumours had it that we might see the Talosians (ala Inception-type trickery).
But Klingons would be okay, as long as the story wasn’t to run-of-the-mill.
@ 21 Bob Orci
Are you referring to Paul Giamatti or Stephen Fry? I know you’re less familiar with Stephen than us brits but let me tell you he is every bit as good (if not better) than his comedy partner Hugh (House) Laurie. Check them out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTC9amNWwqU
#33 – “He’s too small to be a Klingon without some trickery, though…”
That would be QUITE the interesting thing: a “small” Klingon would likely be far more boastful and/or potray far more bravado to keep events flowing in his favor – a huge challenge for Kirk and the Big E’s crew. Paul isn’t THAT small, however. I was an Extra on the John Adams mini-series shot for HBO in Virginia during 2007, and stood next to him on a few takes on the Boston Harbor set near Goochland, Va. But you’re all right: Paul is a GREAT actor and has a fine personality; I think Bob Orci’s right about this casting choice: J.J., let them have Paul for a Klingon in ST 12.
#38 and #39 – Paul’s Klingon character might actually be a decendent of one of the characters who encountered Capt. Archer a century before (Klingons seem to have longer lifespans than humans, similar – I presume – to Vulcans and so forth), and may indeed hold a grudge about something the “Prime Timeline” Big E crews might not have been aware of, such as what happened to change Klingon foreheads from rough to smooth and back again…. Or maybe something bigger drives this character; Bob Orci would know, if that notion holds any merit for ST 12.
Yayy! Stephen Fry as the Klingon MeL’chiT!!
Beeehhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Way to go Stephen Fry!!!
Just for the record its Barney’s Version, not vision.
I am pretty sure it’s Kilingons in the new movie, did you guys not notice the test ‘viral marketing’ about a year ago with various random Kilingon references popping up?
I don’t think it was mentioned above, but not only was Paul Giamatti great in Barney’s version, but so was Bruce Greenwood!
Spoiler Alert:
Yes, our own Christopher Pike was Guiamatti’s arch enemy from Canada’s NPR .
So, @21 BobOrci if you are serious- perhaps Greenwood might be another avenue to approach Giamatti?
I assume you are including Greenwood in the sequel- he was excellent in Trek ’09 and fictionally did for young Kirk and Spock what Eric Schmidt did for the real Google kids and trek fans Sergei Brin and Larry Page.
I remember Giamatti in Planet of the Apes. The movie sucked, but Giamatti was great in his role. He can handle acting in heavy make-up. I say get him!
He had plenty of opportunities to do that in the countless incarnations of the bleeping TV SHOWS!
Suddenly everyone´s a trekkie, right, bunch of Ferengi opportunists,
Anna Nicole Smith´s wannabes.
33 hes six feet tall!
He is a great Actor. Anyone who can play both an orangutan and pig vomit has my vote