Well the casting for Star Trek is pretty close to complete, so how about a story about people who were almost in it. In an interview with MTV, Deadwood star Timothy Olyphant revealed that he and director J.J. Abrams met about an unnamed part in the film which was followed up by “a series of conversations” and “lots of emails.” At 39 it seems a good guess that Olyphant was likely up for the role of Bones or maybe the villain Nero. In the end the actor says they made a mutual decision it wasn’t going to work out, but Olyphant remains a huge fan of Abrams and noted “I’m sure he got the best cast.”
Russell leaving the door open?
A few weeks back Felicity star Keri Russell revealed that she and Abrams talked about a part in the new film, but subsequent interviews seemed to indicate that it was not going to happen. But now in a new interview up on the This is Scotland website the actress seems to be less certain, saying (of Abrams and Trek) “We do talk all the time, There hasn’t been anything set in stone at this point, but you never know, you never know.” The interview could have been done before some of her more stringent denials, but intriguingly the actress noted that she would love to do a “secret sign-up.” And we all know how JJ loves secrets – we still don’t know for sure what parts Jennifer Morrison and Rachel Nichols will have.
Kirk. An excellent Kirk. I knew it!
They should have Jeri Ryan in this film as an unkown, so as to confuse the audience. Just like when Tom Paris was on TNG, but not as Tom Paris! Or how Tuvok was on the Excelsior in The Final Frontier but not as Tuvok, till they rewrote The Final Frontier and made him on the Excelsior as Tuvok. God Bless Voyager. Sorry, that’s my shameless Voyage plug for the night.
– If [Abrams] called to ask me to do anything I would do it. –
Kirk? Surely not. Maybe he’d fit in Abrams’ Lemmings Army.
Olyphants name reminds me of Lord of the Rings.
Damn. THAT was Bones.
#1 TK421
l’ll admit it…
A while ago, BEFORE ‘Kirk’ was eventually cast, I thought that Timothy ( ‘Hitman’ ) Olyphant would make for a very good choice in that role, while watching him in ‘Die Hard 4’…
Still do…
KDH…
Tim Russ was a crewman on the Enterprise-B in “Generations”, not the Excelsior, which didn’t appear in “Final Frontier” anyway. His perfect comic timing on “Samantha Who?” is a lot of fun. I’ve always thought he was an underappreciated actor.
Ryan is busy with “Shark” and Robert Duncan McNeill is doing a lot of behind the camera work on “Chuck” (a show which is getting better and better.) McNeill’s role on “Voyager” was originally to be the same character from TNG (Nicholas Locarno) but it was decided that character had been made too unlikable, so Tom Paris was created instead.
@ #7: I’ve read that they wanted to avoid having to pay royalties to the author of that TNG episode. Because Nicholas Locarno was his creation. Just like T’Pol started out as T’Pau (from TOS) during the development of Enterprise but the name was changed and she was made a new character.
Sherriff Bullock in space. I dig it.
Having been extremely impressed by his contribution to “Deadwood”, I find myself wondering what we would have missed with him in the film. Too bad things didn’t work out. He sure has the intensity required for Pike in addition to some of the other roles already mentioned.
With apologies to Trekkers everywhere, “Deadwood” may have been the best series on TV, ever. Any connection between it and the Trek franchise would have been welcome.
After seeing him play Bullock for three seasons, I’d have to say I don’t see Olyphant as Kirk, as he just strikes me as too intense an actor to embody Kirk’s often familial relationships with his subordinates. But he may have made a great Pike.
Yeah #9, Olyphant as Bullock was amazing and would have loved to see what he could’ve brought to Trek
I love Deadwood, and I think Timothy Olyphant is a strong actor. I’m enthusiastic about his playing any part, particularly a “good guy” rather than a “bad guy”.
It would be a little odd to hear someone say “c*cksucker” in Starfleet, though… ;-)
Oh, sorry, I should have said that I “would have been enthusiastic” about his playing any part in Star Trek… on first pass, I misread the article to the effect that he may yet be considered for something….
As soon as I saw his face I thought Pike/Jeffery Hunter.
I dont think Greenwood is the right choice.
Seriously, guys, look at him. Quite a resemblance to De Kelley, plus there’s the Westerns thing. He should have been Bones.
#15………..is that aside from the fact that he is a wooden / terrible actor.
In the picture above he doesn’t look like De Kelley to me – but he sure looks like Jeffery Hunter.
Olyphant not being in Star Trek is a good thing. He has been good in many things, but something about him would pull me right out of the movie if he was in it. Everytime I see him as Hitman, same thing happens.
He sure looks like Almost.
8. DIGINON… “I’ve read that they wanted to avoid having to pay royalties to the author of that TNG episode.”
I doubt that played a part, as “First Duty” (the Locarno episode) was written by staffers Ron Moore and Naren Shankar. And I’ve read the “Locarno was an irredeemable creep” explanation too many times to discount it. Also, the royalties issue didn’t block DS9 from originally planning Michelle Forbes to be Lt. Ro in the role that eventually became Major Kyra (because Forbes backed out.)
He’s looks great for 39.
In any case, I hope to see Olyphant in more films in the future. He’s really great in everything I’ve seen him in.
He looks like he could be Gary Mitchell. I hope we see him, and Finnegan.
Deadwood is my FAVORITE show… you c*cks*ckers. Kidding! Tim has such an intense presence. PLEASE… J.J., this fellow is certainly a wonderful actor. Got my vote. Now, if Molly Parker could get a role I’d … I’d… oh I don’t know but I would!
No, No, not for kirk. Maybe for the villian.
#20 –
I believe it has been confirmed many times, at least once on this site I believe, that it’s a fact about the royalties being the reason that Locarno became Paris and T’Pau became T’Pol. The didn’t want to pay, so they made the character basically the same and changed the name.
I remember the deal with Michelle Forbes, but I bet if she hadn’t dropped out, the character name would have changed before DS9 hit the screen.
Thorny –
Sorry, confussed my ships. I really meant to get at the fact that it was the same actor. I was excited to see Tim Russ in ‘Live Free or Die Hard’ though it was short lived.
Deadwood was awesome. Damn HBO for canceling it! Olyphant was cool in Gone in 60 Seconds and The Girl Next Door. Although he wasn’t very good in Live Free or Die Hard.
23 – While I still don’t see how this film could leave out Gary Mitchell (I would be happy if that ridiculous Finnegan was left out), Olyphant is too old to play Mitchell at any age.
Re: Royalties
I hear in the new film they’re going to pass through a time portal called The Protector of Infinity. Harlan’s gonna be even more pissed (if that’s possible).
I like Olyphant. I even thought he was good in Live Free or Die Hard.
Have to agree about Hitman, though. He definitely looks like a cancer kid. Every time I see the commercial I wait for Danny Thomas to come out and ask for donations.
Re: 28
Finnegan was briefly in Shatner/Reaves/Stevens’ latest book. He actually wasn’t a dick at all, rather he was a competent and thoughtful upperclassman…. aside from the occasional practical joke. With Kirk being the “grim stack of books with legs”, you could see how Finnegan would develop into the cackling lunatic represented by the re-creation in the episode “Shore Leave”. Sort of like seeing him through a veil of anti-nostalgia. I imagine we’ll see a lot more of him in the next book, and who knows, maybe his dick-factor will increase.
Oddly enough, if you’ve ever heard Shatner’s fond recollections of the absolute torture he put Nimoy through with gags involving Nimoy’s bicycle, you’d think he might have gotten the message from that episode:
IF THERE’S ONE THING I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, IT WAS TO BEAT THE TAR OUT OF FINNEGAN.