Now that he’s Captain James T. Kirk in the rebooted “Star Trek,” Chris Pine has seen his previously low-key career undergo the kind of dramatic breakthrough possible only in Hollywood.

ShoWest exhibitors are believers in the actor, who have named him ShoWest Male Star of Tomorrow. But Pine isn’t convinced — at least not yet.

“It’s flattering but incredibly daunting and a little bit perplexing when you’ve heard people say what a great job you’ve apparently done,” says Pine, noting that “Star Trek” doesn’t come out until May 8. “It remains to be seen.”

Surprising as it sounds, this 28-year-old son of actors initially wasn’t sure about stepping into Kirk’s uniform.

He was also offered a role in the Joe Carnahan-directed “White Jazz” at the same time “Trek” came his way. “It was not a no-brainer,” he says. “This wild, sociopathic, obsessive-compulsive, latently homosexual, angry young man sounded like a blast. It was just a fun-fun-fun character role. Then I had Jim Kirk, more of the Harrison Ford versus the Gary Oldman role. My natural inclination is to do the character piece.”

It was his sister who “turned the tables” when she asked, “Is there a way to look at it that Kirk is the more challenging role?”

That made Pine, best known until now for romancing Anne Hathaway in “Princess Diaries 2,” think again about taking the “Star Trek” job.

He cites “that adage of whatever scares you more is the right choice” as what helped him make up his mind. “It’s easier to put on a ton of makeup and strange clothes; you’re hiding yourself. (Instead) it’s me as James Kirk. In order for James Kirk to sell, I have to sell me.”

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Star Trek star Chris Pine, aka Captain Kirk, arrives at Nickelodeon’s 2009 Kids’ Choice Awards at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on Saturday (March 28) in Westwood, Calif.

JustJared.com met up with the 28-year-old actor on the orange carpet and asked him if he’s touch with the Internet world. He told me, “I think I have a website, but that’s about as in touch that I am.” (JJ Note: He doesn’t.)

When asked what his favorite prop on the Star Trek set was, Chris shared, “My favorite prop was the prop that didn’t work. It was the transporter room, which in theory is a brilliant machine, although there weren’t any fun effects to play around with.

On the Kids Choice Awards carpet, We asked Chris Pine, who plays Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ new “Star Trek,” if his clothes are slime-proof.

“Yes,” he replied. “I have an invisible plastic coating on.”
We would expect nothing else.

So why on earth is the “Star Trek” premiere in Australia?
“I have no idea but I’m very excited to go there and I’m working on my accent!”

Does Pine Twitter? “Nope, and no Facebook or Myspace either. Just real people.”
Is that a new website?

What’s he doing after “Trek” opens. “A play at the Geffen in LA.”

Here’s the deets according to Culture Monster: Pine will star in “Farragut North,” Beau Willimon’s play about the world of spin during a presidential campaign. Pine is a Geffen veteran, having appeared there in 2007 in Neil LaBute’s “Fat Pig.”

From the Bridge of the Starship Enterprise to the stage at the Geffen.
Pretty cool.

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A huge part of this update is all thanks to ZathrasKnowz @ Flickr.com hard work in finding many of these photos and videos.

Also be sure to check out their Flickr from the link above if your interested in watching videos from the 2009 WonderCon with the Star Trek cast, they have many links to fan recorded videos from the event.

Gallery Link: 02/28/2009 – WonderCon 2009

J.J. Abrams was at the CGV multiplex in Apgujeong-dong in southern Seoul yesterday with stars Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana to present exclusive footage from his upcoming summer release “Star Trek: The Beginning.”

The acclaimed writer, director and producer of TV shows “Lost” and “Alias” the movie “Mission Impossible 3” said the new version of the film – set for its world premier on May 7 – was a re-imagining of the original television series.

“We made this film not for Trekkies but for future fans of Star Trek,” Abrams said.

“The studio wanted to give the film a fresh start and I was originally brought in as a producer, but upon reading the script, I saw so much potential and possibility that the original had failed to realize due to technological constraints so I got very greedy and I decided to direct it myself.”

The new version of the film, as the title indicates, is a prelude to rest of the Star Trek series. The four five minute clips gave a glimpse into the origin of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise – icons of the television series that spawned legions of fans known as “Trekkies.”

Chris Pine plays the younger version of Kirk – an aimless drunkard who is inadvertently thrust into the world of galactic warfare as a new recruit on the USS Enterprise.

For Chris Pine, reinventing the character that William Shatner had made so famous, posed a great challenge.

“I began watching the original series pretty feverishly cause I knew I only had a limited amount of time to prepare for the role and after getting half way through the first and second season I wasn’t doing myself any favors by trying to pick up on the mannerisms of William Shatner and the minutiae of the Star Trek world,” said Pine.

As a guy who’s been a “Star Trek” fan since his 1975, building phasers-with-Legos pre-school days, I’m really looking forward to seeing what J.J. Abrams does this May with his take on the famed franchise. I caught up recently with Chris Pine, who plays Captain Kirk in the film. (Kirk is by far Pine’s biggest role; previous credits include parts in “Smokin’ Aces” and “The Princess Diaries 2.”) I asked him if his version of the character resembles the friendly, fun-loving man of action we’re used to seeing.

“I think that with this Jim Kirk you’ll get the flavor of the old,” Pine said. “I tried to bring my own take to it and do justice to what Mr. [William] Shatner did before, but you get to see the full spectrum of Jim Kirk. There’s the young, bold, brash, cocky [quality] and I think there’s a maturity that happens within the arc of the character in the movie that’s really fun that I think people will respond to.”

But what about Leonard “Bones” McCoy? I’ve always had a fondness for the cantankerous, mint julep-sipping country doctor. For my money, some of the best character moments of the original series involved him and Kirk. I think my favorite is from the episode “The Immunity Syndrome.” (I told you I was a Trek geek!) Spock is in a shuttle craft trying to escape a giant space amoeba. He’s pleading with them to leave him behind and save themselves. Bones replies, “Shut up Spock, we’re rescuing you!” and both he and Kirk give the absent Spock a funny “so take that” nod.

In Abrams’ film, Karl Urban of “Lord of the Rings” and “Bourne Supremacy” fame is assuming the role made famous by the late, great DeForest Kelley. Pine says Urban was up to the task.

“Yeah, Urban is, oh, he’s fantastic. I think when people see what Karl did with the role they’re going to be blown away,” Pine said. “I mean, it was a shock when I found out that he was doing it, he’s such a great-looking guy. He’s such a leading man and to take on this classic character role … he is like the doppleganger of DeForest Kelley. But he brings his own Karl sensibility to it so people will really enjoy it.”

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