The Wall Street Journal has boldly gone where few financial papers go…in an interview room with science fiction movie stars.
The paper began the 2009 new year with a candid interview with two of the top stars (Chris Pine [Kirk] & Zachary Quinto [Spock]) from the new JJ Abrams “Star Trek” feature film due out May 2009.
Here is a sampling of the exchange:
WSJ: J.J. Abrams has said he’s making the movie for future fans, not necessarily veterans. What’s he doing to freshen the story that might rattle Trek fans?
Mr. Pine: I’m not well-versed in the Trek canon, but we’re venturing into territory that’s only been covered in these paperback novels they sell. It’s definitely not going to please everyone. There’s a scene where my character is in a bar and he’s definitely inebriated and under the influence of his own arrogance. It’s him becoming the Kirk everyone knows. In my book that makes the journey a little more interesting. If he’s a clear-cut leader from the beginning, you don’t have anywhere to go.
WSJ: How would you describe your version of the Kirk/Spock dynamic?
Mr. Pine: My secrecy contract means there’s not much I can say. But this version is very contentious, with Spock and Kirk not enjoying each other’s company at first. The arc is that they find common ground through great conflict.
WSJ:What kind of things did Leonard Nimoy tell you about Spock to help you understand him?
Mr. Quinto: It’s been such an indelible mark on his life and he’s metabolized it so gracefully. We spent some time watching episodes but it was an all encompassing experience. We’d go to his house. We’d meet sometimes at Paramount. I’m seeing him before the holidays. He’s an advanced mind and heart and I want to hang out with him as much as possible.
WSJ: A lot has been made of the differences you bring to the Spock character, but what aspects of the original did you keep?
Mr. Quinto: Especially with Spock, more so than Kirk, there are characteristic movements. It’s established in the mythology, this stillness and economy of movement. There are ways one holds oneself, such as the hands behind the back.
WSJ: Why has this character become so mythic?
Mr. Quinto: In this archetypal way, people respond to someone who’s able to contain himself. He operates from a place of logic, but always with the betterment of others in mind. He’s able to endure things and experience things from a place of balance.
You can catch the full interview HERE.
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