Posted in: Paramount+, Star Trek, streaming, TV | Tagged: james kirk, paramount, paul wesley, star trek, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Strange New Worlds: "I Don't Feel Like Captain Kirk Yet": Paul Wesley

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star Paul Wesley on why he doesn't feel like Captain Kirk yet - and why that's a good thing for the series.

When Paul Wesley took on the role of James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Farragut on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, there was a natural chip on his shoulder, considering he's building on the legacy from the foundation laid by Star Trek: The Original Series William Shatner and Kelvin Universe films Chris Pine. The main difference is that the latter two actors had the luxury of playing the character fully realized as captain, while the only aspect of captain we see in Wesley's version is in alternate timelines and in the one that occupies the primary one in SNW, he's a lieutenant. The Vampire Diaries star spoke with ComicBook.com prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike on his various approaches to the character, even when it's not technically canon.

Star Trek: Paul Wesley's Lt. Kirk to the Teased Captain He'll Become

Upon Wesley's first appearance in SNW in the season one finale and alternate timeline episode "A Quality of Mercy," "No. Look, the first appearance I did was based on 'Balance of Terror,' which I watched a few times, and I remember, when I watched it, I thought, 'Okay. Kirk doesn't smile very much. He's very serious. A lot of people have died. This is a very serious mission,'" he said, "There's very little Kirk-isms in there. There's little charm. He's a man on a mission. And he's taking everything very, very seriously. And I thought, 'Okay, for this episode, I'm going to make a concerted effort to make it a little more of the serious Kirk because this is an alternate timeline, and I have that flexibility to do that.' And so, I made a very conscious effort to hold back on some of that charm and, for lack of a better word, the Kirk-isms that we all know, knowing that there would be future episodes in Season 2 where I would be able to explore those facets."

When it came to his enclosed Kirk time-traveling adventure with La'an Noonien Singh, played by Christina Chong in "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," "So then, in Season 2, Episode 3, when I read that script, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, thank God,' because it is the exact opposite of the Season 1 finale, and I get to have so much fun," Wesley said. "So then, I decided, 'Okay, I'm going to make him a bit of a goofball.' Because, in many ways, Kirk was a goofball in TOS. Every episode is different. There are episodes where Kirk is incredibly lighthearted. There are episodes where he's actually taking himself very seriously. And so, there are so many facets of Kirk that we can explore. And I thought, 'Let me do that for this one.' And so, it's not that I changed, radically shifted the character. It's just more that I chose to bring out different personality traits in different episodes."

Wesley also broke down his journey as Kirk, "I think, more gradual. And also, I don't feel like Captain Kirk yet, because he is not Captain Kirk. He's Lieutenant Kirk. And I think, for me, I don't really want him to feel like Captain Kirk yet," he said. "I want him to feel like Captain Kirk eventually. In terms of his unwavering ability to lead a ship. I think he's still growing into that. But, I do feel like James T. Kirk. I feel like, in many ways, with the interactions that I've had with, be it, Uhora, or La'an, or Ethan Peck, they've been limited now, but nonetheless, as I interact with these characters, and I form these relationships, and these character dynamics, I begin to feel more and more like James T. Kirk. Because really, James Kirk, in my opinion, he's all about the relationships that he has with people, and that's what makes him who he is. So, I think, I'm beginning to feel more Kirk as the episodes progress and as the relationship dynamics grow, if that makes sense."

For more, including how Wesley worked with Peck on his initial meeting with Peck's Spock, a comparison to the 2009 Kelvin Universe timeline film's first meeting of the characters with Pine and Zachary Quinto's incarnations, Dan Jeannotte's Sam Kirk, and more, you can check out the interview here. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams Thursdays on Paramount+

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!