The Star Trek film franchise has gone through a few different incarnations over the years. The first few movies starred the cast of The Original Series, but The Next Generation’s cast eventually took over, and there was even a movie that paired up James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard.
Each movie has brought new Federation allies and sinister villains to the Star Trek universe, and casting the perfect actor in each role proved to be a difficult task every time. Out of a wide search for actors, only a lucky few got beamed up. Here are 10 actors who almost played iconic roles in Star Trek movies.
Eddie Murphy As A Conspiracy Theorist In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Originally, the role in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home that went to Dr. Taylor and morphed into a romance with Kirk was going to be filled by Eddie Murphy. A lifelong Star Trek fan, Murphy eventually dropped out of the project.
The producers had already gotten cold feet when they worried that Murphy’s presence with Star Trek IV would come off as unwarranted and out-of-place comic relief, like Richard Pryor’s role in the disastrous Superman III.
Adrien Brody As Spock In In Star Trek (2009)
When J.J. Abrams and co. were casting the role of Spock for the 2009 Star Trek reboot, Adrien Brody was the first actor they approached, but he turned it down, leading to Zachary Quinto’s ultimately brilliant casting.
Meanwhile, before Karl Urban landed the role of Bones, the producers considered both James Marsden and Gary Sinise for the part.
Sean Connery As Sybok In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
The producers’ first choice for the role of Sybok in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was Sean Connery, but he was unable to take the role as he’d already committed to playing Indy’s father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The planet Sha Ka Ree was named to reference Connery. The late, great Max von Sydow was the producers’ second choice for Sybok, but his salary proved to be too steep for the film’s budget to accommodate it.
Benicio Del Toro As Khan In Star Trek Into Darkness
The villainous Khan made an appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness, and he was poorly disguised as “John Harrison” by the producers who wanted to protect a twist that Trekkies saw coming from a mile away (and non-Trekkies didn’t even understand).
The producers’ top choice for the role was Benicio del Toro, but he turned it down because filming clashed with his commitments to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice. Benedict Cumberbatch was ultimately cast, but the producers screen-tested Demián Bichir, Jordi Mollà, and Édgar Ramírez before settling on the Sherlock star.
Jack Palance As Gorkon In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The role of Gorkon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country was initially offered to the legendary Jack Palance, but he turned it down to appear in City Slickers.
Palance’s role in City Slickers ultimately led to a career comeback and an Oscar win, so it’s fair to say that he made the right decision out of the two projects.
Ricky Gervais As Scotty In Star Trek (2009)
Scotty was almost played by Ricky Gervais in the Kelvin Timeline. J.J. Abrams initially offered the role to Gervais, but he turned it down due to his unfamiliarity with the Star Trek universe.
Having worked with Simon Pegg on Mission: Impossible III, Abrams instead offered the role to him and he gladly accepted. Pegg later joked that he would’ve played the part for free, or even paid Abrams out of his own pocket for the opportunity.
Nichelle Nichols As Uhura’s Grandmother In Star Trek (2009)
When J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot was originally in development, Nichelle Nichols (who played Uhura in The Original Series) suggested adding a scene in which she would cameo as Uhura’s grandmother.
Unfortunately, there was a writers’ strike underway at the time, which prevented Abrams from writing a scene that could include her.
Brian Blessed As Admiral Dougherty In Star Trek: Insurrection
When casting was underway for Star Trek: Insurrection, Patrick Stewart wanted to cast Brian Blessed in the role of Admiral Dougherty.
Before veteran actor Anthony Zerbe landed the role, the producers also looked at Gene Hackman and Wilford Brimley.
Kim Cattrall As Saavik In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
Kim Cattrall auditioned to play Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and later auditioned to play Vixis in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. However, Cattrall went on to play a very similar character (whose role was actually filled by Saavik in early drafts of the script) named Lt. Valeris in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
The role of Saavik ended up being played by Kirstie Alley in The Wrath of Khan, although she didn’t reprise the role in the next two movies. Instead, the part was recast with Robin Curtis. Perhaps if Cattrall had landed the role, she would’ve returned for the sequels.
Chris Pratt As James T. Kirk In Star Trek (2009)
Before Chris Pine was cast as James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot (and he was arguably the best choice for the role), many actors did screen tests for the part, including Chris Pratt.
Pratt would end up playing a Kirk-esque roguish space pilot named Peter Quill for Marvel in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies.