Paul Wesley has joined the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds playing the character, James T Kirk, a role that William Shatner originated in Star Trek: The Original Series.
The series which was renewed for a second season back in January will premiere in May on Paramount+. Wesley who will appear in the second season of Strange New Worlds is the first actor to play Kirk on the small screen since William Shatner’s reign.
Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock and Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley aka Number One. The series follows their journey aboard the USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
Their adventures take place long before Captain Kirk takes the helm of the USS Enterprise. It does seem strange that James T Kirk will show up so early in a story about Captain Christopher Pike. I’m interested to see what the writers have in store for us.
The cast also includes Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr M’Benga.
Fans will remember Paul Wesley from the supernatural drama, The Vampire Diaries where he played Stefan Salvatore for eight seasons. He also starred in Tell Me A Story for Paramount+ predecessor CBS All Access. He can also be seen in History of Evil alongside Stephanie Beatriz.
Wesley is also an accomplished director and producer. He directed episodes of Roswell, New Mexico, Shadowhunters, Legacies and The Vampire Diaries.
Wesley commented on his new role on saying: “I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.”
I am deeply humbled and still a little startled to have been given the honor of playing the inimitable James T Kirk. Ever since I was a kid, I have been awed by the imaginative world Gene Roddenberry created.
— Paul Wesley (@paulwesley) March 15, 2022
Recently, I boarded a flight to LA to discover that the man in the pic.twitter.com/U8GVD4ZemP
“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show,” executive producer Alex Kurtzman and showrunners/executive producers Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers said in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role.”
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