# Recast "Star Trek: TOS" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826 "2003-01-05T22:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/1 "2003-01-05T22:07:51Z")
I apologize if this has already been asked but I couldn’t find it in the archives. Let’s say the Star Trek franchise is going back to basics and therefore is going re-do the original TV series. The plan is to go with younger actors for Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, et al. (May DeForest Kelley rest in peace.) Who would you cast in the roles? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/2 "2003-01-05T22:21:46Z")
Are you talking current actors, or just who was available in 1965? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/3 "2003-01-05T22:24:39Z")
Oh, okay, misunderstood the question. So you want a remake of the original series starting now with the characters recast? What would be the point of that? Now, a 1965 example is potentially more interesting, since we can play “what if” games with actors like Jeffrey Hunter or Robert Vaugn (who would have made a wicked captain, incidentally). Throw in Natalie Wood as Yeoman Rand, too. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/4 "2003-01-06T01:23:04Z")
Assuming we were talking about a remake of ST:TOS as a movie or series with modern actors: Possibilities for Kirk: Nathan Fillion, Kurt Russell, Russel Crowe, George Clooney. Spock: Kevin Spacey, Gary Sinise Uhura: Halle Berry McCoy: Fred Thompson, John Malkovich ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/5 "2003-01-06T01:27:20Z")
Kirk–Harrison Ford Spock–Pierce Brosnan ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/6 "2003-01-06T04:04:47Z")
Make it all female and have tryouts at a local university. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/7 "2003-01-06T06:15:05Z")
Kirk: Jude Law Spock: John Cusack McCoy: Sam Waterston Uhura: Queen Latifah Sulu: Gedde Watanabe Chekov: Colin Farrell Scotty: Daniel Day-Lewis Rand: Reese Witherspoon Chapel: Bonnie Hunt ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/8 "2003-01-06T06:38:06Z")
…I don’t think it would work. The characters are too defined by the actors that played them for 20-odd years. I mean, hell, I see Leonard Nimoy, I think Spock–and I’m not exactly into Star Trek. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/9 "2003-01-06T13:57:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Angel of the Lord \* > \*\*…I don’t think it would work. The characters are too defined by the actors that played them for 20-odd years. I mean, hell, I see Leonard Nimoy, I think Spock–and I’m not exactly into Star Trek. \*\* Oh come on, use your imagination. You’re telling me that James Bond and Batman/Bruce Wayne can be played by numerous different actors, but that Kirk and Spock are sacrosanct and can only be played by Shatner and Nimoy. That’s just sillly. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/10 "2003-01-06T14:39:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PatrickM \* > \*\*Oh come on, use your imagination. You’re telling me that James Bond and Batman/Bruce Wayne can be played by numerous different actors, but that Kirk and Spock are sacrosanct and can only be played by Shatner and Nimoy. That’s just sillly. \*\* Why is that so silly? I don’t think Paramount will give the roles to anyone else. And I’d say that the opinion of the suits at Paramount are the only ones who count. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/11 "2003-01-06T14:49:53Z")
I dunno. I always thought it would be interesting to film Harlan Ellison’s original script for “The City On The Edge Of Forever”. The hardcore trekkies would sell their souls to see THAT. But it ain’t gonna happen with Shatner, Nimoy, and Joan Collins. You’d have to get new actors. And Paramount’s permission, of course. And Ellison’s, as well, although he’d probably go with it as long as the script wasn’t rewritten. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/12 "2003-01-06T14:58:48Z")
I say we make it the ultimate action movie: Kirk: Kurt Russel Spock: Arnold Schwarzenegger McCoy: Tommy Lee Jones Uhura: Halle Berry Sulu: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Chekhov: Dolph Lundgren Scotty: Mel Gibson Rand: Natasha Henstridge Chapel: Charlize Theron ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/13 "2003-01-06T15:18:28Z")
I’ve been thinking that this is exactly what needs to be done to re-invent the movie series. The Star Trek fanchise needs to be more like the Bond franchise. So I have two casts. Kirk Russell Crowe Spock Rafe Fines McCoy Kevin Spacey or Kirk Brad Pitt Spock Jude Law McCoy Kevin Spacey or Gary Sinise No battle in a nebula and no trying to blow up the ship. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/14 "2003-01-06T22:09:54Z")
Kirk - Will Smith Spock - Jeff Goldblum ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/15 "2003-01-06T22:54:33Z")
The cast of _Star Trek: Ego Trip_ Kirk: William Shatner Spock: William Shatner McCoy: William Shatner Uhura: Tyra Banks Scotty: William Shatner Sulu: William Shatner Chekhov: William Shatner Rand: Heidi Klum Chapel: Rebecca Romijn Stamos ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/16 "2003-01-07T01:45:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by blowero \* > \*\*Kirk - Will Smith > Spock - Jeff Goldblum \*\* Oh. My. God. No! ( **Diceman** shoves **blowero** into the photon torpedo tube and hits Fire) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/17 "2003-01-07T03:47:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Diceman \* > \*\*Oh. My. God. No! > > ( **Diceman** shoves **blowero** into the photon torpedo tube and hits Fire) 😃 \*\* I guess you’re right. We wouldn’t want a Kirk who _overacts_.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Edwardina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Edwardina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edwardina)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/18 "2003-01-07T04:41:11Z")
In similar fashion to what **No Clue Boy** suggested: Kirk - [Ali Larter](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Larter,+Ali) Spock - [Mena Suvari](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Suvari,+Mena) McCoy - [Heather Matarazzo](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Matarazzo,+Heather) Scotty - [Tara Spencer-Nairn](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Spencer-Nairn,%20Tara) (click ‘Photo Gallery’ for pictures) Uhura - [Rob Brown](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Brown,+Rob+(VI)) (click ‘Photo Gallery’ for pictures) Sulu - [Ziyi Zhang](http://us.imdb.com/Name?Zhang,+Ziyi) Chekov - [Clea DuVall](http://us.imdb.com/Name?DuVall,+Clea) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/19 "2003-01-07T05:43:59Z")
Sulu: **Jason Scott Lee** ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recast-star-trek-tos/146826/20 "2003-01-07T05:45:55Z")
**Edwardina:** That was brilliant. Good eye!