Hey, Star Trek fans, did you know that Sulu was, in his youth, a burger-munching stoner, or that Scotty learned his grace-under-pressure from facing down a zombie onslaught? Okay, I know we shouldn’t typecast actors based on their best known roles, but how are you going to watch John Cho as the young Sulu and Simon Pegg as the young Scotty, without being reminded of Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Shaun of the Dead? I’m glad J.J. Abrams is casting his forthcoming Star Trek: Muppet Babies with colorful performers who have some cult appeal (so far, Heroes‘ Zachary Quinto, as Li’l Spock, is the biggest name among the space cadets), but the announcement about Cho and Pegg — both talented performers, but hardly proven as dramatic actors — implies that Abrams is going for actors who’ve demonstrated quirkiness, rather than actors whose faces and past roles suggest they’ll be able to convince us that their characters will someday grow into the seasoned space explorers we’ve known and loved for 40 years. (Look at James Doohan’s Scotty and George Takei’s Sulu, flanking William Shatner’s Kirk in this photo, and then look at the pic of Cho and Pegg here, and tell me this casting isn’t a stretch.) Anyone else share my skepticism, or are you confident that Mr. Lost and Alias knows what he’s doing?
Harold and Shaun Go to Star Fleet Academy
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Comments (1-30) of 30 Add your comment
I don’t think movie fans expect reverse generated lookalike actors. Look at James Bond and Jack Ryan, multiple actors, no problems.
Actually, if you watch Simon Pegg in “Hot Fuzz” you’ll see he has the dramatic acting chops to pull it off. Seriously, Pegg could star in an action movie and play it straight and be that good. I think the role of Scotty will be a cakewalk for him.
I’m not a Star Trek fan at all, but now I can’t wait to see this. Love them both.
Personally, I wish they’d make a DS9 movie.
Happy to hear about Simon Pegg’s casting. Ditto the sentiment posted earlier that he can handle the serious stuff as well as the goofy. I have confidence in both him and JJ Abrams’ casting abilities.
Pegg in both Shaun and Hot Fuzz had moments of tremendous dramatic ability. If he didn’t, the funnier bits wouldn’t have worked as well.
Cho was great in Better Luck Tomorrow! If you haven’t seen that, watch it.
And casting ‘quirky’ character actors is a fantastic way to let an individual performance enhance an ensemble.
I think Abrams has made some fine casting decisions so far and I am excited about a Star Trek film for the first time in decades!
I think that given the previous experience that these actors have, they will be great, particularly given that they are playing Scotty and Sulu as young and right of college (essentially). I think they have the capacity to capture the fundamental characteristics that made the two other actors great. John Cho, because he can do very uptight but still has a wild side (this IS Sulu), and Simon Pegg because he has a very warm and inviting feel about him that could easily mask a highly intelligent intellect (Scotty was the premier engineer in Starfleet, but oculd make anyone relax with that grin). These casting choices are a great tribute to Takei and Doohan, who effortlessly created engaging characters that will remain immortal for generations to come.
Too bad Sulu won’t be Japanese anymore.
I’m not a Trekkie, but I thought Pegg was great in MI:3, so I’m not concerned over whether or not he can pull off the dramatic believability for the new Star trek. I think he’ll work out well and add some much needed levity to the film where needed!
I loved Simon Pegg in Both “Shaun” and “Fuzz” and I think he will be a great Scotty. It’s a great idea to cast young relatively unknown actors than to try and go for big “names” that just end up being distracting.
In fact, I will have a far harder time dealing with Quinto as the beloved Spock since I bitterly hate the “Syler” character on “Heroes”. But perhaps there is some connection, Syler’s fatal thefts of other’s powers to make himself more perfect is very much like the Borg assimilating…well, you get the drift. OK, maybe I’m just getting a little too Trek centric for my own good. Anyway, live long and prosper, Cho and Pegg…
Personally, I’m actually more excited to see the movie since Abrams announced the castings. It shows that he isn’t just going to be slavishly faithful but put his own POV into it.
Sorry, but they had a perfect Scotty in Paul McGillion. Not only is he a fine actor but he even looks like Scotty. I can’t believe they’ve hired Simon Pegg instead. Yes, I know he’s very good at what he does but as Scotty—no thanks.
In JJ we trust. Still the biggest announcement of all is yet to come…Who will play Kirk? Chris Pine? Mike Vogel? Jensen Ackles?
Ugh. If they do cast Chris Pine as Kirk, I may shoot myself. All the casting so far I can live with (if I must), but casting someone who was in a Lindsay Lohan movie and the crappy Princess Diaries sequel as KIRK??? Heaven help us.
I’m trying to stay positive. I like Simon Pegg, and hopefully Quinto can take it down about twenty notches and play it cool.
By the way, how can you have a young Chekov? Wasn’t he the young one when he came on the show? Is this Chekov going to be a teenager or something?
At any rate, I do kind of think it’s too early to remake Star Trek. Ah well…
Cho also showed his dramatic chops in his episode of Grey’s Anatomy
Not just Chekov. Sulu (and probably Uhura, though in the pre-equal hiring days of the 60s it wouldn’t be unbelievable that a woman would be promoted way slower than a man) would have been a lot younger too. There’s no way that a lieutenant and a captain graduated at the same time. Commander and captain – yeah, Kirk got promoted a little faster than Spock. But lieutenant. That’s pretty far down the chain of command to be in the same class at the Academy.
Apparently you have only seen Shaun of the Dead. Gee let’s stereotype an actor based on one role. Simon Pegg is an awesome actor, and ya know this isn’t exactly shakespeare or something so I’m sure he has the “dramatic” chops to pull off a freaking star trek movie. Tool.
It definitely seems revionist, only Quinto looks like Nimoy. Of all the black actresses available, sorry, but Zoë Saldana doesn’t look like Nichelle Nichols, and Cho is Korean (both Sulu and Takei are Japanese), and, no, Simon Pegg doesn’t look a bit like Scotty, physically or ethnically.
Also: I thought Star Trek used to be the kiss of death for an actor? Just kitsch, goodbye credibility. But all the cast have been somewhat big. My shock was Eric Bana!
But anyway, it’s Star Trek, and like smoking, you know it’s cool even if it’s doofus to partake and enjoy!
By the by: I saw Data at The Spotted Pig in New York the other weekend with two very attractive women. I guess his death’s not kissed, not personally anyway.
Oh lord, asking for look-a-like casting is the sign of the ultimately unimaginative fan-boy. Honestly, did we learn nothing from “Superman Returns to Bore the Earth”??? Look-alike casting is great for a poster, crappy for a movie. I couldn’t be happier that JJ is selecting the actors he wants without being constrained by the casting choices of 40 years ago.
I do think the Sulu reimagining goes a little far. Stay tuned in weeks to come because this will blow up in somebody’s face. Koreans and Japanese are not interchangeable, even though most Americans can’t tell the difference. I foresee a deluge of response from Japanese around the world who will be glad to point this out (Koreans won’t mind, partly because they still hate Japan for WWII). After all, you wouldn’t cast a young Indian girl for Uhura. This casting shows an astounding lack of cultural awareness from a franchise we have all come to expect to set the standard in this particular area.
While by no means a Trekkie I can appreciate both the shows and the films for when they were quality and for their importance culturally. That being said, these casting choices are inspired. When I heard about Quinto being cast as Spock I said “eh maybe I’ll see it”. Bana seems like a cool villian. And now with Cho and Pegg (two gifted young actors who provide humor and depth) I’ve gone from lukewarm to a definite, first nite must see. Bravo Abrams! Great choices!
I was pulling for Paul McGillion to get “Scotty” as the Shaun/Fuzz guy tends to overact even more than Doohan did, and all us Stargate Atlantis fans have called McGillion a young Scotty since Atlantis began several years ago. Too bad.
I’m White and I think it’s ridiculous that Cho was cast as Sulu. Get a Japanese American actor to play Sulu. There are plenty of good ones!
Chris Doohan was also pushing for Paul McGillion to get the Scotty role that his father is so famous for. I think Pegg is a mistake, but, who am I to make Hollyweird decisions.
Well, the character of Sulu is an Asian American, born in San Francisco. And Roddenberry never revealed which ethnicity he was (since Sulu is NOT a Japanese surname). It was years later that Sulu was given the first name “Hikaru” in the novelizations.
As for the casting of John Cho. Like Sulu, Cho is an Asian American. And if you look at most Asian Am blogs, no one’s complaining that Abrams has mixed up his ethnicities.
This is worlds different from “Memoirs of a Geisha” where Chinese actresses were cast as Japanese characters. Trust me, as an Asian American, I am well aware of H’wood’s portrayals of Asians in cinema. Hell, the interchangeable Asian is practically a staple in Hollywood. But Cho as Sulu does not fall into that category. Sorry.
I have more faith in JJ Abrams Than of your opinion. As long as the story is solid and the dialogue good, I could care less who these actors have portrayed. Who thought Leslie Nielsen could do Comedy???
There’s no denying Pegg has talent but he IS NOT Scotty by any stretch of the imagination. This is a terrible and bizarre casting choice probably done because he’s the Brit flavour of the month in Hollywood right now. He neither fits the bill physically or with his style of acting and his fake Scottish accent is far from ‘flawless’. I dont look at Pegg and see Scotty, but I do when I look at the aforementioned Paul McGillion who fit the bill perfectly. Paul is a talented actor, does do a great Scottish accent and has an uncanny resemblence to Doohan. And better yet, Paul is actually Scottish by birth!
You know who’s not going to be in the movie? William Shatner, and he’s whining like a baby about it (from CNN):
“I couldn’t believe it. I’m not in the movie at all. Leonard, God bless his heart, is in, but not me,” Shatner, 76, told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn’t seem to be a wise business decision.”