Summary
- Robert Pine appeared in Star Trek before his son Chris Pine, playing two characters in different series.
- Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise both featured appearances by Robert Pine, showcasing his range as an actor.
- Chris Pine's desire to return as Captain Kirk mirrors his father's continued involvement in the franchise.
Robert Pine played two different characters in Star Trek long before his son, Chris Pine, was cast as Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' franchise reboot. Best known for playing Sgt. Joseph Getraer in CHiPs, Robert Pine has appeared in a host of iconic TV shows from the 1960s right up to the 2020s. While Robert Pine appeared in the franchise after becoming a household name, his son Chris Pine's breakthrough role was leading the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie as Captain James T. Kirk.
Although he started out as an actor at the time of Star Trek: The Original Series, Robert Pine was never in contention for any guest roles opposite his son Chris Pine's predecessor, William Shatner. In a 2020 interview with StarTrek.com, Pine explained that, because he was under contract with Universal, he couldn't appear in TOS as it wasn't one of their shows. In 1996, having previously read for several characters, Robert Pine was finally cast in the first of two Star Trek TV show roles.
Chris Pine's Father Robert Was In Star Trek: Voyager & Enterprise
Robert Pine made his Star Trek debut as the antagonistic Ambassador Liria in Star Trek: Voyager season 3, episode 3, "The Chute". Liria was the representative of the Akritirian people, whose legal system had no appeals process. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) went toe to toe with Liria to negotiate the release of Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), but to no avail. It was a small but integral role, which required Pine to deliver a page of dialog via Voyager's viewscreen. Reflecting on the experience in 2020, Robert Pine said:
"...it’s an easy shot with maybe one or two angles and different close-ups. So you’re probably done within an hour, you say goodbye to everyone, and you’re gone [laughs]. It’s not very romantic..."
Chris Pine's father, Robert, had a slightly more substantial role a few years later, when he played Captain Tavin in Star Trek: Enterprise season 1, episode 17, "Fusion". Tavin was unique among Star Trek's Vulcans, as his crew believed that emotions should be reintegrated into their psyche. Tavin and Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) got on well, as the Enterprise NX-01's commanding officer was amazed by how personable his Vulcan counterpart was. In his 2020 retrospective interview, Pine remembered that he struggled to remember a lot of his lines as Tavin, but praised Scott Bakula for his patience.
Robert Pine and Scott Bakula had previously appeared together in Quantum Leap , season 4, episode 11, "The Play's The Thing".
Chris Pine Wants To Return As Captain Kirk In Star Trek 4
Like his father with his role as Captain Tavin, Chris Pine is also eyeing up a second go at the Star Trek franchise. Earlier in 2024, PopVerse reported that Chris Pine wants to return as Captain Kirk, citing a panel at ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024. During the panel, Chris Pine told the audience:
In terms of the next phase of [Star Trek], obviously you’re all fans, so I’m sure you’ve read it… We all like one another a lot. I’m good friends with everybody I’ve worked with. We have a great time doing it. I’m a lot older now, so I would be curious where that next story lands us in terms of what it would be and what we’ve said in the press.
Chris Pine's desire to play an older Captain Kirk makes Star Trek 4 an enticing prospect. All six of William Shatner's Star Trek movies were about aging and legacy, so it would be fascinating to see what that means for Chris Pine's version of Captain Kirk. Perhaps Chris Pine's relationship with his father, Robert, could influence the star's characterization of an older James T. Kirk, further cementing the links between the Pine family and the Star Trek franchise.
