Only 1 Actor Has Played James T. Kirk's Mother In Star Trek Since The Franchise Began Almost 6 Decades Ago

So far, only one actor has played Winona Kirk, the mother of Star Trek's Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Throughout the entire Star Trek franchise, Winona Kirk has only appeared in the opening scenes of Star Trek (2009). While the USS Kelvin is being evacuated, Winona goes into labor much earlier than expected. Winona contacts her husband, Lieutenant George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), the First Officer of the USS Kelvin, who is going down with the starship. Before George's death, Winona and George give the future Captain of the USS Enterprise his famous name: James Tiberius Kirk.

In the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek movies, Kirk's birth occurs at the same time as the pivotal event that splits the Prime Timeline and Kelvin Timelines, so seeing James Kirk's parents on-screen matters more than in Star Trek: The Original Series. Pine's Kirk being born at the same time as his father's death heaps much more guilt on the young Jim Kirk, making Kelvin Kirk less sure of himself and more cynical. Kirk's mother, Winona, is referenced in Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond, but doesn't appear on-screen in any subsequent Star Trek movie or show.

Jennifer Morrison Is The Only Actor To Play Kirk’s Mother In Star Trek

Winona Kirk Appears In Star Trek (2009)'s Opening Scenes

Jennifer Morrison is the only actor to play Winona Kirk, the mother of Captain James T. Kirk, in any Star Trek timeline. In the Kelvin Timeline, Winona Kirk eventually remarried and raised her sons in Iowa. During James Kirk's freewheeling, Corvette-stealing introductory scene in Star Trek, Winona is away from home. It's implied that James and Sam are being cared for by an absent stepfather while Winona is gone. It's never stated exactly what Winona Kirk does for a living, but Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci speculated Winona was also a Starfleet officer, like George.

Before Jennifer Morrison played Winona Kirk in 2009's Star Trek, she had already starred as the lead in Urban Legends: Final Cut. Morrison went on to earn several smaller or guest-starring television credits before playing immunologist Dr. Allison Cameron in House for six seasons. Morrison played Zoey in a 13-episode arc of How I Met Your Mother, then starred as lead character Emma Swan in the fantasy drama series Once Upon a Time. Morrison made her feature directorial debut with 2017's Sun Dogs, and has since directed several episodes of television, including Dr. Death and Yellowjackets.

Star Trek Still Hasn’t Introduced Kirk’s Parents In The Prime Timeline

George And Winona Kirk Must Be Like Their Kelvin Timeline Counterparts

Star Trek still hasn't introduced James Kirk's parents in the Prime Timeline. William Shatner's Kirk only referenced his father occasionally, and never talked about his mother in Star Trek: The Original Series. Instead, most of what we know about Kirk's parents in the Prime Timeline comes from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, in scenes where Paul Wesley's James Kirk talks about his mother and father. Strange New Worlds' Kirk is the favored child of George Kirk, compared to Dan Jeannotte's Sam Kirk. Very little is said about Winona—only that she followed George's Starfleet postings with their two sons.

Despite George and Winona Kirk's absence from the Prime Timeline, we can extrapolate what Prime George and Winona Kirk might be like based on their depictions in Star Trek (2009). The Kelvin Timeline split only occurred after Nero (Eric Bana) traveled back to 2230 and destroyed the USS Kelvin, so the versions of George Senior and Winona played by Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Morrison also existed in the Prime Timeline. If Kirk's parents do show up in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, another actress will surely play Winona Kirk, and Star Trek's Jennifer Morrison won't be the only one.