Two of Hollywood's biggest stars got their big break in Star Trek movies. The Star Trek franchise has a long history of making strong casting choices, from Star Trek: The Original Series through today. For many actors, Star Trek was their first notable role before they went on to have incredible Hollywood careers. Patrick Stewart, for example, was referred to as "an unknown British actor" when he was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but the Star Trek: The Next Generation actor has since become a legend of film and television.
The Star Trek movies, too, have helped jumpstart the careers of a few Hollywood stars. Chris Pine and Zoe Saldaña already had notable roles before Star Trek (2009), but the J.J. Abrams film helped launch both actors into another level of superstardom. Star Trek: Nemesis did not perform particularly well at the box office and received mixed reviews, but that didn't matter for the future star of The Dark Knight Rises and Venom star. Another Marvel superhero earned his first significant role in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) and has since become one of Hollywood's biggest superstars.
Star Trek Gave Tom Hardy & Chris Hemsworth Their First Notable Movie Roles
Tom Hardy & Chris Hemsworth Have Become Hollywood Superstars
Star Trek: Nemesis put an end to Star Trek: The Next Generation as a movie franchise, but it helped launch Tom Hardy's impressive film career. As Captain Picard's villainous clone, Shinzon, Hardy showed hints of the greatness that was to come, even if his character wasn't particularly well-defined. Hardy's career only went up from here, from memorable roles in Christopher Nolan's Inception and The Dark Knight Rises to starring roles in Mad Max: Fury Road and Venom. Hardy was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in The Revenant alongside Leonardo DiCaprio.
In Star Trek (2009), Chris Hemsworth had the small, but incredibly significant role of Lieutenant George Kirk just two years before he became the God of Thunder in 2011's Thor. Hemsworth has portrayed Thor in eight Marvel Cinematic Universe films and had a brief cameo in the mid-credits scene of Doctor Strange. Despite the demands of appearing in many Marvel Studios movies, Hemsworth still managed to snag significant roles in numerous other films, including 2016's Ghostbusters, 12 Strong, Extraction, and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Hemsworth has stated his desire to continue playing Thor, but nothing has been confirmed regarding Thor's MCU return.
Star Trek's Ability To Create Stars Highlights Its Enduring Influence
Star Trek Creates & Attracts Major Hollywood Stars
Nearly sixty years after its premiere, Star Trek continues to be incredibly influential. Not only has Star Trek helped create several blockbuster movie stars over the years, but Star Trek now attracts some surprising actors who already have well-established careers. Even back in the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg requested a role on the show because she wanted to be a part of Star Trek. Several Hollywood stars have spoken about their love for Star Trek, including Nicolas Cage and James McAvoy.
Star Trek will likely continue to launch new actors into superstardom.
Actors like Michelle Yeoh, Jason Isaacs, and Rebecca Romijn had already appeared in major Hollywood films before joining the casts of Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Academy Award winners Paul Giamatti and Holly Hunter have both been tapped to appear in the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Star Trek will likely continue to launch new actors into superstardom as well. Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Celia Rose Gooding, and Christina Chong of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have already proven to be incredibly talented actors who could have major Hollywood careers ahead of them.
