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James T. Kirk

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James Tiberius Kirk is a character in the fictional Star Trek media franchise.[1] First portrayed by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series,[2] Kirk also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first seven Star Trek movies, and in numerous books, comics, and video games. Chris Pine will assume the role of the character in the 2009 Star Trek film.[3] Kirk has also been portrayed by numerous actors, including James Cawley, in non-studio Star Trek fan productions.[4] Kirk has been called "the quintessential officer, a man among men and a hero for the ages."[5]

Development and portrayals

Jeffrey Hunter portrayed Captain Christopher Pike, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise, in the initial (and rejected) Star Trek television pilot, "The Cage" (1964).[1] In developing the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966), series creator Gene Roddenberry changed the captain's name to James T. Kirk "after considering other options like Hannibal, Timber, Flagg, and Raintree".[6] The character is in part based on C. S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower hero,[7] and NBC wanted the show to emphasize the captain's "rugged individualism".[8] Jack Lord was the studio's original choice to play Kirk, but his demand for fifty-percent ownership of the show led to him not being hired.[9]

William Shatner tried to imbue the character with "awe and wonder" absent from "The Cage".[6] Changing the character to be "a man with very human emotions" also allowed for the development of the Spock character, played by Leonard Nimoy.[6] Shatner wrote:

Kirk was a man who marveled and greatly appreciated the endless surprises presented to him by the universe...He didn't take things for granted and, more than anything else, respected life in every one of its weird weekly adventure forms.[6]

Shatner drew upon his experiences as a Shakespearean actor to invigorate the character, whose dialogue at times was laden with jargon.[9] When Star Trek was canceled in 1969, Shatner assumed it would be the end of his association with the show[10] – however, Shatner went on to portray Kirk in the animated Star Trek,[11] the first seven Star Trek movies,[1] and several games.[12][13] Both Shatner and test audiences were dissatisfied that Kirk was fatally shot in the back in the original ending of Star Trek Generations (1994);[14] an addendum inserted while Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories (1994) memoir was being printed expresses his enthusiasm at being called back to film a rewritten ending.[15] Despite the rewrite, Generations co-writer Ronald D. Moore said Kirk's death, intended to "resonate throughout the Star Trek franchise",[16] was "flawed"[16] and failed to "pay off the themes [of death and mortality] in the way we wanted".[17]

For Star Trek (2009) screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, the story "was always about Kirk and Spock".[18] Kurtzman said casting someone whose portrayal of Kirk would show that the character "is being honored and protected" was "tricky", but that the "spirit of Kirk is very much alive and well in Chris Pine"'s performance.[19] Pine recalled having difficulty with his audition, which required him "to bark 'Trek jargon'", but his charisma impressed director J. J. Abrams.[20] Pine's chemistry with Zachary Quinto, playing Spock, led Abrams to offer Pine the role.[20] Jimmy Bennett portrayed Kirk in scenes depicting his childhood.[21]

In preparing to play Kirk, Pine decided to embrace the character's key traits – "charming, funny, leader of men" – rather than try to fit the "predigested image" of Shatner's portrayal.[22] Pine specifically did not try to mirror Shatner's cadence, believing that trying to do so would become "an impersonation".[23] Pine said he wanted his portrayal of Kirk to most resemble Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones or Han Solo characters, highlighting their humor and "accidental hero" traits.[24]

A "misunderstanding" arose during the film's production about whether Shatner would make a cameo appearance.[25] According to Abrams, the production team considered ways to resurrect Shatner's deceased Kirk character, but could not devise a way that was not "lame".[25] However, Abrams believed Shatner misinterpreted language about "tr[ying] to get him into the movie" as a reference to Shatner, and not his character; Shatner released a YouTube video expressing disappointment at not being approached for a cameo.[25] Although Shatner questioned the wisdom of not including him in the film, he predicted the movie would be "wonderful".[26]

Other actors have portrayed the character in fan-created media.[4] According to James Cawley, cast as Kirk in the Star Trek: Phase II web series, the web continuation is well-known enough that a group of Star Trek: Enterprise writers called out for Cawley's attention by shouting "Hey, Kirk!" at him.[27][28] Wired observed that while "Cawley lacks Shatner's vulnerability", the actor has enough swagger "to be passable in the role of Captain Kirk".[28]

Depiction

The character was raised in Iowa.[1] Diane Carey's novel Best Destiny (1993) identifies Kirk's parents as George and Winona Kirk;[29] Best Destiny and her Final Frontier novel (1988) describe George Kirk's adventures aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Robert April. James Kirk's brother and sister-in-law are introduced and killed in "Operation: Annihilate!" (1967), leaving behind three children.[1] Although born on Earth, Kirk for a time lived on Tarsus IV, where he was one of only nine surviving witnesses to the massacre of 4,000 colonists by Kodos the Executioner (Arnold Moss).[1]

At Starfleet Academy, Kirk became the first student to defeat the Kobayashi Maru "no-win" scenario, garnering a commendation for original thinking.[1] Kirk was granted a field commission as an ensign and posted to advanced training aboard the USS Republic.[1] He then was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor.[1] According to dialogue in "Where No Man Has Gone Before", students could either "think or sink" in his class, and Kirk himself was "a stack of books with legs".[30] Upon graduating in the top five percent, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut.[1] While assigned to the Farragut, Kirk commanded his first planetary survey and survived a deadly attack that killed a large portion of the Farragut's crew.[1] He received his first command, the equivalent of a destroyer-class spaceship, while still quite young.[31]

File:Kirk collage.jpg
James T. Kirk has been depicted across multiple media since 1966. Clockwise from top-left: William Shatner as Kirk in Star Trek VI (1991), James Cawley as Kirk in the Star Trek: Phase II fan series (2006), Chris Pine as Kirk for the upcoming 2009 Star Trek film, Kirk (voiced by Shatner) from the animated Star Trek (1973), an action figure of Kirk as he appears in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and John Belushi as Kirk in a 1975 Saturday Night Live satire

Kirk became Starfleet's youngest captain when he received command of the USS Enterprise for a five-year mission,[1] three years of which are depicted in the original Star Trek series.[11] Kirk's most significant relationships in the television series are with first officer Spock and chief medical officer Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley).[2] Robert Jewett and John Shelton Lawrence's The Myth of the American Superhero describes Kirk as "a hard-driving leader who pushes himself and his crew beyond human limits".[32] Terry J. Erdman and Paula M. Block, in their Star Trek 101 primer, note that while "cunning, courageous and confident", Kirk also has a "tendency to ignore Starfleet regulations when he feels the end justifies the means".[5] Although Kirk throughout the series becomes romantically involved with various women, when confronted with a choice between a woman and the Enterprise, "his ship always won".[33]

J. M. Dillard's novel The Lost Years (1989) describes Kirk's promotion to rear admiral and unfulfilling duties as a diplomatic troubleshooter after the Enterprise's five-year mission. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Kirk is chief of Starfleet operations, and he takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Willard Decker (Stephen Collins).[1] Roddenberry's novelization of The Motion Picture (1979) depicts Kirk married to a Starfleet officer killed during a transporter accident.[34][35] At the beginning of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Kirk takes command of the Enterprise from Captain Spock to pursue his enemy from "Space Seed" (1967), Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán).[1] The movie introduces Kirk's son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick).[1] Spock, who notes that "commanding a starship is [Kirk's] first, best destiny", dies at the end of Star Trek II; in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Kirk leads his surviving officers in a successful mission to revive Spock.[1] Although Kirk is demoted to captain in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) for disobeying Starfleet orders in the pursuit, he also receives command of a new USS Enterprise.[1] Shatner directed Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), in which Spock's half-brother, Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), hijacks the Enterprise.[1] The ship is ordered decommissioned at the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Kirk is lost and presumed dead when the USS Enterprise-B is damaged at the beginning of Star Trek Generations; however, Kirk instead enters the timeless Nexus, where he exists until USS Enterprise-D captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) convinces him to leave to help prevent Dr. Tolian Soran (Malcolm McDowell) from destroying a star.[1] At the film's climax, Kirk falls to his death after making it possible for Picard to stop Soran.[1] Shatner, with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, later wrote a series of novels that depict Kirk's resurrection and ongoing adventures.

2009 film

Star Trek will reveal the origins of Kirk's and Spock's friendship and explain how they came to serve together on the Enterprise.[36] Although the movie will treat specific details from Star Trek as mutable, "characterizations remain the same".[37] A major change in the "reboot" is the depiction of Kirk as "a reckless, bar-fighting rebel".[25]

Reception

The plaque in Riverside, Iowa, marking it as Captain Kirk's "future birthplace"

According to Shatner, early reviews called his performance "wooden", with most of Star Trek's acting praise and media interest going to Nimoy.[10] Nevertheless, Shatner's mannerisms when portraying Kirk have become "instantly recognizable".[22] Comedian Kevin Pollack is well-known for his impressions of Shatner as Kirk,[38] and John Belushi offered a "dead-on" impression for Saturday Night Live.[39]

The Myth of the American Superhero refers to Kirk as a "superhuman redeemer" who "like a true superhero ... regularly escapes after risking battle with monsters or enemy spaceships".[40][32] Although some episodes call into doubt Kirk's position as a hero, Star Trek "never left the viewer in doubt for long".[41] Others have pointed out that Kirk's exaggerated "strength, intelligence, charm, and adventurousness" make him a "Mary Sue".[42] Kirk is described as able to find ways "through unanticipated problems to reach [his] goals" and his leadership style is most "appropriate in a tight, geographically identical team with a culture of strong leadership."[43] Although Roddenberry conceived the character as being "in a very real sense...'married' " to the Enterprise,[31] Kirk has been noted for "his sexual exploits with gorgeous females of every size, shape and type";[33] he has been called "promiscuous"[44] and labeled a "womanizer".[45][46]

The Last Lecture deliverer Randy Pausch, who filmed a cameo for the 2009 Star Trek film,[47] believed he became a better teacher, colleague, and husband because he watched Kirk run the Enterprise; Pausch wrote that "for ambitious boys with a scientific bent, there could be no greater role model than James T. Kirk".[48]

The town of Riverside, Iowa, petitioned Roddenberry and Paramount Pictures in 1985 for permission to "adopt" Kirk as their town's "Future Son".[49] Paramount wanted $40,000 for a license to reproduce a bust of Kirk, but the city instead set a plaque and built a replica of the Enterprise (named the "USS Riverside"), and the Riverside Area Community Club holds an annual "Trek Fest" in anticipation of Kirk's birth.[50]

Kirk has been merchandised in a variety of ways, including collectible busts,[51] action figures,[52] mugs,[53] t-shirts,[53] and Christmas tree ornaments.[54]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Okuda, Mike and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53609-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b Asherman, Alan (1993-05-01). The Star Trek Compendium. ISBN 978-0671796129.
  3. ^ "Pine Chooses Star Trek". IGN. 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  4. ^ a b Mann, Brian (2006-07-22). "Star Trek Fan Films Live Long and Prosper". NPR. Retrieved 2009-01-11.
  5. ^ a b Erdmann, Terry J. (2008-09-23). Star Trek 101. p. 3.
  6. ^ a b c d Shatner, William (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography. Macmillan. p. 120. ISBN 9780312372651.
  7. ^ Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special. Paramount Pictures. {{cite AV media}}: Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Geraghty, Lincoln (2007). Living with Star Trek: American Culture and the Star Trek Universe. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 9781845112653.
  9. ^ a b Shatner, William (1994-05-27). Star Trek Memories. Harper. ISBN 978-0061092350. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ a b Shatner, William (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312372651.
  11. ^ a b Okuda, Michael (1996). Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53610-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "William Shatner Returns One More Time As Captain Kirk". CityNews (Toronto). 2006-08-14. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  13. ^ Ornelas, Joseph (1998-12-23). "Star Trek: 25th Anniversary". Adventure Classic Gaming. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  14. ^ Nemeck, Larry (2003-01-07). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0743457989.
  15. ^ Shatner, William (1994-11-28). Star Trek Movie Memories. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0006384168. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |coauthorslink= ignored (help)
  16. ^ a b Cullen, Ian M. (2006-08-08). "Ron Moore Shares Some Galactic Insights". Sci Fi Pulse. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  17. ^ Pascale, Anthony (2008-06-24). "Exclusive Interview: Ron Moore Talks Movies (Past and Future)". Trekmovie.com. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  18. ^ Billington, Alex (2009-01-13). "Kicking Off 2009 with Writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci - Part One: Star Trek". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  19. ^ Hoffman, Jordan. "Interview". UGO Networks. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  20. ^ a b Jensen, Jeff. "'Star Trek': New Movie, New Vision". Entertainment Weekly. p. 6. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  21. ^ Richards, Olly (2008-01-30). "A Younger Capt. Kirk Cast In Star Trek". Empire. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  22. ^ a b "Chris Pine". 10 Actors to Watch. Variety. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  23. ^ "Chris Pine puts his own spin on 'Trek's' Kirk". Access Hollywood. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  24. ^ Aftab, Kaleem (2008-03-10). "Exclusive: Trek Star Reveals Captain Kirk Inspiration". IGN. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  25. ^ a b c d "J.J. Abrams defends his Star Trek: You'll love it!". Sci Fi Wire. 2009-01-14. Retrieved 2009-01-15. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  26. ^ "Shatner: Star Trek Film Diss Is Not Logical". 2007-11-21. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  27. ^ Suellentrop, Chris (2005). "To Boldly Go Where No Fan Has Gone Before". Wired. p. 2. Retrieved 2009-01-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  28. ^ a b Suellentrop, Chris (2005). "To Boldly Go Where No Fan Has Gone Before". Wired. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-01-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  29. ^ Carey, Diane (1993). Best Destiny. p. 38. ISBN 9780671795887. George and Winona Kirk, and their boys, George Samuel, Junior, and James Tiberius
  30. ^ Written by Samuel A. Peeples, directed by James Goldstone (1966-09-22). "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Star Trek. Season 1. Episode 1. NBC. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |episodelink= ignored (|episode-link= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ a b Whitfield, Stephen (1968). The Making of Star Trek. Ballantine Books. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  32. ^ a b Lawrence, John Shelton (2002). The Myth of the American Superhero. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 9780802849113. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  33. ^ a b Lichtenberg, Jacqueline (1975). Star Trek Lives!. Corgi Childrens. ISBN 978-0552099141. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  34. ^ Roddenberry, Gene (1979). Star Trek: The Motion Picture: A Novel. Simon & Schuster. p. 32. ISBN 9780671253240. She had been perfection--lover, friend, wife... {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  35. ^ Roddenberry, Gene (1979). Star Trek: The Motion Picture: A Novel. Simon & Schuster. p. 65. ISBN 9780671253240. ...what was Lori doing up here? She was dying....and then they were gone. The chamber was empty...."Enterprise, what we got back...didn't live long. Fortunately." {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  36. ^ Jensen, Jeff. "'Star Trek': New Movie, New Vision". Entertainment Weekly. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  37. ^ Jensen, Jeff. "'Star Trek': New Movie, New Vision". Entertainment Weekly. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  38. ^ "Comedian Kevin Pollack at The Improv Comedy Club". Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  39. ^ "John Belushi". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  40. ^ Lawrence, John Shelton (2002). The Myth of the American Superhero. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 252. ISBN 9780802849113. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ Bacon-Smith, Camille (1992). Enterprising Women: Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular Myth. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 128–129. ISBN 9780812213799.
  42. ^ Bacon-Smith, Camille (1992). Enterprising Women: Television Fandom and the Creation of Popular Myth. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 97. ISBN 9780812213799.
  43. ^ Kimmerly, Paul (2006). "Leadership, The Final Frontier: Lessons From the Captains of Star Trek". CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  44. ^ Williams, Chris (2006-08-24). "Shatner to return as Kirk". The Register. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  45. ^ Malik, Tariq (2006-09-07). "After 40 Years, Star Trek 'Won't Die'". Space.com. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  46. ^ David, Ariel (2008-11-14). "Star Trek's Abrams beams down to Rome". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
  47. ^ Jensen, Jeff. "'Star Trek': New Movie, New Vision". Entertainment Weekly. p. 3. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  48. ^ Pausch, Randy (2008). The Last Lecture. Hyperion. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |isnb= ignored (|isbn= suggested) (help)
  49. ^ Kirby, Doug. ""Future Birthplace of James T. Kirk"". Roadside America. Retrieved 2008-09-09. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  50. ^ Beyette, Beverly (2005-05-15). "A happy future birthplace hooks up with Capt. Kirk". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
  51. ^ "Sideshow Toy Immortalizes Kirk and Co". Viacom. 2003-01-21. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  52. ^ Snider, Mike (2009-01-21). "First look: 'Star Trek' toys boldly go nouveau". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  53. ^ a b Shatner, William (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography. Macmillan. p. 115. ISBN 9780312372651.
  54. ^ ""The Trouble With Tribbles" Hallmark Keepsake Ornament". Hallmark. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
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