Star Trek's Bruce Greenwood Learns to Love the Final Frontier

In the most recent segment of his 30-year acting career, Bruce Greenwood has played two U.S. presidents, Truman Capote's lover, and has squared off with no less a force than Will Smith. But the segment starting Friday may yet be the one that comes to define him: J.J. Abrams's Star Trek reboot features Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike, the man who plucks young James T. Kirk from his bar-brawling Iowa inertia on the way to intergalactic glory. Not to mention a massive Hollywood franchise with its own sprawling subculture. No pressure, right?

Well, maybe a little. But speaking with Movieline this week, the 52-year-old Canadian acknowledged that challenge as a major factor of Star Trek's appeal to him. Among the others: Abrams's high-energy set, the "kids" who worked alongside him for months, and finally learning to love Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's final frontier. The part with Eric Bana's ugly Romulan pets? Not so much, but it's all in a day's work -- and Greenwood confirms he's ready for more.

I guess you've been fairly busy recently. How are you holding up?

It's been remarkable, I have to say. I've never been involved in anything that's had so much anticipation.

As a veteran of some pretty big films in the past, how were you equipped or prepared for this kind of phenomenon?

Sure, I'm a veteran, but I'm not a veteran of this kind of event. This is a first for me, and it's been kind of thrilling. To a person, every interviewer with whom I've spoken has preceded the conversation with, "I just wanted to say that I really liked the movie." So it's been just terrific. Except I guess that's dangerous for me to say without asking you.

No problem -- I did like it. But in addition to the pressure of the scope and the studio expectations, you have a major legacy to uphold. How much was that consideration a part of acting in this kind of ensemble?

Everybody was very conscious of it, of course, and we were invited by J.J. to do as much research as we sort of instinctively felt was appropriate. I think most of us did a great deal. I know I certainly did a lot. I started by going back and watching all the television episodes. And I discovered very quickly that what I remember seeing as a child -- the fun characters, the beautiful women in tight outfits, the crazy alien life forms -- was an environment for something that was much more interesting. And that was all these stories being told with classical themes. I didn't really understand what it was about until I started going back and doing the research. Then I was fascinated by it -- all these allegories that addressed contemporary problems of the time.

In what ways did you bring that influence and continuity to this kind of massive popcorn blockbuster?

Upholding the franchise or Gene Roddenberry's sensibilities was really more a function of the way the script was crafted. What we were charged with doing was using our homework and knowing the characters who had been previously created, using them as a departure point. We have their points of reference in probably every portrayal of the current iteration of the characters. In terms of making it a present-day event, J.J.'s energy is so prodigious, and all the kids are so full of energy, that it just took on a life of its own. J.J.'s a fantastic conductor, and everybody wanted to play. Every day, the set was just a cauldron of enthusiasm.

Despite all the CGI and big sets and flashy camerawork, it really did seem like Abrams let you guys act.

Yeah. J.J. has that singular ability to pull a group of people together who somehow, mystically or magically or surprisingly, get along as people. So we had had that from the beginning. Then he creates this sort of controlled chaos on the set that keeps the energy very high. And in the midst of this chaos, suddenly you'll hear "Action." And everybody is so into doing what he wants and what we've talked about -- in terms of tones, beats and moments -- that the minute you hear "Action," in spite of the fact there's chaos around, all of that energy has turned into a very specific approach to the actual work. It feels real because we've been in that energy space all day anyway. It just helps you drop into gear and do what's actually on the page in moments when it's required.

And you're known to have an especially specific approach to your work. How did you find yourself adapting your own style along the way?

Yeah, I do. I like to prepare, I like to take a moment and all that. And it took a day or so for me on the larger sets, like on the bridge, for me to realize this a tremendously effective way of working. Even if it looks so chaotic, it keeps everything looking very sparkly and immediate. It's almost as though there's no shift between the energy of hanging around and talking and telling jokes and stories and the actual scene.

So you have a scene with Eric Bana and, well, this...

Yeah. That was a bit intense.

Tell me about it.

Well, without spoiling anything for anybody, it was extremely uncomfortable. And Eric is really, really committed to making this guy a pretty serious cat. It took a couple of days. And that thing that happens to me is not CGI, just so you know. That made it particularly uncomfortable.

So why you? How did this role find you?

It's surprising, but simple. I was in Toronto promoting I'm Not There, and I got a phone call. And [the caller] said, "Hey, it's J.J. Abrams." I said, "Are you sure you don't have the wrong number?" He said, "I would like you to be in this movie and play Christopher Pike. And of course you can't see a script unless you come down and read it in a locked room at Paramount. But if you've got the time to do that, I'd love to talk to you about it." It was just one of those things that dropped out of the sky.

Did you have to think about it?

I needed to think about it before I read the script. I didn't really know much about Star Trek, frankly. It didn't fill me with excitement, because I didn't know that much about the whole history of it. It's more important to me that the story be good. So I went down to Los Angeles and read it, and 25 pages in, I realized that it was beautifully rendered. So I finished the script and said, "Absolutely." I was very touched; two or three times I had a tear in my eye, and I laughed out loud. It all made sense.

So you get there, and there are the "kids," as you mentioned. It seems like a fun group. How did you get to know each other?

It was so much fun. We spent a lot of time playing guitar, hanging around singing together, playing chess. Basically just hassling each other.

For better or worse, you're all tied to Star Trek now. Did the group of you ever talk about what this meant in terms of your futures?

Yeah, we did, and I think Zachary Quinto -- I can't speak for him -- but several times I've heard him talk about conversations we all had in which we all felt it's really up to the individuals to define their own career. Yes, we'll be associated with these characters forever. But they won't necessarily define us. I suppose we could sit back and be these characters forever. Initially, we were all concerned about, "Well, doesn't this brand me? Will it be difficult for people to get past this character when I do future [projects]?" But the characters are so well-written that the concern seems to evaporate.

Yet I presume you're all committed to at least one sequel.

Yeah, the sequel's already in motion. Those deals have mostly been done.

And you're coming back?

That's the plan.

Anything you can tell me about it?

No. All I know is that they're breaking the story now. I don't think they've put anything on paper; I think they're still pushing ideas to and fro.

But can a major, contemporary studio franchise like this still sustain ideas anymore? Not just plot, but also those themes you mentioned a moment ago?

It absolutely can, because these guys are so incredibly creative. In terms of bringing Roddenberry's... "world view" is too grand a phrase. But in terms of bringing his sensibilities forward -- his optimism? I think this film has tremendous optimism. It reaches back to the early Star Trek episodes where that pervaded the storytelling. If you want it to, it can ask you to think about larger themes like the futility of vengeance, or the virtues of optimism. That sort of thing. So, yeah, it can. These are tremendously bright guys, and they care. ♦