Performers considered for film roles This is a list of performers who were considered for " Star Trek " films roles , but ultimately did not appear in the role in the film . Performers listed here have been " verified " as having been considered by " Star Trek " production staff for a particular film role in which they ultimately did not appear . " Star Trek : The Motion Picture " . Jordan Clark . auditioned for the role of Will Decker in . He was interviewed by the film ' s director , Robert Wise , and his audition was scheduled for 11 : 20 am on . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 104 ) Frederic Forrest . auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for 2 : 00 pm on . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 105 ) Lance Henriksen . auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for 11 : 40 am on 25 July 1978 . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 105 ) Arthur Hindle . auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for sometime between 12 : 00 pm and 2 : 00 pm on 25 July 1978 . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 105 ) . Hindle had previously appeared in the 1978 remake of " Invasion of the Body Snatchers " . That film was directed by , and Leonard Nimoy had a prominent role . Richard Kelton . Richard Kelton auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for 11 : 30 am on 25 July 1978 . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 105 ) Kelton also played Ficus Pandorata on the NBC sci - fi comedy television series , which included numerous references to " Star Trek " throughout its short run . ( For more information , see the series ' entry at " Star Trek " parodies and pop culture references . ) Stephen Macht . Stephen Macht auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . In common with Arthur Hindle , Macht ' s audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for sometime between 12 : 00 pm and 2 : 00 pm on 25 July 1978 . ( " " , p . 105 ) He also auditioned for both the roles of Jean - Luc Picard and William T . Riker in . ( " " ) Years later , Macht played General in and . Andrew Robinson . Andrew Robinson auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for 11 : 10 am on , only ten minutes after Stephen Collins , who was ultimately cast in the part . ( " " , p . 104 ) Years later , Robinson played the recurring character Elim Garak on . Tim Thomerson . auditioned for the role of Will Decker in " The Motion Picture " . His audition , held by Robert Wise , was scheduled for 11 : 50 am on 25 July 1978 . ( " The Making of Star Trek : The Motion Picture " , p . 105 ) As with Richard Kelton , Thomerson also appeared on the television series " Quark " . " Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan " . Kim Cattrall . Kim Cattrall was one of the final alternatives for the part of Saavik in , but she turned out to be unavailable for the filming schedule . The role went to Kirstie Alley instead . ( " Star Trek Movie Memories " , 1995 , pp . 123 - 124 ) Cattrall went on to play the role of Valeris in , who , ironically , was originally intended to be Saavik in early script drafts . Madlyn Rhue . Madlyn Rhue was originally planned to reprise her role as Lieutenant Marla McGivers in the film , having established that part in . Harve Bennett ended up writing the character out of the film ' s story , after learning that Rhue suffered from multiple sclerosis which bound her to a wheelchair . Bennett felt it would be unfair to recast the role . " Star Trek III : The Search for Spock " . Kirstie Alley . Kirsty Alley ( born 1951 ) was offered the chance to reprise the role of Saavik in , but according to Alley , she was offered less money for that film than she was paid for " Star Trek II " and thus declined to return . According to Leonard Nimoy , Alley ' s talent agent demanded a salary that was higher than DeForest Kelley ' s after learning that Saavik was to have a large role in the film . It was also reported that " " Just before production began , negotiations with Kirstie Alley broke down . [ . . . ] The " Los Angeles Times " indicated the problem concerned money with Alley asking 10 times the salary she earned on " Star Trek II " . [ . . . ] Alley ' s representative , Michael Levine , agreed that the problem was financial , but refused further details . " " ( " " # 77 , , p . 15 ) After an intensive casting search , Nimoy opted instead to recast the role of Saavik , which was ultimately given to Robin Curtis . In a later interview , Alley reported wanted to reprise the role , but Paramount wasn ' t willing to pay what she was asking , which according to Alley was " " less money then they did for " Star Trek II " , so I figured they weren ' t very interested in me for Saavik . " " This , combined with the commitment of a co - starring role in the TV pilot " Masquerade " for ABC , forced Alley to bow out of the role . ( " " # 102 , , p . 43 ) Upon viewing " The Search for Spock " , Alley found the film an enjoyable but unnerving experience , as she came to the realization that of Curtis ' as Saavik , " She wasn ' t me " . Sympathizing with Curtis , however , Alley revealed that " I thought she was at a real disadvantage playing the role someone else established , especially with " Star Trek " , which has an enormous following . I think she did a fine job . I have no problem with what she was doing except that , when I saw the film , I said , ' She isn ' t Saavik . " I " am . " " ( " Starlog " # 102 , January 1986 , p , 43 ) " Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home " . Mariette Hartley . Mariette Hartley was one of " " several other actresses [ who ] were considered for the role of Dr . Taylor [ . . . ] but Hicks fought through four auditions to land the part . " " ( " " , , p . 39 ) Robert Hooks . Robert Hooks was due to reprise his role as Fleet Admiral Harry Morrow in the film , but became unavaliable for some unknown reason , and the character was replaced by Admiral Cartwright ( played by Brock Peters ) . The revised final draft script specifies that Morrow was changed to Cartwright . Eddie Murphy . ( born 1961 ) , a popular actor and comedian who rose to stardom as a regular on " Saturday Night Live " ( frequently appearing in tandem with Joe Piscopo - Charles Rocket was also in the cast his first season ) and as the star of the films " 48 Hrs " and " Beverly Hills Cop " ( both for Paramount Pictures ) , was initially rumored to appear in either as himself or as a Murphy - like character . This was initially explored in an interview with Leonard Nimoy in the issue of " " # 100 ( p . 55 - 56 ) : Another casting controversy sparked by press speculation concerns a possible starring ( or cameo ) role for comedian Eddie Murphy in " Star Trek IV " . " " It ' s too premature to discuss that , " " Nimoy maintains . " " There has been much conjecture about Murphy since " Beverly Hills Cop . " The press has been very curious about what he will do next . They know he has a multi - picture deal with Paramount . They know he is a big " Star Trek " fam . They know " Trek IV " is in preparation at Paramount . So , it isn ' t surprising that rumor would pop up . And when I started talking about the film being lighter in tone , some people put two and two together . " " Indeed , many " Trek " fans have already reached that conclusion , and have vociferously voice their opposition to the idea . They fear the inappropriate casting of Murphy could torpedo " Trek IV " as irreparably as the selection of sabotaged " Superman III " . Although unwilling to substantiate the speculation , Nimoy still refuses to pubicly dismiss the notion of incorporating the unorthodox antics of the madcap Murphy into the sedate atmosphere of the " Star Trek " environment . " " Why should I ? , " " he asks , not entirely rhetorically . " " What would be gained ? Why should I try to reassue the fans who are worried about it ? That would mean I was letting them dictate to me . " " [ . . . ] " " I ' ve been through this before . " " [ . . . ] " " In other words , we are professional people doing a professional job . If we decide that Eddie Murphy should be in " Trek IV " , then the fans will have to " trust us " . Let us do our work . " " Shortly before the release of the film , it was noted that " " at the other end of the soundstage from " Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home " is a large , sewer set from " The Golden Child " , Eddie Murphy ' s new fantasy adventure . Murphy ' s proximity is a reminder that he was once rumored to have a role in the new " Trek " film . It was , however , only a small part with Murphy unrecognizably made up as a Klingon official – a role that was instead filled by character actor John Schuck . " " ( " Starlog " # 111 , , p . 40 ; " Starlog " # 138 , p . 30 ) Years later , it was confirmed that Murphy had expressed interest in the part and early scripts were written with Murphy in mind for the role of a major character , an eccentric professor who believed that aliens exist , who ultimately became Doctor Gillian Taylor . Ultimately a negative writing campaign coupled with story issues prompted the writers to drop the idea , and Murphy moved on to other projects . " " I ' m a Trekkie . I ' ve always loved " Star Trek " and have wanted to do one of the films , " " says Murphy . " " The script was developed , but we eventually dropped the idea . " [ The ] Golden Child " came along and I decided to do that film instead . . . In retrospect , I might have been better off doing " Star Trek IV " . " " The character was ultimately rewritten as a woman and the part went to Catherine Hicks . ( " Starlog " , , p . 8 ; " The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration " ; " Trekworld , June " ) Since then , Murphy has continued a successful career in film , starring in such hits as " Coming to America " , " The Nutty Professor " , " Doctor Dolittle " , " Daddy Day Care " , and the " Shrek " films . In 2006 he received his first Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in " Dreamgirls " . Susan Sarandon . ( born 1946 ) was one of " " several other actresses [ who ] were considered for the role of Dr . Taylor [ . . . ] but Hicks fought through four auditions to land the part . " " At the time she was known for her work in the " Rocky Horror Picture Show " . ( " " , , p . 39 ) " Star Trek V : The Final Frontier " . Kim Cattrall . Kim Cattrall was one of the final thirteen women who auditioned for the part of Vixis in , but the role went to Spice Williams . ( Source : Spice Williams - Crosby ) Sean Connery . ( born 1930 ) is a widely - popular Scottish actor who is perhaps best known for being the first to play James Bond in feature films . He portrayed Bond in seven films , beginning with " Dr . No " in 1962 and ending with " Never Say Never Again " in 1983 . He has also acquired great fame as a movie star for his roles in films such as Alfred Hitchcock ' s " Marnie " ( 1964 , with Meg Wyllie ) , " The Longest Day " ( 1962 , with Jeffrey Hunter , Richard Beymer , and John Crawford ) , " The Man Who Would Be King " ( 1975 , co - starring Christopher Plummer ) , " A Bridge Too Far " ( 1977 ) , " Highlander " ( 1986 , with Clancy Brown ) , " Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade " ( 1989 , with John Rhys - Davies ) , " The Hunt for Red October " ( 1990 , with Gates McFadden and music by Basil Poledouris ) , " The Rock " ( 1996 , with Tony Todd ) , " Entrapment " ( 1999 ) , and " Finding Forrester " ( 2000 , with F . Murray Abraham and Michael Nouri ) . He also won an Academy Award for his supporting role in 1987 ' s " The Untouchables " . William Shatner originally wanted Sean Connery to play the role of Sybok in . Shatner had tremendous respect for Connery ' s acting talents , and knew that his presence would be a great bonus in that the film would draw a foreign box office business . Before Paramount could close the deal with him , Connery accepted a role in , which was scheduled to film at the same time as " Star Trek V " . Shatner was deeply disappointed to learn of Connery ' s unavailability . Despite this , the writers kept the reference to Connery – Sha Ka Ree – in the film . In Shatner ' s search for Connery ' s replacement , he looked at other foreign actors which might bring in overseas business . " " We considered several people , " " he said , " " and were especially intrigued by one well - known Swedish actor ( " Max von Sydow " ) who I consider very talented . But when we found out how expensive he was , that idea quickly flew out the window . " " Shatner and Harve Bennett went back to the drawing board , and drew up a list of possible candidates for the role and began looking at the roles each had portrayed . One actor on the list , Laurence Luckinbill , caught Shatner ' s eye from his role as Lyndon B . Johnson in the PBS presentation " Lyndon Johnson " , and he was eventually cast in Connery ' s place . ( " " , ) Rachel McLish . ( born 1952 ) was one of the final thirteen women who auditioned for the role of Vixis in , but the role went to Spice Williams . ( Source : Spice Williams - Crosby ) McLish is a famous female bodybuilder and former Ms . Olympia who retired in 1984 . She has acted in several movies such as " Getting Physical " ( 1984 ) alongside Spice Williams - Crosby and TNG guest actor Earl Boen and " Raven Hawk " ( 1996 ) with John de Lancie , Michael Champion , Ed Lauter , John Fleck , and Nicholas Guest , and published several books as well as many fitness instruction videos . Max von Sydow . ( born 1929 ) is a well - known Swedish actor who was considered for the role of Sybok when Sean Connery proved unavailable . According to William Shatner , the idea of using von Sydow " quickly flew out the window " when he discovered how high his expected salary was compared to the remaining production budget . ( " " ; " " ) Max von Sydow is known for his many collaborations with famed writer / director during his early career , which included the acclaimed films " Wild Strawberries " ( 1957 ) , " The Seventh Seal " ( 1957 ) , " The Magician " ( 1958 ) , " The Virgin Spring " ( 1960 ) , and " Through a Glass Darkly " ( 1961 ) . Perhaps von Sydow ' s best - known American film role is that of Father Merrin in the 1973 horror film " The Exorcist " . He was received Golden Globe nominations for his work on both " The Exorcist " and the 1966 film " Hawaii " , and was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the 1987 Danish film " Pelle the Conqueror " . By , when he was being considered for a role in " Star Trek V " , von Sydow was no stranger to science fiction , having played Ming the Merciless in the 1980 film " Flash Gordon " . He also co - starred with Christopher Plummer in the 1984 sci - fi film " Dreamscape " and appeared as Dr . Kynes in David Lynch ' s 1984 film adaptation of " Dune " , which featured a number of future " Star Trek " alumni ( Brad Dourif , Virginia Madsen , Dean Stockwell , and , most notably , Patrick Stewart ) . Since then , von Sydow ' s science fiction credits have included " Judge Dredd " ( 1995 ) , ' s " Minority Report " ( 2002 ) and appeared as in J . J . Abrams ' " " . He has also ventured into the fantasy genre , including the role of King Osric in 1982 ' s " Conan the Barbarian " . His many other , non - genre film credits include the 1975 thriller " Three Days of the Condor " , the 1986 comedy " Hannah and Her Sisters " , the 1993 horror film " Needful Things " , and the dramas " Awakenings " ( 1990 ) and " Snow Falling on Cedars " ( 1999 ) . More recent credits include " Rush Hour 3 " ( 2007 ) and " The Diving Bell and the Butterfly " ( 2007 ) . " Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country " . Kirstie Alley . Kirstie Alley was originally asked by director Nicholas Meyer to reprise her role as Saavik in the film , but her price was deemed to be too high . Other sources ( most notably Meyer himself ) say that she refused Meyer ' s requests because of weight problems , feeling she would look fat in a tight - fitting uniform . Finally Kim Cattrall was cast in the role , which was eventually reworked into the character of Valeris . ( " " DVD audio commentary ) Most ironically , Cattrall was not available for the original part in " Wrath of Khan " , whereas it was Alley , who turned out to be unavailable for " The Undiscovered Country " . Alley ' s unavailability , was the reason why the character of Saavik was changed into that of Valeris , as Robin Curtis , who had also played the part of Saavik , had never been considered to reprise the role . ( " Cinefantastique " , Vol . 22 , No . 5 , p . 31 ) Whoopi Goldberg . Whoopi Goldberg , eager to make a cameo appearance in the film , met with Nick Meyer to discuss the possibility of her appearing as a Klingon princess in " Star Trek VI " . This idea was vetoed by Leonard Nimoy , who feared that too many well known performers in the film ' s supporting cast might detract from the movie being the last to feature the regular TOS cast . Goldberg was also making recurring appearances as Guinan in . ( " The View from the Bridge - Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood " , hardcover ed . , p . 211 ) Jack Palance . ( 1919 – 2006 ) was an American actor , originally approached to play Chancellor Gorkon in . He was scheduled to appear in the film " City Slickers " , which earned him an Academy Award , and David Warner was cast in the role instead . Palance appeared in many classic Hollywood films , including " Shane " ( 1953 ) , which was briefly featured in . Elisha Cook , Jr . also appeared in the film . Other films of Palance include " Austerlitz " ( 1960 , with Orson Welles ) , " Le mépris " ( 1963 ) , " Chato ' s Land " ( 1972 ) , " Batman " ( 1989 ) , and " Tango and Cash " ( 1989 , with Teri Hatcher , Marc Alaimo , and Michael J . Pollard ) . " Star Trek Generations " . DeForest Kelley . DeForest Kelley was approached to appear as Leonard McCoy in the prologue sequence of " Generations " . He felt the part was rather just a cameo , and that the original characters made their exit well in . The script was re - written to feature Pavel Chekov ( Walter Koenig ) instead . Leonard Nimoy . Leonard Nimoy was approached to appear as Spock in the prologue sequence of and direct the film , but declined the offer . As Nimoy explained , " " There were five or six lines attributed to Spock [ . . . ] but it had nothing to do with Spock . They were not Spock - like in any way . I said to Rick Berman , ' You could distribute these lines to any one of the other characters and it wouldn ' t make any difference . ' And that is exactly what he did . There was no Spock function in the script . I have always tried to make a contribution to these movies . There was no contribution to be made in that movie . It was just sort of ' let ' s get Nimoy in here too . ' I said there is nothing here I can do so I said ' thanks , but I ' ll pass ' . " " He was replaced by Montgomery Scott ( James Doohan ) in the scene . Marlon Brando . was interested in playing Tolian Soran , but his negotiating price was considered too high . Paramount CEO Sherry Lansing also felt Brando was too overweight for the part . " Star Trek : First Contact " . Avery Brooks . Avery Brooks was planned to have a cameo appearance as Captain Benjamin Sisko in the film while it was still titled " Star Trek : Destinies " , but it didn ' t come to fruition . ( ) Tom Hanks . ( born 1956 ) is the two - time Academy Award – winning American actor , who was originally approached to play Zefram Cochrane in . Hanks , a self - admitted Trekkie , had to turn down the offer , as he was busy working on his directorial debut , " That Thing You Do ! " ( which featured Clint Howard ) . Hanks built a long and successful career in film , working as an actor , producer , writer , and director . He started out in comedies , such as " Splash " ( 1984 , with Charles Macaulay , Clint Howard , Bill Smitrovich and cinematography by Don Peterman ) , " The Money Pit " ( 1986 , with Tzi Ma ) , and " Big " ( 1988 , with Josh Clark ) , and also starred in Trek director Nicholas Meyer ' s 1985 film , " Volunteers " ( with Clyde Kusatsu and music by James Horner ) . He turned to more serious roles in the early 1990s with such films as " The Bonfire of Vanities " ( 1990 , with Kim Cattrall , Saul Rubinek , Kirsten Dunst , Jon Rashad Kamal , F . Murray Abraham , and Terry Farrell ) and " Sleepless in Seattle " ( 1993 ) . His big break came with two roles which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor in two consecutive years : " Philadelphia " ( 1993 , with Charles Napier ) and " Forrest Gump " ( 1994 ) . Since then , Hanks appeared in a variety of well - received movies , including " Apollo 13 " ( 1995 , with Clint Howard , Max Grodénchik , Steve Rankin , and John Wheeler , and music by James Horner ) , " Saving Private Ryan " ( 1998 , with Leland Orser and John de Lancie ) , " You ' ve Got Mail " ( 1998 ) , " The Green Mile " ( 1999 , with James Cromwell and William Sadler ) , " Cast Away " ( 2000 , with Michael Forest ) , " Road to Perdition " ( 2002 ) , " Catch Me If You Can " ( 2002 , with Thomas Kopache and Malachi Throne ) , " The Terminal " ( 2004 , with Zoë Saldana ) , " The Da Vinci Code " ( 2006 ) , and " Charlie Wilson ' s War " ( 2007 ) . He also lent his voice to a number of animated productions , including " Toy Story " ( 1995 ) and its two sequels ( which also featured Wallace Shawn and Kelsey Grammer ) , " The Polar Express " ( 2004 ) , and " Cars " ( 2006 , with Paul Dooley ) . Adam Scott . Adam Scott auditioned for the role of Lieutenant . Though he lost out to Neal McDonough for the role , he was given the role of the unnamed helm officer of the . Christopher Walken . Academy Award - winning actor " ( born 1943 ) was considered for a part in the film ( most probably Zefram Cochrane ) , while it was still titled " Star Trek : Destinies " . ( Star Trek Monthly issue 15 ) Walken is a highly accomplished actor , known for such films as " Annie Hall " ( with Mark Lenard and John Glover ) , " The Deer Hunter " ( co - starring John Savage ) , " The Dead Zone " ( with Anthony Zerbe ) , " A View to a Kill " ( with Walter Gotell ) , " Batman Returns " ( with Vincent Schiavelli , Biff Yeager , Felix Silla and Anthony DeLongis ) , " True Romance " ( with Christian Slater and Saul Rubinek ) , " Pulp Fiction " and " Catch Me If You Can " ( with Thomas Kopache , Jimmie F . Skaggs , J . Patrick McCormack and Malachi Throne ) . " Star Trek Nemesis " . Jude Law . Jude Law was rumored for the role of Shinzon in . James Marsters . ( born 1962 ) auditioned for the role of Shinzon in , but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy . Actress Marina Sirtis believes Marsters would have been more suitable in the role . Marsters is best known for playing Spike on " Buffy the Vampire Slayer " and " Angel " and Captain John Hart on the " Doctor Who " spinoff " Torchwood " . He co - starred with actress Jolene Blalock and TNG / DS9 / VOY guest actor Tony Todd in the film " Shadow Puppets " and had a supporting role in the 2007 drama " P . S . I Love You " . In 2001 , he played Charlemagne Bolivar in an episode of " Gene Roddenberry ' s Andromeda " . He also had a recurring role as Professor Fine / Brainiac in the CW series " Smallville " and also played the villain Piccolo in the live - action film adaptation of the popular anime series " Dragonball " . Craig T . Nelson . Craig T . Nelson was rumored for the role of the Reman Viceroy in . Alan Rickman . Alan Rickman was rumored for the role of the Reman Viceroy in , succeeding the rumor of Nelson filling the role . Michael Shanks . ( born 1970 ) auditioned for the role of Shinzon in , but the role ultimately went to Tom Hardy . Shanks is best known for playing Dr . on the long - running series " " , its direct - to - video spinoff films and television spin - off series . Shanks has also appeared on such shows as " Smallville " , " Andromeda " , and " Burn Notice " . " Star Trek " ( 2009 ) . AKB48 . J . J . Abrams briefly considered adding a member of this Japanese band to the cast of the ' 09 movie after seeing them perform live . It never materialized . Adrien Brody . Academy Award - winning actor ( born 1973 ) was in talks to play in , the eleventh " Trek " film released in . At first , his connection to the project was merely a rumor , but Brody himself later confirmed that he had discussed playing Spock with the film ' s director , J . J . Abrams . The role of Spock ultimately went to Zachary Quinto . Brody had supporting roles in several popular films throughout the 1990s , including ' s " King of the Hill " , Disney ' s baseball fantasy " Angels in the Outfield " ( working with Christopher Lloyd and Neal McDonough ) , ' s " The Thin Red Line " , and ' s " Summer of Sam " ( with Bebe Neuwirth and Mike Starr ) . He also played the leads in a number of smaller films , including 1998 ' s " Restaurant " , 1999 ' s " Liberty Heights " , and 2002 ' s " Dummy " . Brody won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Polish Jewish musician Wladyslaw Szpilman in ' s " The Pianist " . He has since starred in such films as ' s " The Village " , ' s " King Kong " , ' s " Hollywoodland " , ' s " The Darjeeling Limited " , the adventure comedy " The Brothers Bloom " , and the biographical drama " Cadillac Records " ( with Gabrielle Union ) . Matt Damon . ( born 1970 ) is an American Academy Award - nominated actor and Academy Award - winning screenwriter who was approached to play ' s father , in " Star Trek " . According to Abrams , Damon turned down the role for " most gracious and understandable and logical of reasons . " The role ultimately went to Chris Hemsworth . Before this , Damon had long been rumored to be in the running for the role of in the film . It was even rumored that he solicited William Shatner ' s aid in getting him signed up . Damon himself denied having been approached for the role , although he later told Sci - fi Wire that he would be interested in playing a young Captain Kirk if the script met with his satisfaction . In March 2007 , Kurtzman , although not confirming that Damon would play Kirk , stated that he was " " the hugest Matt Damon fan . If he became [ Kirk ] , great . " " In a subsequent interview with IGN , Damon stated that the filmmakers were looking for someone younger for the role . Chris Pine was ultimately cast in the role . Damon began acquiring fame in the 1990s with major roles in such films as " School Ties " ( 1992 ) , " Courage Under Fire " ( 1996 ) , and " Saving Private Ryan " ( 1998 ) . He and best friend won an Academy Award for their screenplay to the 1997 drama " Good Will Hunting " , for which Damon also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role . Damon and Affleck later became executive producers on , for which they received three Emmy Award nominations . Damon and Affleck have also worked together on several projects for director , most notably the 1998 film " Dogma " . In addition , Damon is known for his roles in two film franchises : he plays young thief Linus Caldwell in the " Ocean ' s " films ( " Ocean ' s Eleven " in 2001 , " Ocean ' s Twelve " in 2004 , and " Ocean ' s Thirteen " in 2007 ) , and also stars as amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne in the " Bourne " films ( " The Bourne Identity " in 2002 , " The Bourne Supremacy " in 2005 , and " The Bourne Ultimatum " in 2007 ) . Had he been cast in " Star Trek " , it would have marked his second film with Karl Urban , whom he worked with on " The Bourne Supremacy " . It also would have been his second movie photographed by Daniel Mindel , after the 2003 comedy , " Stuck on You " . Damon ' s other films include " The Talented Mr . Ripley " ( 1999 ) , " The Legend of Bagger Vance " ( 2000 ) , " The Brothers Grimm " ( 2005 ) , " Syriana " ( 2005 , in which he acted alongside regular Alexander Siddig ) , Martin Scorsese ' s Academy Award - winning " The Departed " ( 2006 , with Mark Rolston ) . He also lent his voice to such films as " Titan A . E . " ( 2000 , along with Ron Perlman and Charles Rocket ) , " Spirit : Stallion of the Cimarron " ( 2002 , with James Cromwell ) , and the English version of the Hayao Miyazaki film " Ponyo " . Damon earned his second Academy Award in an acting category for his performance in Clint Eastwood ' s 2009 drama " Invictus " . He has since been seen in such films as Eastwood ' s " Hereafter " ( 2010 ) , the - directed remake of " True Grit " ( 2010 ) , the family drama " We Bought a Zoo " , and the hit 2011 sci - fi thrillers " Contagion " and " The Adjustment Bureau " . Damon also worked alongside star Scott Bakula in two films directed by : the 2009 comedy " The Informant " and the 2013 biopic " Behind the Candelabra " . In addition , Damon played the recurring role of airline pilot Carol Burnett on the NBC comedy series " 30 Rock " . His upcoming films include the sci - fi action thriller " Elysium " ( featuring Faran Tahir ) , ' s " The Zero Theorem " , and ' s ensemble drama " The Monuments Men " . Ricky Gervais . ( born 1961 ) is an English actor , comedian , producer , and director who turned down an unspecified role in " Star Trek " . He was approached by the film ' s director and producer , J . J . Abrams , whom Gervais previously worked with on an episode of " Alias " , but Gervais rejected a part in the film . He explained his reasons for doing so : " " I was never a big fan , so I would ' ve felt guilty taking the part just to be in a blockbuster . To what ? Boost my profile ? " " Gervais is known for his work on two popular British comedy series : he wrote , directed , produced , and starred in the original series of " The Office " ( making two cameo appearances on its American remake as well – coincidentally , Spencer Daniels , who plays Johnny in the film , is the son of , the executive producer of the American version ) , and then went on to do the same for " Extras " . These shows have earned Gervais two Emmy Awards , four BAFTA Awards , a Golden Globe , and a British Comedy Award , among many other honors . Gervais has also starred in such films as " Night at the Museum " , " For Your Consideration " , " Stardust " , and " Ghost Town " . He even wrote and lent his voice to an episode of " The Simpsons " . Greg Haines . Greg Haines is an actor who was originally cast and scheduled to portray an instructor at Starfleet Academy in ' s but was chosen to be the stand - in for actor Ben Cross . Haines had a wardrobe fitting but did not appear on screen . ( " Source : Greg Haines " ) Jeffery Hauser . Jeffery Hauser is an actor who was cast to have a supporting role as a " Kelvin " crewmember in ' s . He was cast in October 2007 and was on set to shoot his scenes a month later . During the day of shooting he was asked to step down by the first AD and told that they had another scene in mind for him . But Hauser got no call back and saw a different actor saying his lines when he saw the film on DVD two years later . Hauser moved to Los Angeles in 2003 and appeared in a few stage productions . He got featured parts in Forest Whitaker ' s " First Daughter " ( 2004 ) and Steven Spielberg ' s " The Terminal " ( 2004 ) , alongside " Star Trek " actress Zoe Saldana . He performed in several commercials , including one with Samuel L . Jackson , which was shown during the Super Bowl in 2004 . Also in 2004 he was featured in the MTV show " Your Face or Mine ? " , appeared in the music video " I ' m not ready " from My Chemical Romance , and was featured in Wes Craven ' s thriller " Red Eye " , which also featured Angela Paton , Suzie Plakson , Dey Young , Beth Toussaint , and Scott Leva . Hauser has started to write his own scripts and to produce short films . He served as photo double for the drama " Little Miss Sunshine " ( 2006 ) , was featured in three episodes of the daytime television series " Days of Our Lives " ( 2004 - 2005 ) , and played a lead role in the independent film " Broken Concrete " ( 2006 ) . After his experience in the new " Star Trek " film he called himself a " " Star Trek " freak " . Joshua Jackson . ( born 1978 ) auditioned for two roles in " Star Trek " , including . Although he was not cast , the audition won him a role in J . J . Abrams ' subsequent science fiction series , " Fringe " . Jackson is best known for playing Pacey Witter in the television series " Dawson ' s Creek " from 1998 through 2003 . He is also known for playing Charlie Conway in the 1992 film " The Mighty Ducks " and its sequels , " D2 : The Mighty Ducks " ( 1994 ) and " D3 : The Might Ducks " ( 1996 , with Jeffrey Nordling ) . He has worked with Louise Fletcher in two films : 1999 ' s " Cruel Intentions " and 2005 ' s " Aurora Borealis " . His other film credits include " Apt Pupil " ( directed by Bryan Singer and co - starring Bruce Davison ) , " Urban Legend " ( with John Neville ) , " The Skulls " ( with Christopher McDonald ) , " Gossip " ( with Sharon Lawrence ) , " The Laramie Project " ( with Clancy Brown ) , and " Bobby " ( with Christian Slater ) . Dominic Keating . Dominic Keating , best known for his role as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed on , auditioned for the role of Kirk ' s uncle in ' s . He did not get the part . Josh Lucas . ( born 1971 ) was considered for the role of in J . J . Abrams ' , but the role ultimately went to Bruce Greenwood . Lucas had supporting roles in several acclaimed films , including " American Psycho " , " A Beautiful Mind " , and " Secondhand Lions " . He played the lead male role in 2002 ' s " Sweet Home Alabama " and played the villain in 2003 ' s " Hulk " , based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name and starring Eric Bana . He has since had lead roles in such films as " Stealth " , " Glory Road " , and " Poseidon " . Paul McGillion . Paul McGillion auditioned for the role of in J . J . Abrams ' . The role ultimately went to Simon Pegg , but McGillion was cast in another role in the film . Derek Mears . Derek Mears is a stuntman and actor who was was the first choice for playing the long faced bar alien in J . J . Abrams ' but was unable to shoot his part because of his time schedule . He recommended Douglas Tait who got this part . Sydney Tamiia Poitier . ( born 1973 ) is an American actress who auditioned for a role on , possibly . She is the daughter of Academy Award - winning actor and actress ( ironically , Zoë Saldana , who eventuallyed play Uhura , had starred in 2005 ' s " Guess Who " , a comic remake , with the racial roles reversed , of " Guess Who ' s Coming To Dinner " , the groundbreaking 1967 film starring Poitier ' s father ) . She has been seen in such films as " True Crime " ( with Michael McKean and Anthony Zerbe ) , " MacArthur Park " ( co - starring Lori Petty ) , and " Nine Lives " ( with K Callan and Lawrence Pressman ) and had recurring roles on " Joan of Arcadia " and " Veronica Mars " . She is best known for playing Jungle Julia in the film " Death Proof " , one of the two films released as the 2007 anthology " Grindhouse " . Chris Pratt . auditioned for the role of in , but the role went to Chris Pine . Afterwards , he was cast as dim - witted Andy Dwyer on the sitcom , which aired from 2009 to 2015 , co - starring Jim O ' Heir and Adam Scott . In 2014 , Pratt voiced the rotagonist Emmett in . He referenced his audition for " Star Trek " while narrating a featurette on " The Lego Movie " Blu - ray in character . He also played Star - Lord that year in Marvel ' s , co - starring Zoe Saldana and Benicio del Toro . He subsequently starred in " Jurassic World " ( 2015 ) , and his upcoming roles include a remake of " The Magnificent Seven " as well as " Guardians of the Galaxy Vol . 2 " ( both 2017 ) . Chris Prangley . Chris Prangley auditioned for the role of in , but the role went to Chris Pine . He auditioned on 24 August 2007 . Prangley has appeared in several stage plays , commercials , and independent films and had a recurring role on the daytime series " As the World Turns " . Keri Russell . ( born 1976 ) was in talks to appear in ' s , but she and director / producer J . J . Abrams decided it was not for the best . Russell was the star of Abrams ' series " Felicity " , for which she won a Golden Globe . She also appeared in Abrams ' first film , Paramount ' s " Mission : Impossible III " with Simon Pegg . More recently , she starred in the acclaimed independent film " Waitress " and in the 2007 drama " August Rush " . Other film credits include the films " We Were Soldiers " , " The Upside of Anger " , " The Girl in the Park " , and " Austenland " . Mike Vogel . ( born 1979 ) is the American actor and former fashion model who was a leading candidate for the role of in ' s . He had already worked with that film ' s producer and director , J . J . Abrams , on the film " Cloverfield " . The role of Kirk ultimately went to Chris Pine . Vogel was modeling for Levi ' s jeans that he won a recurring role in the FOX ( and later WB ) series " Grounded for Life " , whose regular cast included Richard Riehle . He made his film debut in the 2003 skateboarding comedy " Grind " which was followed by the remake of " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre " later that year . Since then , Vogel has starred in such films as " The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants " , " Rumor Has It . . . " , and " Poseidon " with Jimmy Bennett , who played young James Kirk in the movie Vogel tried out for . Vogel also appeared in the comedy " She ' s Out of My League " , along with Alice Eve , and a regular role in the ABC series " Pan Am " . From 2013 to 2015 , he was Dale Barbara , aka " Barbie " , on the CBS summer series " Under the Dome " . Mark Wahlberg . ( born 1971 ) is an American actor and former rapper who was offered the role of . He said " " I remember [ J . J . Abrams ] asking me to play Captain Kirk ' s father in " Star Trek " . I tried to read the script , but I couldn ' t even , I didn ' t understand the words or dialogue or anything , and I said , ' I couldn ' t do this . I think you ' re really talented but I couldn ' t do it . ' Then I saw the movie and I was like , ' Holy shit , he did a great job . " " " Star Trek Into Darkness " . Benicio del Toro . ( born 1967 ) is a Puerto Rican - born Spanish actor who was offered the role of the villain in . Latino Review reported that del Toro would play , a report which J . J . Abrams said was " not true . " Soon thereafter , it was revealed that del Toro ' s deal fell through and that he would not be appearing in the film . He was replaced by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch and the role did ultimately turn out to be Khan Noonien Singh . Del Toro first acquired recognition with his roles in such acclaimed films as Bryan Singer ' s ( 1995 ; featuring Jack Shearer ) and ( 1998 ; with Larry Cedar , Jenette Goldstein , Gregory Itzin , Richard Riehle , and Steve Schirripa ) . He won an Academy Award for his performance in the 2000 film , the cast of which also included Clifton Collins , Jr . , Miguel Ferrer , Enrique Murciano , and Tucker Smallwood . Del Toro is also known for his roles in such films as " Snatch " ( 2000 ) , " 21 Grams " ( 2003 , for which he earned an Academy Award nomination ) , " Sin City " ( 2005 ) , the two - part biographical drama " Che " ( 2008 ) , " The Wolfman " ( 2010 ) and ' s " Savages " ( 2012 ) . His upcoming films include the romance - thriller " Paradise Lost " , in which he plays infamous drug lord , and ' s " Inherent Vice " . He also appeared as the Collector opposite Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana in the sci - fi action film " Guardians of the Galaxy " , based on Marvel Comics characters . Michael Dorn . Michael Dorn played Worf and his grandfather in the previous films and television series , and was offered the part of " an officer – a soldier . " He and his agent expressed interest , but " " then time went by and we finally talked to them at maybe the end of January or February [ 2012 ] and they said they had changed their mind . " " Dorn was unclear why , speculating " " It could have been the casting people going ' Hey this would be a good idea ' and they shot it up the road to JJ and he said ' No , we aren ’ t going to do that . ' But I don ' t know . It is nothing nefarious . Nothing mean . They changed their mind , so I don ' t worry about it . " "