Summary

Paul Wesley’s portrayal of James T. Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is intentionally different from William Shatner’s iconic version of the character. Wesley has played three versions of the character on the show, including a younger Kirk and alternate timeline versions. Wesley emphasizes the importance of respecting the character and staying true to the original, but not attempting to imitate Shatner’s performance, which he considers almost blasphemous.

During his appearance on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Paul Welsey’s version of James T. Kirk on the sci-fi series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, is notably different from William Shatner’s character because the Vampire Diaries star was told to “not do an imitation of the original.”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series and currently has two seasons. On the show, Wesley has portrayed three different versions of the character, with two of them being from alternate timelines. Wesley’s main Kirk is a younger version of Captain Kirk, the character that Shatner played in The Original Series. The Tell Me a Story actor first appeared as an alternate future timeline version of the character in the season 1 finale of Strange New Worlds before his Prime Timeline Kirk made his official debut in the second season of the series.

While chatting on the podcast, Wesley opened up about taking on the role of the iconic Star Trek character and revealed that he was told not to imitate Shatner’s version of the character. He said:

“I had a conversation with the showrunners, and they very specifically said, ‘Do not do an imitation of the original.’ We kind of laughed about it, but I wouldn’t do that anyway. And by the way, I watched The [Original] Series, and I do think there is this stigma that is slightly exaggerated. If you watch the series… Yeah, he’s cool. he’s smooth, he’s very charming. It’s pretty effortless if you watch The Original Series.”

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Paul Wesley Previously Said Imitating William Shatner’s Version of the Character Would Be “The Biggest Insult”
Paramount+

Welsey previously spoke to Variety about tacking the role of Kirk and told the outlet, “I think the biggest insult would be to do an imitation of what William Shatner originated and what people fell in love with. If I did that, it would just be a reminder that I’m not William Shatner. And that in a way it’s almost like an insult of character, right?”

He added, “I think William Shatner, when you watch the original series, he’s so incredibly charming. He has this incredible sense of leadership, but it’s done with this little twinkle in his eye that no one can quite describe. It’s what made him so famous. It’s what made that character so iconic, and it’s just not something you can easily replicate. That’s something that comes organic to the actor himself.”

The Flowers in the Attic: The Origin actor finished by saying, “I think what they really wanted was for me to make sure that of course we pay respect to the character. We’re staying in canon. We’re really respecting who he is and his character traits. But it’s not an imitation. I really aim to be honest and truthful and in the moment. Pay respect to the character of James T. Kirk, but do not try in any way shape or form to imitate something that you cannot touch. It would be almost blasphemous, in a way.”

All episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are currently available on Paramount+.