As a hardcore Star Trek fan with decades of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel a pang of regret every time I think about the alternate timeline where Tom Hanks graced our screens as Zefram Cochrane instead of James Cromwell. The what-ifs and could-have-beens in this universe are endless, but this particular instance hits me right in the nerd heart.
In an alternate Star Trek universe, Forrest Gump, or a man resembling him, is responsible for inventing the warp drive instead of Zefram Cochrane. This change occurred in a historical timeline where Thor isn’t Captain Kirk’s father. Before James Cromwell was cast as Zefram Cochrane in “Star Trek: First Contact,” Tom Hanks was a strong contender for the role. Meanwhile, Anjelica Huston was under consideration to portray the Borg Queen – a part that eventually went to Alice Krige.
In “The Fifty-Year Mission” book by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, Brannon Braga, the brilliant screenwriter behind “Star Trek: First Contact,” revealed that Tom Hanks and Anjelica Huston were among the initial considerations for key roles in the movie. There were discussions about casting Hanks as Cochrane, and I recall Huston being suggested for the Queen part. Intriguingly, she was keen on the role too, but we ultimately decided against it due to her previous performance in “Captain Eo” with Michael Jackson, which bore striking resemblances to the Queen character.
Braga strongly favored Alice Krige for the part, as he recalled her captivating performance in “Ghost Story” and believed her sexually eerie portrayal suited the Queen’s character perfectly. Consequently, he was thrilled when she proved to be an ideal fit for the role.
Tom Hanks would’ve jumped at the chance to be cast as Cochrane
As a passionate gamer and a huge fan of science fiction, I can only imagine how excited I would have been if I had been given the opportunity to play the role of Zefram Cochrane in “First Contact.” Although Ronald D. Moore mentioned in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that this didn’t come to pass, it doesn’t change the fact that I would have eagerly accepted the challenge.
I, as a huge fan of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek universe, am not shy about expressing my admiration. In an episode of “The Graham Norton Show,” I had an exciting nerd-off session with Simon Pegg, a fellow Star Trek actor. And who could forget the time legendary Captain Jean-Luc Picard himself, Patrick Stewart, shared that Tom Hanks has confessed his deep love for the show in his memoir “Making It So: A Memoir”? According to Stewart, Hanks is so devoted that he knows every episode of The Next Generation by heart.
Sadly, Hanks hasn’t made the journey into uncharted territory for many before him in Star Trek, let’s hope this happens eventually.
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2024-07-20 22:59