Who Plays James T. Kirk’s Stepfather In Star Trek 2009: Easter Egg Cameo Explained

Although James T. Kirk’s (Chris Pine) stepfather did not physically appear in Star Trek (2009), this recognizable actor voiced him in a surprise cameo. In 2009, J.J. Abrams introduced an entirely new generation to the universe of Star Trek with his reboot of Star Trek: The Original Series. Thanks to a clever time-travel plot involving Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Abrams’ Star Trek films maintain canon with TOS by establishing a different timeline. The three Kelvin timeline films proved to be critical and box office successes, proving that Star Trek still had an audience.

Star Trek (2009) opens with the parents of James Kirk, George (Chris Hemsworth) and Winona Kirk (Jennifer Morrison), aboard the USS Kelvin. When the villainous Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) emerges from the past and attacks the Kelvin, George Kirk sacrifices himself to save his escaping crew members. Nero’s arrival in the past, the destruction of the Kelvin, and George’s death rewrite history, establishing an alternate universe. In this universe, Winona remarries after her husband’s death, giving James a stepfather (voiced by Greg Grunberg) and altering the future Enterprise captain’s upbringing.

James T. Kirk’s Stepfather Is Voiced By Greg Grunberg In Star Trek’s 2009 Movie

James Steals His Stepfather’s Car & Gets An Angry Call From Him

James Kirk’s stepfather does not get a name in Star Trek (2009), but he does have a few lines over the phone. Early in the film, a young James steals his stepfather’s Corvette and goes on a joyride. As James speeds down an empty road, his very angry stepfather calls him on a Nokia phone attached to the car’s dash. The stepfather exclaims that his “car’s an antique” and demands that James come home immediately. As his stepfather continues ranting (“You get one scratch on that car and I’m going to whip your a…”), James hangs up the phone, cutting him off.

Although Star Trek (2009) does not reveal much about James Kirk’s stepfather, his language in this scene suggests he may have been controlling or even abusive toward his stepson. This is actually confirmed in the novelization of the film, although the tie-in novel is not officially Star Trek canon. Star Trek (2009) originally included an abusive uncle of Kirk’s named Frank, and the late Brad William Henke even filmed scenes as this character. Despite this, his scenes were deleted from the film, and Greg Grunberg re-recorded the lines when the character was changed to be Kirk’s stepfather.

Greg Grunberg Has Appeared In A LOT Of J.J. Abrams’ Projects

Including A Minor Role In Star Trek Beyond

Greg Grunberg has been friends with J.J. Abrams since childhood, and he was originally offered the role of Chief Engineer Olson (Greg Ellis) in 2009’s Star Trek but had to turn it down due to other commitments. Grunberg later found a way into the excellent Star Trek Beyond, portraying Commander Finnegan, an officer stationed at Starbase Yorktown. As a result of their long-time friendship, Grunberg has appeared in many films and television series directed or produced by Abrams. In one of his first major television roles, Grunberg portrayed Sean Blumberg in all four seasons of Felicity, which was co-created by Abrams.

Greg Grunberg also portrayed CIA Agent Eric Weiss in all five seasons of Alias and briefly appeared as the ill-fated pilot in Lost, as well as a cop in Castle Rock. Grumberg had a minor role in J.J. Abrams’ feature film directorial debut, Mission: Impossible III, and later crossed from Star Trek to Star Wars, portraying resistance pilot Temmin “Snap” Wexley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Although Greg Grunberg may not be a household name, he is a familiar face for many sci-fi fans and has cameos in two Star Trek films.

Star Trek

8/10

Release Date

May 8, 2009

Runtime

127 Minutes

Writers

Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Gene Roddenberry