Tom Hanks Wanted To Play An Extremely Important Star Trek Character
Tom Hanks is one of Hollywood's most beloved and versatile actors, with over 70 movies and nearly 100 awards under his belt. After securing his first big screen role in the 1980 slasher "He Knows You're Alone," Hanks' film career went from strength to strength in the '80s, thanks to hit comedies like "Big," "Splash," and "Turner & Hooch." However, it was critically acclaimed roles in some of the biggest films of the '90s, including "Forrest Gump" and "Philadelphia" — which earned him back-to-back Oscar wins — that made Tom Hanks one of the decade's biggest movie stars.
In Hollywood, there are plenty of stories about big-name actors missing out on a role, like when Mark Wahlberg was offered a Star Trek deal to play Captain Kirk's father. So, it should come as no surprise that Tom Hanks was reportedly considered for a leading role in the same hugely successful sci-fi film franchise. And not the worst Star Trek movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes, but a film that's considered by critics to be one of the series' best: 1996's "Star Trek: First Contact."
Which Star Trek role was Tom Hanks considered for?
In the book, "The Fifty-Year Mission," Brannon Braga, one of the screenwriters on "Star Trek: First Contact," revealed there was talk about Tom Hanks playing Dr. Zefram Cochrane in the film — a role that ultimately went to James Cromwell. Cochrane is a key figure in the Star Trek universe. He invented warp drive, allowing humans to travel faster than the speed of light and leading to first contact with the Vulcans.
In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in 2021, Ronald D. Moore, Braga's co-writer on "Star Trek: First Contact," explained that although Hanks was considered for the role, he wasn't officially in the running. "It never got that far," Moore said. "At that point in the process, there are lots of names on a wishlist for many, many reasons. I'm sure his name was floated in some capacity, but it was never really on the table." Which explains why Hanks – who's a huge Star Trek fan – seemed surprised when asked, on Josh Horowitz's "Happy Sad Confused" podcast in 2023, whether he was ever approached about playing Cochrane.
"Not to my knowledge," he replied. "The guy who invented [the] warp drive? Oh, come on, I would have jumped on that. Talk about nerd town. I would have brought in gift Tribbles to everyone in the first meeting." Tom Hanks may not have landed his dream role in one of the best Star Trek movies of all time, but we can hope the famous Trekkie will make an appearance in Paramount's upcoming Star Trek film.