Chris Pine has returned to our screens as the fiercely loyal, fast-talking Captain James Tiberius Kirk in Star Trek Beyond, and will soon be the love interest of DC's Wonder Woman. But away from big summer blockbuster fare the blue-eyed actor has popped up in uncredited cameos, sang from the roofs of wooden cabins, and got naked more times than we can count. Here are our favourite, often criminally underseen standout moments from the smattering of Chris Pine movies we've been treated to so far.
1. Celeste & Jesse Forever – the silent cameo
Amidst Celeste & Jesse Forever’s heartache, director Lee Toland Krieger popped Pine in a silent, but brilliant cameo. A role that could have been played by anyone, the bearded Pine (replete with cracking footwear and questionable jewellery) sits back with a group of Jesse’s (Andy Samberg) friends as they discuss fatherhood. But as Pine’s nameless character swiftly moves from drinking, to smoking, to, err, snorting, we realise he’s not quite the ‘buddy’ we initially assumed.
2. Stretch – the uncredited role
Joe Carnahan’s Stretch sees Pine land on screen – Patrick Wilson’s car, to be precise – buttocks first, quickly followed by his barely covered crotch. Straight-to-DVD in the UK, Stretch screams cult status and proves just how finely-tuned Pine’s improvisational skills are. Though his face was never shown in the trailers, knowledge of his uncredited role as the unpredictable, party-loving Roger Karos doesn’t ruin the impact of what is arguably his best role to-date.
(Head to this gag reel for more improvised gold.)
3. Into The Woods – the singing prince
Emily Blunt! Meryl Streep! Johnny Depp! 2014’s Into The Woods certainly wasn’t lacking in the star stakes. But it was (surprise, surprise) Chris Pine who stole the show with this particular number. Flipping the damsel in distress notion on its head, Agony sees the lovelorn Cinderella’s Prince matched comic beat for comic beat by Tony nominee Billy Magnussen as the Prince after more than just Rapunzel’s flowing locks. Did Chris Pine sing in Into The Woods? You bet he did. It’s time Pine trod your boards, Broadway.
4. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp – the resurrected rock star
Chirs Pine: height of charisma. In this TV prequel to the 2001 movie, Pine plays reclusive baggy-shirted rock star ‘Eric’. When the rival gangs of Camps Firewood and Tigerclaw go all Jets and Sharks on each other, the musician-that-everyone-totally-thought-was-dead resurrects himself with a seriously catchy ‘80s ditty that you’ll be humming for days. As well as uniting the campers (“he saved friendship with a song!”), Pine gets to riff off Elizabeth Banks with some top notch improv.
5. Rise Of The Guardians – the man in the moon
“My name is Jack Frost. How do I know that? The moon told me so.” Chris Pine gets to be the actual man in the moon at the start of DreamWorks’ Rise Of The Guardians. Yes, he’s voicing the character, and yes, you can’t see Pine’s face, but sitting in the company’s signature moon is a pretty big honour, we’re sure you’ll agree.
6. Smokin’ Aces – the ventriloquist
After blowing Ben Affleck to smithereens, Darwin (Pine, one third of the Tremor brothers) decides he’d quite like to use him as a ventriloquist dummy. Whether it’s simply his way of dealing with trauma or purely because he likes the feel of human flesh, Pine’s character is far more fascinating than his constantly fighting brothers.
7. Robot Chicken – the night captain
This short clip from Robot Chicken includes not one, but two captains (hello Patrick Stewart). Excuse us for including another TV show, but Pine’s beer-chugging, short-sporting captain begs for a spin-off of his own. He even gets some Shatner speech patterns in there, which is never a bad thing. We’ll party with you anytime, Captain Jake.
8. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement – stair stealth
A generation of teenagers grew up with Chris Pine working his way into Princess Mia’s (Anne Hathaway) heart. But it took her a little longer to warm to his Nicholas Devereaux than we did. Other highlights include him pushing Mia into a fountain and teaching her to shoot as straight as Katniss, but it’s this little game of cat and mouse that sums their relationship up perfectly.
9. This Means War – Chris vs. Tom
Pine got to exercise his fighting muscles with Tom ‘you-wouldn’t-want-to-brawl-with-him-in-real-life’ Hardy during McG’s action comedy. Both CIA agents and both after the same woman, tables, chairs, knives and serving platters are all thrown by Tuck (Hardy) and FDR (Pine) in the name of love. The lengths some people will go to to date Reese Witherspoon, hey?
10. Small Town Saturday Night – country strong
If you haven’t got a clue what’s going on in this scene, fear not. Chris Pine is singing, and that’s all that matters. Pair that with his laidback guitar playing and lack of overblown showmanship, and you realise Pine can do this charisma thing in his sleep. Is it time for a cameo on Nashville?
11. Carriers – for the greater good
It’s one thing sharing a car with someone who has a runny nose, but it’s another thing entirely when the person riding shotgun has a deadly, contagious virus. Brian (Pine) may love Bobby (Piper Perabo), but when Bobby’s infected, Bobby’s gotta go. There are no funnies here, proving Pine’s just as good when he’s emotionally compromised. Even behind that ridiculous mask.
12. Star Trek Into Darkness – the captain
Could J.J. Abrams really kill Captain Kirk? Could he? The franchise schmaltz may be dialled up to 11 by the time Pine pulls the ol’ Vulcan finger trick, but this is a genuinely tear-jerking moment between the captain and his first officer at a pivotal moment that sees Pine doing what Kirk does best – remaining fiercely loyal to his crew, no matter the cost.