Four years had passed when the cast of Star Trek were reunited for the eagerly awaited sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, and they picked up right where they left off, says Anton Yelchin who plays Pavel Chekov, the young navigator on board the Starship Enterprise.
On set, director J.J. Abrams created the perfect working environment – focused with plenty of fun – and being back together with a group of actors who have all become close friends made the experience very special indeed, he says.
“We’re lucky because we all get along so well and we have this mutual respect for one another and enjoy one another’s company,” he says. “They really are great people.
“I had such a great time making this film. I remember the first day we shot I did all these photo booth pictures of the cast on my computer – you know where you can create these squiggly faces and that fun stuff?
“So there we were back together four years after the first film and we were doing exactly the same sort of crazy stuff that we were doing on the first one. We were laughing and having just as good a time as we did before.
“We’d play chess, sit and talk and then go to work and play these great characters. It really was a huge privilege to be a part of this.”
The first film, also directed by Abrams, was an origins story, introducing the characters, including Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock, (Zachary Quinto) Scotty (Simon Pegg), Bones (Karl Urban) and the then mostly unknown actors who played them, to a new generation of fans. Star Trek was a critically acclaimed box office smash.
When they reunited to make the sequel there was no pressure, he says, more a sense of anticipation that they were about to embark on a new adventure and build on the success of the first film.
“When we’re shooting you don’t really think about any pressure – at least I don’t – because I have complete trust in J.J.,” says Yelchin. “When I read the script for the first time it was so good and then when J.J. started to work on it, it got even better.
“I’m such a big fan of his both as a filmmaker and a human being and I trust him completely. Also I think if you worry about pressure and what you have to live up to that’s going to interfere with accomplishing what you need to do. On this, just like the first one, there was a lot of fun but we’re all focused and we all got on with the job.”
Star Trek Into Darkness is a stand-alone action adventure and this time the crew of the Enterprise face a formidable foe in terrorist John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who strikes from within Starfleet command and threatens to cause destruction on Earth.
“This time, it’s different because we don’t have to take the time to introduce all of these characters to the audience and to each other,” says Yelchin. “So that means you are given the freedom to explore the complexities of their evolving relationships – between the crew members, the captain and his crew - and what it means for Kirk to have been in command for this period of time.
“And that adds an emotional complexity to the film. And it really is a film with a much darker side to it because the questions that are being raised are now more serious than the ones that were raised in the first one.
“The stakes are much higher in this film, the existential questions they face are greyer, and the action sequences feel much bigger too because the scope is bigger.”
John Harrison is a highly intelligent and dangerous adversary who wages psychological warfare against Kirk and his crew. And a great villain brings out the very best in our heroes, says Yelchin.
“Benedict’s character is a terrorist and terrorism is a very contemporary theme and he has very specific demands. And what’s interesting is that when you introduce a really great bad guy – and John Harrison is a really great character – it means that the characters that you care about and are invested in can learn about themselves and about each other when they are under extreme pressure and in great danger.”
In the original Star Trek TV series, created by the late, great Gene Roddenberry, Chekov was played by Walter Koenig and Yelchin had the pleasure of meeting the veteran actor during filming of the first movie.
“Walter is such a lovely, gentle man and I was really honoured that he would take the time and come and say ‘hi’ to me. He really is so gentle and kind, a lovely man. When I met him it kind of felt like he was passing on the baton and giving me his approval, which was just great.”
Before creating his version of the young Chekov, Yelchin studied all the original TV shows and is a great admirer of Koenig’s performances.
“I was such a huge fan of that character that I wanted to bring as much of what I saw that Walter Koenig did to my portrayal of the young Chekov because he brought such immense joy to it.
“It’s interesting, because they bought him into the show in the second season to be kind of like the comic relief – Chekov in Star Trek was kind of like Davy Jones in The Monkees, a show that was on at the same time.
“Walter created such a lovely character filled with so much joy and I watch him and try to study what he is doing in the TV episodes and make sure that the physicality and the joy comes through in my portrayal of this character too.”
His parents, Victor and Irina Yelchin, were both successful professional figure skaters in Russia before emigrating to the US when Anton was six months old. They became skating coaches in America and hoped their son might become a skater too. ”But I sucked at it,” he laughs.
Instead the performance gene showed itself in their son’s precocious acting talent. “I went to acting classes at about the age of eight where we had a great coach who’d give us assignments,” he recalls. “He’d say, ‘create a product and do and ad for it.’ There was a lot of improvisational work which I really loved and I discovered that I was really quite good at it.”
He was indeed and as a boy won roles in films including A Man Is Mostly Water, Delivering Milo and Hearts In Atlantis and in the TV series, Taken and Curb Your Enthusiasm.
His other film credits include Alpha Dog, Terminator Salvation, You and I, Like Crazy, The Beaver and Fright Night. He recently starred alongside Tilda Swinton and Mia Wasikowska in Only Lovers Left Alive for director Jim Jarmusch and Broken Horses for director Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
“Jim is such a magical human being and I really treasured being a part of that film. And having him in my life is really amazing because I’ve always been a fan of his movies,” he says.
“I can’t remember the first time I saw a Jim Jarmusch film but I do remember going, ‘holy shit!’ I’ve also done another film called Broken Horses with an Indian filmmaker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and this was his first American film, which I really enjoyed. Vinod brings a very unique and powerful vision to his films, and it’s very exciting.
“Working with these great directors, like J.J. and Jim and Vinod, has been fantastic. It’s been a great time for me and I’m very grateful for what I get to do.”
And now for the Q&A session!
Q: How much of Star Trek into Darkness have you seen at this point?
A: I’ve seen a little bits when I was doing some ADR and I’ve seen all the trailers and stuff and it looks pretty amazing. And I have such confidence in J.J. and so like everybody else, I’ll be very excited to see to see the finished film.
Q: What was it like reuniting with that cast?
A: It was great. It had been about four years since the first film but it felt like no time had passed at all. We got back together for Into Darkness and we picked up right where we left off and that was a wonderful feeling. We’re lucky because we all get along so well and we have this mutual respect for one another and enjoy one another’s company. They really are great people. I had such a great time making this film. I remember the first day we shot I did all these photo booth pictures of the cast on my computer – you know where you can create these squiggly faces and that fun stuff? So there we were back together four years after the first film and we were doing exactly the same sort of crazy stuff that we were doing on the first one. We were laughing and having just as good a time as we did before. We’d play chess, sit and talk and then go to work and play these great characters. It really was a huge privilege to be a part of this.
Q: Was that first day on set the first time you had all been back together since the first film?
A: I think it was the first time that all of us were together again. I’d seen Chris (Pine) and Zach (Quinto) and John (Cho) on different occasions in random places but that was the first time that everyone was together in one place. And that was great. It was like the best kind of reunion with friends that you really care for.
Q: Was it easier to play the character this time? Did you feel like you knew him a little better?
A: It wasn’t so much easier as it was a different kind of challenge. I went back and watched a lot of the original TV series, the old movies, and I also watched our first film because I wanted to make sure I felt the same way and could capture the same thing that I loved about Chekov again. So it was different because I was discovering new things about the character and how he fits into this story.
Q: What did you get from watching the original episodes?
A: Walter created such a lovely character filled with so much joy and I watch him and try to study what he is doing in the TV episodes and make sure that the physicality and the joy comes through in my portrayal of this character too.
Q: So you wanted to link your performance directly with Walter’s portrayal of the same character?
A: Yes definitely. I think inevitably we as individuals bring something else to it as well so the character will morph into this sort of synthesis. I was such a huge fan of that character that I wanted to bring as much of what I saw that Walter Koenig did to my portrayal of the young Chekov because he brought such immense joy to it. It’s interesting, because they bought him into the show in the second season to be kind of like the comic relief – Chekov in Star Trek was kind of like Davy Jones in The Monkees, a show that was on at the same time. Walter created such a lovely character filled with so much joy and I watch him and try to study what he is doing in the TV episodes and make sure that the physicality and the joy comes through in my portrayal of this character too.
As an example, there’s an episode (in the original series) where they go to a planet and they are studying these people and they are these non-sexual beings and Chekov brings his girlfriend along – arbitrarily he has a girlfriend in this episode! And he spends the whole episode hitting on her in the bushes and Spock is like, ‘Chekov what are you doing?’ And then through Chekov and his girlfriend the people on the planet learn what love is. But this guy always has these random moments. There are stories about Russia and all the weird history he brings up – there is such a weird joy to him. The character got a little more serious in the later movies but in the two seasons of the TV show that he’s in there’s just something about him that you enjoy so much. And it makes him so much fun to play.
Q: Have you met Walter?
A: I have. Walter came on set for the first film and then we saw each other again at the premier. He is just such a lovely gentle man and I was really honoured that he would take the time and come and say ‘hi’ to me. He really is so gentle and kind, a lovely man. When I met him it kind of felt like he was passing on the baton and giving me his approval, which was just great.
Q: If the first film was an origins story, where are we with Into Darkness?
A: Well this time, it’s different because we don’t have to take the time to introduce all of these characters to the audience and to each other. So that means you are given the freedom to explore the complexities of their evolving relationships – between the crew members, the captain and his crew - and what it means for Kirk to have been in command for this period of time. And that adds an emotional complexity to the film. And it really is a film with a much darker side to it because the questions that are being raised are now more serious than the ones that were raised in the first one. The stakes are much higher in this film, the existential questions they face are greyer, and the action sequences feel much bigger too because the scope is bigger.
J.J. has this wonderful ability to take very emotionally grounded situations and combine them with this beautiful spectacle and the spectacle is enriched because the audience is watching a very human story. And then you are shown all these amazing things like outer space and other planets and that in itself becomes bigger and better because you are so much more invested in the story and these characters.
Q: And you’ve got a very powerful bad guy played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Did you have many scenes with him?
A: I don’t have much directly with Benedict but I got to see him and he’s pretty badass – to be very blunt about it (laughs). And you know Benedict is an extremely lovely guy and we had a great time together. It was interesting – and it was the same on the first film – because you end up interacting with fellow cast even if you are not directly shooting with them. And it’s pretty amazing what a great group of people have been assembled for both films. It’s a pretty big cast and for everyone to really like each other is great.
Q: Would you describe Benedict’s character as a terrorist?
A: Yes. Benedict’s character is a terrorist and terrorism is a very contemporary theme. He has very specific demands. And what’s interesting is that when you introduce a really great bad guy – and John Harrison is a really great character – it means that the characters that you care about and are invested in can learn about themselves and about each other. And that’s what so smart about this film. Just like in the first film, we have this great villain and through this villain the crew on the Enterprise learn about each other. We had a great villain in the first film but I would almost argue that the villain is more complex in this one.
Q: How does Chekov fit into the story?
A: Each one of the crew, including Chekov, has to assess where they are in their commitment to the captain and to each other. They’ve now journeyed together for a period of time and each character has to decide where his commitment lies in the face of the very great threat posed by John Harrison and the acts of terror he commits. And for Chekov it’s the same thing – it’s all about testing his dedication and commitment and testing how much he really knows and how good he is at what he does. That’s a big part of the journey for him. It’s about stepping up to the plate and being able to do great things for their mutual success.
Q: Does the success of the first film ramp up the pressure on the second film or does it give you a solid base to build on?
A: I think both. When we’re shooting you don’t really think about any pressure – at least I don’t – because I have complete trust in J.J. When I read the script for the first time it was so good and then when J.J. started to work on it, it got even better. I’m such a big fan of his both as a filmmaker and a human being and I trust him completely. Also I think if you worry about pressure and what you have to live up to that’s going to interfere with accomplishing what you need to do. On this, just like the first one, there was a lot of fun but we’re all focused and we all got on with the job. Also I think if you worry about pressure and what you have to live up to that’s going to interfere with accomplishing what you need to do. On this, just like the first one, there was a lot of fun but we’re all focused and we all got on with what we had to do.
Q: What kind of atmosphere does J.J. create on set?
A: For me, J.J. and Tommy Gormley, our first AD (assistant director) are great captains in terms of how to run a set and how to make sure that you a collective of people who are working very hard but enjoying their job at the same time. J.J. is at the helm of this huge operation and he has to make sure that his vision for the film is being realised and that his cast and crew are moving forward with him.
And J.J. is amazing at that. He knows exactly when to crack a joke and when to give people five minutes to relax. We work long hours and now and again he just knows instinctively when to give people a breather before you go right back into it with renewed energy. If you ever get to see his offices, at Bad Robot, you can see that whole ethos he has. People work there but they clearly enjoy being there too, because it’s fun. There are fridges with whatever kind of soda you may want and there’s always someone making popcorn. I was in there the other day and in the reception there are all these wonderful toys and books and action figures and there’s a section where you can doodle – you can draw a picture and they’ll put it up on the wall (laughs). How cool is that? And the whole point is that yes, work can be very intense and demanding, but in the midst of that he wants people to enjoy themselves. And he does bring that attitude to the set and the crew, the cast, everyone, really enjoys coming to work because we know we are going to be in a place where we’ll be with people that make us laugh and people that work very hard and hopefully create something great but will also enjoy being around each other. And J.J. is the guiding force.
Q: When did you first watch Star Trek?
A: I’d seen episodes when I was younger but I really started watching it before our first film.
Q: What have you got coming up?
A: After Trek I went to work on Jim Jarmusch’s new film (Only Lovers Left Alive) and that was amazing. Jim is such a magical human being and I really treasured being a part of that film. And having him in my life is really amazing. I’ve always been a fan of his movies. I can’t remember the first time I saw a Jim Jarmusch film but I do remember going, ‘holy shit!’ I’ve also done another film called Broken Horses with an Indian filmmaker, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and this was his first American film, which I really enjoyed. Vinod was making this American crime film but he has this really intense vision that to me is a throwback to those American crime films of the 1940s that had a very specific, philosophical feeling in their style – like Joseph H. Lewis films come to mind because he would take any subject and create these beautiful, intense, surreal environments. And Vidhu has that and it’s kind of strange that a man from India should come here and make a very American style film that recalls the studio system films of the 40s. Vinod brings a very unique and powerful vision to his films, and it’s very exciting.
Q: So things are clearly going well?
A: Working with these great directors like J.J. and Jim and Vinod has been fantastic. It’s been a great time for me and I’m very grateful for what I get to do.
