Tom Hanks Hoped To Play An Iconic Character In ‘Star Trek’ Alongside Patrick Stewart — Here’s Why He Didn’t Get It

Tom Hanks grew up watching the Star Trek series and once he got headway in Hollywood, he hoped to feature in the classic fan-favorite at some point. He was such a huge fan and a proud Trekkie that he won a Trekkie Trivia on an episode of The Graham Norton Show.

Hanks, whose favorite installment of the Sci-Fi franchise is The Next Generation, hoped to star alongside Patrick Stewart; however, despite being considered by the production team, he never got to do so.

What ‘Star Trek’ role was Tom Hanks considered for?

Hanks was considered for the role of Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact alongside a list of other capable actors. Unfortunately for Hanks, James Cromwell was selected to portray the iconic character who invented the show’s warp drive system.

Star Trek: First Contact is arguably one of the best movies from the franchise, featuring the TNG cast after Star Trek: Generations. The film saw Cochrane and Patrick’s Captain Picard play their parts going back in time to fight off the Borgs, with Picard remaining in the spaceship, while Cochrane was out and down testing his warp drive.

Hanks’ thoughts on missing out on the coveted part

Throughout his enviable career of nearly 50 years, Hanks has played several iconic roles, including John Miller in Saving Private Ryan, Woody in Toy Story, and the title character in 1994’s Forrest Gump. Nonetheless, he had his eye on Star Trek’s Cochrane, noting that he would have jumped at the chance to play the brilliant scientist.

The two-time Oscar winner added that he would have brought gifts tribbles for everyone on the first meet. Regardless of the disappointment, Hanks never stopped being a loyal fan of the classic, which comprises 13 movies in total released between 1979 and 2016.