Tom Hanks Missed Out on an Iconic Star Trek Role with Patrick Stewart — Here’s Why

Tom Hanks grew up watching the Star Trek series and once he made inroads in Hollywood, he hoped to feature in the beloved franchise. As a proud Trekkie, his love for Star Trek was so profound that he won Trekkie Trivia on an episode of The Graham Norton Show.

Hanks’ favorite installment of the Sci-Fi franchise is The Next Generation. He dreamed of acting alongside Patrick Stewart, but even though the production team considered him, the opportunity never materialized.

Hanks was considered for the role of Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact. His name was among other capable actors, but the part ultimately went to James Cromwell. Cochrane is a pivotal character who invented the warp drive system in the series’ lore.

Star Trek: First Contact is lauded as one of the best movies from the franchise. It features the The Next Generation cast following the events of Star Trek: Generations. The film focuses on Cochrane and Captain Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, as they travel back in time to combat the Borg. Picard remains in the spaceship while Cochrane is on the ground, testing his warp drive.

Throughout his career spanning nearly five decades, Hanks has portrayed numerous iconic characters such as John Miller in Saving Private Ryan, Woody in Toy Story, and the titular character in 1994’s Forrest Gump. Despite this, he harbored a strong desire to play Cochrane in Star Trek. Hanks mentioned that he would have eagerly seized the chance to personify the brilliant scientist.

The two-time Oscar winner even joked that he would have brought tribbles, the affectionate, furry creatures, as gifts for everyone on the first day. Despite his disappointment over missing the role, Hanks has remained an ardent fan of the series, which includes 13 movies released between 1979 and 2016.