Star Trek: All 5 Captain Kirk actors ranked from worst to best

4. Jimmy Bennett

Appeared in: Star Trek (2009)

We might be used to seeing Captain James T. Kirk as a confident leader on the USS Enterprise, but even he has origins. One of the more recent adaptations showcased a little bit of those.

Who remembers that one moment in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot in 2009 when we see a young, feisty James Kirk zoom away in an antique car, with Beastie Boys playing in the background? Jimmy Bennett is the young talent who brought that scene and young James T. Kirk to life. Not only does he nail the rebellious, wild spirit of our iconic captain, but he also gives us a peek into a different world – a world where young Kirk had a rocky childhood on Earth instead of living off-planet.

Thanks to Bennett’s performance, we see how the Kelvin timeline gives a fresh spin to our classic Star Trek stories. His portrayal connects beautifully with the older versions of Kirk, especially with the drop-dead gorgeous Chris Pine’s version, and drops a clever hint to Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. You know, the one where Kirk admits he always felt he’d have a young, wild end?

It was a nice little nod to a chapter in Kirk’s history that isn’t acknowledged as much, and a look into the origins of one of TV and film’s greatest heroes – one that was specific to the timeline of the modern movies.