From a reimagined beloved starship captain to a bachelor in distress, there’s not much that actor Chris Pine cannot do in the Hollywood space. So in honor of the actor’s birthday, we are counting down the best film performances of his career so far.
Born in Los Angeles, Pine crept onto the Hollywood scene as Lord Nicholas Devereaux in his feature debut in the sequel, “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” (2004) from director Garry Marshall and starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews. After popping up in the underrated action flick “Smokin’ Aces” (2006), he took command of the Starship Enterprise in J.J. Abrams’ reboot film series, “Star Trek” (2009) and its sequels. From there, he’s quietly established himself as a continuously interesting and exciting presence in the films he inhabits.
He’s played opposite Oscar-winner Denzel Washington in “Unstoppable” (2010), let his vocal chops soar with “Agony” alongside Billy Magnussen in Rob Marshall’s “Into the Woods” (2014) as Cinderella’s Prince and has showcased his ability in Oscar contenders as seen by his role as a bank robber with depth in the best picture nominated “Hell or High Water” (2016) from David Mackenzie.
Besides getting lumped in with the fictional “Battle of the Hollywood Chrises” (Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Pratt), he’s etched an admirable corner for himself with casual moviegoers. One of his most popular roles nowadays is as the crackshot pilot and the love interest of Diana Prince in “Wonder Woman” (2017) and “Wonder Woman 1984” (2020) from director Patty Jenkins.
Next on the docket for Pine will be opposite Gillian Jacobs and reuniting with Ben Foster on Tarik Saleh’s thriller “Violence of Action,” scheduled for Dec. 10. Afterward, he’s set for a role in Olivia Wilde’s next directorial feature, “Don’t Worry Darling” from Warner Bros., before jumping into the film adaptation of “Dungeons & Dragons” alongside Michelle Rodriguez and Emmy nominees Hugh Grant and Regé-Jean Page.
In honor of Pine and all of his dynamic outings, we are ranking his best performances.
Honorable mentions: “People Like Us” (2012), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013), “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018)