nero star trek original series

Why Eric Bana's Nero Is The Most Dangerous Villain In Star Trek History

When J.J. Abrams rebooted the original characters of "Star Trek," it kicked off an interesting era for the brand. His trilogy of films came before Paramount+ streaming created a monopoly on content all things Trek and had a universe all its own. To use our favorite Vulcan's iconic quote, it was fascinating. Starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as the beloved duo of James T. Kirk and Spock, the films use an alternate timeline that created a series of movies all its own. This alteration allowed die-hard fans to not feel their legacy had been tarnished while also helping attract new fans.

Abrams also did this by introducing the Romulan villain, Nero (Eric Bana). After a supernova destroys his entire planet, a black hole created by Red Matter pulls Nero and his ship back in time to the day of Kirk's birth. This singular change creates a domino effect that permanently affects the course of events. Regardless if it was purposeful or not, Nero's actions do something almost unprecedented in "Star Trek" history, making him one of the most formidable villains.

Nero changed Star Trek canon forever

For almost 60 years, "Star Trek" has had some of the most legendary villains that will live on in infamy. The Borg Queen is one who never gets old because of the existential dread she inspires. As the leader of the Borg hive, her only interest is in simulating people into her extensive network and erasing all sense of identity. Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) temporary assimilation causes residual trauma that never leaves him. Khan reappears in "Star Trek: Into Darkness" and "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," because of his relevance to the Eugenics Wars. But no matter how singular these villains are, Nero has done something they have not.

Nero traveling back in time and destroying Vulcan is so savage and permanent that other villains pale in comparison. Not only does he enact genocide against the Vulcans, but his damage to the "Star Trek" timeline can never be corrected. The timeline in the reboot has changed the course of Kirk and Spock forever. Kirk has to live with the death of his mentor Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), even though he lives on in the prime timeline. This change was so severe that in "Into Darkness," Kirk is the one who dies from radiation, and not Spock as portrayed in "The Wrath of Khan." This substantial change can only be compared to another antagonist in "Star Trek" history –  Q (John de Lancie) is a villain who returns time and again after being introduced in "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Only Q has had as much of an impact

John de Lancie has only appeared in "Star Trek" a dozen or so times as Q, but that is the beauty of his character. As an omnipotent god-like being, he can come and go as he pleases, and there is no way to defeat him. He is such a hallmark of the series, that he even returned for Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Picard" as a touchstone for the former captain. As soon as de Lancie heard the plan for his character, he was on board. "I asked how they were going to deal with the age and that type of stuff. And [showrunner Terry Matalas] said, 'We will [make it happen] and more importantly, we want you how you are now,'" de Lancie told The Hollywood Reporter . 

No one could doubt that Q is a more endearing villain than Nero. The actor has been a part of the "Star Trek" universe for decades and is as welcome as "The Next Generation" crew. And that is why Nero is that much more insidious. Though Q can rewrite realities and play the Enterprise crew like pieces on a chessboard, he is ultimately a trickster figure. He never does anything that cannot be undone — even if it's just by the grace of his power. Nero has no such aspirations. He has no redemption. He only wants to cause suffering, and in a universe that values its utopian society, there is nothing worse than that.

Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

• Alternate Reality Villains
• Science Fiction Villains
• Mentally Ill
• Misanthropes
• Supremacists
• Destroyers of Innocence
• Live Action Villains
• Cataclysmic
• Faux Affably Evil
• Chaotic Evil
• Supervillains

Nero (Kelvin Timeline)

Nero is the main antagonist of the 2009 sci-fi action adventure film Star Trek , the first installment of the rebooted Star Trek film series.

He was a Romulan miner in his childhood period and served as the captain of the Narada spaceship.

He was portrayed by Eric Bana , who also played Chaz in Back to the Outback .

• 1 Biography
• 4 Navigation
• 5 References

Biography [ ]

Nero was a Romulan miner originating from the late 24th century, and captain of the mining vessel Narada . Following the destruction of Romulus in 2387 caused by a star going supernova, he sought vengeance against those he felt were responsible, ultimately resulting in him being sucked in by a black hole and transported back in time to the year 2233. Nero's actions in the past resulted in the creation of an alternate reality. In this reality, his actions led to the destruction of the USS Kelvin as well as the deaths of its two senior officers, Captain Richard Robau and Lieutenant Commander George Kirk. George Kirk's death altered the upbringing of his son James T. Kirk who, in this timeline, did not join Starfleet until 2255.

In 2258, Nero was responsible for the destruction of the alternate reality's Vulcan, which resulted in the deaths of the majority of the Vulcan race, including Spock's mother Amanda Grayson. He also attempted to destroy this timeline's Earth, but his plot was foiled by Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise . Nero apparently died when Spock caused the Jellyfish , a small ship carrying red matter, to collide with the Narada , creating a black hole in the center of the Romulan ship. Kirk gave Nero and his crew the chance to be saved, but Nero viciously refused the offer. Kirk then ordered his crew to fire upon the ship as it was being sucked into the black hole. As Nero watched his ship being sucked into the black hole while being blasted by the Enterprise, he accepted his fate and closed his eyes as his ship was sucked in, killing him and his crew and avenging the deaths of Robau, George Kirk, Amanda Grayson, and the numerous Vulcans involved in the destruction of Vulcan.

Gallery [ ]

• Russell Crowe was considered for the role of Nero before Bana was cast. In fact, Crowe and Bana were director JJ Abrams' only two choices for the role. [1] [2]
• Eric Bana was a big fan of the original Star Trek series growing up. [3]
• Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci named Nero after the Roman emperor of the same name, as a nod to the Roman inspirations of the Romulans. [4]
• In the script of  Star Trek , Nero seemed significantly more compassionate to Humans than he is in the final version of the film, at one point commenting, "It's not the fault of the human race that Starfleet chose Earth as its center. You're a more noble race than my fallen cousins. I'll take no pleasure in your extinction." The script also had Nero kill Ayel prior to the Battle of Earth, and Nero's scripted last words were "Forgive me... Romulus..." [5]
• In a deleted scene, Nero is interrogated by a Klingon  on the prison planet Rura Penthe, and escapes. This sequence also contains Nero's line, "The wait is over.", as seen in trailers for the film. [6] [7]
• When writer Cameron Crowe saw a rough cut of the film, he kept asking who played the villain, being staggered to realize that this was Eric Bana.

Navigation [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ Russell Crowe Beamed Up For Star Trek Movie
• ↑ Russell Crowe As ‘Star Trek’ Villian?
• ↑ EXCLUSIVE Eric Bana interviewed
• ↑ Orci and Kurtzman Reveal Star Trek Details In TrekMovie Fan Q&A
• ↑ STAR TREK
• ↑ STAR TREK Deleted Scene: Nero Vs. Klingons
• ↑ Star Trek (2009) - Klingon Prison Escape/"The Wait is Over" (Deleted Scene)
• 1 Blood and Cheese
• 2 Twelve Kizuki
• 3 The Boiled One

Screen Rant

Spock waited 43 years for his greatest star trek arch enemy.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

"That's Screwing Us Even More": Twilight Star Recalls Robert Pattinson's Reaction To Sparkly Vampire Makeup

Inside out 2's box office success will end up being the worst thing that could happen to pixar, what happened to legolas after sauron's defeat in the lord of the rings, star trek: the original series.

Spock (Leonard Nimoy) had to wait 43 years before finally getting an arch-enemy in Star Trek (2009) . As a main character in Star Trek: The Original Series , Spock became one of the most iconic and recognizable Star Trek characters and has remained so to this day. Spock was the First Officer and right-hand man of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) on board the USS Enterprise and arguably became a more popular character than Kirk over the course of the series, going on to have quite a few cameo appearances in the franchise after TOS was canceled in 1969.

Despite Spock's popularity, there were still a few things that Kirk continued to have more of than he did. One of these things was enemies, something that Spock didn't often pick up during TOS or his other appearances in the franchise. While Kirk had multiple foes that could be considered arch-enemies, most famously Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), it took 43 years before Spock finally acquired someone who was a true arch-enemy. This took place during J.J. Abrams' reboot film Star Trek (2009), one of the last projects that Leonard Nimoy appeared in as Spock.

Spock’s Greatest Star Trek Enemy Is Nero From J.J. Abrams’ Movie

Nero (Eric Bana), the Romulan villain of Star Trek (2009) became Spock's first real arch-enemy in the franchise after the film's release. No character has ever hated Spock as much as Nero did. In fact, Nero's entire motivation during Star Trek (2009) revolved around getting revenge on Spock for his failure to stop the Romulan supernova of 2387. This led Nero to destroy Vulcan in 2258 after traveling back in time and creating the alternate reality that became Star Trek 's Kelvin Timeline. With this act, Nero became the arch-enemy of both the older Spock (Spock Prime) and Zachary Quinto's version of the character as well.

Although Nero's revenge plot revolved mostly around Spock Prime, it was the younger Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock who ended up stopping the villain for good. However, Spock Prime provided the information and aid that was crucial in preventing Nero from destroying Earth. Without Spock Prime to explain to Kirk where and when he and Nero were from and help Kirk get back to the Enterprise, the plan that ultimately brought Nero down would never have happened. In this way, Spock participated in stopping his greatest enemy, even if he wasn't the one who dealt the final blow.

Why Spock Doesn’t Have As Many Enemies As Kirk

Even with Nero in Star Trek (2009), Spock has never reached the same number of enemies as Kirk. This is in part because of the two characters' status in the franchise but ultimately comes out down to their differing personalities. In terms of status, Kirk was the main character of Star Trek: TOS , meaning that most of the series villains were focused on the Captain of the Enterprise. This was helped, however, by the fact that Kirk had a hotheaded personality and was good at provoking people. With his cool logic and generally reasonable temperament, Spock wasn't usually the one to rile up villains and only became involved in conflicts because of his proximity to Kirk.

However, it is important to note that J.J. Abrams did end up flipping the script on a classic Kirk villain, making Star Trek: Into Darkness ' Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) an enemy of Spock's , as well. During Into Darkness , Spock took the initiative to contact his older self and learn about Khan, and after Kirk sacrificed himself to save the ship, Spock was the one to fly into a rage and take Khan down. This marked the second time Abrams gave Spock someone that could be considered an arch-enemy after Star Trek (2009) . Clearly, the reboot films saw how overdue Spock was for a decent Star Trek enemy.

• Star Trek (2009)

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

• Gene Roddenberry
• William Shatner
• Leonard Nimoy
• DeForest Kelley
• 278 User reviews
• 99 Critic reviews
• 16 wins & 31 nominations total

Episodes 80

Photos 2011

• Captain James Tiberius 'Jim' Kirk …

• Mister Spock …

• Lieutenant Leslie …

• Nurse Chapel …

• Ensign Freeman …

• Yeoman Rand …

• Announcer …

• Beta 5 Computer …
• Security Guard …
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Stellar Photos From the "Star Trek" TV Universe

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
• Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

• Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
• Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
• Connections Edited into Ben 10: Secrets (2006)
• Soundtracks Star Trek Music by Alexander Courage

User reviews 278

• May 16, 2006
• How do they maintain Gravity on the the U.S.S. Enterprise ? .
• All aliens on all planets speak the English language?
• What does "TOS" mean?
• September 8, 1966 (United States)
• United States
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• Backlot, Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
• Desilu Productions
• Norway Corporation
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 50 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Sep 25, 2019

The Empire's Most Influential Romulans, Ranked

Who's your number one?

StarTrek.com

The Federation’s complicated relationship with the Romulan Star Empire changes frequently, between eras open hostility and espionage, to periods of diplomatic detente and tenuous alliances. Just as Starfleet’s history is peppered with esteemed figures who exerted extensive influence on the organization’s course, Romulus’s political and military arms have produced their own share of prominent leaders who helped guide the government’s interaction with the other major powers. Regardless of whether the Empire honors them as heroes or perceives them as traitors, these prominent Romulans made noteworthy contributions to their society’s ongoing dealings with the Federation.

8. Commander Tomalak, Star Trek: The Next Generation

First encountered by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise-D above Galorndon Core, Tomalak nearly initiated a conflict with Starfleet on two separate occasions. In the episode “The Enemy,” the commander violated Federation space and risked starting a war when a wounded Romulan perished in Picard’s custody. An uneasy truce between Geordi La Forge and a second Romulan survivor forced Tomalak into displaying restraint, but the tenacious commander threatened the Enterprise-D again after the Federation starship was tricked into making its own unauthorized excursion into the Neutral Zone in “The Defector.” While neither event provoked a battle, Tomalak’s belligerent disposition and unnecessary brinkmanship could have easily shattered the fragile peace that existed at the time.

7. Commander Rekar, “Message in a Bottle,” Star Trek: Voyager

Rekar led a dangerous mission to hijack the U.S.S. Prometheus with the intention of delivering the tactically advanced vessel into the ruthless hands of the Tal Shiar. Ultimately foiled by The Doctor and Prometheus’s own Emergency Medical Hologram, Rekar nevertheless jeopardized the balance of power in the quadrant. Already at war with the Dominion, the Federation would have been at a severe disadvantage if Rekar’s actions had provided his government with classified technology and opened a second front involving the Romulan Star Empire. Despite the deaths of numerous officers aboard the Prometheus, Starfleet elected against pursuing a retaliatory strike. The decision proved wise, as the Romulans eventually aided the Federation and Klingon Empire in overcoming the Dominion.

6. Nero, Star Trek (2009)

The Narada’s accidental trip through the black hole ended up sending Nero and his crew back in time to the year 2233. Coupled with his order to destroy the U.S.S. Kelvin , Nero’s presence in the past created the alternate reality known as the Kelvin Timeline. The former miner’s rage over Spock’s failure to save Romulus in the Prime Universe manifested in a plan to destroy Vulcan and the rest of the Federation’s member worlds with confiscated red matter. In addition to establishing a divergent reality, Nero irreparably shaped the future of the new realm when he successfully eradicated Vulcan and virtually wiped out the logic-embracing species. The U.S.S. Enterprise ’s Kelvin counterpart prevented Nero and his crew from inflicting the same fate upon Earth and other planets, but the Romulan left a horrible scar upon the timeline before his defeat.

5. Admiral Valdore, Star Trek: Enterprise

In an effort to destabilize peace talks in the Alpha Quadrant, Valdore employed deceptive drones to attack starships and stoke distrust among the humans, Andorians, Tellarites, Vulcans, and Rigelians that resided in the region. The plan showed promise, but Captain Jonathan Archer managed to bring the local powers together to search for the elusive drones. Over the course of the episodes “Babel One,” “United,” and “The Aenar,” Valdore’s ambitious attempt to halt the formation of any alliances capable of challenging Romulus failed in spectacular fashion, as the mysterious threat brought unity to a typically volatile group of species and set the stage for the coalition that gave birth to the United Federation of Planets.

4. Romulan Commander, “Balance of Terror,” Star Trek: The Original Series

The unnamed Romulan commander that engaged in a thrilling chase with Captain Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise supplied the Federation with their first look at a Romulan’s face. The species’  revelation even allowed Spock to hypothesize about the potential connection between Vulcans and their Romulan cousins. Focused on revealing Starfleet’s weakness so as to give the Empire cause to instigate another war, the clever commander sought refuge in the Neutral Zone as the Enterprise closed in on the vessel. Fortunately, Kirk’s tactics proved superior and resulted in the enemy starship’s destruction. “Balance of Terror” served up two major firsts for the Star Trek franchise, as the episode introduced fans to the Romulan species and actor Mark Lenard, who later portrayed Spock’s father Sarek.

3. Admiral Jarok, “The Defector,” Star Trek: The Next Generation

Following a daring escape from Romulan space, Jarok posed as an asylum-seeking junior officer who hoped to warn the Federation about an impending Romulan invasion. Starfleet’s skepticism about the legitimacy of his defection prompted the Romulan to reveal his true identity, an act that convinced Picard to cross into the Neutral Zone in an effort to confirm Jarok’s intelligence. Unfortunately, the Romulans had purposely presented Jarok with false data that was intended to expose the admiral’s political misgivings and lure the Enterprise into a trap. Picard managed to outwit Tomalak by bringing along cloaked Klingon starships as backup, but Jarok committed suicide once he realized that he had sacrificed any chance of seeing his family again for nothing. The admiral’s life ended tragically, but the existence of a Romulan willing to risk everything to avoid a conflict offered a glimmer of hope for the future of Federation-Romulan relations.

2. Senator Vreenak, “In The Pale Moonlight,” Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Aside from his fan-favorite declaration that the evidence regarding a planned Dominion invasion of Romulus was fake, Vreenak’s primary contribution to Star Trek lore came in the form of his death. With Starfleet Command’s approval, Captain Sisko and Garak manufactured a holorecording to convince Vreenak that the Romulans needed to reinforce the Federation and Klingons in their desperate plight against the Dominion. Unbeknownst to Sisko, Garak anticipated Vreenak’s reaction to the forged data and sabotaged the senator’s shuttle to cause its destruction once it left Deep Space 9 . The Cardassian tailor correctly theorized that the Romulans would discover the faked recording in the wreckage, attribute any imperfections to the explosion, blame the Dominion for Vreenak’s murder, and ally themselves with the Federation. Consumed by guilt, Sisko himself even acknowledged that Romulus’s intervention might one day be remembered as the war’s pivotal turning point.

1. Commander Sela, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Sela tops the rankings of influential Romulans because, quite frankly, the commander involved herself in numerous plots of interstellar importance. Tasha Yar’s half-Romulan daughter masterminded Geordi La Forge’s brainwashing in “The Mind’s Eye,” a ploy that sought to undermine the Federation-Klingon alliance by causing La Forge to assassinate a Klingon governor against the chief engineer’s will. Sela also instigated the Klingon Civil War and secretly offered Romulan support to the Duras sisters’ forces in the two-parter “Redemption,” but Captain Picard and his crew foiled the plan. Sela’s final ruse fooled Picard and Ambassador Spock into believing that Senator Pardek and Proconsul Neral held an interest in exploring the possibility of reunification with Vulcan. Of course, Sela’s actual intention was to dispatch an invasion force under the guise of a peace envoy and annex Vulcan. Fortunately, a message from Spock warned the Enterprise-D before any Romulan troops could land in “Unification II.” While each of Sela’s deceptions proved to be failures, her role in so many significant schemes has earned her a placement at the forefront of our list.

Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance science fiction writer who contributes articles to the official Star Trek website and Star Trek Magazine. He can be found on Twitter at @CaptStobie and Instagram at @StobiesGalaxy.

Get Updates By Email

• Broadcast Film Critics Association Award nominees
• Scream Award nominees
• Teen Choice Award nominees
• Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award nominees
• 1 Early life and comedy career
• 2.1 1997–2008
• 2.2 Star Trek
• 2.3 Post- Trek films
• 3 Television Roles
• 4 Personal life
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Early life and comedy career [ ]

He was born Eric Banadinović in Melbourne, Australia, to a Croatian father and a German-born mother. His affinity for performing surfaced when he was six or seven years old, when he began to imitate members of his family. He even mimicked his teachers at school in order to get out of trouble. Bana decided he wanted to become an actor after watching the 1979 film Mad Max as a teenager, but it was not until 1991 when he began doing stand-up comedy that he started to seriously consider a career in performing.

After performing on the late night talk show Tonight Live , Bana was invited by the producers of the sketch comedy program Full Frontal to join their show as a writer and performer. One sketch Bana did on this show was a parody of Star Trek: The Next Generation , in which he portrayed Worf , with a crab in place of the character's signature ridges. [1]

In 1996, after three years on Full Frontal , Bana created his own television special, called Eric , which was followed by a sketch comedy series of his own, The Eric Bana Show . Although this show was canceled after only eight episodes due to low ratings, it earned him a Logie Award as Most Popular Comedy Personality.

Having become a successful film actor, Bana currently has no interest in returning to comedy. Bana stated that, by the time he made the transition to film, he was "kind of burnt out" from his comic performances and that he "had had enough of it." [2]

Film career [ ]

1997–2008 [ ].

Bana made his film debut in the 1997 Australian comedy The Castle , but first earned wide recognition as an actor for his starring role as legendary criminal Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read in the 2000 film Chopper . Bana's performance in this film earned him critical acclaim and several awards, including the 2000 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor.

Impressed with Bana's performance in Chopper , director Ridley Scott cast Bana as "Hoot" in the war film Black Hawk Down without an audition. Also starring in Black Hawk Down was Tom Hardy , who played Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis (the film immediately preceding Bana's Trek film), Jason Isaacs , as well as Glenn Morshower and Enrique Murciano . Afterward, Bana starred as Dr. Bruce Banner in Hulk , the 2003 film adaptation for the Marvel Comics character. Although the film was not a critical or financial success, Bana's performance was lauded and earned him a nomination from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as "Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award".

Bana's voice can be heard as the hammerhead shark named Anchor in Disney/ Pixar Animation Studios 's 2003 CG-animated hit Finding Nemo ; Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star Stephen Root also had a voice-over role in the film. In 2004, Bana played Prince Hector in Troy . The following year, he starred in Munich (2005), his performance in which earned him a nomination from the Australian Film Institute, again for Best Actor. Bana then starred with Drew Barrymore in the 2007 romantic comedy Lucky You .

Coincidentally, before donning the role of a Romulan, Bana played the title role of the 2007 drama Romulus, My Father . He received his second Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute for his performance in this film. [3] In 2006 and 2007, he played the role of Henry VIII of England in The Other Boleyn Girl opposite Benedict Cumberbatch , an historical drama released in February 2009.

Bana's participation in Star Trek led to a delay in another project, The Time Traveler's Wife with David Cowgill , a romantic science fiction story in which he played a man who suffers from uncontrollable jumps in time. Although principal photography for the film occurred before Star Trek , New Line Cinema determined they needed to shoot a new scene. By that time, Bana had shaved his head for the role of Nero. They needed to wait not only for him to regrow his hair, but for seasons to change again for the desired environment. This pushed the film's release back from Fall 2008 to August 2009. [4]

Star Trek [ ]

Star Trek promotional poster featuring Bana as Nero

Bana has stated he was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series when he was a child, but his appreciation for the show was not the reason he signed on to do the movie. Bana said he accepted the role after reading the script (written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman ), which he called "awesome" and said he could not resist being a part of the movie. Another factor was his friendship with the film's director and producer, J.J. Abrams . He and Abrams have the same agent, which allowed them to meet several times before the film was in production. [5] [6] [7] [8]

His casting in Star Trek was announced on 9 October 2007 . He was filming The Time Traveler's Wife when the announcement was made. [9] [10] Before Bana's casting, it was reported that Paramount Pictures were seeking Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe to play the role of Nero. [11] Bana was the first of three Star Trek cast members with a strong connection to comedy; his co-stars John Cho ( Sulu ) and especially Simon Pegg ( Scotty ) are also known for their comedic works.

Despite being the film's primary villain, Bana described his role as a "cameo," stating Nero to be "a great character" and that he "couldn't say no." [12] However, sources revealed to TrekMovie.com that Bana's characterization of the role as being a "cameo" was an understatement, and that Nero was much more than that. [13] Bana later clarified his statements in an interview with Cinematical :

Bana began filming his part on Star Trek sometime between 20 February and 28 February 2008. He had to miss the New York premiere of The Other Boleyn Girl due to his work on Trek . [15] For the role of Nero, Bana was required to shave his head bald, as were all other actors portraying Romulans. [16] [17] [18] His work on the film was completed by 27 March 2008 , when principal photography wrapped. [19]

Reflecting on the role in 2013, Bana noted most people did not realize he played Nero. "I still get people today who just saw Star Trek and had no idea. Someone just told me yesterday, 'You're in Star Trek , and when it came out I had no idea it was you.' That's a huge kick. No, I love that." He added he did not receive any backlash for destroying Vulcan . [20]

The 2013 virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals is using his picture for card #104 "Romulan Captain Nero".

Post- Trek films [ ]

After finishing his work on Star Trek , Bana played the supporting role of Clarke in Funny People , a comic drama set in the world of stand-up comedy. This film also featured Andy Dick and Sarah Silverman , who appeared as themselves.

In 2009 Bana produced, directed, and starred in the documentary film Love the Beast , a "biopic" of his 1974 Ford XB Falcon, which he purchased at age 15 and has kept ever since. The film became the second-highest grossing documentary film in Australia's history. A 1973 Falcon is the signature vehicle of "Mad" Max Rockatansky, the franchise character recently played by Tom Hardy .

He then co-starred in the 2011 film Hanna as an ex-CIA operative who raises and trains his daughter to be a skilled assassin. This film's action designer, fight choreographer and stunt coordinator was Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country stuntman Jeff Imada .

Bana went on to star in Deadfall (2012), Closed Circuit (2013), Lone Survivor (2013, produced by Akiva Goldsman ) and Deliver Us from Evil (2014, co-starring Édgar Ramírez , who was considered for the role of the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness ).

He co-starred in the 2016 film The Finest Hours reuniting with Chris Pine .

In 2022, Bana provided the voice of Monterey Jac]" in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers alongside Alan Oppenheimer and Tim Robinson .

Television Roles [ ]

Bana's latest project is the true crime series playing real life criminal John Meeehan, the title character of "Dirty John".

Personal life [ ]

Bana has been married to publicist Rebecca Gleeson since 2 August 1997. They have two children together, Klaus (born August 1999) and Sophia (born April 2002).

Bana is a motor racing enthusiast and once even considered dropping out of high school to become a full-time mechanic. He participates in various motor racing competitions in Australia.

He is also a fan of Australian rules football and is an advocate for the Mental Illness Fellowship .

References [ ]

• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Eric Bana To Be Star Trek Villain." [1] TrekMovie.com, 9 October 2007.
• ↑ "No more funny business, says Bana." [2] The Daily Telegraph , 27 February 2008.
• ↑ McWhirter, Eric. "Eric Bana the best with two AFI awards." [3] The Daily Telegraph , 7 December 2007.
• ↑ Topel, Fred. "How Eric Bana's shaved Trek head held up Time Traveler's Wife ." [4] SciFiWire, 27 March 2009.
• ↑ Rich, Katey. "Bana Says Nero Is The Main Trek Villain." [5] CinemaBlend.com, 11 February 2008.
• ↑ Fischer, Paul. "Exclusive Interview: Eric Bana for The Other Boleyn Girl . [6] Dark Horizons via the Internet Archive, 20 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Spoofs Star Trek Plot Details." [7] TrekMovie.com, 6 February 2008.
• ↑ "Bana calls Star Trek role irresistible." [8] United Press International, 29 February 2008.
• ↑ "Eric Bana Cast as Villain 'Nero' in New Movie." StarTrek.com, 9 October 2007. (X)
• ↑ Siegel, Tatiana. "Eric Bana set as Star Trek villain." [9] Variety , 9 October 2007.
• ↑ Stax. "Exploring The Next Star Trek ." [10] IGN Movies, 8 August 2007.
• ↑ Sutherland, Claire. "Eric Bana happy to stay on couch" [11] The Daily Telegraph , 5 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Talks A Little About Trek ." [12] TrekMovie.com, 4 February 2008.
• ↑ Stewart, Ryan. "Eric Bana Talks About Playing Nero in Star Trek " [13] Cinematical , 11 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Eric Bana Thinks Trek Is Going To Be Fun." [14] TrekMovie.com, 2 March 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. "Bana Shaves Head For Nero + Pegg Loses The Blond." [15] TrekMovie.com, 26 February 2008.
• ↑ TrekMovie.com staff. "Yelchin, Cho & Bana Video Interviews [UPDATED: 2 new videos]." [16] TrekMovie.com, 27 February 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. " Star Trek Villain Spoilers." [17] TrekMovie.com, 16 May 2008.
• ↑ Pascale, Anthony. " Star Trek Wraps." [18] TrekMovie.com, 27 March 2008.
• ↑ Ryan, Mike. "Eric Bana, 'Closed Circuit' Star, Is A Lot Different Than You Probably Think He Is." [19] The Huffington Post, 26 August 2013.

External links [ ]

• Eric Bana at Wikipedia
• Eric Bana at the Internet Movie Database
• Eric Bana at Lauren Bergman Management
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

Nero (comic)

The series is based on a story by the Star Trek writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci , based in part on scenes cut from the film itself. The series details Nero 's activities between the opening attack on the USS Kelvin in 2233 and his reappearance in 2258 .

• 2.1 German editions
• 2.2 Connections
• 2.3 External link

Appendices [ ]

German editions [ ].

The German publisher Cross Cult released two German versions, paperback and hardcover, of this series' omnibus, with new cover art by David Messina .

Connections [ ]

External link [ ].

• Nero (comic) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Interview with the writers on Comic Book Resources
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 3 Lamarr class