After growing up in a show business family as the son of two working actors, it was only natural for Chris Pine to follow in their footsteps and embark on a successful career. From the moment he made his professional debut on an episode of "ER" (NBC, 1994-2010), Pine was on the fast track to celebrity, logging other guest spots on the likes of "The Guardian" (CBS, 2001-04) and "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002- ) before landing a high-profile co-starring role opposite Anne Hathaway in "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2004). He next starred alongside tabloid fodder Lindsay Lohan in the romantic comedy "Just My Luck" (2006), while earning a bit of street cred as a psychotic neo-Nazi in the failed crime thriller "Smokin Aces" (2007). But Pine hit the big time when he signed on to play Captain James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' retooling of "Star Trek" (2009). The hugely successful film and the sci-fi lore associated with it elevated him to another level in his career, making Pine one of the most-watched young actors in Hollywood virtually overnight.
Born on Aug. 26, 1980, Pine was reared in a show business home by his actor parents, Robert Pine, then at the peak of his fame as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the 1970s staple, "CHiPS" (NBC, 1977-1983), and Gwynne Gilford, star of the film "Masters of the Universe" (1987). Pine was also the grandson of 1940s film siren, Anne Gwynne, who had starred in "Ride 'Em Cowboy" (1942) and "House of Frankenstein" (1944). Not surprisingly, the young actor and his sister Katie grew up in Los Angeles, soaking up the Hollywood lifestyle by often visiting their parents on set. Though he set his sights on acting, Pine first received an education, earning a bachelor's degree in literature from the University of California, Berkeley. During his junior year at Berkley, he spent a year studying abroad at the University of Leeds before returning home to finish his degree. He also took an acting class with an adjunct professor connected to the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, which led to Pine performing in a number of local plays; later he studied his craft with Howard Fine and Ivana Chubbuck.
Taking a professional stab at the family business, Pine began his career on television, making guest appearances on a variety of popular series, including a 2003 episode of the medical drama "ER" (NBC, 1994-2010), as well as episodes of "The Guardian" (CBS, 2001-04) and "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 2002- ). Expanding his résumé, he starred in a short film titled "Why Germany?" (2004) before making his feature debut in "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2004), playing the heir to the crown of the fictional Genovia, who plots to stop the engagement of another heir (Anne Hathaway) before she becomes queen. On a roll, the up-and-comer jumped back into television that same year with an episode of the popular, but ultimately cancelled series, "American Dreams" (NBC, 2002-05). A year later, Pine began taking on more challenging roles, starting with the religious-themed drama, "Confession" (2005); a short film titled "The Bulls;" and back to television for the "Dancing for Me" episode of the provocative series "Six Feet Under" (HBO, 2001-05).
By 2006, Pine was beginning to generate a good deal of publicity as someone to watch after enjoying some attention opposite Lindsay Lohan in "Just My Luck," in which he portrayed a clumsy, out-of-work schmuck whose fortunes change overnight after a kiss under a shooting star with a young woman (Lohan) with seemingly all the luck. Although the film was not a financial success due to Lohan's permanent fixture in the tabloids, Pine did receive a healthy amount of buzz just being associated with it. Pine next played a man both blind and a virgin who finds love with an Indian nurse (Anjali Jay) in the barely released-to-theaters romantic comedy, "Blind Dating" (2007). To follow up, Pine joined an ensemble cast in the high-stakes, big action movie "Smoking Aces" (2007). Considering that the film boasted a cast that included Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia and Ryan Reynolds - to say nothing of its Quentin Tarantino-esque look - "Aces" surprisingly bombed at the box office. Despite another big screen disappointment, Pine continued to line up work, signing on to the feature film thriller, "Carriers" (2009) alongside Piper Perabo and Christopher Meloni.
In 2009, Pine went from a rising talent to a full-fledged star virtually overnight after landing one of the most coveted roles in Hollywood, playing a young James T. Kirk in director J.J. Abrams' reboot of "Star Trek" (2009). Though he reportedly bombed his first audition, Pine received a second chance when he tried out for the role opposite friend Zachary Quinto, who had been cast as Spock. With the rest of the cast in place - Karl Urban as Bones, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu and Anton Yelchin as Chekov - the new crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise blasted off into theaters, receiving strong critical reviews and huge take at the box office that practically guaranteed a sequel. But most importantly, the high-profile part proved to be his breakout role, earning Pine a degree of celebrity he never before experienced. With sudden fame came tabloid attention, with reports coming in of the actor briefly dating actresses like Olivia Munn and Audrina Patridge. Of course, the film offers poured in, with Pine's name being attached to other coveted parts, including the lead in "Green Lantern" (2011) that ultimately went to "Aces" co-star Ryan Reynolds. Meanwhile, director Tony Scott cast Pine opposite Denzel Washington in "Unstoppable" (2010), with the pair playing two railroad conductors tasked with trying to stop a runaway train loaded with enough combustible liquids and poisonous gas to wipe out a nearby city.
