'Star Trek': The new cast

What it takes to play version 2.0 of Kirk, Spock and the crew

How do you find a fresh way to play a character already established in the minds of millions of devoted fans? That was the major challenge facing the cast of "Star Trek."

While the new movie is meant for fans and non-fans alike, the actors know that there's a hardcore base that will be scrutinizing their performances extra carefully. From talking to original series cast and watching classic episodes, to creating subtle similarities that build bridges with the past, here's how each actor prepared to boldly go where only the original cast had gone before. —Geoff Berkshire, Metromix