James Cawley
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
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James Cawley (born 23 June 1967; age 41) is currently best known as the senior executive producer and star of the fan-made internet series Star Trek: New Voyages, in which he plays Captain James T. Kirk. In 2008, it was announced he would have a background part as a Starfleet officer aboard the USS Enterprise in the upcoming Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams. His New Voyages co-star, Jeffery Quinn, will also appear in the background of a scene.
An Elvis Presley impersonator from Ticonderoga, New York, Cawley is a huge Trekkie who has been collecting props and costumes from the original Star Trek series since 1997. Cawley acquired the blueprints for the original Starship Enterprise in the early 1990s. He used these blueprints to construct near-flawless recreations of the original series sets in an abandoned car dealership in Port Henry, New York. Constructing these sets cost the production $100,000, which was collected from charity calls and fans.
The new sets were soon put to good use. Cawley and other Star Trek fans came together to begin filming Star Trek: New Voyages, a non-profit internet series taking place during the fourth year of the USS Enterprise's five-year mission under Captain Kirk. The first pilot, "Come What May," was filmed by 2003 and released in January 2004.
Cawley produces New Voyages under The Retro Films/ The Cawley Entertainment Company, funding the project using money he earns from his successful career as an Elvis impersonator and collections. CBS Studios, which currently owns the rights to Star Trek, allows the show's production (and that of other fan-created material) so long as the series does not make a profit.
The popularity and quality of New Voyages have led alumni from official Star Trek productions to contribute their talents to the series. TOS actors Walter Koenig, George Takei and Grace Lee Whitney have appeared on the series, reprising their roles as Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu and Janice Rand, respectively. TNG performer Denise Crosby will also be guest-starring in an episode as an ancestor of Natasha Yar. In addition, TOS writers D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold have each written an episode of the series. Fontana and Gerrold are also consulting producers on the series, as is Eugene "Rod" Roddenberry, Jr., son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.
As a testament to the project's success, its third episode, "World Enough and Time" (guest-starring Takei and Whitney, written by Michael Reaves and directed by Marc Scott Zicree), won TV Guide's 2007 Best Sci-Fi Webisode Award. [1]
In addition to his work on New Voyages, Cawley appeared as Captain Mackenzie Calhoun in the "Vigil" episode of the Star Trek: Hidden Frontier fan series. He also played Peter Kirk opposite Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols and Alan Ruck in the long-awaited internet mini-series Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, directed by Tim Russ.
The Earth Starfleet freighter Ticonderoga referenced in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "The Aenar" was a subtle nod to Cawley's hometown of Ticonderoga, New York. [2]
Cawley was given a background part in the new Star Trek movie following a chance encounter with director J.J. Abrams on the Paramount lot. Abrams invited a group of people, including Cawley, to visit the set of the bridge of the movie's Enterprise, which Cawley describes as "spectacular" and "absolutely stunning." Cawley had the chance to be a background extra in the film as an officer working aboard the Enterprise, which he begins filming 23 January 2008. Although he was initially skeptical of the new film, he is now supporting it after talking with Abrams and after seeing the sets, the costumes and the performers in action. [3]
Cawley continues to produce episodes for New Voyages and is currently in pre-production on a spin-off series entitled Star Trek: First Voyages. He has also thoughts about working on a continuation of the 1960s TV series The Wild Wild West, which featured Michael Dunn.
