James M. Cawley II (born 23 June 1967; age 57) is best known as the senior executive producer and star of the fan-made internet series Star Trek: Phase II, formerly Star Trek: New Voyages, in which he played Captain James T. Kirk. For the canon Star Trek franchise, however, he appeared as a Starfleet officer on the bridge of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams. He can be seen standing next to Spock and holding a clipboard when Spock returns to the bridge for the first time after relinquishing command of the Enterprise. [1] Cawley's New Voyages co-star, Jeffery Quinn, also appeared in the movie as a Vulcan.
An Elvis Presley tribute artist from Ticonderoga, New York, Cawley is a huge Trekkie who has been collecting props and costumes from Star Trek: The Original Series since 1997. His attention to detail earned him an internship under costume designer William Ware Theiss on Star Trek: The Next Generation. [2] [3] Theiss provided Cawley with many Original Series original source materials, including costume patterns and blueprints for the set of 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, spending more than US$100,000 of his own money. Fans who were part of the production helped with the costs to continue to maintain and update the sets.
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 pilot, "Come What May", was filmed in 2003 and released in January 2004. Pieces of the sets, and some of the costumes, have been borrowed by Paramount for their Enterprise series.
Cawley's set was later moved to the site of a former supermarket at 112 Montcalm St. in downtown Ticonderoga. In July 2016, the set was opened to the public for tours on Saturdays. It is officially licensed by CBS Consumer Products.
Cawley produced New Voyages under The Retro Films / The Cawley Entertainment Company, funding the project using money he earns from his successful career as one of the country's top Elvis impersonators. [4] [5] Until the release of new fan-film guidelines in 2016, CBS Studios Inc., which owned the rights to Star Trek, allowed the show's production (and that of other fan-created material) so long as the series did 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. Original Series actors Walter Koenig, George Takei, Grace Lee Whitney, and William Windom have appeared on the series, reprising their roles as Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, Janice Rand, and Commodore Matt Decker respectively. Next Generation performer Denise Crosby also guest-stars as the grandmother of Natasha Yar. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry also reprised her role as the voice as the Enterprise computer in one episode. In addition, Original Series 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 Rod Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. A host of Star Trek production staffers too, have lent their talents to Cawley's production, including among others Doug Drexler, Dan Curry, Mike Okuda, Andrew Probert, Steve Horch, and Gregory Jein, to name but a few.
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), earned the series the TV Guide's 2007 Best Sci-Fi Webisodes Award. [6](X)
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. Star Trek: Of Gods and Men used Cawley's sets and costumes to film their shipboard scenes.
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. [7]
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 began filming 23 January 2008. Although he was initially skeptical of the new film, he now supports it after talking with Abrams and after seeing the sets, the costumes, and the performers in action. [8]
Cawley was also interviewed for the "Collecting Star Trek's Movie Relics" featurette on the 2009 DVD/Blu-Ray Disc release of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Cawley's interview was shot on the bridge of the Enterprise used on New Voyages/Phase II, and focused on the costumes he owns that were originally created for the ill-fated Star Trek: Phase II canon TV series.
External links
- James Cawley interview at TrekMovie.com
- James Cawley at Wikipedia
- James Cawley at the Internet Movie Database
- Star Trek: New Voyages – official site
- StarTrekTour.com – website for Studio Tour