paul wesley, who will play the youthful James T. Kirk in season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, will be the first vegan Captain Kirk in the Star Trek universe. Wesley will play a youthful Captain Kirk, a role initially filled by William Shatner in the original Star Trek series. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a spinoff series that follows Captain Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) and his crew in the years preceding Captain Kirk's ascension to the helm of the USS Enterprise.
“Paul is an experienced performer, an incredible presence, and a welcome crucial addition to the show,” said Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman and Co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers in a joint statement. “Like all of us, he is a lifelong Star Trek fan, and his rendition of this legendary part excites us.”
Wesley happened to sit next to Shatner, who had just returned from his true voyage to space, on a flight to Los Angeles, which he reported on Twitter. “I could hardly put two sentences together, but I managed to say hi and we spoke,” Wesley said on Twitter. “I'm not generally one to believe in fate, but this was more than a coincidence… I can't wait for everyone to see our Captain Kirk on screen.
Season one of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will premiere on Paramount+ in the United States, Latin America, Australia, and the Nordic region on May 5, 2022. Season two is presently in the works.
Vegan activism by Paul Wesley
Wesley, best known for his major role as Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries, has been a vegan activist for over a decade, frequently adding his voice to animal-rights concerns and encouraging fans to go vegan via his social media platform. Wesley turned to Twitter in 2020 to educate his then-4.1 million followers about the evils of industrial farming and its ties to zoonotic illnesses.
“In my perspective, one of the most pressing challenges of our day is factory farming.” If not the most crucial,” Wesley said on Twitter. “The indescribable misery inflicted on sentient beings, the source of various diseases/pandemics, and the leading driver of climate change.” Join me in becoming a vegan in 2021.”
Wesley also asked Vice President Kamala Harris to explore vegan foods for Thanksgiving this year. Harris, who previously admitted to attempting to eat a plant-based diet before 6 p.m., shared a recipe for pork-filled cornbread dressing on Instagram, prompting many followers to request a vegan version, including Wesley, who asked, “How about we use veggie sausage instead of pork and help fight climate change?”
Paul Wesley's animal rights involvement.
Wesley advocates for animals by investing in vegan firms such as Wild Earth, a dog food brand that is disrupting the traditional pet food sector with its plant-based formulas, in addition to utilizing his social media platforms to speak out about animal-rights problems.
“Since discovering Wild Earth for my dog Greggy, I have admired the mission of Wild Earth and its dedicated efforts to achieve a food system that works better for people, the planet, and animals because it mirrors my own beliefs about the reality of today's industrialized food system,” Wesley said in a statement. “I am excited to support Wild Earth as they continue to revolutionize pet food, and I am grateful for their support throughout my attempts.”
Earlier this month, Wild Earth released a special “Warp Speed to Good health Starter Pack” to commemorate Wesley's role as Captain Kirk, as well as a distribution relationship with Walmart, making its vegan food more available to canines throughout the country.
“When we met Paul, our shared vision for the future of all food as plant-based and cell-based led to his investment and cooperation,” stated Ryan Bethencourt, Co-founder and CEO of Wild Earth. “Now, as a lifelong Star Trek fan, I am overjoyed for Paul's success and eager for folks who are hearing about vegan pet food for the first time to join us in our goal to explore cruelty-free options for dogs everywhere with my favorite new (and old) Captain James T. Kirk.”
