Chris Pine who has emerged as one of Hollywood’s hottest young actors, is currently shooting “Jack Ryan,” slated for a December 2013 release, assuming the mantle of the Tom Clancy action hero previously portrayed on film by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. This holiday season Chris Pine provides the voice of the character of Jack Frost , a ghostly blue and white 14-year-old boy with no memory of his past apart from waking up one night floating in a frozen lake.
“They know Jack as a troublemaker, as this immature kind of guy,” says director Peter Ramsey, and by all appearances, he is. Jack is a 300-year-old prankster in a 17-year-old body, with the power to create frost, wind and snow. Happiest when he’s causing havoc, controlling winter with a swing, tap or touch of his staff, to him, a successful day is measured by how many snowballs he’s thrown, how many windows have been fogged and how many schools have closed after it’s been declared a snow day. He has no responsibilities, no one to answer to, and ultimately, at least in his mind, no purpose.
“That bothers him,” says Ramsey. “Other than knowing that his name is Jack Frost, he doesn’t know anything about himself, much less what he’s meant to do in this world. To make matters worse, no one can see him and, unlike the Guardians, no one believes in him, so he’s kind of a loner and an outsider.”
To play the role of Jack, Ramsey and the “Guardians” team knew they had to find an actor that could demonstrate the conviction of a leading man – in many ways, “Guardians” is Jack’s story – but who could also be playful and vulnerable to express Jack’s range of emotions in the film. They found what they were looking for in actor Chris Pine.
“We loved Chris in ‘Star Trek,’” says Ramsey. He’s exciting and smart. That comes through as soon as you see him on-screen. He’s got a twinkle in his eye that can be heard in his voice. He’s a leading man with energy, charisma and a sense of fun – all the qualities that Jack Frost has.”
For his part, Pine gravitated to the role because of Jack’s plight.
“One of the journeys of this film is how Jack finds a home, friendship, community and a sense of purpose,” he says. “Jack will instigate snowball fights, desperately wanting kids to have fun but also wanting them to know that he’s the guy behind it, that he’s reason that they’re having a good time. Jack’s quest – to have connections with others and to find the answer to what are we put on this Earth to do – is something that’s so very human.”
