STAR TREK - BRIT ACTOR BOARDS ENTERPRISE

BRIT ACTOR BOARDS ENTERPRISE

Yet another actor has been added to the steadily expanding cast of Lost creator JJ Abrams' upcoming Star Trek feature film.

After Winona Ryder was confirmed as Amanda Grayson, the human mother of Mr Spock, British actor Ben Cross has been cast as the Vulcan's father.

Best known for his role as Jewish Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in 1981's Oscar-winning Chariots of Fire, Cross also stars alongside John Cusack and Hilary Duff in the 2008 comedy War, Inc., as well as in Species: The Awakening, the fourth film in the series.

He joins an impressive cast for the eleventh Star Trek, which details the Starfleet Academy days of Captain James T Kirk and the Starship Enterprise crew.

Chris Hemsworth was last week confirmed for the role of George Kirk, father of Captain Kirk (relative newcomer Chris Pine), while Capote star Clifton Collins Jr will star as the sidekick of Eric Bana's villainous Nero in the Christmas 2008 movie.

They join the likes of British comedy great Simon Pegg as the young Scotty, Lord of the Rings actor Karl Urban playing Leonard 'Bones' McCoy, and Harold and Kumar star John Cho assaying the role of Mr Sulu.

The studio producing the film held an open audition last weekend for people with "unique" features to appear in the upcoming film.

The release from Headquarters Casting said they were "especially seeking talent with interesting and unique facial features, such as long necks, small heads, extremely large heads, wide-set eyes, bug eyes, close-set eyes, large forehead, short upper lip, pronounced cheekbones, over or undersized ears and/or nose".

It added that people with "facial deformities, ultra plain-looking people, ultra perfect-looking people, pure wholesome looks, twins, triplets, emaciated talent, in addition to regally poised and postured talent", would also be considered.

"This is an epic project and we are looking for the most intriguing and interesting faces to integrate in this film," the invitation added.