You’ve very possibly seen these pictures and read this profile already, but for some reason, the assets got buried in our Gmail and I only just found them. Why waste a gift? So here you go: Chris Pine, enjoying his moment as the beset Hollywood Chris of all. He performs a sauna ritual. He wears a patterned cardigan. He has a small vineyard at his house and has made a wine called Ms. Sauvy B. His whole 2022 aesthetic is described, perfectly, by the writer as “the man cocaine makes you think you are.” And you must at LEAST click through to see the other photos that were not provided to the media. One of them is downright balletic. I think he’s done a pretty masterful job of creating an aura of mystery and quirk about himself, possibly for this reason:
“We’re in a business of perception, and I’m reminded often that the way that I know and experience myself and perceive myself is oftentimes wholly different than how the industry does, or artists and creators that I’m interested in working with,” he says. “They think my interestingness only goes so far, I guess.”
I don’t think you can argue anymore that Chris Pine isn’t intriguing. Whether he knows it or not, he’s played a smart Hollywood long game, letting the other Chrises wear themselves out a little while he just… ripened. And now here he is, a cool cat, the one we want to know and see more of, who is most likely going to be the best thing about whatever he does (see: Don’t Worry Darling, where he ties with — or comes in a close second to — Florence Pugh for that honor, and by the way, he is very diplomatic about that whole thing beyond professing the comparatively most fervent affection for Pugh).
There WAS a small part in there that made me pull up a bit. The writer/directors of Dungeons and Dragons talk about how, often, good-looking actors won’t let loose and give in to being silly, and that Chris will do it because he doesn’t mind “emasculating” himself. Chris laughs and retells that moment and adds his own “Ha ha that’s not really a compliment! But yes I’m cool with looking like a fool” reaction. Obviously I know what they mean, and I don’t think they intended any harm or anything. But in freaking 2023, I feel like it would be great if people moved past the idea of something being “emasculating,” because that carries a real whiff of “THIS is the way to be A MAN and anything else is LESS THAN MANLY” about it. Which is outdated, and frankly, boring. Remember that time InStyle did a short piece on Jason Momoa and they brought up how he wears pink, and being secure in masculinity, and blah blah blah? Sigh. Well, it’s a good reminder that we’re ALL still learning how to evolve and reconsider our language.
