Chris Pine: Plays weren't my forte

Chris Pine wasn’t very good at Shakespeare.

The American star studied the work of Tudor playwright William Shakespeare for his degree in English at Berkeley University and while he enjoyed learning, his teacher wasn’t as impressed.

“I did Henry V’s St Crispin’s Day speech in a huge outdoor amphitheater. I remember my acting teacher grilling me because my voice wasn’t powerful enough to carry. She would sit in the front row, then she’d sit in the middle and then she’d sit at the top.

“I had a great deal of fun doing it, but I was no good,” Chris laughed to the British edition of Elle magazine.

While Shakespeare may not have been his thing Chris has fast become one of the hottest names in Hollywood, with leading roles in films such as the Star Trek franchise, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and Unstoppable.

His A-list lifestyle has afforded him the house of his dreams, which Chris has spent the past year designing. But instead of thinking about his crib in terms of aesthetics, the 33-year-old actor would rather his home be a place that makes him feel good.

“It’s comfortable. It’s warm. It immediately lets me relax; it creates a particular mood for me. It reminds me of certain things about my childhood. It’s a good place to go,” he divulged.

He talks about his other passions, cars, in much the same way.

“I like the handling of [the sports car], that you have control of the wheel, the power steering doesn’t take over. The [people carrier] is wonderfully comfortable. I’m sensitive to things, so if I’m going to be sitting in something for long periods of time I’d better enjoy it,” he said.