Actor Paul Wesley said he made a conscious decision to develop his own interpretation of James T. Kirk rather than imitate William Shatner's iconic portrayal when he joined "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" as the younger version of the legendary captain.

"I watched, I rewatched every episode of T.O.S. prior to getting onset," Wesley said Tuesday. "I made a conscious decision. I thought about should I imitate or try to emulate William Shatner in any way. I thought, god, he did such an amazing job. He was so iconic, why not do my own spin?"

Wesley plays Lt. Kirk in the Paramount Plus series, portraying the character before his promotion to captain of the USS Enterprise. He said he approached the role by considering Kirk's earlier development.

"This is pre-captain so maybe he is still sort of figuring it out," Wesley explained.

The actor received Shatner's blessing before taking on the role. Wesley said Shatner tweeted him: "Take care of my crew and my ship."

"It was such a beautiful moment for me," Wesley said of the endorsement.

Wesley described "Star Trek" as one of his favorite projects.

"What I love about this show, first of all, it is incredibly optimistic and it is sort of an escapist playground," he said. "We get to watch this imaginative world filled with hope and positivity, inclusivity."

He said that each episode presents different challenges for actors. 

"Every episode is its own movie. You get to play a different character in a weird way or experience a different world in every episode. So as an actor it is thrilling."

Season three of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is currently streaming on Paramount+.