Chris Pine has described Benedict Cumberbatch as a formidable actor.
Pine is set to reprise the role of Captain Kirk in Star Trek Into Darkness and Cumberbatch is one of the new faces on the cast list.
And while Pine could not give any hints as to which role Cumberbatch will be playing he says that it was fascinating to watch the British actor work.
Speaking to The Press Association the actor said: "Obviously I can't say much, but there's one scene in it. It's a really hard scene, not for me, but for Benedict.
"And watching him handle that and to make something that I think, on paper, could have really been a death trap for an actor," he said.
"I also knew that he did Frankenstein, although I never got a chance to see it, but he has great command of his instrument. He's formidable as an actor and as a character in the story. He's a great actor."
Cumberbatch will play the villain in the movie but just which character he is set to be is a closely guarded secret.
As for Pine he was back on the big screen this week as he voiced the character of Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians.
Star Trek into Darkness is released 17th May 2013.
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