The blazing launch of Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” is now in the books this week, and avid fans can look forward to a galaxy of new characters as showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau take us into the far future of the “Trek” timeline for a 32nd-century education amid the stars.
Beginning with the two-episode premiere that just happened Jan. 15, creator Gaia Violo’s 10-chapter “Starfleet Academy” series lifts off to chronicle the first new class of Starfleet cadets in 120 years after The Burn, a devastating cosmic event documented in the third season of “Star Trek: Discovery.”
We recently connected with Bella Shepard (Genesis Lythe), Zoë Steiner (Tarima Sadal), and Karim Diané (Jay-Den Kraag) — part of this inspiring collection of prospective cadets — to hear what they’re most excited about in this debut season, connecting with their characters, and the significance of forever being an official part of “Trek” history.
“There’s so many gratifying aspects of it,” Shepard tells Space.com. “The fans’ reception of it is very gratifying. And also being able to work together with these guys has meant a lot to me. And also working with Holly [Hunter] and Paul [Giamatti] and Bob [Picardo] and Frakes [Jonathan] Tig [Notaro] and everyone we’ve met from just being in this world is a big deal for me.”
“And the writing that something like ‘Star Trek’ allows is so fleshed out,” Steiner adds. “It’s obviously otherworldly and outer space and larger than life in that sense, but it’s very grounded in reality. And that’s a really great combo to have as an actor.”
Karim Diané, who portrays the young Klingon recruit Jay-Den Kraag, had a reality check moment when he first reclined in the USS Athena’s honorary center seat.
“I think walking onto the bridge and sitting on the captain’s chair blew my mind,” he recalls. “I was like, ‘This is crazy.'”
Regarding their “Starfleet Academy” roles, the cast offered views on their parts and pondered how alike or different in real life they are compared to the characters.
“I look nothing like Jay-Den in real life,” admits Diané. “I wish I had them long dreads and piercing eyes and wrinkly forehead. Basically, we look different, but internally we’re very much the same. I’m West African and Central African after my mother. So I’m half-Guinean and half-Congolese. My tribe is a Mandingo tribe. So I really do relate to being a part of this ancient tribal culture.
“As a Mandingo man, we were warriors of West Africa. Growing up, I’ve been expected to be a warrior in a modern way. To be a sports star and play basketball and football, and I have no interest in sports. I just want to be an artist. And that’s very similar to Jay-Den, he doesn’t want to be a fighter, he wants to be a lover and a healer.”
“Genesis and I are very similar in our drive and our ambition,” Shepard notes. “Personally, there are many things I want to do with my life, and I want to do it all.
“Genesis has a lot of pressure on herself from her relationship with her father, and I relate to pressure in general. We’re also dissimilar in that our insecurities are very different, and it’s been so fun to play Genesis and create this raw human-like alien.”
“Tarima and I share how strong our connection is to our emotional landscape,” says Steiner. “Tarima is nicer, maybe, and she’s also very generous. I’d like to be as compassionate as her.”
“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” streams on Paramount+ starting on Jan. 15.
