“Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” has docked on Paramount+ as of Jan. 15 with a special two-episode premiere for its inaugural 10-chapter season. We’re a few episodes in now, and the show seems to be hitting its stride.
Created by Gaia Violo and executive-produced by showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, it explores the lives, loves, and relationships of young officer cadets enrolled at the recently resurrected Starfleet Academy in the 32nd century, overseen by Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and her core instructors.
In our continuing conversations with the cast and creators of this latest “Star Trek” spinoff for the space fantasy franchise’s 60th anniversary, we had the chance to chat with three more of the series’ bright-eyed candidates — Sandro Rosta (Caleb Mir), Kerrice Brooks (Sam), and George Hawkins (Darem Reymi) — about their different associations with “Star Trek,” and how they found their identities within Gene Roddenberry’s final frontier.
“The first things that I watched ‘Star Trek’-related were the 2009 movie and the films in that universe,” Rosta tells Space.com.
“That was my introduction to it. I was aware of the legacy, I just hadn’t stepped into it personally. Those movies obviously draw from so much of the huge plethora of ‘Star Trek.’ It feels so deep, and I remember watching those movies and feeling the weight of it. It’s like when you watch ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ It feels like it’s drawing from such a deep well of history. Becoming an insider, you have to know.
“So I went back, and that’s when my eyes were opened, not just the wealth of content, but how it makes people feel and how it makes the world around us better. That’s where I am now. Being in reverence that I’m part of something that’s been around for so long and carries so much emotional weight.”
Brooks’ brush with “Star Trek” came with an even more personal reaction, rooted in her upbringing. “I didn’t really have a personal one [connection] because of rebellious reasons from my family,” she reveals. “I didn’t know if I would see myself in it. I think it was really important for me to see myself in something, and I saw it in a lot of cartoons.”
“When I started watching it when I was cast, I saw that everyone could exist in this world. And that makes me feel safe enough to let down whatever wall I had up and fall into it. It’s like when you’re skydiving and falling backwards, unable to see what’s in front of you. I don’t know necessarily what’s to come, but I’m in for the ride right now.”
Proving that it’s never too late to find yourself in the treasures and pleasures of “Star Trek,” Hawkins discovered his connection through direct on-set observation.
“I didn’t really grow up a ‘Star Trek’ fan,” Hawkins notes. “But I think I had a really authentic way of falling in love with ‘Star Trek,’ and that was through our actual production and through meeting those who are creating this universe and this story.”
“Not just from a viewer [perspective], but from a creator. There’s so much that goes into creating the show and this franchise and keeping it alive. So I’ve fallen in love with it by watching people turn up every day on a 16-hour day and committing themselves to something that they truly believe in.”
Now that they’re all bona-fide Trekkies, our trio of cadets should head over to our Star Trek movies in order guide and watch through the whole franchise. And maybe you should, too… once you’ve finished watching Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, that is.
The latest episode of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” opens its doors today (Jan. 29) on Paramount+.
