Writing with a specific actor in mind is not unheard of in Hollywood. Sometimes it’s a matter of circumstance that the right people behind the show want to ensure they have a key player among their cast. When it came to the upcoming Paramount+ Star Trek spin-off,Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, showrunnerAlex Kurtzmanstressed that it wasHolly Hunterthat the crew wanted to make sure they had on the call sheet. Hunter plays Nahla Ake, a Starfleet Captain and the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy. Kurtzman told Collider’sSteve Weintraubat San Diego Comic Con that Hunter was “the voice in our heads” during the show’s development. He explains:
“So we wrote this part for Holly Hunter before we knew Holly Hunter. And as we were developing it, because I am, like, an obsessive fan of all of her films. I’ve never told you this, but I’m telling you now. She just was the voice in our heads when we were writing it. And the fact that we sent it to her, and she responded right away was such a gift, because we had already kind of tuned our ear to it. And then we had this amazing experience of getting to sit down with her and go through all the scripts and read them out loud together, which was really fun.”
Hunter adds, “It was really fun.” Kurtzman emphasizes that “in your head for three years, but then you actually hear Holly Hunter do it. And it all comes to life in a way that was pretty amazing.”
What Is ‘Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’?
Star Trek: Starfleet Academytakes place in the 32nd Century, welcoming the first class of Starfleet Academy cadets in more than 120 years. A teaser trailer was released at San Diego Comic-Con, with Hunter’s Nahla Ake narrating as she welcomes the new class. The trailer is full of Easter eggs for longtime Trek fans, including a wall of honor and a glimpse at a monitor studying the disappearance ofDeep Space Nine’s Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks). Fans also learned more about characters, both new and old, returning to the upcoming spin-off.Zoë SteinerplaysTarima Sadal, a Betazoid and the daughter of the president of Betazed. There’s alsoGina Yashere,who playsCommander Lura Thok, a Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid. Additionally,Paul Giamatti’s Nus Braka, who they say is part Klingon, part Tellarite, and will be the season’s villain. Returning to Trek isRobert Picardoas The Doctor, first seen onStar Trek: Voyager,as well asStar Trek: Discovery’sTig NotaroandOded Fehras Chief Engineer Jett Reno and Admiral Vance, respectively.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academyis expected sometime in 2026. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
