Exclusive: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Cast Interviews
Premiering with two episodes on Thursday, January 15 on Paramount+ in the U.S is STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY. Following the premiere, new episodes of the 10-episode-long season will drop weekly on Thursdays, with the season finale on Thursday, March 12.
STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY introduces viewers to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.
The new series stars Academy Award winner Holly Hunter as Nahla Ake, the Chancellor of Starfleet Academy and Captain of the U.S.S. Athena, plus the cast of cadets played by Sandro Rosta, Karim Diané, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins and Bella Shepard. Additional cast members include Zoë Steiner, Robert Picardo, Tig Notaro, Oded Fehr, Gina Yashere and Academy Award nominee Paul Giamatti, as the season’s villain.
Sandro Rosta plays Caleb, an orphan with a troubled past and unlikely Starfleet cadet. Karim Diané plays Jay-Den, a Klingon cadet who dreams of becoming a medical officer. Kerrice Brooks is SAM, the first of her kind—a photonic being/hologram—to ever attend Starfleet Academy. George Hawkins is Darem, an aspiring captain who comes from a wealthy background. The Khionian species is new to the Star Trek canon.
Bella Shepard is Genesis is an admiral’s daughter determined to make her own name in Starfleet. Zoë Steiner plays Sadal, a Betazoid and the daughter of the president of Betazed. Gina Yashere joins the cast in a recurring role as an instructor at the Academy. Commander Thok is a Klingon/Jem’Hadar hybrid who is the chancellor’s First Officer and Cadet Master. Robert Picardo previously appeared as the hologram “The Doctor” on Star Trek: Voyager and will reprise his role for Starfleet Academy.
Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau serve as co-showrunners and executive produce the series alongside executive producers Gaia Violo, Aaron Baiers, Olatunde Osunsanmi, Jenny Lumet, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, Frank Siracusa and John Weber. The series’ premiere episode is written by Gaia Violo and directed by Alex Kurtzman. STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales talks to STAR TREK: STARFLEET ACADEMY cast members Holly Hunter, Paul Giamatti, Alex Krutzman, Noga Landau, Robert Picardo, Gina Yashere, Sandro Rosta, Kerrice Brooks, George Hawkins, Bella Shepherd, Zoe Steiner, and Karim Diane
