Paul Giamatti, the acclaimed actor known for his roles in films and television, recently embraced an unexpected opportunity in the iconic Star Trek franchise. On the new Paramount+ series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Giamatti portrays Nus Braka, a half-Klingon pirate, a role that marked a dream come true for the actor who had long admired the series. The show premiered its episodes on Thursdays, bringing fresh stories and characters to the Star Trek universe.
Though Giamatti had expressed his wish to play a Klingon character for years, he did not anticipate actually landing such a part.
“I didn’t actually think I’d ever actually get a call!”
the 58-year-old actor revealed in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
“I made no secret about the fact that I loved the show, but I never thought it would actually be something that would happen… It’s a top experience for me. I don’t know that much else can top this. I still kind of can’t believe that I got to do it.”
Giamatti’s Perspective on Star Trek and His Acting Career
Known for his award-worthy performances in productions such as Sideways, 12 Years a Slave, The Holdovers, and TV series like Billions and John Adams, Giamatti views his role in Star Trek with the same respect as his previous projects. He dismisses any hierarchy between highbrow and popular culture, emphasizing the quality of storytelling as the ultimate factor.
“I don’t see it as any sort of differentiation between higher or lower culture or anything like that — it’s all the same,”
Giamatti explained.
“I think it’s great, Star Trek: it’s smart, it’s good stuff and it’s good writing and it’s good stories, and so that’s all that matters.”
His affection for Star Trek runs deep, describing his fandom as
“more than casual, but I’m not encyclopedic.”
“I do love it a lot,”
he added.
Early Influences and Lifelong Fandom
Giamatti’s connection to Star Trek originated in his childhood, influenced by his father, A. Bartlett Giamatti, who later became president of Yale University and Major League Baseball commissioner. His father was a fan of the original 1960s series, sparking viewings of syndicated reruns that introduced the young Paul to the franchise.
“I was probably 7, maybe, and I think he identified me as the one of his three kids who would probably be really into this,”
Giamatti recalled with a laugh.
“He was really psyched that was on again, and so he kind of sat me down and I watched it with him, and that’s when it started… I was really taken with Spock, with Leonard Nimoy. I mean, everybody was great, but I really became kind of obsessed with Spock when I was a kid.”
Choosing a Role That Fits His Temperament
Despite this early fascination with the Vulcan character Spock, known for his logic and calm demeanor, Giamatti recognized that his own temperament wasn’t suited to such a role. Instead, he gravitated toward portraying Klingons, a warrior race defined by fierce passion and honor.
“I think even as a child, there was probably some recognition I couldn’t pull off a Vulcan, that I was more temperamentally probably suited to Klingons than Vulcans,”
he shared with a chuckle.
“There was something I admired about the Vulcans, but as I got older, the Klingons became more interesting to me.”
Playing a villainous character came naturally, as Giamatti explained he rarely portrays outright antagonists but enjoys the complexity such roles offer.
“I haven’t played a whole lot of out-and-out bad guys — I’ve only played a few. I play sort of bad guys,”
he said.
“I play complicated, unpleasant people. I don’t think I’ve played a whole lot of bad guys, capital B, capital G … it’s always fun to do that kind of thing. You’re really given a lot of license and to be kind of grand.”
Admiration for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Franchise Lore
Giamatti found particular inspiration in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which he was rewatching around the time he received the role in Starfleet Academy. He praised the exceptional acting on the show, especially highlighting the performance of Armin Shimerman as the Ferengi character Quark.
“I think I like it the most,”
Giamatti shared enthusiastically.
“The level of acting on that show is great, and I mean all of them. Everybody is fantastic on that show. Really great acting!”
He further marveled at Shimerman’s ability to convey a strong performance despite heavy makeup:
“He’s encased in that [makeup] – he’s got a lot of stuff on and it is what he does, what comes through is amazing.”
Giamatti also embraced the unique heritage of his character Nus Braka, who is half-Klingon and half-Tellarite, an alien race introduced in the original series and seldom featured since. Reflecting on the makeup design and concept, Giamatti recalled his excitement.
“When they were designing the makeup and they came back to me and they’d said, ‘The conclusion is you’re going to be sort of half-Klingon, half-Tellarite.’ And I was like ‘The pig guys?’”
he recounted with excitement.
“Because I remembered them from the original series. I think they’ve occurred rarely over the years in other things, but I really remembered them, actually, from when I was a kid being very struck by that one Tellarite, that very strange face and kind of disputatious pig person. And I was like, ‘This sounds kind of good. Yeah, I like that! That’s a funny idea!’”
He joked about the aggressive nature of both races, saying,
“And I said, ‘Well, now you have two really aggressive races too, so I’m going to be super-aggressive.’”
Passing the Legacy Forward
Although Giamatti shared his enthusiasm for Star Trek with his son, Samuel, the younger generation gravitated more toward Star Wars, which was rising in popularity during his childhood.
“He’s almost 25 now and it’s like he appreciated it,”
Giamatti reflected.
“At the time he was a kid and growing up, Star Wars was in the ascendant, and so he got infected with the Star Wars thing more than the Star Trek thing. I could never quite hook him in the same way. He definitely enjoys it, but I think ultimately he became more of a Star Wars kid.”
Starfleet Academy and What It Means for the Franchise
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy continues to expand the franchise’s legacy by introducing fresh storylines and complex characters, including Giamatti’s Nus Braka, whose heritage blends elements from both established and lesser-known Star Trek lore. The series supports the franchise’s tradition of exploring nuanced conflicts and diverse characters, maintaining its status as a smart and engaging saga.
As new episodes premiere each Thursday, fans can expect more adventures featuring young cadets under the leadership of characters like Holly Hunter’s Chancellor Nahla Ake, with Giamatti’s intriguing adversary adding depth and intensity. For Giamatti, joining the Star Trek family represents not only a professional milestone but a personal fulfillment rooted in decades of admiration and fandom.
