Nana Visitor says Netflix helped changed fan opinion of Kira

For a long time, Nana Visitor wasn’t well-liked as Kira on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Nana Visitor’s character, Kira, wasn’t well-liked on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Fans said she came across as too harsh, and they were turned off by the way she walked and how angry she seemed. This went on for the duration of the show’s seven-year run from 1993-1999. According to Visitor, who appeared on a panel at Star Trek: Mission Chicago, [via CinemaBlend] that changed, though, when Netflix acquired the rights to stream the series over a decade ago.

Back in the nineties, strong, powerful women would often come across as too harsh or demanding to some viewers. But, in today’s climate, and even back when the series began streaming on Netflix, the stronger women are, the better. Visitor said she learned that fans saw her character differently when she was approached at a convention.

"“The attitude towards me, my character, has certainly changed. Where I was [once] viewed as, ‘Oh, why is she always angry?’ Now, I remember when it happened, it was just when the show went on Netflix. I went to a convention, and there was a 15-year-old boy, and that is telling. He was like, ‘I have a big crush on you.’ I was like, ‘Wait, what? Wait, wait, let’s talk about this. I’m not too angry? I’m not threatening you in any way? He’s like, ‘Oh, I think it’s great.’ So that has changed.”"

Nana Visitor had a lot of fans, though, who appreciated Kira for who she was.

Though it took a while for some opinions to change, for a lot of viewers, probably more than Visitor even realizes, Kira was someone to look up to. For many young adults who were struggling with self-esteem or any of life’s challenges, she was a strong, capable woman who fought back against her enemies and rose above her past.

Now that Deep Space Nine has been airing on Netflix since 2011, thousands upon thousands of people have had the opportunity to get to know Kira, to learn who she really is. On top of that, the fans who didn’t understand her in the past, have had the ability to rewatch the series, possibly even multiple times, and have discovered she wasn’t as bad as they thought.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is one of the most influential sci-fi television series that aired in the 20th century. It’s a shame to see it depart from Netflix, which is the most popular streaming channel. The removal will likely reduce audience numbers to the show…at least until Paramount+ grows its subscriber list. And I hope that happens soon. There are many more young adults that need to learn the lessons Kira can teach them.