Paul Giamatti, a Golden Globe winner, has nothing but admiration for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, praising the show for its outstanding group work and outstanding performances. In an interview with People, Giamatti, a longtime fan of Star Trek, acknowledges that DS9 is his favorite of the franchise's many variations. “I think I like it the most," Giamatti said. "The level of acting on that show is great, and I meanallof them. Everybody is fantastic on that show. Really great acting!”
Giamatti's praise highlights what DS9 fans have been saying for years: that DS9 was a complicated, character-driven show that relied on morally questionable storytelling and deep emotional themes.
The cast of the show created a complex, lived-in world on the border of Federation space, from the commanding Benjamin Sisko played by Avery Brooks to the intense Kira Nerys played by Nana Visitor, and the mysterious Odo played by the late Rene Auberjonois.
Giamatti talks about this dedication to character depth and performance, putting DS9 in the role of a science fiction epic that also showed off actors.
Giamatti really admires Armin Shimerman's work as Quark, the ever-scheming Ferengi bartender. “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 says, pointing to the way Shimerman projects nuance and vulnerability through heavy prosthetics and broad comedy.
For Giamatti, that ability to convey soul beneath latex and lobes epitomizes why Deep Space Nine remains such a high-water mark for performance in the Star Trek universe. Share your thoughts and comments with us on Giamatti's admiration for DS9 via the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.