Star Trek alum Jonathan Frakes, who directed Starfleet Academy episode 9, "300th Night," has tons of praise for Holly Hunter! Frakes recently told TrekMovie.com: "So Holly has a great… She knows how to find her place in a room. And by the time I got there, we had Sunday rehearsals. So when she and I and whoever else was in the scene could work on the scene together, it saved all the time in the world on Monday or whenever we sat to shoot the scenes, because we could figure it out."
For those who haven't seen the series, Hunter's character is Nahla Ake, chancellor of Starfleet Academy and captain of the USS Athena. Frakes continued by saying in the same interview:
"And then I would send her text of the blocking that I wanted to try. So she has earned a position because of her—and she’s so wonderful, obviously, but she’s also a wonderful leader. This character is a very complicated, funny, smart, tough leader. Quirky."
With all that goes into creating a Star Trek episode, it's obvious that Frakes appreciates Hunter's dedication to the series and her character, who is unlike any captain we've seen before.
Nahla Ake is a human-Lanthanite hybrid, which gives her an amazingly long lifespan. At 422 years old, Nahla is comfortable with who she is and what makes her feel relaxed and happy, such as padding around the ship in her bare feet and lounging in the captain's chair when all is well around her.
I love this part of her personality because even though most of her cadets have human life spans, the message it seems to convey is to find your true self as early on as you can, and then learn to live that truth as honestly as possible.
It's also a perfect environment for this lesson, as some of the cadets, such as Khionian Darem Reymi, are leaving the familiarity of their homes for the first time, along with the roles they played in familial dynamics.
Frakes mentions Holly Hunter's ability to lead, and this is vital for cast dynamics and in the Starfleet Academy universe. Positive leadership means less tension, an environment that permits growth for both the actors and their characters, and, most importantly, we get great blooper reels! I hope this excellent cast gets the chance to grow under Hunter and the crew's direction and guidance.
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