Imagine being a lifelong Star Trek fan and then getting the chance to play a mix of two classic species from The Original Series. For award-winning actor Paul Giamatti, this is no longer a dream since winning the role of Nus Braka, the Klingon/Tellarite hybrid and foil for Captain Ake and her group of fresh-faced cadets on Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Giamatti recently told People about how the showrunners described the character of Nus Braka, which he was delighted to portray, by saying:
“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?’ 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!’"
Giamatti added:
“And I said, “Well, now you have two really aggressive races too, so I'm going to be super-aggressive.'"
For Giamatti, playing this character must feel less like a job and more like a live-action role play with an excellent budget. He even enjoyed wearing the makeup that transformed him into the hybrid Nus Braka, which probably allowed him to stay in character and add the kind of nuance that's so important when creating a Star Trek antagonist.
Since The Original Series, the Star Trek franchise has always featured memorable villains, from Klingons to the Borg and the Xindi. The show's antagonists vary widely in both appearance and behavior, such as the Klingons. Even in the early episodes of TOS, Klingons appeared with a variety of skin tones, outfits, and hairstyles.
While Klingons and Tellarites have vastly different looks, they do share a foul temperament. For example, Ambassador Gav was so combative that he didn't hesitate to attack Spock's father, Sarek, even though most Vulcans can kill an enemy with their thumb. It's clear that Paul Giamatti enjoys the idea of mixing these species to make a truly aggressive hybrid — the anti-Spock, if you will.
Speaking of hybrid characters throughout the Star Trek franchise, I'm looking forward to seeing if Giamatti takes full advantage of Nus Braka's parentage when it comes to wreaking havoc throughout the galaxy. While Spock repressed his human half and dedicated his life to logic, Braka doesn't seem like the kind of man who represses much of anything, which could make him an unpredictable antagonist.
What do you think of Starfleet Academy's villain, Nus Braka? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.