Star Trek’s new streaming series Starfleet Academy will drop on Paramount Plus in just over a month, and it will focus on a group of five cadets studying to be the next generation of explorers in the 32nd century. However, they’re going to have to deal with Paul Giamatti’s ‘over the top’ half-Klingon, half-Tellarite villain, Nus Braka, first. The Golden Globe-winning (The Holdovers) actor is coming fresh off his appearance at the CCXP25 event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and he had this to say about his character while in attendance (via TrekMovie.com):
"You’re supposed to have more fun playing a bad guy. And they came to me and said they wanted me to be really over the top, and I’m playing a half Klingon, half Tellarite. And those are really, really aggressive aliens. So I said, 'I’m going [to] be REALLY over the top, are you okay with that?' And they said, sure. So I’m really over the top. I had a lot of fun […] “Yeah, he’s very mean to the kids. I think he envies the kids. I think he wishes he had people supporting him and being nice to him the way everybody is to these kids. So I think he hates and envies these kids."
Giamatti, who is best known for his roles in The Holdovers and the delightful buddy dramedy Sideways, is a bona fide Star Trek fan. And whether you want to call him a Trekkie, Trekker, or some other variation on being a die-hard enthusiast of creator Gene Roddenberry’s beloved science fiction universe, Giamatti has always wanted to play a Klingon. The actor said during the same panel:
"They said to me, ‘You can’t be a full Klingon, because we have a full Klingon. So you’re going be half.’ So one thing I really remember… they talked about how Klingons have no sense of personal space. So, I was always too close to everybody. I would get way too close to everybody all the time. That was the big Klingon move that I wanted to have. And the Tellarites are incredibly argumentative, so there was that. But he’s interesting because he’s not entirely either one of those things, and he’s his own sort of aggressive hybrid. So I was free to actually make up a lot of what I was doing."
Yes, Alex Kurtzman does serve as a co-showrunner on Starfleet Academy, and, of course, there are those nasty naysayers out there who aren’t particularly fond of his version of Star Trek, which has been cranked out over the years. However, how can anyone take issue with the casting of Giamatti as the show’s primary antagonist in season 1? I can’t wait to see just how over the top Giamatti goes with Nus Braka, and I’m even more intrigued by his connection to Captain/Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and cadet Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta).
Are you as excited as I am to see the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. The new show boldly goes on Paramount Plus beginning Jan. 15, 2026. And be sure to check out this cool four-minute sneak peek of Nus Braka attacking the USS Athena.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!