The character of Spock has had many versions over the years, but whenStar Trek: Strange New Worldsactor Ethan Peck took on the iconic part, he didn’t do what was expected. He consulted someone unexpected for advice on his character.
Paramount Plus' take on the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise took a slight detour from previous iterations. Starring Anson Mount as the singular Captain Pike, the newStar Trekseries found a way to honor thebestStar Trek: The Original Seriesepisodeswhile also showing sides of characters fans have never seen. One of the most fascinating examples of this is Peck’s portrayal of Science Officer Spock. Stripping away the quippy dialogue of J.J. Abrams' rebooted movie series,Strange New Worldsleaned into operatic space stories of the flagship show while showing a different side of Spock.
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InStrange New Worlds, viewers experienced Spock before he became theVulcan fromStar Treklore. Still finding himself, Spock dabbled in human and Vulcan emotions in a way that had not been done before. And though some might think that Peck had consulted some of the more obvious experts in theStar Trekrealm, he followed the advice of someone closer to home. “[W]ho I spoke with about it is James Frain, who plays Sarek fromDiscovery,” Peck explained toAwards Radar. “He offered some wonderful insights into his process with the character. He referenced samurai and the samurai way of life and culture and discipline. There’s a lot of discipline in Vulcan culture and self-regulation So he really was the one, my touch point for Vulcanism.”
Frain appeared inStar Trek: Discoveryas another new actor to play a familiar face. Sarek is Spock’s biological father and the foster father ofDiscovery’s main character, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). The character has appeared in other properties, such as the Abrams reboot, butDiscoverywas able to delve deeper into his character. In the series, he demonstrated love for both of his children, albeit in his specific Vulcan way. An esteemed actor from sci-fi and costume dramas, Frain is one actor many hoped wouldappear inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2.
A newcomer to the stage ofStar Trek, Peck looking up to his television father makes a lot of sense. Not only is Frain a character actor veteran in genre television, but his handling of Vulcan characterization can be admired. Frain played a more experienced Vulcan and explored the psychology behind the character. AnyStar Trekfan knows that Vulcans are not emotionless, demonstrated beautifully in the characters that play them.
Star Trek: Discoverychanged how fans see Spock, and for the better. Peck used the advice from his Vulcan father to address the complex emotions shown in theStrange New Worldsepisode, “Charades.” Though the timeline ofDiscoveryhappens afterStrange New Worlds, the camaraderie between actors should open the door to further collaboration.
