Star Trek: Strange New Worlds fans will be “surprised” by this Spock
Ethan Peck spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com about the new Paramount Plus series.
The UK debut of highly anticipated new Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds, is fast approaching. In this edition, Ethan Peck's version of Spock takes centre stage, after being introduced in a recurring role on Star Trek: Discovery.
With the iconic character now having been played primarily by three different actors in live action, in series and films spanning over 50 years, fans may be inclined to believe there is nothing new to learn about the USS Enterprise officer.
However, speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Peck was quick to put that idea to bed. When asked whether fans would be surprised by Spock in the new series, Peck said: "Oh, yeah, absolutely. There will definitely be things that you will be very surprised to see that Spock does. And I wish I could tell you more. But I'm so excited for you to see what we've all put together."
Peck also said he was "excited for people to see the journey that I go on as this character", and with the series premiering on 22nd June when Paramount Plus launches in the UK, there isn't long for fans to wait now.
Strange New Worlds acts as both a spin-off to Star Trek: Discovery and also a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, following Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise in the decade before that series.
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On being cast in the role, originally for Discovery, Peck said he "felt so overwhelmed" and that he "cried tears of both joy and of terror".
He continued: "I'm still kind of making sense of it and trying to wrap my head around its existence in my own reality. And there are days still when I go to set or I'm looking at a script and I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I don't know if I can do this". I still have a lot of doubt, and I think that's a really healthy thing."
The actor said that while he now hopes to be "embodying the spirit of Spock" that original actor Leonard Nimoy created, he chooses not to reference his performance or compare himself with the actor.
He said: "I was very diligent about referencing it when I was preparing for Discovery. At a certain point, I kind of needed to let go and let it be my own thing. I hear his voice in my head quite often if I'm if I'm in a scene and something's not sounding right, there's definitely a voice there."
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On where the character could go in future seasons, Peck said: "I would say that the hopes I have for this character are being fulfilled. I wanted to explore his human side.
"These are many years before we see him in sort of a more balanced version of himself and the original series portrayed by Leonard Nimoy, a more balanced relationship between his human and Vulcan halves.
"And so I think that we are really taking liberty with how deeply we go into those halves. What is the pendulum? Like, how does it swing? Where does it go? It's been an amazing journey and incredible gift for me to explore as an actor, and as a person."
Additional reporting by Olivia Garrett.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will premiere on Paramount Plus UK on 22nd June 2022. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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