Since its premiere on Might 5, Paramount+’s Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds’ inaugural season has efficiently delivered on the promise made by Star Trek: Discovery Season 2’s introduction of a pre-Kirk USS Enterprise.
Of the crew led by Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike, helmsman Lieutenant Erica Ortegas has rapidly develop into a fan favourite along with her comedic quips and easy talent as a pilot.
By portraying a completely authentic character — with not one of the canonical baggage of legacy roles like Spock, Chapel, and Uhura — actress Melissa Navia has had her personal journey fleshing out the supremely assured, loyal, and decided Ortegas.
Talking with TV Fanatic nearly from Toronto, Canada, the place she and the solid are within the ultimate levels of filming Season 2, Navia speaks candidly about how exceptional it has been to develop into part of the Star Trek household.
On the latest episode, Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds Season 1 Episode 8, entitled “The Elysian Kingdom,” your entire crew undergoes transformations into characters from a fairy story.
Not one to be not noted, Ortegas turns into the valiant Sir Adya, essentially the most loyal and noble knight-defender of the great King Ridley.
The manufacturing’s costuming and equipment are sumptuously excessive and spectacular intimately, so the query begs to be requested, did Navia get to maintain Adya’s sword?
“No, I did not. I did not get to maintain any of it. However that they had my knight’s outfit on show in Chicago, after which that they had it on the Paley Middle in New York.
“That made me so joyful as a result of I wasn’t in Chicago, however I really feel like I used to be as a result of I am so hooked up to that costume. I do not even like calling it a dressing up as a result of it looks like an outfit that I’d put on.
Final wknd to see “The Visionary Universe of @StarTrek: Unusual New Worlds” on the @paleycenter in #NYC. The solid stopped there on our strategy to the premiere final month. Our uniforms & my spiffy knight’s garb can be there: https://t.co/Se9Id6sjGt #StarTrek #StrangeNewWorlds pic.twitter.com/sIHZtYwWx2
— Melissa Navia (@melissaCnavia) May 28, 2022
Whereas Ortegas has been current on each episode this season and integral to many missions, the present has but to discover her backstory. What has Navia realized and found about her character?
“I knew from the get-go that she was the helmsmen, clearly, and a fight veteran. The truth that she’s so incredible at her job was written into the strains.
“What I have been seeing from followers is everybody needs extra of Ortegas, and everyone’s like, ‘Nicely, when are we going to listen to extra? When are we going to get extra backstory?’
“I’ve to go together with what I am given within the script, and the writing has been unbelievable throughout the board. However everyone seems to be getting these story arcs, and [fans are] like, ‘What about Ortegas?’
“What I kinda say is it is all there, proper? Like all human being, the whole lot that we’re informs the whole lot we do, so regardless that you are not getting these emotional arcs like for others, I am like, ‘She’s flying the ship. She’s busy. She would not have time to be in these Is-it-a-relationship/Is-it-NOT-a-relationship? [situations].’
“In each episode, I really feel that you simply actually see one other layer of Ortegas. I joke that everybody has these longer story arcs, and I find yourself creating a number of my very own backstory, and I inform no person.
“It is in my head, and so that you get all these micro beats [where] I am like, ‘Nobody’s ever gonna know that is what I am considering,’ but it surely does by some means inform what I am doing.
“Individuals’s response to how a lot she loves being a helmsman [is great]. The way in which that occurred was that I took a lot time to determine what I used to be doing on the helm as Melissa, because the actor, as a result of I felt like if Ortegas is admittedly this incredible a pilot, I am unable to simply be making up what my arms are doing as I’m going.
“I have to have a number of forethought put into this. I do the whole lot with intention in order that it comes off as if it isn’t with intention, simply occurs to be. That is what we do as actors.
“However you are going to discover out – even after Episode 8; we solely have two extra episodes – there are extra layers that you will see. And in addition different sides. I will simply depart it at that. I do not wish to give something away.
“However even speaking about Sir Adya in [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 Episode 8], it is this absolute fantasy character of Ortegas, and regardless that it is a character from a e-book, it’s an extension of her that was created by Dr. M’Benga’s daughter.
“I like [that] as a result of she mainly created a narrative out of the story that her father’s been telling her, and that is what the very best books, the very best tales do.
“Each episode, we see one other facet of Ortegas, and there can be extra backstory to her historical past as a soldier and in addition how she got here to be on the Enterprise somewhat bit additional down. Do not wish to give away an excessive amount of.
Simply as Sir Adya fiercely protects King Ridley, Ortegas’s unwavering devotion to Captain Pike is obvious. Is Pike the primary captain that Ortegas has served below?
“Sure, so far as I do know in regards to the character. I consider he’s. That might change within the writing. She’s clearly served with different members of Starfleet. She went to the Academy, the place she realized learn how to be who she is.
“When it comes to Captain Pike, she trusts him a lot, and she or he adores her entire crew. It isn’t [just] that she adores and trusts them, however she respects them as they respect her.
“When folks speak about how she will be… not flippant however form of off-the-cuff on the bridge. Generally persons are like, ‘Is it too casual?’ My argument is at all times, ‘No, it isn’t.’
“In case you communicate to folks within the navy, to people who find themselves in life or dying conditions on a regular basis, it is identical to, ‘No, for those who had been continually confronted with potential doom in area, you could have to have the ability to joke or else you’d simply not make it by means of the day.’
“She’s in a position to joke, and she or he’s in a position to have this excellent camaraderie particularly with Captain Pike, who she seems as much as. She can also get shy round [him] as a result of she does actually look as much as him a lot.
“However she’s in a position to do all that after which be a incredible pilot. She will be able to joke and nonetheless is aware of when to get all the way down to enterprise, and it is because of the writers that that is labored into it. All I’ve to do is do what I do, however nice writing is the cornerstone of the whole lot.
“We’re very, very lucky on this present – which you guys have seen – that the writing and the tales are simply [big sigh] glorious.”
When TV Fanatic spoke with Trek author Kirsten Beyer about her Star Trek: Picard audio drama, Beyer spoke briefly about her work on Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds in an apart. In regards to the solid, she stated, “The brand new solid for Unusual New Worlds goes to knock everyone’s socks off. I can’t watch for you guys to fulfill them.”
Navia concurs wholeheartedly. “Everybody within the solid is as great as you suppose they’re. They’re humorous. They’re clever. They have been with me… I have been coping with all types of private grief, and so they’ve been completely incredible.
“When it comes to the writers, due to COVID final yr, we had been in lockdown, and it was tough to see all of the writers all through the season as we often do. I feel I lastly noticed all of them in a single room in September. It was the best factor.
“I felt like I used to be strolling right into a room of rock stars, and so they felt like they had been lastly assembly me. We did not wish to be like, ‘Oh my god! I’m so joyful to fulfill you!’ however I like all of our writers. We owe what the present is to their minds.”
Ortegas’ trademark transfer is to execute each order she is given completely, regardless of how unbelievable the success. Is there something Ortegas would not do effectively?
“Completely, there’s. Clearly.
“I am making an attempt to think about particular issues. I feel one of many great issues about Ortegas is she’s very assured, so even when she will be able to’t do one thing effectively, she’s assured, not cocky. [Well,] she’s cocky, however a lovable cocky. She’s not obnoxious, proper?
“I’d like to be extra like Ortegas in common life as a result of she’s very, very cool. She exudes this confidence [even] when she does deal with one thing that she would not do effectively, or in terms of relationships the place she would not attempt to be too critical about issues as a result of she’s making an attempt to determine it out.
“So it is a part of who she is — if that is sensible — that she is so assured that even when she will be able to’t do stuff effectively, she’s gonna give it a strive.
“I do not know if Ortegas is a superb dancer trigger I am not an excellent dancer. I am not good at it, however I do love dancing. That is the form of factor the place it is like even when she’s not good at one thing, she’s going to strive it.”
Does Navia have a way of how Ortegas would method a tough impediment?
“I’d say she strategizes. I have been considering quite a bit about this when it comes to how she seems as much as Captain Pike. One of many issues she seems as much as him about is that, as a captain, you want to have the ability to strategize and take into consideration so many various issues directly.
“As a pilot, she is ready to concentrate on the duty at hand, and she or he does worth each single life that is on that ship. We see that in [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1 Episode 4], the place we’re being hunted by the Gorn. Lives are misplaced, and also you see the impact of that in everybody on the bridge.
“She does strategize. She has an entire backstory. She’s been by means of struggle. She’s misplaced pals. She’s misplaced folks. And she or he makes use of all these experiences to maneuver ahead.
“She’s an actual particular person… in my head. She runs into roadblocks, and also you see her because the lone wolf, which incredible pilots should be the place they’re form of in a position simply to do what they do and fly the ship and never fear about one million various things.
“As you see what occurs in Season 2, you may get a greater reply to that query.”
How is manufacturing on Season 2 going?
“We’re virtually wrapped. We’re simply going proper towards the tip, to the very end. We’re filming day by day.
“Now we have a few weeks extra filming, and by some means a number of the most unbelievable scenes are but to come back. I do know them from the script, however we nonetheless should movie them.
“It would not matter. Each episode is incredible, and I feel Season 2 could also be even higher than Season 1 if that is attainable.”
Even ace pilots want their downtime. What does Navia have deliberate for after manufacturing concludes on Season 2?
“I am gonna take somewhat street journey after which head house. There are initiatives that I am fascinated with; my reps are engaged on, however — I talk about it freely as a result of it is essential — I misplaced my accomplice of seven years [Brian Bannon] in December.
“A variety of what I will be engaged on for the following variety of months is memorials for him as a result of that occurred in December, in the course of the Omicron Variant.
“Additionally, there is a present that I used to be placing collectively known as Lady with Quick Hair. It was placed on maintain again within the fall, however now I am unable to do the present with out honoring what’s occurred and in addition honoring Brian in it, who stays and can at all times be an enormous a part of me.
“A variety of my time goes to be writing, spending it with household, and spending it on Brian, which makes me tremendous joyful. So yeah, there is a present, Lady with Quick Hair, and there is an essay that is on the market that I forgot continues to be… I did not neglect that it is nonetheless on the market, however persons are studying it. It is my opening essay for the present.
“[The show will include] my assortment of essays that I have not but proven to the world. It is about me and my life as — for essentially the most half — Melissa with Quick Hair and my interactions with the world.
“My tales and my expertise with grief and with loss and with life and with Star Trek are going to be a giant a part of that trigger I now have a platform that I did not have a yr in the past, and I’ve a fandom that I feel is the very best fandom on the earth.
“Brian, household, and writing and dealing on my present. And, hopefully, a incredible “different” performing challenge. If it is actually superb and is on the stage of Erica Ortegas, I’ll take it.
How will Lady with Quick Hair be offered when it is prepared?
“I am envisioning it as a reside factor. I do stand-up comedy too. I have not finished it on stage in a very long time for the reason that pandemic. I envisioned [the show] as –, and it is going to be — a mix of stand-up and storytelling.
“I am a storyteller; as you possibly can inform, I may speak endlessly. And so it is positively going to be reside, and it is going to be in New York. I am unable to watch for folks to see it. It will be about me, but it surely’ll now additionally at all times be about Brian.
“He is a presence on set. Everyone is aware of of him, jogs my memory of him, simply everyone. He was part of Season 1. I’d say Ortegas is who she is, who you guys see; Brian is liable for that. He was with me each single day by means of the filming of Season 1.
“It is the identical by means of Season 2, simply totally different, however he is there on a regular basis. And chatting with the solid and crew, they have been phenomenal. I do not know what persons are alleged to be like when this occurs, however they’ve been distinctive—everyone, solid and crew alike.
“I have been very lucky that Life throws loopy issues at you, however I’ve a beautiful household, and I’ve superb pals, and I’ve Unusual New Worlds.
“I will do my greatest to honor [Brian] and to honor all of that going ahead in the whole lot I do.”
Bought tales to inform. Primarily based on my life. Formed by my hair. Coming quickly… https://t.co/E8Lc7ts6ZV #GirlWithShortHair pic.twitter.com/2hpq7mtZXU
— Melissa Navia (@melissaCnavia) January 4, 2018
Catch extra Melissa Navia Ortegas motion on Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds streaming on Paramount+!
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Diana Keng is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.
