'Starfleet Academy's Jay-Den Is "Stronger Than Any Klingon You Have Ever Seen" [Exclusive]

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Published 23 minutes ago

Sam is a News Editor for Collider and a known lover of all things sci-fi and horror. She spends her days editing news stories, coodrinating exclusives, and working closely with writers to deliver their best work.

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The latest episode of Starfleet Academy has arrived, giving audiences a bit more insight into the new class of cadets as the academy gets into a prank war with the War College. While the conflict between Darem (George Hawkins) and Genesis (Bella Shepard) is at the forefront of this episode alongside the blossoming romance between Caleb (Sandro Rosta) and Tarima (Zoe Steiner), we've only gotten a taste of what's to come from Karim Diané's Jay-Den. Throughout the season, we'll see Jay-Den offer an unexpected interpretation of Klingon culture in the 32nd century.

Recently, I sat down with Diané and his Starfleet Academy co-stars for an inside look at Episode 3, "Vitus Reflux," and asked the young actor what we can expect to see from Jay-Den this season as he explores what it means to be a Klingon after The Burn. He told Collider:

"You mentioned Black masculinity, so now I feel like I want to talk about that because my whole life, like, I'm not this huge macho man, honestly. I’ve never played sports. I don't have any interest in it. Growing up, everybody told me something was wrong with me because I'm not like everybody else, but truly, coming to Star Trek and being cast in this show specifically because I am the way that I am, it’s so reaffirming that I am perfect the way that I am right now, and so is Jay-Den. He's not a warrior in the traditional sense. He doesn't like weapons, but he is stronger than any Klingon you have ever seen, and certainly braver. You know what I mean? So, I'm just so excited for people to receive him and receive that message."

'Starfleet Academy' Has Already Been Renewed for Season 2

Starfleet Academy scored an early renewal for Season 2, and filming began last year ahead of the show's premiere on Paramount+. Co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman recently told Collider that he would be directing the finale imminently, meaning that we likely won't have to wait long for the series to return. While speaking with Collider, Diané, Shepard, and Steiner teased their favorite episodes from their sophomore outing. "For me, six," said Steiner. Meanwhile, Shepard opted for "Episode 8 in Season 2" as her favorite, and Diané said, "Episode 3 is a good one."

Starfleet Academy is currently airing on Paramount+ with new episodes arriving on the streamer every Thursday. Stay tuned at Collider for more.