Leonard Nimoy left big shoes to fill: he created one of the most iconic characters in TV history when he starred as Spock on Star Trek: The Original Series in the 1960s. In recent years, Ethan Peck has taken on the mantle, first on Star Trek: Discovery, and now on its spin-off series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He discussed the challenges of the role in a Strange New Worlds Q&A, moderated by NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans, following the show’s premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Asked about the challenges of playing a character who suppresses his emotions, albeit to a lesser degree than his older, Nimoy-portrayed self, Peck answered:
“Portraying Spock’s emotions is a constant source of anxiety. I think the writers do a great job of putting me, the actor, Ethan, that plays the character Spock, in really uncomfortable situations. At the same time, they’re putting Spock in those situations on the Enterprise on the show. So there’s a lot of art imitating life, I think…they sort of discover our aptitudes in these roles, in these characters, and write more towards those, and I think we’ve all grown as people and actors, and as the characters. And so it really does start to blur a little. I’ve found myself a couple of times saying, you know, we’ve done a take, and is it Spock enough, or was it Ethan? Sometimes you can’t keep track, which is a really interesting sensation. But yeah, I’ve changed as a person as the show progresses, and they get to know me better. I love that they’ve sort of made him ‘the funny Spock.'”
He added that it’s “so surreal” to be a part of the show, and teased that “the funny Spock” would be showcased in the first episodes of Strange New Worlds‘ new season.
Who Is Spock in Star Trek?
The son of legendary Vulcan diplomat Sarek and his human wife Amanda Grayson, Spock experienced prejudice as a child thanks to his half-human nature. He grew up alongside the human girl Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), who Sarek and Amanda adopted after she was seemingly orphaned; he also had a secret half-brother, Sybok, who would later become his enemy. He eventually came to join Starfleet; there, he served as science officer aboard the USS Enterprise, first under Captain Christopher Pike, which is when Strange New Worlds takes place, and later under Captain James T. Kirk.
He became a loyal friend to both men, often endangering his career and his life to come to their rescue. After his tour of duty with the Enterprise, Spock became a diplomat, helping to achieve peace with the Klingon Empire (in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country), and, much later, began laying the groundwork for the reunification of the Vulcans and their warlike offshoot, the Romulans (in The Next Generation). Later in life, he ended up in a parallel universe (in J.J. Abrams‘ reboot Star Trek movies) where the planet Vulcan had been destroyed; aided by a younger version of his Enterprise crew (including a younger version of himself, played by Zachary Quinto), he helped resettle the Vulcan refugees.
Strange New Worlds‘ five-year mission is coming to a close…but not any time soon. The series was recently renewed for a fifth and final six-episode season, which will likely air sometime in 2027. The series’ fourth season is currently filming on Toronto’s Star Trek Stage.
The third season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on July 17, 2025. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
