At Star Trek Day 202, BadCulture TV caught up with Brett Gray, Star Trek Prodigy‘s Dal, who has claimed dibs on being the captain of the Protostar. The interview started with Brett fanboying out over being 5 feet away from Levar Burton. . . and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t?
I think a lot of people would have chosen to dive head-first into everything Star Trek, binged the series, read fandom articles, and/or try to connect with the former and current cast. However, Brett didn’t want his choices to be influenced by what had come before. While Prodigy is deeply rooted in Star Trek lore and takes place in the world we already know, it’s also a brand new thing. This show is targeting a younger demographic, though Brett does reveal that he thinks it will still be enjoyable for an older audience as well.
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Will his choice pay off? We don’t have to wait too long to find out, Star Trek Prodigy will engage with audiences on Paramount+ on October 28th, 2021, just a week after the finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks.
You can watch the full interview below via BadCulture TV’s YouTube channel or you can read the transcript after the bump.
Star Trek Prodigy‘s Brett Gray Discusses How He Prepped To Join The Star Trek Universe
BadCulture TV Interviews Star Trek Prodigy’s Brett Gray at Star Trek Day 2021:
Brett Gray: I had no idea my childhood would be with me right now.
BadCulture TV: Okay. So, let’s start there. So we’re here at Star Trek Day and you are about five feet away from LeVar Burton, Geordi La Forge from Next Generation.
Brett Gray: Yep.
BadCulture TV: That’s the show that I grew up on when I was a kid. What got you into Star Trek?
Brett Gray: Honestly? Star Trek Prodigy. I had no way into the Star Trek universe before Prodigy. Legitimately, my audition for Prodigy was the first time I ever jumped into Star Trek.
BadCulture TV: Wow.
Brett Gray: So I still have no idea what I’m jumping into right now, but I’m starting to get an idea that it’s way bigger than I thought.
BadCulture TV: It’s insane. The show has been around 55 years this year. It’s been part of popular culture ever since.
Brett Gray: Yeah.
BadCulture TV: Being a part of that now, have you felt any kind of, I don’t want to say responsibility but pressure to kind of dig into its history?
Brett Gray: You know, I really haven’t. So the first day we were recording on set, I did a captain’s log and I did it super wrong. It was energetic and I’m captain’s log. You know, I thought about it all, in my head, what I was going to do, and the Hageman brothers, the creators of the show were, whoa, what are you doing?
Captain’s logs have to be… You’re a captain now, there’s certain duties you have to uphold and they ended up keeping them in the cut, just super fun and super monologues of mine, which is awesome. And I think by not watching the show, I have been able to allow some of myself to come in, which I think will really show in the character. So I’ve been trying to hold off on doing as much research as possible. And so therefore the pressure is not on me. So, that’s been the best way to do it. Because I would be so nervous otherwise.
BadCulture TV: Let me ask you a little bit about your character. . .what can you tell me about your character?
Brett Gray: Dal R L he’s awesome, he’s purple and he’s dope. And he’s 17 years old and he doesn’t know what species he is. So the whole show he’s finding his group and his people in his tribe and who he is as a person, which is really awesome to get to tell as a story, especially still growing up, feeling like myself, yeah.
BadCulture TV: Kind of sucks, because I don’t know, what else I can ask about the series. Because I know…
Brett Gray: Same.
BadCulture TV: What are you excited for the audience to take away? Because the show is aimed at kids, but I feel like it looks like it’s something that adults can enjoy as well.
Brett Gray: It’s totally something adults can enjoy. I hope people can take away this, exactly what I said, the importance of finding your crew and the importance of how you can lean on other people to become who you are and to help you find out who you are as well. Also, the show just looks amazing. Ben Hibon is just incredible, his mind in his eye, it’s ridiculous. And the way he plays off of actors and what they do with the voice. It’s really awesome to see, so if anything, I think the adults will be also drawn in because the show is just so gorgeous. Yeah.
Star Trek Prodigy is set to premiere October 28, 2021, on Paramount+.
