Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Melissa Navia Shares About Ortegas, the Value of Humor, and What the Future Holds

Since its premiere on Could 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 change into a fan favourite together with her comedic quips and easy ability as a pilot.

By portraying an entirely 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 forged are within the last levels of filming Season 2, Navia speaks candidly about how outstanding it has been to change into part of the Star Trek household.

On the newest episode, Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds Season 1 Episode 8, entitled “The Elysian Kingdom,” your complete crew undergoes transformations into characters from a fairy story.

Not one to be ignored, 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 pleased 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 fancy dress as a result of it looks like an outfit that I’d put on.

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 unbelievable at her job was written into the traces.

“What I have been seeing from followers is everybody needs extra of Ortegas, and everyone’s like, ‘Properly, when are we going to listen to extra? When are we going to get extra backstory?’

“I’ve to go along 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 every human being, all the pieces that we’re informs all the pieces we do, so though 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 just 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 one.

“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 pondering,’ nevertheless it does in some way inform what I am doing.

“Individuals’s response to how a lot she loves being a helmsman [is great]. The best way 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 basically this unbelievable a pilot, I am unable to simply be making up what my arms are doing as I’m going.

“I must have a number of forethought put into this. I do all the pieces with intention in order that it comes off as if it is not 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 further layers that you will see. And in addition different sides. I will simply go away it at that. I do not need 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 though it is a character from a guide, it’s an extension of her that was created by Dr. M’Benga’s daughter.

“I really 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 perfect books, the perfect tales do.

“Each episode, we see one other facet of Ortegas, and there might be extra backstory to her historical past as a soldier and in addition how she got here to be on the Enterprise a little bit bit additional down. Do not need 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 underneath?

“Sure, so far as I do know in regards to the character. I consider he’s. That would change within the writing. She’s clearly served with different members of Starfleet. She went to the Academy, the place she realized the best way to be who she is.

“By way of Captain Pike, she trusts him a lot, and he or she adores her entire crew. It is not [just] that she adores and trusts them, however she respects them as they respect her.

“When folks discuss how she could be… not flippant however type of off-the-cuff on the bridge. Generally individuals are like, ‘Is it too casual?’ My argument is all the time, ‘No, it is not.’

“When you converse to folks within the army, to people who find themselves in life or loss of life conditions on a regular basis, it is identical to, ‘No, for those who had been continuously confronted with potential doom in area, you could have to have the ability to joke or else you’ll simply not make it by way of the day.’

“She’s in a position to joke, and he or she’s in a position to have this excellent camaraderie particularly with Captain Pike, who she seems to be 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 unbelievable pilot. She will be able to joke and nonetheless is aware of when to get right down to enterprise, and it is due to 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 all the pieces.

“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 forged, she mentioned, “The brand new forged for Unusual New Worlds goes to knock everyone’s socks off. I can’t anticipate you guys to fulfill them.”

Navia concurs wholeheartedly. “Everybody within the forged is as great as you assume they’re. They’re humorous. They’re clever. They have been with me… I have been coping with all types of non-public grief, they usually’ve been completely unbelievable.

“By way of 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 normally 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, they usually felt like they had been lastly assembly me. We did not need to be like, ‘Oh my god! I’m so pleased to fulfill you!’ however I really 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 inconceivable the success. Is there something Ortegas would not do properly?

“Completely, there’s. Clearly.

“I am making an attempt to consider particular issues. I feel one of many great issues about Ortegas is she’s very assured, so even when she will’t do one thing properly, 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 sort out one thing that she would not do properly, or relating to relationships the place she would not attempt to be too severe 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’t do stuff properly, she’s gonna give it a attempt.

“I do not know if Ortegas is a good dancer trigger I am not an incredible dancer. I am not good at it, however I do love dancing. That is the type of factor the place it is like even when she’s not good at one thing, she is going to attempt it.”

Does Navia have a way of how Ortegas would strategy a tough impediment?

“I’d say she strategizes. I have been pondering loads about this by way of how she seems to be as much as Captain Pike. One of many issues she seems to be 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 he or she 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 a complete backstory. She’s been by way of struggle. She’s misplaced buddies. She’s misplaced folks. And he or she 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 unbelievable pilots need to be the place they’re type of ready 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 will get a greater reply to that query.”

How is manufacturing on Season 2 going?

“We’re nearly wrapped. We’re simply going proper towards the tip, to the very end. We’re filming on daily basis.

“Now we have a few weeks extra filming, and in some way among the most unbelievable scenes are but to come back. I do know them from the script, however we nonetheless need to movie them.

“It would not matter. Each episode is unbelievable, and I feel Season 2 could also be even higher than Season 1 if that is doable.”

Even ace pilots want their downtime. What does Navia have deliberate for after manufacturing concludes on Season 2?

“I am gonna take a little bit highway journey after which head residence. There are initiatives that I am eager about; my reps are engaged on, however — I discuss it freely as a result of it is necessary — I misplaced my associate of seven years [Brian Bannon] in December.

“A whole lot 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 midst of the Omicron Variant.

“Additionally, there is a present that I used to be placing collectively referred to as Woman with Brief 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 all the time be an enormous a part of me.

“A whole lot of my time goes to be writing, spending it with household, and spending it on Brian, which makes me tremendous pleased. So yeah, there is a present, Woman with Brief 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 individuals 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 Brief 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 an enormous 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 perfect fandom on the planet.

“Brian, household, and writing and dealing on my present. And, hopefully, a unbelievable “different” appearing undertaking. If it is actually wonderful and is on the stage of Erica Ortegas, I’ll take it.

How will Woman with Brief Hair be introduced when it is prepared?

“I am envisioning it as a reside factor. I do stand-up comedy too. I have not carried out it on stage in a very long time because the pandemic. I envisioned [the show] as –, and will probably be — a combination of stand-up and storytelling.

“I am a storyteller; as you may inform, I may discuss without end. And so it is undoubtedly going to be reside, and it may be in New York. I am unable to anticipate folks to see it. It’s going to be about me, nevertheless it’ll now additionally all the time be about Brian.

“He is a presence on set. All people 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 way of the filming of Season 1.

“It is the identical by way of Season 2, simply completely different, however he is there on a regular basis. And talking to the forged and crew, they have been phenomenal. I do not know what individuals are speculated to be like when this occurs, however they’ve been distinctive—everyone, forged and crew alike.

“I have been very lucky that Life throws loopy issues at you, however I’ve a beautiful household, and I’ve wonderful buddies, and I’ve Unusual New Worlds.

“I will do my finest to honor [Brian] and to honor all of that going ahead in all the pieces I do.”

Catch extra Melissa Navia Ortegas motion on Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds streaming on Paramount+!

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Diana Keng is a employees author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.