Star Trek: Prodigy packs a fairly heavy punch for a sequence that’s focused towards a youthful demographic. In Episode 15, the crew of the U.S.S. Protostar—and extra particularly Dal (Brett Grey)—will get swept up within the thriller of his origins, which results in series-typical hijinks, mayhem, and considerate exploration. Dal is not the one one grappling with the reality of who his household was (or, in Dal’s case wasn’t), Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) can be studying extra about his origins on Tellarite earlier than he was kidnaped as a toddler, and compelled to labor on the Tars Lamora jail colony.
In a 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Jason Mantzoukas opened up concerning the audition course of for Star Trek: Prodigy, whether or not or not he was a Trekkie earlier than he bought the job, what it is like taking part in a 16-year-old Tellarite, how impressed he’s with the best way Prodigy approaches its bigger themes, how he loves taking part in a contrarian like Jankom, and the way the crew of the Protostar matches collectively. He additionally briefly spoke about his wide-ranging voice performing profession, together with how excited he’s about engaged on Invincible.
COLLIDER: You could have had such a different profession in voice performing. You have bought the raunchy thrills of Large Mouth, the outrageousness of voicing Tommy Lee’s penis, after which you’ve candy stuff like Star Trek: Prodigy. What attracts you to your totally different voice-acting roles?
JASON MANTZOUKAS: Let’s have a look at. I bought to say it is totally different stuff. I feel one of the vital engaging issues is the range that your query relies on. There’s all of this stuff, whether or not it is Large Mouth, Large Mouth is, let’s simply say, experientially, Large Mouth is a present that my pals created and had been so beneficiant to be like, “Hey, come do that present with us.” “Nice, I am in. Let’s do it.” I get to try this with my pals. One thing like Shut Sufficient, the J.G. Quintel present that heartbreakingly has now been canceled at HBO Max. I used to be such a fan of Common Present and bought to be a few visitor voices in that, really as a fan. After which JG, they requested me to return in and do his subsequent present. And that was tremendous thrilling to me as a result of I liked it and I liked what we did with that present.
Tommy Lee’s penis, that is simply… How do you say no to that? That is like whenever you get up and get a textual content from Seth Rogen that claims, “Hey, man, do you’ve 20 minutes to do a few strains for this Tommy Lee present we’re doing?” And I feel, “What is the function?” And he stated, “It is actually Tommy’s dick,” or one thing like that. I used to be like, “Completely.”
However Prodigy really was a really regular audition course of. They had been seeing actors for the elements and I auditioned. And I bought a callback and I went in once more. And so that basically was the quintessential, I am making an attempt to get a job. And for me, simply even based mostly on what little I knew about it, the concept of being in a Star Trek animated present, so thrilling. After which on high of that, one that’s geared in direction of a younger grownup viewers. I really like this sort of a narrative, this sort of a coming-of-age story, name to journey, younger children on an journey. These are the type of tales I really like digesting. So the concept I may very well be part of one was simply… This was one which I chased.
Have been you a Trekkie earlier than becoming a member of this present?
MANTZOUKAS: Not significantly, to not any nice diploma. I actually have watched loads of it. I am not any type of completist. I would not characterize myself as a Trekkie, however I’ve actually digested through the years fairly a little bit of it. Once we’re doing the present, there’s clearly lots of callbacks, homages, lots of recurring items or plot strains or characters even. And I would say I acknowledge half of them. And the opposite half, Kevin or Dan, or whoever within the recording session can be like, “Oh, that is truly referencing this scene from this episode.” So I really like that they are so deep in it and provides context, and joyfully so, [which] provides me a way of precisely how we’re related to the bigger canon, which I feel is fantastic. And I am going to say this period of Star Trek reveals, I very a lot am a fan of. I’ve gone by means of all of Decrease Decks, I feel it is incredible. I believed Unusual New Worlds was unimaginable. I am having fun with what’s taking place proper now.
With Episode 15, it delivers lots of very enjoyable twists and turns for this forged of characters. And I am curious, what’s it like attending to discover these concepts, belonging, and these characters on the lookout for who their households had been and whether or not that really impacts their futures?
MANTZOUKAS: Yeah. And that concept of not simply who their households are, however the place do they arrive from? Who’re they? This concept, this central query of, ‘Who am I?’ is such the appropriate query for characters this age to be asking. I really like that because the sequence goes, we’re watching them strive, and attempt to fail oftentimes, to determine that out, making the errors alongside the best way to determine who they’re, not simply as people, not simply as a crew, however as a household. It is a fellowship, that is Lord of the Rings. It is a fellowship of characters. That is the household that they discover alongside the best way, that they make alongside the best way. These are orphans, or these are characters who had been kidnaped or stolen, or offered into slavery. So for them to discover a solution to uncover who they’re by means of exploration, that is very thrilling. What a wealthy type of story to inform.
It’s. I inform everybody that Star Trek: Prodigy, I am a lifelong Trekkie, and I inform everyone that Star Trek: Prodigy has change into my favourite Star Trek as a result of it explores these themes, and in an ideal approach for youths. And it is so nice. I want I had this after I was a toddler.
MANTZOUKAS: Whereas not sacrificing the journey.
Precisely.
MANTZOUKAS: Actually, they’re threading the needle so fantastically, I feel. Yeah, go forward.
I agree with you fully. They’re, and I inform them this each time I discuss to them. However what’s it like for you attending to voice a 16-year-old Tellarite? The place do you come from whenever you present up within the recording sales space?
MANTZOUKAS: Normally I come from my kitchen with a cup of espresso and I lock myself in my closet the place I, during the last couple of years, have coated it in blankets and a bunch of different nonsense in order that it could qualify as a sound sales space, and I simply grumpily scream into my microphone. I feel the factor, actually, that I liked probably the most about taking part in this character is how confidently and joyfully contrarian he’s. As a Tellarite, that contrarian perspective is baked into the character. And it is actually enjoyable to have the ability to try this. It is enjoyable to be the character who can poke and prod everyone with contrarian concepts, even when Jankom Pog would not himself consider these concepts.
Lots of occasions, we’ll be doing the recordings and the strains can be written such that Jankom will nearly appear to be agreeing. And I am going to say, “Nicely, what if he simply disagreed right here?” And we’ll get such a giant kick out of like, properly, that is an apparent, everyone must be on the identical web page, however is not it pleasant that Jankom Pog is like, “Or possibly not.” And that is that I really like, as a result of these beats are him establishing himself as a person, however then additionally they’re simply pure comedy beats, which is enjoyable.
For my final query for you, you talked about Seth Rogen on the high of the dialog. Collider only in the near past chatted with him about The Fablemans and Invincible got here up, so it’ll come up right here too. Have you ever been recording for that? What are you able to tease for Season 2?
MANTZOUKAS: I’ve. I’ve been recording for Season 2. I can tease nothing besides that it is going to be unimaginable, full cease. You stated you are a lifelong Trek fan. I am a lifelong comics fan. And so, I am any individual who learn Invincible from the early days it began popping out till it ended, no matter, 15 years later. It is a e book that I digested over the course of 15 years. And this story is so acquainted to me and I find it irresistible. And when Robert [Kirkman] requested me to do the sequence, I reread the entire sequence once more and liked it much more, a lot that I would forgotten so many facet tangents and plot strains that I had forgotten about. And what I am loving concerning the sequence is what they’re selecting to incorporate, the place they’re selecting to have us go on this huge journey that exists that I perceive the place it might go. However I am delighted with what tales Robert is all for telling inside the Invincible world. I feel that is going to be a really iconic present.
Oh, I can’t wait to see it. And it at all times makes me so joyful when individuals who love the supply materials get to convey characters from that world to life. It’s simply the perfect.
MANTZOUKAS: It is the perfect. It is the perfect. As a Star Trek fan, it is unimaginable to be in a Star Trek present. Do not get me flawed, it is completely bananas and thrilling. However the concept I am taking part in Rex Splode, that is nuts. Once more, I spent over a decade studying about this character, that I get to be that voice is fairly cool.
It’s epic. Thanks a lot on your time immediately.
Star Trek: Prodigy is streaming now Paramount+ Talking of Seth Rogen, try our interview with him under:
