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Learning life lessons from Star Trek was far from my mind 35 years ago when I was cast as Nuria in The Next Generation episode of “Who Watches the Watchers.” Delving into the cosmic philosophy that stems from creator Gene Roddenberry’s view of the future came years later when I was invited to attend various Star Trek fan gatherings. Among the most oft-cited life and leadership lessons gleaned from fans of this epic series and its characters:
· Never Stop Exploring
· The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few
· Question the Status Quo
· Lead Boldly, but Also Listen.
But back in 1989, my job was to act, not intellectualize. Playing a proto-Vulcan humanoid of a Bronze-age level of development was a cool acting challenge that meant drawing on craft and instinct to bring the fierce, strong-willed character of Nuria to life. It also required an eagle-eyed production staff to make sure every detail of my costume and makeup was true to my Mintakan tribe.
Calling a far-distant planet home was made easier by filming on location at iconic Vasquez Rocks, a rugged, photogenic landscape north of Hollywood that’s served as a backlot in countless cowboy and sci-fi films since the early days of Silent Films.
Early each morning, I was fitted with fresh latex facial prosthetics, including an imposing forehead and pointy ears. My latex castoffs from the previous day were then passed on to be worn by nonspeaking “extras” in my tribe. (A cosmic lesson in itself: Waste not, want not.) With green-tinged skin, long black braids and rough-woven robe and sandals, I was ready for my close-up, spear in hand.
“Who Watches the Watchers” is a quintessential Star Trek story, involving a primitive society’s first encounter with an advanced culture that goes catastrophically wrong. Nuria, leader of her people, is beamed aboard the Enterprise, where she pleads with Picard — whom she mistakenly sees as a god because of the advanced technology of the spaceship — to save a member of her tribe. Picard (played by the divine Patrick Stewart) must convince Nuria of his own mortality.
Mingling with Trekkies, steeped in the lore of the Starship Enterprise, I’ve come to appreciate the moral and ethical premises on which Roddenberry created his Star Trek universe, one in which humanity not only explored outer space but tackled many social and political problems that are still relevant today. Every iteration of Star Trek since its inception has embraced a future in which sexism and racism do not exist, and intelligent beings from numerous planets live in peace and mutual benefit. It’s worth noting that in 1966, the show’s multicultural, multiracial cast put it well ahead of its time.
Thanks to Trekkies, I’ve discovered there are powerful Enterprise takeaways to be gleaned from each 45-minute episode. Starfleet crews are respectful when meeting with other cultures. And, if the species is less technologically advanced than themselves, they observe the Star Trek "Prime Directive" of non-interference.
For me, the outstanding lessons I learned as Nuria: “Beware false beliefs in false gods,” and “Trust yourself to act with both logic and compassion.”
When Nuria, pursuing the notion that Captain Picard is a god, points out that she and Picard are different, he responds, "I'm not a supreme being. I'm flesh and blood, like you. Different in appearance, yes. But we are both living beings. We are born, we grow, we live and we die. In all the ways that matter, we are alike.”
Recently, I was a guest at “Trek Long Island,” along with old friend and veteran actor Armin Schimerman, who appeared in both Star Trek: The Next Generation and in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Armin said he’d recently rewatched the “Necessary Evil” episode that reminded him of this quote by Sophocles, “When trust dies, mistrust blooms,” as a key takeaway of the show.
His wife Kitty Swink, who also appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, notes that the theme of the episode, “Sanctuary,” is that “people of differing opinions can and should be able to hold deeply passionate opinions without villainizing the opposition. That if we simply avoid demonizing each other, we have a better chance of living together in peace.”
When the original series launched in 1966, “To boldly go where no man has gone before" greatly influenced public interest in the U.S. Space Program and space exploration. In 1976, thanks to hundreds of thousands of Trekkies writing impassioned letters to NASA, the first space shuttle orbiter was named after the starship Enterprise.
Fifty-five years after actor William Shatner played the heroic Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series, he grazed the edge of outer space at age 90 when he hitched a ride aboard Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin space shuttle.
Jayne Ricco, In her essay, “Life Lessons From Star Trek: The Next Generation,” expresses perhaps the most important lesson we can pick up from Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew: “It’s not the destination, but the journey that counts. When Starfleet began its space exploration program, they didn’t have an endpoint in mind. Their goal was simply to venture farther into the universe than anyone had before, and to bring with them a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand what they encountered. They embraced the idea that what happened along the way was more important than where they ended up.”
Star Trek embodies the best in great storytelling, presenting humanistic, thought-provoking and inspiring tales illuminating an optimistic view of the future. My personal takeaway as an actor? What a joy to play Nuria, a strong woman, who bravely stands up to Picard and is a “true leader of her people!”
Photo credits (left to right): Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection; Courtesy Kathryn Leigh Scott; Photo 12/Alamy Stock Photo (2)
Who out there is a Star Trek fan? Let us know in the comments below!
