‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Star Anson Mount Discusses That Implied 2021 Insurrection Moment and NASA Letter to Crew

[The following story contains spoilers from the premiere episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.]

It was a profound moment for Anson Mount.

Before production of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds got underway, the Capt. Christopher Pike actor read aloud to the series cast and crew a letter to them from NASA, explaining that beyond entertainment, the iconic franchise is an inspiration to scientific minds trying to build a better future. Not a bad way to kick off a new space adventure installment.

The highly-anticipated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premiered Thursday on Paramount+ with an episode full of stunning visuals, exciting action and largely important to Mount, a healthy (but not overbearing) dose of Star Trek: The Original Series nostalgia. Strange New Worlds occurs just prior to TOS.

Mount, Rebecca Romijn (Una Chin-Riley, the ship’s Number One) and Ethan Peck (Spock) struck such a chord with their guest work on Star Trek: Discovery that fans created online petitions urging CBS to approve a spinoff following that crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter prior to the Strange New Worlds premiere, Mount discussed several topics, including how Star Trek fandom transformed not only his career, but his life. The star also delves into a moment in the episode that is likely to make some viewers uncomfortable — at least, he hopes it does.

First and foremost, tell me the feeling when you sat in the captain’s chair, but this time, realized it was for your own Star Trek series? 

It was amazing. And it was also the feeling of finally because we had been held back so long due to the pandemic. Some acquaintances from NASA wrote a letter to the cast and crew, which I got to read, explaining how much Star Trek meant to them and how much it means to scientists, and how powerful the imagination can be in crafting our future.

I love the snowy ranch opening of the episode. I am assuming that wasn’t actually Montana. 

No. We shot that a little more than an hour north of Toronto.

Was it as cold as it looked? 

It was. It was quite cold and snowy, which makes it difficult for the horses. But we got it.

That was a magnificent beard. How long did it take to grow? 

(Laughs.) I think about three months.

You were so beloved by Star Trek: Discovery fans that online petitions were created demanding Christopher Pike be given his own series. I’d love to hear your thoughts on that tremendous support. 

It was not expected. It was kind of unreal. I’ve never had such a strong response to anything I’ve ever done. And, look, I’ll be honest with you: It changed my life in significant ways. It provided me a job during a very difficult time for actors, and it also provided me with the confidence to make the decision to have a family. So it literally changed my life, and I could not be more grateful to the fanbase for that.

This premiere episode had some heavy make-up and prosthetics for a few of you. What did you think when you saw that in the script right out of the gate? 

I am glad I don’t have to do it every day. (Laughs.) I have even greater respect for actors, like Doug Jones. It is a significant amount of time in the chair. And there is a whole art to using your performance to inhabit an inch of latex.

One surprising moment is when Capt. Pike shows footage of the breaking point just before mankind nearly destroyed itself in WWIII, which implied the 2021 insurrection had some part in the devastating collapse. How did you feel about that being included, knowing it will make some uncomfortable? 

I hope it does. We knew we wanted to go there. Whenever you want to take a big swing on TV, the question is, “Are the bosses going to OK it?” And I’ve got to tell you, we’re taking a lot of big swings on this show. And I have never, in my career, been shown such faith and support by a network or a studio as I have been by this one.

CBS, Paramount+, Secret Hideout and Roddenberry Entertainment, they got immediately what we were trying to do and allowed us to take a very big swing there. And it just shows that they understand what we’re trying to do and that they get Star Trek. I hope it makes some noise. Part of Star Trek is staying relevant without preaching. And I think that we did exactly that.

The uniforms appear to be different from those on Discovery. They look more comfortable even. How were they changed for Strange New Worlds? 

The uniforms are a world of difference from the Discovery uniforms. (Laughs.) They’re a lot more forgiving, they fall more naturally, and there are fewer zippers involved. They are more of a throwback.

The sets are just incredible. Working on those had to make you feel like a kid in a candy store, fair to say? 

Jonathan Lee did a phenomenal job as our production designer. I feel like he really accomplished a lot of different goals, balancing a lot of different elements. You want something that pays attention to canon and is a homage to the past and yet accomplishes the scale of television today. And he then retains a very specific mid-century modern look from the 1960s. There are some pieces that you might find in a super upscale version of Macy’s in 1967. It retains that cool ’60s vibe, but in an updated way, which I really dig.

The series is eye-popping with the visual effects but so perfectly hits that nostalgia sweet spot for the ’60s original series. How important was that dichotomy for you? 

To me, it’s super important because I grew up watching the original series when it was in syndication. That is how I discovered Star Trek. And that was the only Star Trek I had until The Next Generation. So, for me, that’s everything. And that is what we really wanted to do, something that was a throwback and homage to the original series. And almost everything we do, that consideration goes into it.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams Thursdays on Paramount+.