Jason Isaacs’ duplicitous performance as Captain Gabriel Lorca was one of the many excellent facets of Star Trek: Discovery season 1. CBS All Access smashed the ball out of the park with this one, with Netflix helping the show to succeed in foreign territories such as UK. ‘Disco’ was a smash hit the world over, and Isaacs was a big part of that.
Now, in the gap between seasons, Isaacs has had some time to reflect on the experience of joining the Star Trek universe. Here’s what he said:
“It’s amazing. Obviously I’ve been in the Harry Potter films, so I know what fandom is like. I’ve met some of the fabulous, passionate fans, but they’ve only been fans since the year 2000. There are many people I’ve met now who have been obsessed with Star Trek for 50 years. It’s overwhelming, but it’s a new and wonderful thing. Jonathan Frakes, who played Riker [on Star Trek: The Next Generation] and directed some of our episodes, has been my guide and mentor through the madness of it all, and he persuaded me to sign up for some of the truly extraordinary Star Trek experiences like going on a Star Trek cruise with fans. I said to him, ‘I can’t imagine anything worse.’ He said, ‘I did it, and it’s great, and you’re coming.’ It’s a very eclectic bunch of people, as you would imagine, who have in common only that they love Star Trek for different reasons—some of them because they like the ships and uniforms, some of them like the philosophy—but they are drawn from a very, very interesting pool, that’s for sure.”
Isaacs added this, on the topic of conventions:
“I’ve done some Harry Potter conventions recently, and the Trek fans have found me there, but I’ve never been to an exclusively “Star Trek” thing. Subject to work, I’ll be going to Las Vegas this year, which apparently turns into a giant “Star Trek” city for a week. I can’t pretend I’m not looking forward to it. I’ve only met lovely people and had lovely conversations, and they are slightly insane, often, but in a great way.”
That all sounds very positive, doesn’t it? It’s good to hear that Isaacs is having a nice experience with his new fandom, and it’s wonderful to imagine him and Frakes on a cruise together.
If you do see Jason Isaacs at a convention or on a cruise, don’t forget to say hello.