The creators of Star Trek: Discovery knew they had to get it right when casting the iconic role of Spock. It would take an extremely talented actor to fill the shoes of Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy and more, but Ethan Peck has thus far proven to be the perfect fit. Though landing the job in the second season sounds like it was from easy.
Speaking in a recent interview, the star revealed the following:
“When you take on roles that require a greater center and core, that can be very intimidating and very daunting. So when I came into it, I didn’t know what I was auditioning for at the beginning of the process. It’s all codenamed. And so I received these signs that are very odd. I mean, very abstract.
An alien in a cave named Tom…and Michael Burnham’s come into the cave and is trying to bring him out of his inner reverie. And they had told me it was for something special. And I was like, ‘Data?’ I had no idea, literally no idea. Before that final audition, I got a new scene, and that scene revealed who it was. Not explicitly, implicitly. And I was like, ‘Is that possible? Is that right?’ Just because you never think that you’d come across this kind of role.”
Apparently, the odd and weirdly secretive audition paid off. Star Trek: Discovery, now working on its much-anticipated third season, was the most popular streaming show in April. The series has been a huge draw for CBS All Access, too, which is quickly becoming one of the premier streaming services in the industry.
Executives seem intent to capitalize on all of the attention from Star Trek fans as well, as a Jean-Luc Picard series starring Sir Patrick Stewart is also in production. Not to mention viewers are pleading for a Christopher Pike spinoff with Anson Mount returning to the role that captured viewers’ hearts. According to co-showrunner Alex Kurtzman, it’s certainly being discussed as a possibility.
As for Peck, he just hopes he gets to come back for season 3. Given the way audiences have praised his performance, it seems likely that the actor will have the chance to don the pointy ears again in the future. Whether that’s on Star Trek: Discovery or one of the many other Trek projects being discussed remains to be seen, but either way, fans are hoping for plenty more Spock as soon as possible.