Actor Ethan Peck talks taking on iconic role of Spock for Star Trek: Discovery S2, Ars Technica

Once he snagged the role, “I had to overcome a lot of self-doubt,” he said. “I wasn’t sure I was ready to take on that much responsibility. I knew it could change my life dramatically. On the one hand, I’d dreamed of something like this. On the other, when you get your dreams, that’s when the real work begins, and you have to figure out what you’re made of. “

Fortunately, the actor thrives on tackling difficult challenges, and rose to the occasion. He found inspiration in past Spock portrayals, and in the (film,

Starman , which starred Jeff Bridges as an alien grappling with his new human body and the messy world of human emotions. And as he settled into the character, a bit of Spock started to rub off on him, particularly when it came to wasting mental energy on self-doubt.

“I realized Spock would never think this way,” he said. “With Spock I learned the importance of honing your own programming. There was a culling of thoughts that were bad for my preparation for the role. That really came from always thinking, ‘What would Spock do?’ As an actor, you have to weasel your way into minds that are not your own. ” “What makes Spock so compelling is the perpetual conflict within him.”

Part of that challenge lies in conveying emotion and Spock’s essential human side, when the character is famous for being logical, precise , and distrustful of emotion. Nimoy was a master of the expressively arched eyebrow. While Peck says he, too, has “articulate eyebrows,” he was hampered in exploiting that feature by the fact that his makeup called for “eyebrow blockers”: a prosthetic placed over his actual eyebrows, in lieu of shaving them into the classic Vulcan shape. “I had to make sure I raised my eyebrow enough every time I had to do that,” he said.

Instead, he focused on the eyes and vocal cadences to emphasize the character’s thoughtfulness and introspection. “What makes Spock so compelling is the perpetual conflict within him,” said Peck. “The conflict between logic and emotion, between Vulcan and human. I always saw in Nimoy’s eyes a depth of understanding of the emotion around him, and an empathy with those around him. That wasn’t always communicated verbally. But you see it in the time he takes to consider moments or situations. That, I think, expresses his humanity very well. “

The gradual humanization of Spock arguably began in the (s with) (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (2019) after (spoiler alert!) Spock’s death and resurrection, becoming more pronounced in the Abrams franchise. Discovery ‘s incarnation of Spock is probably the most humanized to date, best characterized by his difficult relationship with his estranged adoptive sister Michael — a key thematic arc for the season. We don’t actually meet Spock until well into S2, when Michael finds him on Vulcan, psychologically tormented by the return of his childhood visions of the Red Angel.